Wednesday night we we went out to a Mexican restaurant, to say goodbye to Mayumi who was unofficially voted best overlander. Couldn't really sleep that night because of drunken dickheads shouting and laughing all night. Yes, i know its a hostel but you are still a dickhead. It was worse cos we had to get up at 345am for our road trip........
We hired two cars and went away for 2 nights. We started early because the boat was launching at 7am and it was a 2.5 hour drive to Gassbai and cage diving with sharks. I slept on the way and when we got there it was just light enough to see that it was squally out in the ocean, and looked very cold and bleak. I couldn't figure out why i would want to go out on a boat in the ocean that morning, nevermind jumping in!
But it was on. After a small breakfast 20 of us went down to the boat and we set off with the cage in the back. It was a pretty bumpy ride out there for 30 minutes, having to hold on tight. Then we stopped. The crew were great and explained exactly what would happen. They throw in a tuna on a line, and a decoy seal as bait. After just 15 minutes the first sharks arrived. 3 metre long Great White Sharks, right by the boat.
So the crew called for the first group of 8 people to get into the cage in the water. Well, i wasnt worried about the sharks cos there is a cage between us but i didnt fancy hypothermia. So i went with the second group, and the crew gave us 7mm wet suits which was much thicker than i have had before. They also give you a mask of course (its not really diving you just duck your head under the water!).
Its easy to get into the cage. About 8 inches inside the cage there is a yellow bar to grip and another one lower down to put your feet in. They close the cage then the 'fisherman' throws in the bait and then tells you which side the shark is approaching from. It was amazing; there were about 5 different sharks, one after another passing right in front of our noses, attacking the tuna, and sometimes they came head first right upto the cage. It wasnt really scary as you know the cage is there, although one time when one darted towards us, me and the English girl did let go of the bar as a survival instinct. It was so much fun. Lots of shouts of 'awesome'! and 'Did you see that?'. Definitely a trip highlight and surely better than jumping from a great height!
When we got back to shore we continued the road trip. We bought some bread and salad and made sandwiches at picnic stop by the roadside. Seemed a bit strange for 6 guys to be doing this, rather than eating steak somewhere but it was cool. And the chutney was very popular. Chutney is a very popular condiment in SA. Arrived at 7pm at Mosselbai. Our hostel accomodation was an old disused sleeper train; we each had our own cabin in one of 4 carriages! Right by the ocean.
Next day we started the Garden Route which is famous for the rivers and mountain and coastal plains. Picturesque. We got as far as the Eastern Cape and Bloukrans River Bridge where some of the guys did the world's highest bungy jump. Then he headed back towards Cape Town. Stopped and bought some meat then headed to a hostel in Cape Agulhas. We cooked Osterich burgers and steaks which also went down well with the chutney.
The other hostellers were impressed with the team efficiency and teamwork of 6 guys in the kitchen but we have had lots of practice since November, with fewer resources. In the morning we took the short drive down to the most southerly point of all of Africa (there is a more touristy point near Cape Town, but its not the most southerly). Of course this is where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean so i got to paddle in 2 oceans in the same day (actually the same 5 minutes). It was very rough so only up to my shins! After cooked breakfast back at the hostel, which we shared with the manageress, we drove back up to Cape Town. And i sat and watched football for the rest of the day! Some of our guys who leave the trip here have been delayed here by the ash, and some who are supposed to be joining us havent made it here, presumably for the same reason.
We leave Cape Town on Tuesday and have 3/4 days to make it to Botswana............
18.4.10
14.4.10
Namibia and South Africa
On the Saturday before we left Swakopmund, Namibia, had curry and bananas (!)
for lunch, spent the arvo and evening in the hostel watching 3 soccer
games with Aussie Greg then went out for pizza. oh, the western world!
Next morning i went for a walk to the beach and the pier and to the
sand dunes on the edge of town.
At Sossusvlei we walked a few kms in the sand and then climbed these
huge sand dunes. 200 metres high or something. Pretty hard work. From
the peak we then ran and rolled down the other side to this dried out
lake where they have skeleton trees that have died. A bit otherworldly.
Next day we went to Fish River Canyon. Very spectacular, the second
biggest canyon in the world, after the Grand Canyon. We didnt have
much time there but hiking isnt allowed at this time of year anyway so
after an hour of looking and taking photos, we left.
