Falling In Love with A Baby Bonobo.....

Bonobos, or pygmy chimpanzees (Pan paniscus), are the last of the great apes to have been

discovered, but they could well be the first to disappear.
A species unique to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), bonobos face the threat of extinction due to war, hunting, and deforestation.

Lola ya Bonobo is the bonobo sanctuary run by The Friends of Bonobos in the DRC (Les Amis des Bonobos du Congo or A.B.C.). Lola ya Bonobo is a unique project to protect bonobos through education of Congolese youth and lobbying for the enforcement of wildlife laws, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

When I arrived at the nursery where the Congolese "mama's" look after the orphan bonobo's I knew that for me I had stumbled onto something so special.....love at first sight for me!!!!:)

The youngest bonobos remain in the care of substitute mothers (sanctuary staff) until they are fully rehabilitated and acclimated to their new environment.
The new site of "Lola ya Bonobo," where the sanctuary was moved in February 2002, provides the juvenile and adult bonobos with over 20 acres of enclosed forest where they can develop into a social group with minimal human interference. It provides an ideal environment for educational programs for school children, as well as for ethological observations.

http://www.ippl.org/2002-congo-sanctuary.php ( the site where I found some of my information) you might want to go there and read more and maybe offer some support for this organisation.

http://www.friendsofbonobos.org/ I am sure this organisation will appreciate any sponsorship that you can give them.... .......save a "Bonobo" ;)

"Enfin Bonobo Centre"-"Lola ya Bonobo"

Sunday has arrived again....and yes at last I get to visit the Bonobo Sanctuary.....we left the house at about 10.30am , I really thought that it was not going to be that far...but our driver had other plans for us!!!!

The trip should take about 45 minutes to get to the area where "Lac de ma Valee" is and the Bonobo Park is about 3kilometre from there but our driver took the wrong turning and took us on an hour long drive in the wrong direction....Talk about been stubborn, I told Vianney to tell him I have a feeling we are going in the wrong direction....but he said no he has been before and we are not..... Well after Vianney nearly lost his cool with him and telling him 3 times to stop asking for directions now and turn back he had no option but to listen but both Vianney and I where really fed up ....I saw my little adventure coming to an end....and once again no Bonobo Park..

When we got to the end of the road where we had gone wrong earlier, thirst was on my side ..and the sign said 3km to Bonobo Sanctuary...so off we went...

When we arrived to my surprise there where many people around picnic tables enjoying the

Sunday afternoon. There are small radis in the little river

that devides the restaurant from the bonobo Reserve.

the children where really enjoying themselves, swimming and
playing on the beach....

Vianney an I decide to go and have a very deserving "Primus Beer" or two and ordered some lunch - Steamed fish in Banana leaves cooked in a lovely juice served with rice....great lunch!

Then the walk up to Bonobo Centre ...where we followed a guide who explained the different behavior and habits of the Bonobo....

here another link to learn more about them and perhaps you would like to support them-
http://lolayabonobo.wildlifedirect.org/category/the-sanctuary/

http://www.bonoboducongo.free.fr/

lolayabonobo@ic.cd

I am going to move on to tell you how I fell in love with them.........well one little baby!

Making a Home, buying African Arts

In this picture....the cushion covers, I am so proud of, the wooden elephant, there is a papa that comes around selling African art...so now I have to find a place for him...(he is a bit big for the table) that's the elephant...not the papa :)

The cloth is made by the Pygmy Tribe that live in the forest in the Kivu Province near the borders of Rwanda, if you would like to know more about the Pygmy's I discovered this link :http://www.pygmee.nl/pygmy_algemeen.html very intersting and they need support!

This week we found a little shop down town Kinshasa, where they sell beautiful materials with African Prints on , lamps and other products imported from Kenya. I fell in love with the beautiful beaded sandals, kokois and hand bags for sale. A great little find!!!

So the past week I have been using the sewing machine I brought along, sewing, curtains for the passage and cushion covers for the sofa....trying to get rid of the glitter that adorned the existing cushions ....just wanting to put my own stamp on the apartment to make it feel more like a home....

