At leisure in Luanda

Ship cemetery

After that they drove to the boat cemetery – a beach where there are many wrecks: trawlers, barges and many other types of sea going vessels. It was quite surreal to be there and see this. The place is littered with bottles and plastics. It could have been a very pleasant place otherwise.

Then they moved to a cleaner piece of beach where some of them walked the beach and others had a swim. Eventually, they drove into Luanda. Despite it being Sunday, traffic was hectic and they went through the slums, onto embassy row and then to Vero’s apartment. They took what they needed out of the cars and went to park them in the security of Koen’s office parking.

They had drinks on the balcony of the apartment overlooking the bay where the Olympic team was practising their sailing. Later they had dinner and them Koen and Véro took Mariana and Stephanus to the apartment of a friend – he kindly lent the place for them to sleep.

The next day, they had a lazy breakfast and she put some washing in Véro’s machine. By then most of their clothes were either dirty or sweaty or both. They did two loads of washing and then prepared to go to the beach. Koen and Véro found a piece of beach that is not too crowded, it is ‘attached’ to a Chinese restaurant where Koen is very well known – he had a visiting UNICEF ambassador, a Chinese movie star, whom he took there for a meal!

They sent a message to the Malherbes to be ready – the place they were staying at is on the way to that beach. Soon the car was rigged up to carry Koen’s wind surf and they piled in, picked up the Malherbes on the way and were at the beach. Traffic to get there was slow and even slower when a garbage truck blocked everyone else while emptying bins – on a Sunday and in Angola, strange but true!

Swimming in the Atlantic

Some were in the water while some only sat, had drinks and watched. After the swim Koen ordered an array of dishes that were all delicious and tastes of real chinese food. He then set up his surf and was on the water again after some procrastination.

Beach  in Luanda

Later, they dropped the Malherbes and went back to the Vanormelingen apartment to have a siesta and wash the clothes they wore that day and a few bits and pieces. It was a very lazy late afternoon spent with books, talking and on the computer while watching the bay.

Dinner was a nice vegetarian lasagne and then more talking and reading and then bed. Monday morning was still a bit lazy but the time they had breakfast, packed and discussed the best plan to get out of town: they fetch the Malherbes, draw money and then go to the parking to fetch the cars, double park in front of the apartment while they pack their last things and then Véro would guide them out of town.

They were leaving town through the east, to see some monoliths and then join the Lobito/Benguela road. It was a bit hectic to get out of town and without Véro, they would have had more difficulty.

They stopped for some last minute provisions; they opted for the Shoprite to support a South Africa enterprise. There was a cash and carry and a Jumbo on the way too. What a disappointment it was: the cashier could not be bothered to greet them, she was too busy talking with her pal. The shampoo bottle did not register on her till, so she just put it to the side without bothering to get the right price. And to top it all she short changed us 15 Kwanza, and also short changed the Malherbes of 20 Kwanza. Consider that she does this to 10 people during the day?! And for the whole year? It is rather shameful for an enterprise like Shoprite not to give their people small change when the simple shoppies at the filling stations all give the right change.

Bush camping at lodge

On to Catete, the road was good with a drastic deterioration after that. The road that was being built when they passed 4 years ago had deteriorated to a point that the Chinese have started re-doing it all over. It was a laborious job to proceed on this road. Finally, after Dongo they spotted what looked like a lodge. It was closed but the watchman allowed them to bushcamp on the premises.

Braai at bush camp

He even carried some water for them. The girls prepared the bread while the men organised the braai. It was cool that evening. They had an excellent meal of braai steak and chicken and braai bread, had a warm outdoor shower and retired to the cars for the night.