you'd almost need a boat

At the Angolan side of the Matadi border post there are some more books to fill our data in. While the sweat is slowly soaking my clothes I’m asking myself why can’t they just copy all this data themselves? As soon as I’m ready with one there will be another one waiting for me! Leaving the work for me the immigration officers are bored off their heads. I’m definitely not in the mood to answer them all the personal questions they’d shoot at me, any kind of small talk would only extend our time at the border…
The Customs are happy to fill in the Carnet even though Angola isn’t listed on its back side. To us it seems like they know what they’re doing.
Nobody wants to have a look in our panniers and we’re happily off.

track through northern angola

sticky mud again

The tarmac stops right at the barrier and it doesn’t reappear for days and days. Later we’d find out that we actually choose the wrong route but at the moment we’re just trying to stay on the bike. It is raining season still and therefore it is raining every night. The soil track is soaking up all the water and turns into mud. Wherever there is a ditch in the track, it is filled up with red colored water. In the beginning we’d try to measure the depth while walking the mud pools or using a stick but soon we’re giving up. There are just too many water holes. The new idea is to ride slowly through the mud/water and hope for the best! Quite a few times the red water reaches almost the seat level and we’re afraid that the engine is going to suck it in but somehow it doesn’t. In the Congo there were sometimes motorbike trails through the bush helping us to avoid the worst stretches of mud or water but in here there is only this narrow track cutting through the jungle with no possibility to divert.

lunch in the middle of nowhere

the boxes are just too low for the deep mud

Quite positive we were thinking to reach Nzeto within 1 day but it turns out that we’d only achieve 70km this day. The few villages along the way have no electricity, no running water, no toilets, no shops or places to stay. As we’re passing this places there’d be people standing beside the road clenching their stomachs and asking us for food. They hardly can imagine that we’re just as hungry and are desperately looking for a place to stay…
We’re reaching Mepala 5pm, the first drops just start to hit the red soil. By the time we find out that there is no place for us to stay, the heavens opened up and there is no way we could ride any further. All villagers are hiding in their little huts, the water is forming rivers and pools everywhere and we’re just getting soaked. At a little health centre we see some soldiers drinking and asking them for help as they’re the only ones who could speak English a bit. It seems like there are no patients in the 3 room health centre tonight and we’re lucky enough to get one of the rooms for the night. The room is about 2 meters wide and 2 meters long, it has a soil floor, a curtain door and a wooden window opening. The bamboo bed is occupying half of the room. The most important though is: it has a roof and we’re safe for the night.

the window view from our hospital room

leaving the hospital

As mentioned above, the “clinic” has 3 rooms. One of them is occupied by the 2 male nurses, 1 is used for storage and the 3rd is ours. We quickly find out that the nurses diet consists mainly of crackers which they regularly get from the soldiers. There will be crackers for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
The 2 nurses, the 4 soldiers and many door spectators are watching unbelievably while we’re about to start up our coleman stove and cook our “emergency” quick noodles.
Sharing 2 packs of noodles with all the people leaves us hungry and we decide to use the rest of our food and share it. Needless to say, I’m a lousy chef, but the guys seem to be very happy and hardly can get enough of it.

its still so far to luanda...

beautiful butterfly

with the nuns in nzeto

Next day the sun is up again but it would take days to dry out the track and only 10 hours to the next downpour.
It seems like the track condition has gotten even worse during the night. Now, the mud pools are even deeper and the trail is only 2 meters wide with a center raised about half a meter. Not many vehicles are using this track and the jungle is slowly taking it back. I need to decide on which side we’ll be riding as it is not possible to switch the sides. The heavy overgrowth is hitting the mirrors and my helmet forcing me to sit somehow sideward on the bike. The steep ascents are probably the worst. Loose gravel and deep run offs; not exactly my xmas wish list…
Sound and safe we’re reaching Tomboco by 3pm and deciding to enjoy the newly tarred road to Nzeto today.
Despite having 3 petrol pumps in town there is NO petrol!

Ever since we arrived to Angola we can hear local people talking about how wealthy Angola really is. So far we can’t see the wealth of this country and we’re only guessing that it must be hidden somewhere beneath the mud we’ve been through. It is shocking to arrive to a lousy place like Nzeto and to find out that the cheapest room in town would cost us 60$, offering nothing but bare walls and a metal frame bed. Still, the locals ensure us that 60$ is a good price for this kind of room!
Beside a Catholic Church we’re trying our luck and knocking on missions’ door. To our surprise the Nunn in charge is a Filipina. She can’t offer any room for us but we can stay overnight in her living room. During dinner she is talking about the hardship of living and working in this part of Angola, the neglected Zaire province.
Apparently there is no Electricity in town for the last 6 months since the generator broke down. Petrol and diesel only arrive sporadically and are refilled to jerry cans of some smart business people, who sell then the precious liquids double the price.
We have no choice but support the black market and acquire 20ltrs petrol of dubious quality. It should be enough to reach Luanda where, everyone ensures us, there is petrol.
We’d like to stay one more day in Nzeto and relax from the horrendous trip but there was no rain during last night and we’re better keep going.

road side restaurant

street view in caxito

one of many accidents on the road

It is hard to describe the composition of the track leading south… It is mainly fine sand or dust mixed with soil and clay. The track is hard ride even though there was no rain for one night but we can imagine how the situation is after a short rain. Soft, powdery surface, countless potholes and deep ruts created by overweighed trucks – just as bad as it sounds! Only 60 kilometers before the Capitol the roads are worth to be called roads. Quickly we start to realize where Angolas hidden money is. Chinese have got the contract to rebuild Angola! There must be Millions of Chinese around Luanda alone. To the left and right along the new constructed diversion highway all we can see is Chinese. Chinese people, Chinese trucks, machinery, signs, shops, hotels, motorbikes; we’re actually doubting having arrived to Angolas Capitol! Somehow it feels like being transferred to the Far East.

breakfast in lobito

the bike couldn't be safer

the wheel bearings are due again

sierra leba... what a road!

and this is how we found it: on a 5 kwanzas banknote...

christo rei in lubango

lots of reminders of the war in angola