This lovely Jug statue I found at "Artisan Development"http://www.artisandevelop.com/

They have some lovely pieces and the wood work is really beautiful....we have ordered a table and some lamps from them , I cannot wait for them to come ......

Visiting the Bralima Brewery

The past two week have been busy and fun.....The International Woman's Club organised a visit to the Bralima Brewery . They are a Dutch owned company and where established here in the DRC 80 years ago.....

Bralima, which employs 1,100 people in the DRC, has six production sites in the country, along with a bottling plant in Kinshasa. The Kinshasa production facility, which was recently modernized and equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, is running at its full production capacity of 1.2 million hectoliters.....that's some production!!!

The tour of the Brewery ended of course in the little pub they have on site, where they provided snacks and of course an ice cold beer....

Our Trip to « Lac de ma Valee »

Sunday morning we thought it would be a good idea to just stay home, take the breakfast /brunch later in the day at the “Le Cercle Gourmand” a lovely little outside restaurant at the Kinshasa Golf Club…..but the weather looked a little risqué to be sitting outside the canopy of trees……
We decided to go little further out of town about 45minute drive to “La de ma Valee”…what a beautiful little spot , it is a small lake surrounded by a beautiful forest of trees, its really pretty much like a little oasis in the middle of no where….
You can order your lunch at the small restaurant on the banks of the lake, then take the 6km walk around it…..hot but fun!!!!

We of course had the lunch first, as we met up with some friends unexpectedly that had come for the day…..
The lunch was delicious and well prepared …typical Congolese food, Chicken cooked in coconut milk served with rice and a Green Leaf Spinach called Manioc…..I found this Article and Recipe at this Web site http://www.congocookbook.com/
So here a Recipe again for you enjoy :)

Greens in Peanut Sauce

This recipe, variations of which are found all over Central and Southern Africa, combines greens with another common feature of African cuisine: the groundnut, or peanut, sauce.

What you need
one to two pounds (or more): cassava leaves ( Feuilles de Manioc), collards, kale, turnip greens or similar; or spinach; cleaned, stems removed; and shredded, or pounded in a mortar with a pestle
one ripe tomato, chopped (or canned tomato, drained)
one onion, finely chopped
one-half cup peanut butter (or peanuts)
salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper or red pepper (to taste)
What you do
If you are using peanuts (instead of peanut butter), make your own homemade peanut paste:Remove the peanuts' shells, roast the peanuts on a baking sheet in a hot oven, or in a large skillet on the stove, stirring often, then remove the skins. Place the peanuts in a saucepan, add a few tablespoons of water to partially cover them and bring to a slow boil, stirring often. Reduce heat. Crush peanuts with a potato-masher.
In a large pot bring two cups of water to a boil. Add greens. Cover and cook on high heat for ten minutes, stirring often.
Reduce heat. Remove most of the liquid from the pot and save half of it. Add tomatoes and onion to the greens, stir and simmer for ten minutes or more.
In a bowl combine the peanut butter with enough of the liquid from the cooking pot to allow it to be mixed until smooth.
Add peanut butter mixture to greens. Season to taste. Simmer on very low heat until greens are tender to your liking.

My Surprise Trip To South Africa

Vianney, came home one night and told me that he was going down to Lubumbashi for a week. Surprise, he had bought me a ticket to go with him, we sat chatting about it that evening and I told him it would be fun to go to South Africa to do some shopping, well Vianney just said why don't we organise that for you. So off we went to the Travel agent and we booked my ticket for Sunday morning. We both went to the airport as he was leaving later in the day for Lubumbashi .

My daughter Tanya and her family where at the Airport to meet me, as I stayed with them, it was a time to get to know her two children Lizel nearly 7 and Theo 2 years of age, as I have not seen them for almost 6 years. Its strange to be called Nana ....guess I will just have to get used to it.!!! loved all the hugs I received from them.....it was fun!

I spent time meeting, friends, shopping and going out to some really good restaurants.
I was delighted with the growth of South Africa and the way the people treat each other with respect....I know that South Africans find the crime and the cost of living very high, I guess this is true for them but I still think that it is one of the best and most beautiful country's in the world.

I had a great time in SA and also enjoyed my birthday there but wow it is good to be back home with V again ....we really missed each other.....

Have a great week ..!!!