On wednesday we cooked bbq snags and veggies. Next morning we went
kayaking on the Orange River, South Africas longest river. There were
only a few rapids and it was a bit tame really but nice views. It is
the border between Namibia and South Africa.
Crossed into South Africa. Went to the supermarket and bought pies and
chips. Everything is modern! Arrived at Gekkos hostel.....a proper
hostel, with a pool table and hot showers and a kitchen. So spoilt. I
went for a walk down to the river. Only got a bit lost. But it was
good to get away from the gang for a bit and dip my toes in the cool
river water. More soccer in the arvo. Its been great to watch live
games in the last week or so, since i dont hardly get to do that in
Oz.
Before we left Gekkos we cleaned the truck in side and out. Took us
about 3 hours, we are very efficient now. After that we took a
beautiful drive down to the wine region of Stellenbosch and stayed in
another luxury hostel. Its also been strange meeting other travellers
and having to consider them. Its always been just us when bushcamping
and we dont have rules about polite behaviour or noise or
anything........we also met our first racist who just kept going on about
'the coloureds' even though we were ignoring him.
The wine tour was great fun. A bit cliched and aimed more at
backpackers (i am such an overlander snob now!). Lots of dance music
on the minibus and the guide being 'crazy'. After a quick lesson on
how to make wine which i dont think any of us was really listening
to, we got stuck into some tasting. We went to 4 farms, and at one
they also had cheese tasting. I am not that much into cheese but some
of it was really tasty especially with the red wine. Needless to say
we were all pretty hammered and i think Mayumi and I would have won
the piggyback race across the lawn if i hadnt dropped her before the
race actually started.
Arrived in Cape Town at lunchtime. Proper backpacker hostel this one.
A few of us went out to the supermarket to get dinner. Only take out
the money you need and dont take a camera! That was the advice from
the guy who got mugged the day before.
This afternoon we got the cable car up to Table Mountain, which you can see from all parts of the city. The views were of course spectacular, the ocean and the city and the new soccer stadium for the world cup. Also some flora and fauna to check out.
Thats all. Off on a 2 day road trip along the coast tomorrow.
for lunch, spent the arvo and evening in the hostel watching 3 soccer
games with Aussie Greg then went out for pizza. oh, the western world!
Next morning i went for a walk to the beach and the pier and to the
sand dunes on the edge of town.
We made our way through the desert and to the Tropic of Capricorn. Saw
our biggest live snake, a 2 metre python, complete with the flat neck.
Driver Gav did his Steve Irwin impression and stalked it, while we
watched from the truck. At night i camped outside, next to the
gone-out campfire. A bit chilly but certainly keeping it real and no
messing about with a tent! I lay there slightly tipsy and sentimental,
listening to my tunes and watching the Southern Cross and the Milky
Way in the Namibian sky. How cool!
At Sossusvlei we walked a few kms in the sand and then climbed these
huge sand dunes. 200 metres high or something. Pretty hard work. From
the peak we then ran and rolled down the other side to this dried out
lake where they have skeleton trees that have died. A bit otherworldly.
Next day we went to Fish River Canyon. Very spectacular, the second
biggest canyon in the world, after the Grand Canyon. We didnt have
much time there but hiking isnt allowed at this time of year anyway so
after an hour of looking and taking photos, we left.
On wednesday we cooked bbq snags and veggies. Next morning we went
kayaking on the Orange River, South Africas longest river. There were
only a few rapids and it was a bit tame really but nice views. It is
the border between Namibia and South Africa.
Crossed into South Africa. Went to the supermarket and bought pies and
chips. Everything is modern! Arrived at Gekkos hostel.....a proper
hostel, with a pool table and hot showers and a kitchen. So spoilt. I
went for a walk down to the river. Only got a bit lost. But it was
good to get away from the gang for a bit and dip my toes in the cool
river water. More soccer in the arvo. Its been great to watch live
games in the last week or so, since i dont hardly get to do that in
Oz.
