Congo: Jungle Fever | Deadliest Journeys
Best Documentary・23 minutes read
A truck driver named Juvenal faces challenges navigating a road in poor condition in Congo, encountering obstacles on the way to Shabunda. The region's isolation leads to high prices for goods, impacting local businesses and forcing risky journeys for residents.
Insights
- The infrastructure in the Congo, particularly the roads, is in poor condition, leading to numerous challenges for truck drivers like Juvenal and Junior, impacting transportation, trade, and daily life in the region.
- The lack of government support and basic amenities in Shabunda, such as running water and electricity, underscores the neglect and hardships faced by the local population, highlighting the broader issue of underdevelopment and isolation in the area.
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Recent questions
How does Juvenal navigate the bridge challenge?
Juvenal faces challenges crossing a bridge close to collapse. Villagers offer an alternative route for a fee, but Juvenal refuses to pay. The truck drivers take the detour forcefully, avoiding the fee. The road in Congo is in poor condition, requiring resourcefulness to navigate.
Why does Shabunda face high prices?
Shabunda faces high prices due to isolation, with goods transported by plane. David, a shop owner, sells goods at high prices due to transportation costs. Maria and her family travel by truck due to the high cost of flights. The city lacks basic amenities like running water and electricity, contributing to the high prices.
What obstacles does Junior face on the road?
Junior, another truck driver, faces obstacles on the road to Mugembe. The road is in terrible condition, making it difficult to move forward. They need to dig to free the wheel stuck in the mud. Junior will endure a nine-day trek to Mugembe, highlighting the region's isolation due to armed groups and corruption.
How do Francois and his brother transport goods?
Francois and his brother have been pushing their bicycle for three days to return to Shabunda. They transport rice, oil, cassava, and a live cockerel on the bike. This showcases the resourcefulness and determination of the locals in navigating the challenging terrain and lack of infrastructure.
What is the situation with gold extraction in the region?
Kojak, a diving miner, dives underwater to extract gold using a large pipe connected to a pump. The river yields between 500 and 700 kilograms of gold annually, with little benefit to the Congolese miners. This highlights the disparity in resource extraction and the lack of local benefit from the valuable resources in the region.
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Summary
00:00
Truck drivers navigate challenges in Congo.
- Juvenal, a truck driver, faces challenges crossing a bridge close to collapse.
- Villagers offer an alternative route for a fee, but Juvenal refuses to pay.
- The truck drivers take the detour forcefully, avoiding the fee.
- The road in Congo is in poor condition, requiring resourcefulness to navigate.
- Juvenal's truck breaks down multiple times on the way to Shabunda.
- Shabunda faces high prices due to isolation, with goods transported by plane.
- David, a shop owner, sells goods at high prices due to transportation costs.
- Maria and her family travel by truck due to the high cost of flights.
- Junior, another truck driver, faces obstacles on the road to Mugembe.
- A mechanic's drunken fight leads to police involvement, impacting the team's journey.
23:12
Struggle on Neglected Road: Congo's Hardship
- The road is in terrible condition, making it difficult to move forward.
- They need to dig to free the wheel stuck in the mud.
- Maria and her mother have been waiting in the wagon for six hours.
- They decide to walk for two more hours in the dark due to the truck's issues.
- Francois and his brother have been pushing their bicycle for three days to return to Shabunda.
- They transport rice, oil, cassava, and a live cockerel on the bike.
- Kojak, a diving miner, dives underwater to extract gold using a large pipe connected to a pump.
- The river yields between 500 and 700 kilograms of gold annually, with little benefit to the Congolese miners.
- The city of Shabunda lacks basic amenities like running water and electricity.
- The road workers are paid two pounds for a day's work to rebuild the road, highlighting the neglect of the government towards the region.
46:53
Isolation and Corruption in South Kivu
- To cross the muddy detour, filling it with tree trunks is suggested, costing 20,000 Congolese francs or 9 pounds for villagers' help. John will take two days to meet Junior, who will endure a nine-day trek to Mugembe, highlighting the region's isolation due to armed groups and corruption, hindering progress and modernity for South Kivu's youth.
