Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bandundu Province, Fight on Riverboat, 1984
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bandundu Province, Fight on Riverboat, 1984

Congo Zaire, Fight on Riverboat, 1984 - The Congo River steamboat was a lively place. Here a group of soldiers get into a drunken brawl. One raises a bottle to strike another. Diary, October 24, 1984 Bolombo, En route to Kinshasa, Zaire Even though we were still docked against the island in early morning, we awoke in the morning to find our ship in Bolombo. I bought ten mangoes for Z8 (20 cents) and some fresh peanut butter from a pot full. In the morning we went over Spunky. The refrain had to be done over. We went to take showers and stood in line. I used a technique: to write down anything and everything that came to mind until something good come up: Minnie T shirt Bounce in place, Beauty marks Smiling Face, What’s Behind It? Loosely fastened cloth sarong No need to say what’s going on Resign to It. I shot clandestine of a women with hair in one foot spike. A fight broke out on the side barge. Bottles being broken as weapons. I had my camera handy and I snapped photos of a soldier with a knife in had, another man with a bottle, ten men holding them back and half the people on the boat jammed against the rails on looking. We bought a dried fish for Z120 and could eat only one quarter of the delicious meat. We took photos of soldiers eagerly posing on top of the barge. We traded for an “Operation Manta: Tchad” medallion from a Zairois soldier for Tanzanian Shillings (worth Z200) and a lighter on top of the side barge under the stars. We smoke with the electrician downstairs. We go drinking Malafu with the soldier and John. The bars are closed down (since the afternoon fight). Out of beer. At the end of the night, the manager and wife ask us to breakfast.

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