Epulu, DRC

Congo is the only place in the world you will find an okapi or jungle giraffe. Sunday we had the opportunity of a lifetime to fly to Epulu. Epulu has a game preserve for the okapi, not to mention it being just an amazing place. There is a Pygmy village there as well.

The village kids were all there waiting to meet us.

This Pygmy was very funny.

At the okapi preserve they feed 50 lbs of leaves to each okapi a day.
The okapi, the locals believe it has magical powers

They are beautiful animals that live around 35 years.

The animals are not sociable at all.

This one is the youngest in the preserve at 5 years old.

The okapi have very soft coats.

I thought it was impressive this guy moving two wheelbarrows at once. The workers have to hang the leaves in the trees. The okapi will not eat their food on the ground.

This Pygmy sold me a bow and arrow.

The fish they catch out of the river are not very big.

Bathing in the Epulu river with the crocodiles.

The village

You can barely see the lady cooking, just outside her house.

Runway Construction/ Asphalt Work

I Found this scene very interesting this morning at the Goma Airport. You are not suppose to take pictures at the airport so I could not get very close to the guys, but if you click on the pictures you can get a bigger view of what is happening. They are making asphalt next to the runway then hauling it over to fill the cracks. Note the UN tractor, not really sure why the tractor was there because I never saw them use it.

Victims of the Fighting

These three little girls and baby sister are one of many tragic stories here in Eastern DRC. Their father was killed by the rebels and their mother died in childbirth. Air Serv had the priviledge of flying them to an orgphanage in Lubumbashi, where they await for their grandparents in the U.S. to adopt them.