About Kamina

The climate is divine. It’s probably 65 degrees at night. You can walk around in a t-shirt at 7 a.m. and be comfortable. It’s a little hot in direct sunlight at midday -- I’d say at least 80, enough to make you sweat. But there’s usually no electricity at midday, making it a doubly good time to take a quick nap or read a book in the shade. By late afternoon, it’s about 75, with a gentle breeze -- a good time to take a walk and see scenery like this.
It’s peaceful. At first I thought it was silent, but it’s not. Roosters belt out the same tune once every 20 seconds or so, starting when it’s pitch black outside. Crow-like birds make a ruckus during most of the rest of the day. During the day and evening, the sound of children playing is always there in the distance, if you listen for it. Radios are often audible as you walk along the road in the nicer parts of town; they play a mix of talk (in French) and African music. The all-men’s church choir across the street from my house practices every evening, an event I look forward to each day. And at night, there’s a symphony of insects. Here’s the guy who wakes me up every morning.
Animals are everywhere -- but only certain animals. I was in the Congo for 6 days before I saw my first dog, though I've seen and heard considerably more since then. In Kamina, goats and chickens seem to roam everywhere -- but that’s about it. There are no bigger animals, such as horses, cows, antelope-type creatures, elephants, etc. Not even a mule! In Lubumbashi proper, I don’t think I saw animals of any kind. Here’s my loyal companion in the backyard at our guesthouse.
Fire! Several times each day, I encounter a brush conflagration that makes me want to call the fire department -- if there were a fire department. The residents of Kamina are far less troubled by fire. Here’s a shot of kids playing soccer as Rome burns.