Before we left Gekkos we cleaned the truck in side and out. Took us
about 3 hours, we are very efficient now. After that we took a
beautiful drive down to the wine region of Stellenbosch and stayed in
another luxury hostel. Its also been strange meeting other travellers
and having to consider them. Its always been just us when bushcamping
and we dont have rules about polite behaviour or noise or
anything........we also met our first racist who just kept going on about
'the coloureds' even though we were ignoring him.
The wine tour was great fun. A bit cliched and aimed more at
backpackers (i am such an overlander snob now!). Lots of dance music
on the minibus and the guide being 'crazy'. After a quick lesson on
how to make wine which i dont think any of us was really listening
to, we got stuck into some tasting. We went to 4 farms, and at one
they also had cheese tasting. I am not that much into cheese but some
of it was really tasty especially with the red wine. Needless to say
we were all pretty hammered and i think Mayumi and I would have won
the piggyback race across the lawn if i hadnt dropped her before the
race actually started.
Back at the hostel we drank more beer and played pool. After pizza was delivered we drank more beer, put on some tunes and sang karoake style to Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and Cyndi Lauper
(i am sure you can guess which songs). Then the police arrived. They
were very friendly and let us know that the locals had complained.
Fair enough, my singing is pretty bad. So we turned the music off,
drank more beer and jumped into the pool. Then we broke the party up
and got changed to go out, just as another couple of police guys
turned up. About 8 of us went dancing, to cheezy dance music. About 2
am we were asked to leave for the crime of 'dancing on the
stage'....??? Still, given the hangover i had to endure yesterday it
was probably a blessing. Unfortunately, the same night, someone broke in to the hostel and stole one our groups backpack, with camera and laptop in. And we found that another of our guys had his credit card ripped off in Namibia to the the tune of 2000 quid.
Arrived in Cape Town at lunchtime. Proper backpacker hostel this one.
A few of us went out to the supermarket to get dinner. Only take out
the money you need and dont take a camera! That was the advice from
the guy who got mugged the day before.
This afternoon we got the cable car up to Table Mountain, which you can see from all parts of the city. The views were of course spectacular, the ocean and the city and the new soccer stadium for the world cup. Also some flora and fauna to check out.
Thats all. Off on a 2 day road trip along the coast tomorrow.
3.4.10
Namibia
phew, lots of blogging....finished blogging about amazing Democratic Repubic of Congo and Angola. Now in Namibia.....
Such a contrast being in Namibia which is a developed country. Good roads, good food, internet, well-stocked shops and English speakers. After a couple of days rest in Tsumeb we left on the Sunday for Etosha for some Game Drives. Pretty soon we saw giraffes and zebras, and again we have great views from the top of the truck. The zebras are horses with pyjamas on. We also saw oryx, wilderbeest, osterich, jackals and hyenas. Late in the afternoon we saw a pride of 4 female lions. They were hanging out under a bush about 50 metres from the truck. It was cool to see them in the wild instead of a zoo.
The next day we went out in the park again. This time we found a male lion having its lunch. It was about 30 metres from us, it had a springbox, or rather just the head was left. It was sat there for about half an hour, then it picked it up in its mouth and carried it pretty close to us before wandering off. That was pretty amazing. The osteriches were pretty funny. They would run alongside the truck and even cross in front of us.
On Tuesday we saw an eagle and some yellow mongooses and then a black rhino in the bushes and then a huge elephant. We were pretty lucky to spot these animals, you couldnt have seen them from a four wheeel drive. We were able to stand on top of the truck and get a great view.
In the afternoon we visited the Cheetah Park. This is run by a couple of Africanner brothers. Having decided that what they were doing is ethical, we went, basically, to their house on a huge estate, and they have 3 tame cheetahs. It was fantastic. We were able to stroke them and watch them play and eat, and of course take pictures. And they purr really loudly. They also took us out to the bush to some semi-tame cheetahs and we fed them zebra meat from the safety of a four wheel drive and cattle trailer. We were surrounded by about ten of them. We camped nearby and in the morning we met their giraffe. We petted it and it walked around our truck and put its head fully into the cab, in through the windows and in the back door, it was checking us out. Really funny.
We then made our way to Bradburg mountain. We did a 2 hour hike to see some rock art, which was pretty cool. We bushcamped under the mountain, and with the near full moon it was like a lunar landscape. Dave and I made sweet and sour chicken and vegies for the group while the sun went down, listening and bopping to the Chemical Bros. A great evening.
