Stuck in Traffic at a Congolese Funeral

January 16 – Matadi, Democratic Republic of Congo

Good day. January 16th. I’m in Matadi, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, intending to return to the second and larger part of Angola.

I slept okay, but there was no water in the morning. It wasn’t a very expensive hotel, yet it was still too expensive for what they were offering. Instead of wandering around trying to spend the rest of my DRC money, I decided to just leave, which turned out to be a good plan.

Funeral Procession Blocks the Main Street

There is one main street that leads to the border, and it was completely blocked. Cars and trucks were lined up, and many people were walking down the hill dressed up. It turned out there was a funeral taking place, which had brought everything to a standstill.

More and more people gathered. At one point, the casket was passed by me, carried by several people. I have no idea who the deceased person was, but it was a fascinating cultural moment to witness.

I was stuck in traffic for about an hour and a half, barely moving. Some cars passed but turned off shortly afterward, which wasn’t my route. So I had to wait.

Coffee, Bananas, and Waiting

While waiting, I mentioned coffee to some nearby people. They kindly organized a cup free of charge. It wasn’t how I would usually make it, but it was better than nothing. I also managed to spend some of my remaining DRC money on bananas. You make do with what you have.

Crossing the Border

Eventually, traffic started inching forward toward the border. The road through town is anything but a proper through street, yet it is used by massive trucks coming from Angola.

Exiting the DRC wasn’t too difficult. As usual, the offices are located in less-than-obvious places, and it helps when someone guides you. This time there was no extra charge, which was a relief.

The key to these border crossings is to sit back, relax, and wait. Eventually, everything falls into place. My car was signed off for exit from the DRC, with several photo checks taken. The same process happens when entering Angola.

Fortunately, I had already arranged the import document for the car during my previous visit to Angola, which saved time.

Truck Delays and Narrow Passages

There was a lineup of trucks carrying parts of a large crane. They were blocking the way and had to pass through a very narrow section in the DRC. Matadi is an absolute nightmare for large trucks, yet they navigate it daily.

After some waiting, the situation cleared.

Rough Roads and Beautiful Scenery

The next 30 kilometers were on a road that hadn’t improved much — still quite rough. Taking it slow was the only option. Eventually, I reached better roads and made good progress toward Mwanza, Mwanza Congo, which was as far as I could get that day.

I had planned three days to reach Luanda, the capital of Angola, so this was acceptable progress.

The rest of the drive was filled with heavy truck traffic heading toward the DRC, stunning landscapes, and many three-wheeled carts carrying people and goods. It was an amazingly beautiful day, especially driving alongside the Congo River, which I had crossed the day before to reach Matadi and then followed again on the opposite side when leaving.