Makua, Congo. 1980-81

Since I read, "Tintin au Congo", at age 12, I was dreaming of going to the Congo. In 1980 I was offered to serve as interpreter for a small team of engineers tracing a road from the village of Makua, to the next town. What I have seen and experienced there was beyond my wildest dreams. I spent night after night listening to the symphonies of sounds coming from the jungle - the cries of the night birds; the rhythmic chirping of crickets, and other insects; the calls of the monkeys, and many unidentified animals; the deep and guttural cracking of the frogs - all together forming wonderful, and pulsating melodies. It made me understand the origins of African music. But what impressed me the most was the grace, the beauty, and the generosity of the people of Makua, the joy and purity of the children, who took me to small creeks in the jungle, that I had till then seen only in the old Tarzan movies. Africa is said to be the cradle of civilization. In Makua, I experienced a rebirth.