Ango-Ango...

[Joseph Dodds]

A very interesting port we visited on the British Kiwi in 1963...
British Kiwi.jpg
About 100miles inland up the great Congo River...
Ango Ango was the name of "Petrocongo" in the Old Belgian Congo...
Now the Democratic Republic ot the Congo...
Nearest town was Matadi.
Find it on Google Maps:
https://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=ma...ed=0CCkQ8gEwAA
I was only a JOS at the time...
We were actually steaming "uphill" going in... fierce current as we got further inland...
Then discovered "why" when we tied up...
Just around the next bend in the river was a massive Whirlpool (Mbengo Mbengo)... [Bango Bango]
Didn't realise the significance of all this at the time - me being only a lad... and no camera, of course...
If only we could go back and do it all again...
Joe R779727

[Louis the fly]

Been to Boma and Matadi with E.D.'s. Advised not to go ashore because of the war. Went anyway had a great time.

[Joseph Dodds]

Hello Louis...
The "war" was just starting as we were leaving iirc...
I often wondered whether my night ashore had anything to do with that...
Joe R779727

Been to Boma and Matadi with E.D.'s. Advised not to go ashore because of the war. Went anyway had a great time.

[Louis the fly]

Cannot remember the year without digging out my old book. Think it was a couple of years after you. There were Belgium mercenary's fighting there at the time.
Matadi was then a tie up to trees port, now it is a large container base.

[Joseph Dodds]

LOL.. Don't remember securing the Springs to any trees...
I remember there was quite a current running (with the whirlpool just round the bend...)
My ancient memory recalls a timber jetty...
At the base of a large hill / cliff...
Fuel Tanks...
My night ashore is more memorable... LOL

Cannot remember the year without digging out my old book. Think it was a couple of years after you. There were Belgium mercenary's fighting there at the time.
Matadi was then a tie up to trees port, now it is a large container base.