Straight Talk: Adventurer tells tales of a country of contrasts

"What do you see?" British journalist and author Tim Butcher asks the hushed audience.

A projected outline of Africa fills up the large, white screen.

"We know the shape but do we know what lies therein?"

Butcher's talk at Cape Town's One&Only is part of a special series of adventure talks.

And, while the discussions that began in May have focused on animals, his talk is about the most fascinating creature of all: man.

To explore what Joseph Conrad called the blankest of blank spaces, Butcher set out on a 3000km journey across the DRC.

With wry humour, he describes his two-and-a-half month journey - on foot, in a boat and on a small motorbike that never went beyond second gear - across a country of contrasts.

"It's a war-ravaged land where some 1500 people died each day from 1998 to 2006, but it's also a land of remarkable power and potential," he says.

In the end, Butcher's trek across the country (documented in his book Blood River) was also a voyage across the barriers and perceptions in his mind.

"I urge you to let go of your prejudices and preconceived images of Africa," he says. "This is a continent with human capital of the greatest quality. We need to free that capital so that it can flow like the river itself."

More than that, Butcher's experience left him with a greater sense of gratitude for our privileged lives as well as an awareness of the country's people and their struggle to survive.

"The next time you come across a car guard with a French accent, talk to him," he says. "Nine times out of 10 he's from the Congo. And if you ask him why he left his home and how he came to be here, you're likely to find a story far more fascinating than mine."

• Tomorrow Tim Butcher is back to talk about his book The Trigger; Chris Bertish on October 14; Mike Horn on October 29. All presentations take place in One&Only's ballroom. Time: 6pm for 6.30pm. Book at: Restaurant.Reservations@oneandonlycapetown.com or call 021-431-4511/5888