Worldrecordtour, Africa, Southern Africa, Angola, Lubango, Namibe, Benguela, Lobita, Huambo, Picture, Diary, Guinness Book of Records, Toyota, LandCruiser, Emil Schmid, Liliana Schmid

Pictures of our trip 2014 to Angola
- Part 1 – from September 26th to October 4th, 2014

before:
Namibia Part 1 – from Walvis Bay to Windhoek
Cape Verde: São Vicente/Mindelo part 2 – April 10th to 29th, 2014
Ukraine – August 17 to 21, 2013 - Ilyichevsk Port - Odessa - Bilhorod Dnistrovsky - Moldova Border
afterwards:
Angola Part 2 – October 4th to 22nd, 2014
Namibia Part 2 – from Windhoek to the Angolan border, back again and on to South Africa
special:
The unusual 30th Travel Anniversary in Angola

Angola Map	Southern Africa Map
Angola Map	Southern Africa Map
latest picture: October 4, 2014 click a picture to see details


001 9/26/2014: After paying Kwanza 6336 (̴ US$ 65) for the road permit, we enter our 181st country at the very quiet border post of Omahenene/Calueque – 18 miles east of Ruacana. Emil adds the Angola sticker to our country ribbon	002 Emil deflates the tires as we will be driving for the next 50 miles from Calueque to Xangongo on a rough gravel road	003 Dry yellow grassland, Baobab trees and termite mounds dominate the landscape of our first miles in Angola as before in Namibia


004 A couple of thatched huts where the head of the family lives with his wives and children. Mostly they are shielded off by a wooden fence	005 Side by side: A leafless Baobab and a tree in brilliant green in the sparse landscape leading to Xangongo	006 Straw is stacked in conical ’hats’ in front of an indigenous hut. It is used for reroofing


Between the border of Omahenene and Xangongo the Cunene River often runs close to the sandy road. The fresh green is a blessing for our eyes after the bleak landscape
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*010* Liliana returns happily from one of the lovely outlooks over the Cunene River	011 We see no huts, but still these girls spotted us. They happily pose for a picture in front of the giant Baobab (or are there two trees?)	012 The warm light of the setting sun shimmers through a majestic Baobab tree


*013* The Dr. Martin Lutero village school in Shangalala, about 7 miles before Xangongo, allows us to camp in its compound. Some of its 300 studying pupils from all over Angola gather around our LandCruiser …..	014 ….. four girls aged between 15 and 18 years admire Liliana’s soft hair and insist on combing it …..	015 ….. they banter with Emil while their teacher is watching them


*016* What is going through Emil’s mind at our coffee break in the Angolan savannah?	017 Despite that this Baobab is not as impressive as its members of the same species in Madagascar, it is still striking	018 On the Cunene River Bridge in Xangongo, clapping, dancing and singing women cross our path. They are on their way to church


*019* Everywhere it is shining purple. The Jacaranda trees are in full bloom when we arrive in Lubango, the second largest town in Angola	020 The main square of Lubango, Jardim Central, is lined by lovely buildings and shady trees. The statue on the right is in honor of António Agostinho Neto, the first president of Angola (1975-1979)	021 Bird’s eye view from Lubango: The city nestles in a cool central valley on 6’000 ft. and counts approx. 200’000 people (agglomeration up to 1m). It emerged relatively unscathed from the 40 years of civil war


*022* Pilgrim to the Jesus statue “Cristo Rei” in Lubango. The monument is also the background for weddings etc. …..	023 ….. the statue of Cristo Rei (46 ft. tall) – a ‘mini version’ of Rio de Janeiro’s “Christ the Redeemer” (98 ft. tall) – spreads its arms over the city of Lubango …..	024 ….. another pilgrim at the Cristo Rei statue


*025* The Tundavala Gap, a natural wonder 11 miles northwest of Lubango on 7’350 ft. altitude. The Bié Plateau drops here about 4’000 ft. down to the plain west of Namibe	026 A rainbow agama (Agama agama) basks in the sun on a rock at the Tundavala Gap	027 On our way to the Tundavala Gap, we pass a spot with weird shaped rocks; some of them are on top of each other


*028* Pickers are at work at the straw- berry farm “Fazenda Jamba” in Lubango – situated along the road to Namibe on an altitude of about 6’400 ft., just before reaching the village of Humpata	029 “Dorsland Trekkers” Cemetery from the early Boer settlers from the 18th century on the territory of the strawberry farm Jamba in Lubango. There are about 20 barrel-shaped graves	030 A remembrance picture with the pickers of the strawberry farm “Jamba” in Lubango. Yudo Borges, the owner, employs 60 women


*031* Yudo, the owner of the strawberry farm “Jamba” in Lubango, gives us a bowl of fresh sweet strawberries	032 Packing room: The lion’s share, approx. 600 boxes in 60 crates, is transported three times weekly in a night shift nearly 600 miles to the morning market of the capital Luanda. Faulty ones are processed into yoghurt and marmalade, the rest given away	033 Hanspeter – a Swiss – producing yoghurts in Lubango (and probably also soon cheese), invites us to an Angolan N’gola beer at the Chela Hotel. Present are also his wife Magda (in the red top) and three of his totally 20 workers


*034* Our lovely camping spot under a fig tree at the strawberry farm “Fazenda Jamba” in Lubango about 2 miles before Humpata on the way to Namibe (camping spot can be used free by anyone who is completely self-contained: Coordinates Google Earth 15º00'28.40 S - 13º24'26.50 E)	035 What do the fresh cuts on this fig tree (Ficus carica) mean? Locals collect the sticky resin to catch birds because they get caught on it	036 Liliana is enjoying her morning coffee at our campsite at the strawberry farm in Lubango/Humpata


