And here it is.
As I look back today on our exploits, I see not only how daring, carefree and at times completely raving bonkers Shaggy and I were, but also how rash, ignorant, dogmatic, and arrogant. But hey, full of beans, we were resilient young men trying to realise an audacious rite of passage. In paddling part of the Congo, I like to think we may have achieved it. Beyond that, it’s almost impossible to make evaluations of our quest on any great scale. From Shaggy’s viewpoint, he just wanted to spend time away from the cycle of normality. For me, the intention wasn’t to discover another way of life or to ‘find’ or improve myself, although I like to think that I accomplished the latter. I just wanted to be able to say... “I did it.”
As we sailed away from Bumba, the fact that it had been precisely one month earlier that we had touched down in Nairobi was a little karmic. What better way to end my Congo chapter than that? Now to enjoy a peaceful trip home and tell tales of bravery and derring–do, of how we had sat on a ‘live bomb’ in England, of how we had ‘nose–dived’ on the way to Moscow, of residing with villagers, encountering motorbike bandits, drifting under the stars, escaping sinking sand and weathering storms. And to fulfil a book–writing ambition, of course. Well, that was the plan, only there was a slight snag. You see, when I told Pricey that we had jumped onboard the riverboat because Shaggy and I wanted to continue the rest of the journey “the easy way”, his response was not what either of us expected.
“Easy way? I think you’d better have a rethink.”
And do you know what? He was right. Although Shaggy and I were happy to step out of one adventure, we landed quite unwittingly into the lap of another. But that, of course, is a different story.
Sean and Shaggy return in Escape from Congo
POSTSCRIPT
For those whose appetite might have been whetted by my description of it, here’s what my mum has to say about her meat and potato pie!
“A pie usually takes about two hours to make because the meat used isn't expensive frying steak but a cheaper cut of meat, which is first browned in a frying pan (to seal in the juices/flavour) and then covered in water and simmered for an hour or so. Add a stock cube twenty minutes before the meat is fully cooked, and put the vegetables in a pan and boil (vegetables being spuds, though I used to hide carrots in there). Preheat the oven to a medium heat, drain the vegetables and put them in a pie dish together with the cooked meat and some of the gravy. I use Atora Suet in place of lard — you don’t find suet crust pastry on shop–bought pies. Make the pie crust pastry as directed on the suet packet, roll out to size and then cover the pie. Brush the top of the pastry with either milk or egg and then put in the oven for about half an hour until the crust is brown. I brown the meat in my pressure cooker, take it off the heat and then add a quarter pint of water. Cut the vegetables up small and place them into the metal pressure cooker baskets. Put these into the pressure cooker on top of the meat and steam under pressure for five minutes. Whilst it's steaming make the pastry crust and preheat the oven. Take the cooker off the heat, run under the cold water tap, take out the meat and vegetables, and put into a pie dish. Pour a small amount of the gravy over the contents. Cover the top of the pie dish with suet pastry and put into the oven for twenty minutes until the pie crust is golden. Put the rest of the gravy into the gravy boat and carry the pie and gravy on to the dining table.
PHOTOGRAPHS
FINALLY
Many thanks for reading my book! Hopefully you will have enjoyed it enough to leave a wonderful review on any relevant websites. Take care, and I will see you in the next adventure.
All the best,
Sean
www.seanofthecongo.co.uk
SEAN OF THE CONGO Page 28