In the morning we drove into the stunning desert scenery, and then it became really cold as we hit the Atlantic breeze. We stopped at a seal colony and it felt more like Norway than Namibia. Thousands of seals hopping in and out of the mad surf, and lots just lazing around on the beach.
We arrived in Swakupmund in the afternoon. Bit of a backpackers town and we are staying in a hostel. I slept in a real bed for only the second time since November, as opposed to in a tent with a flat air mattress. We went to a great restaurant. I had the grill which was 4 types of meat - zebra, oryx, springbox and kudu. They all tasted great. I felt a bit bad eating the oryx cos they are cool.
Went to watch some of the guys skydive in the desert yesterday which was fun. A bit tempted have a go but its real expensive and only goes for 5 minutes..i would rather spend the cash on something else.
Such a contrast being in Namibia which is a developed country. Good roads, good food, internet, well-stocked shops and English speakers. After a couple of days rest in Tsumeb we left on the Sunday for Etosha for some Game Drives. Pretty soon we saw giraffes and zebras, and again we have great views from the top of the truck. The zebras are horses with pyjamas on. We also saw oryx, wilderbeest, osterich, jackals and hyenas. Late in the afternoon we saw a pride of 4 female lions. They were hanging out under a bush about 50 metres from the truck. It was cool to see them in the wild instead of a zoo.
The next day we went out in the park again. This time we found a male lion having its lunch. It was about 30 metres from us, it had a springbox, or rather just the head was left. It was sat there for about half an hour, then it picked it up in its mouth and carried it pretty close to us before wandering off. That was pretty amazing. The osteriches were pretty funny. They would run alongside the truck and even cross in front of us.
On Tuesday we saw an eagle and some yellow mongooses and then a black rhino in the bushes and then a huge elephant. We were pretty lucky to spot these animals, you couldnt have seen them from a four wheeel drive. We were able to stand on top of the truck and get a great view.
In the afternoon we visited the Cheetah Park. This is run by a couple of Africanner brothers. Having decided that what they were doing is ethical, we went, basically, to their house on a huge estate, and they have 3 tame cheetahs. It was fantastic. We were able to stroke them and watch them play and eat, and of course take pictures. And they purr really loudly. They also took us out to the bush to some semi-tame cheetahs and we fed them zebra meat from the safety of a four wheel drive and cattle trailer. We were surrounded by about ten of them. We camped nearby and in the morning we met their giraffe. We petted it and it walked around our truck and put its head fully into the cab, in through the windows and in the back door, it was checking us out. Really funny.
We then made our way to Bradburg mountain. We did a 2 hour hike to see some rock art, which was pretty cool. We bushcamped under the mountain, and with the near full moon it was like a lunar landscape. Dave and I made sweet and sour chicken and vegies for the group while the sun went down, listening and bopping to the Chemical Bros. A great evening.
In the morning we drove into the stunning desert scenery, and then it became really cold as we hit the Atlantic breeze. We stopped at a seal colony and it felt more like Norway than Namibia. Thousands of seals hopping in and out of the mad surf, and lots just lazing around on the beach.
We arrived in Swakupmund in the afternoon. Bit of a backpackers town and we are staying in a hostel. I slept in a real bed for only the second time since November, as opposed to in a tent with a flat air mattress. We went to a great restaurant. I had the grill which was 4 types of meat - zebra, oryx, springbox and kudu. They all tasted great. I felt a bit bad eating the oryx cos they are cool.
Went to watch some of the guys skydive in the desert yesterday which was fun. A bit tempted have a go but its real expensive and only goes for 5 minutes..i would rather spend the cash on something else.
2.4.10
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
The next day, we got to the Angola/ DRC border at 745am. Another remote border with only a couple of soldiers there at that time so we had to wait until 10am for the immigration people to arrive. After an hour or so we crossed into DRC. Again we expected to see armed guards on the DRC side, since it is a war-stricken country. But again it was just a group of guys in tracksuits and bling. They were friendly but had no idea how to process us....they probably havent had white people through in a very long time, but eventually they sent us on our way.
