Facing the Congo A Modern-Day Journey into the Heart of Darkness

by TAYLER, JEFFREY

• ISBN13: 9780609808269
• ISBN10: 0609808265
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-10-09
• Publisher: Crown

Summary

Faced with an identity crisis in his work and his life, seasoned traveler and journalist Jeffrey Tayler made a bold decision. He would leave behind his mundane existence in Moscow to re-create the legendary British explorer Henry Stanley's trip down the Congo in a dugout canoe, stocked with food, medicine, and even a gun-toting guide. But once his tiny boat pushed off the banks of this mysterious river, Tayler realized he was in a place where maps and supplies would have no bearing on his survival. As Tayler navigates this immense waterway, he encounters a land of smothering heat and intense rains, wary villagers, corrupt officials and dead-eyed soldiers demanding bribes, jungle animals, mosquitoes, and, surprisingly, breathtaking natural beauty. Filled with honesty and rich description,Facing the Congois a sophisticated depiction of today's Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country brought to its knees by a succession of despotic leaders. But most mportant, Tayler's stunning narrative is a deeply satisfying personal journey of fear and awakening, with a message that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt compelled, whether in life or in fantasy, to truly explore and experience our world.

Author Biography

JEFFREY TAYLER is the author of <b>Siberian Dawn: A Journey Across the New Russia</b>. He writes for <i>Condé Nast Traveler</i>, <i>Spin</i>, <i>Harper’s</i>, and other publications and is a commentator on NPR’s All Things Considered. Two of his essays appear in the inaugural edition of <b>The Best American Travel Writing</b>. He lives in Russia.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xi
Prologue: Visions of a River	p. xiii
Brazzaville	p. 3
The Beach	p. 17
Kinshasa	p. 31
The Colonel	p. 43
Shoving Off	p. 59
Stowaways	p. 77
Dancing on the Equator	p. 87
Into the Great Forest	p. 93
Upriver	p. 113
Kisangani	p. 129
Alone on the River	p. 139
Land without Evenings	p. 155
The Woes of SNIP	p. 169
Omens	p. 177
Danger	p. 191
Lisala	p. 209
Crisis	p. 223
Chasing the Ebeya	p. 241
Mbandaka Again	p. 249
Epilogue	p. 257
List of Illustrations	p. 261
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