Tiring ...

Distance is relative.

Riding my bike in to Tokyo on six lane highways, 80 kilometers takes less than an hour. Here in the Congo, on unpaved and heavily rutted roads, I have rarely seen drivers exceed 40 kph, and 25 kph is far more usual.

The other problem, of course, is tires. The roads are brutal on tire rubber, and flat tires are an everyday occurrence for most drivers. The MSF vehicles I have traveled in are much better maintained than the average local truck, and none of the vehicles I was in suffered a flat tire, but we passed many trucks having tires changed, and once had to wait on a one lane mountain road while a truck driver (pictured) and his assistant (standing on the wrench, tightening the lugs) finished their repair.

The last photo shows a tire on a truck delivering goods to an MSF compound in Goma. You can see an enormous crack running all the way around the sidewall, near the wheel. That will blow out tomorrow, I said to the driver. He replied, "Nah, not 'til next week."