Again it was a bumpy muddy road in the countryside into the unknown. Driving through the first major town was a bit intimidating, a few strange looks. But this could be because they think we are American, and, basically, the Americans and other western countries supported their dictator for 30 years until a civil war ousted him. 3.4 million people died over two wars in the 90's. But when we did stop near a small village the locals were friendly and we bought the two remaining beers in the whole village, so we drank the place dry!
We were in the safer part of the country, there is still military activity further inland. The scenery in DRC was also stunning. I guess i assumed that war-ravaged countries like DRC and Angola might not look so good but the natural beauty in both countries was amazing, as good as i have ever seen. I really want people to know that these places are not just dumps filled with dodgy people. The landscape is world class and most people were really friendly, especially considering most of them can remember the recent horrible civil wars in which they would have lost friends and family.
Along the way we saw lots of ladies carrying very heavy loads from the forest back into their village while the guys seemed to be just hanging around watching. I have wanted to take more pictures of people but its rude really unless you ask permission which you cant really do from the truck. Anyway we got to Matadi and and the Congo river. We crossed a huge sparkling suspension bridge which the Japanese helped to build. After crossing the bridge soon arrived at the DRC/Angola border. A bit frustrasting taking ages to be processed at the border but thats Africa.
Angola
As we made our way into Angola the view of the river and surrounding countryside was amazing (i am running out of adjectives. Its just that the landscapes changed and got better every day.) We broke down and also got a flat tyre so i got Chilean Carolina to shave me head while we waited. We camped early at a small village cos there was a storm coming. We were surrounded by a hundred fascinated villagers as we set up camp and cooked dinner. They probably havent seen white people for a while, certainly the kids might not have. I was able to speak a bit of Spanish to them and they understood because it is similar to Portuguese which is their language. Again, although it is remote, they do have soccer shirts. In the morning we were teaching the kids the words and the moves to "YMCA" and other songs, and because Kiwi Phil was leading them they were singing in a Kiwi accent. It was lots of fun.
The roads in that northern part of Angola were horrendous, we made very slow progress. The roads were broken, lots of potholes and big branches overhanging the road. The branches would smack into the top of the truck, where we were stood up, even when we moved slowly. Sometimes we tried to lift the branches over the truck, other times it was better to duck. Lots of bugs would fall out of the branches into the truck including ants, spiders, grasshoppers and lots of things we didnt even recognise. The truck floor was a jungle! On the 17th of April we were in another small village for the night. It was Paddy's day, Charlotte's (my neice) birthday and Aussie Greg's birthday so we sang Happy Birthday a few times in front of the kids and they picked it up pretty well then showed us their own singing and dancing. After they had gone to bed i put the Pogues on and we drank whiskey.
Next day the roads got better but then we drove into a big muddy hole. We tried digging ourselves out. I was under the front wheel on my back sweating like crazy removing the mud from near the chassis. But it was pointless cos the back wheel was in four feet of mud and the guys couldnt shift it. So a few guys went back to the previous village and came back in a big truck with some local guys, which tried to pull us out but couldn't, neither could the next truck so they gave up. They promised they would come the next morning at 830 but we didnt hold our breath. We started talking about what we would do if we couldnt get out. It was a 50kms walk to the next proper village. What would happen to the trip if we had to leave the truck?
Anyway, after camping at the roadside we started digging again in the morning and made a bit of progress. Then, at 1045 a Caterpillar bulldozer turned up. It pulled us straight out of the mud. Meanwhile, the Chileans, Herman and Carolina, had got a bush taxi to the next town to find a hospital because Herman was really sick and suspected Malaria. After being rescued we picked them up in the next town and it was confirmed that Herman had malaria. It was horrible for him. Lots aches and pains and pressure in his head. They gave him some drugs which made him feel worse, but i think they have pretty much sorted him out now. Of course seeing the effects made us all more vigilant agasinst the mozzies.
