Drums start before the first guest arrives, and by evening a whole street has joined in, with couples dancing rumba under strung lights. Songs mark weddings, farewells and ordinary Saturdays alike, and beyond the city the rainforest and the broad Congo River shape daily life for the communities along them.
The climate is mostly tropical, with rainforest in the basin, savanna in the south and cooler highlands in the east, and the dry and rainy seasons switch sides of the equator. A Local Friend picks the next stop when your plans run out, whether that is a family gathering, a music night or a riverside stall.