Lubumbashi: The Copper Capital That Feels Like Home (Even When It Doesn't)
so i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. 18.35c, feels like 18.72c, humidity's through the roof at 95%. basically, it's sticky. like, really sticky. but hey, that's the tropics for you. if you get bored, ndola in zambia is just a short drive away (180km southeast, across the border), and kalemie on lake tanganyika is another option if you fancy some water views. someone told me that the copper eaters festival is supposed to be wild, with all that malachite carving and street theatre. i mean, 50 workshops? that's a lot of shiny rocks. and the picha encounters art thing? apparently, it's a big deal for experimental african art. i'm not sure what that means, but it sounds fancy. the city's got this vibe, you know? it's the capital of copper, the second-biggest industrial hub after kinshasa. they make everything here: textiles, food, drinks (hey, there's that simba brewery and tembo beer), bricks, and process copper. trust merchant bank's HQ is here too. and they've got this unesco thing going on for crafts, using all that post-industrial stuff. it's kinda cool, i guess. the population's all over the place, estimates from 1.5 to 2.58 million. everyone's centered on mining and industry, which kinda shapes everything - the music, the theatre, the crafts. there's this energy, even with the colonial leftovers and all the segregation stuff. they've got these festivals trying to bring people together, like the copper eaters thing. but you gotta be aware. there's history here, like that secession attempt back in the 60s, and mineral tensions still simmer. it's a mining hub, so resource extraction issues are real. and the infrastructure? let's just say it's...character-building. i saw a daily newspaper, so that's something. the city's split into seven municipalities, trying to push creativity for jobs and cohesion. it's messy, it's chaotic, it's hot, but it's got this raw, copper-tinged pulse. it's not a postcard, but it's alive. and that's kinda what i like about it.
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