Friday, July 16, 2021

Virtual Africa: Conversing with a Spectre...and Gabon

 

Gabon.....a coastal country situated just west of The Congo on the coastline of Africa.

Trying to find the thing Gabon is noted for is challenging.

"A little help here..."

"You rang?"

"Dr. Livingstone...I presume..." 

"Yes...and that really ceased being funny by the turn of the century."

"Sorry."

"The most notable feature in Gabon is the Oklo-Reactor... the world's only natural nuclear fission reactor."

Oklo-Reactor

https://youtu.be/pMjXAAxgR-M

"Yeah...so I was thinking something a bit less likely to give us all radiation poisoning!!!"

"Just trying to be helpful."

"How about the fact that malaria is rampant here? Don't forget your malaria tablets. You might end up like me. A ghost of myself. Died in the Congo...effing mosquitos."

"That is NOT helpful!"

"Didn't do me much good, either...how about the fact that 1 out of every 5 of the Gabonese people have HIV?"

"Seriously???? No....don't you have something less plague-y???"

"Well, there are the parks, reserves and marine sites...the country is positively crawling with them."

"Hey...that is a great idea! Thanks for the chat...and have a nice Afterlife."

"You're welcome..."  (dissipating)

 

 

 


Gabon is a country which, after centuries, is still heavily influenced by the French.

The name, however, is derived from the Portuguese word for cloak; a nod to the shape of the country. 

The towns have French names, the main language here is French, the main religion is Catholic and since 1961 the government here has been more or less stable...which in Africa is almost a minor miracle on its own.

Well developed, prosperous and home to about 2.1 million people.

The city

https://youtu.be/zkfeoNOlWG0

It has a coastal region, mountains, rain-forests and savannas.

The original inhabitants were pygmies...but most are of Bantu ancestry, now.

Next time we will discover the myriad of  Parks and Reserves that make up Gabon.

The Last Eden

https://youtu.be/-sObtVRHKIw 






 

 





Until then...