*037* Liliana poses for a picture at the viewpoint overlooking the switch backs of the “Serra da Leba” Pass. It leads from 6’550 ft. to the plain of Namibe and was built in the 1970’s by the Portuguese	038 The Leba Pass switchbacks pass past dramatic vertical cliffs that shimmer in different colors	039 At the bottom of the Leba Pass a row of stalls sell oranges


*040* The good tarmac road is twisting down from the Leba Pass towards the Atlantic coast. The mist that dominates the whole western coastal strip from Cape Town in South Africa nearly up to Luanda, announces itself already from far. It’s formed by the cold Benguela current originating in the Antarctic region	041 A beautiful boulder with sprouting plants and trees out of cracks is our late lunch break offside the main road to Namibe (a bit west of Caraculo) …..	042 ….. it is the pristine beauty of nature that attracts us also here


Early morning at the seashore near the fish market in Namibe: Women sort out the night’s catch. Their small children are always with them, be it sitting on their lap or wrapped to their back
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*046* The fish market in Namibe is in full swing in the early morning hours	047 This is typically Africa: A mother in the coastal town of Namibe with a baby strapped to her back	048 Boys are playing around joyfully in the sand of Namibe Bay. In the back the port of Namibe – the third largest port of Angola after Luanda and Lobito


*049* On the outskirts of Namibe towards the south, we are astonished about the modern streetlights, running on solar panels	050 A remnant of the Portuguese era: A road sign to Porto Alexandre – today called Tombua, 62 miles south of Namibe	051 A destroyed building along the road from the 40 years of war. Was it a checkpoint? Such partly smashed little houses can be seen nearly everywhere


*052* ‘Hoodias’ (Hoodia gordonii) have spread in the flat sand desert south of Namibe. Despite of looking like cacti they belong to the family of ‘milkweeds’	053 View to the completely dry Arco Lake, about 42 miles south of Namibe, with Camilunga in the background. The lake is formed by the Curoca River if there’s enough water …..	054 ….. Emil is enjoying the vast view


*055* Arco Lake is surrounded by deep canyons and ditches, shining rocks and a lovely eroded landscape	056 We are on a discovery tour around the dried-out Arco Lake (Lago do Arco do Carvalhão). The road – later a 4x4 track – leads finally towards Ruacana/ Namibia, and is an alternative to the splendidly constructed ‘Transafrica Highway No. 3’ for off-road enthusiasts	057 No pollution, no traffic noise: Modest huts at Arco Lake


2 miles south of the widened main track to the dried-out Arco Lake we discover another smaller access. A sandy track is twisting downhill through a narrow canyon. The sight at the bottom is magnificent: Gorges, pillars, towers and arches, shaped from sandstone. In between are simple huts with empty water jerry cans in front. All of them seem to be deserted – possibly the region is only inhabited when water is in the lake
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Not a sound is to be heard in this fascinating labyrinth of sandstone formations at Arco Lake. We feel like placed into another world
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*064* Beautiful buildings line the main road of the coastal town of Namibe: In front the provincial court, behind it the seat of the government of the province of Namibe	065 The tree-lined Avenida Eduardo Mondiane in the city center of Namibe	066 The “Paróquia de Santo Adrião” in Namibe, built in the Portuguese architecture


All smiles: The people of Angola meet us with genuine friendliness and bright smiles
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*070* The coastal road from Namibe to Lucira is tarred and in a perfect condition. It mostly leads through uninhabited land what conveys a feeling of vastness. Unfortunately it is in a very bad state due to (discontinued) constructions between Lucira and Dombe Grande before Benguela…..	071 ….. a quaint little kiosk along the road that cannot be missed	072 A Bedouin camp along the road from Namibe to Lucira. The shelter exists of a simple wired tent frame, which they cover with blankets. The frame remains when they move on


Barren hilly land and green valleys dominate the landscape on the coastal stretch Namibe-Lucira – here at Giraul de Cima		075 Liliana admires the ‘mini’ Baobabs respectively ‘Elephant's Foot Plant’ (Pachypodium rosulatum) that we know also from Madagascar (pic # 161)
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*076* The Welwitschia (Welwitschia mirabilis) is growing in the desert and can live up to 2'000 years. This strange plant is only found in Angola and Namibia	077 This delicate flower grows in the red soil at a bay between Namibe and Lucira; presumably a ‘Dead man fingers’ plant (Dactylopsis digitata)	078 These citron melons or tsamma melons (Citrullus lanatus) are both food and drink to the animals

Continuation to the next Angola page: Angola Part 2 – October 4th to 22nd, 2014
The African trip 2013-15: CapeVerde: Santiago/Praia part 1 – November18th to December 13th, 2013 CapeVerde: Fogo – Dezember13th to 23rd, 2013 CapeVerde: Brava – December 23rd to 26th, 2013 Cape Verde: Santiago/Praia part 2 – December 26th, 2013 to February 28th, 2014 Cape Verde: São Nicolau – February 28th to March 13th, 2014 Cape Verde: São Vicente/Mindelo part 1 – March 13th to 20th, 2014 Cape Verde: Santo Antão/Eastern side part 1 – March 20th to April 7th, 2014 Cape Verde: Santo Antão/Western side part 2 – April 7th to 10th, 2014 Cape Verde: São Vicente/Mindelo part 2 – April 10th to 29th, 2014 Namibia Part 1 – from Walvis Bay to Windhoek Angola Part 2 – October 4th to 22nd, 2014 The unusual 30th Travel Anniversary in Angola Namibia Part 2 – from Windhoek to the Angolan border and back again