I ventured out in the city again today. My first trip was by myself as I walked down the main strip in town. I stopped at a grocery store and and noticed some distinct price differences (better and worse) than some of the other stores. I also stopped in at an office suply store to purchase a day journal.

One of my associates was still in town so we walked through some local markets. I had been to some markets here before, but these were deeper into the city. While the main roads in Kinshasa are in dire need of repair, most roads are not even used as roads anymore. The markets we walked through covered at least a ten block square area of town. Locals had stands made out of scaps of wood or metal if they were lucky. Many just had their items displaed on upside down buckets or boxes. What used to be the streets in many areas was piles of garbage, at times four or five feet high. We travelled through these areas with no trouble from the people, only issues at times navigating the paths trying to avoid mud and water.

After heading back to the hotel for a while, I headed back out to do some shoping in the markets we had visited. I took a different rounte this time and actually passed a few high end clothing stores on the way. This is very typical of Kinshasa, to pass by such worn down areas and turn the corner and find an upscale shop. I also found another very nice home furnishings store on the other side of the market. I had luck today finding some local treasures, mostly clothing and jewelry.