Loose ends

Our last 6 days in Brazzaville were a hectic quagmire of tying up loose ends. Physically burnt out from our trip, we cranked through each day running on low.

All of our water samples had to be inventoried, packaged, and shipped. Some will go via DHL back to the U.S. (and to labs in Europe), others we will carry in our bags on the plane.

At the same time, new samples continued to trickle in. The broken down rental truck we left in the north returned late on Friday to Brazzaville after going through a transmission overhaul. On board were two large plastic containers full of our early water samples. Also, earlier this week we also managed to sample the main stem of the Congo River, just south of Brazzaville, both before and after the infamous rapids – no small feat in a 2 ft. wide pirogue.

On Monday we will revisit the local schools were we dropped off art supplies two weeks ago and retrieve any art work the children may have produced. Monday (29th), late evening, is the Air France flight home.