Along the way we started to collect river water in case we got stranded again. We lost half a day when a suspension spring broke and it took driver Gav and Scotish engineer Mac, 7 hours to fix it. It was a huge dirty job, especially in the searing heat. I spent the time dodging wasps. Eventually the road got better and came to the ocean, and turned left towards Luanda, the capital. More great scenery and small villages and mud huts, those people really didnt seem to have anything. By the way, all the time we were stuck we were using up our visa time. When we had got our visas, a month before, they had only granted us a 5 day transit visa. Well, because of the terrible roads, (we were often going at 5 miles an hour for hours), breakdowns and the day stuck in the mud, we had soon gone past the visa expiry date. And the fine is $120 per day. But we figured we could bribe our way out of it..... Meanwhile, English Gav got a huge hole in his finger from dropping a truck part on it, and english Mike thought he had malaria so they went off to hospital. We met them the next day and Mikes malaria was confirmed. Again it was horrible seeing our new friends in so much pain. Again the drugs make it worse before they make it better.
As we bypassed Luanda the roads were magnificent as was the scenery. A bit like NZ, or Lord of the Rings. Stupid police checks where they come on board, start looking at our passports then get bored, dont notice that our visas have expired and then ask the girls for their phone numbers. This happened twice.
The road took us into the mountasins so we had to get our cold weather gear out again. But good to be able to sleep in the comfort of a sleeping bag rather then sweating under a sleep sac. To make up for lost time we would stop for early dinner and then drive on into the night. This was very cool, standing up the front of the truck. We were going through these savannahs in the middle of nowhere at night across wetlands and old bridges, with lightning (no rain) going off all around us lighting up the sky. Very atmospheric.
So we kept heading to the border, trying to hurry but having to go slowly on the crappy roads so as to not damage the truck. I have to say driver Gav is a great driver through all sorts of conditions and he never complains, just smiles and keeps going.
On wednesday we were still on terrible roads in the morning and wondering when we would ever make it to the Namibian border....then, suddenly it changed into a world class road for the last 140kms to the border so everyones spirits were lifted. Of course at the Angolan exit border we sat wondering what would happen about our expired visas. Well, first the Chileans were told that Namibia wouldnt let them in which was heartbreaking after they had travelled so far for so long, they would have to head back to the captial. Just as they were packing, driver Gav came onto the back of the truck looking very stressed. He said get your passports, get off the truck, show your passports to the policeman on the right and get across the border as quickly as possible. That was fairly easy. And on the Namibian side the black guards let us whites through ahead of the locals which seemed a bit bad but we wanted to get out of Angola ASAP so we kept walking. As we suspected, the Angola immigration people had realised, after handing back our passports, that we had overstayed by 4 days ($480 each!! and who knows, detention?). Gav told them most of us had already crossed to Namibia and he was too late, which of course wasnt true because we were all in the back of the truck waiting. So thats why we had to hurry. Anyway, we made it and it served them right for not being more efficient. Surely their job is to notice such things! So once we were in Namibia, after 9 days hard slog on the crappy roads we were in party mode and had a few drinks and enjoyed the modernity of Namibia.
So after all that, i can honestly say that after Cameroon, each country got better and better. I am so glad i came on this trip. Any fears i might have had about going to potentially volatile countries have proved unfounded. And although the roads were often terrible each country is trying to improve them; we saw lots of chinese guys and machinery fixing up some parts of the roads They are taking over!
During the 12 days we were bushcamping there was seldom access to fresh food so we had to eat the trucks stocks, as expected. So most nights we were eating a variation on pasta and tuna and tinned vegies. Still, if you throw enough spices and garlic at something, it normally turns out ok. and i still had lots of weetbix and porridge left for breakfast. The bushcamping, the changing scenery, the comaraderie and being self-sufficent has made the trip all the more enjoyable. Of course we still have a few months to go but this has been the real adventure as the east coast is much more well-travelled.
All the boys currently have marvellous moustaches, nicely trimmed. We are keeping them until we get to Cape Town.
The next day, we got to the Angola/ DRC border at 745am. Another remote border with only a couple of soldiers there at that time so we had to wait until 10am for the immigration people to arrive. After an hour or so we crossed into DRC. Again we expected to see armed guards on the DRC side, since it is a war-stricken country. But again it was just a group of guys in tracksuits and bling. They were friendly but had no idea how to process us....they probably havent had white people through in a very long time, but eventually they sent us on our way.
Again it was a bumpy muddy road in the countryside into the unknown. Driving through the first major town was a bit intimidating, a few strange looks. But this could be because they think we are American, and, basically, the Americans and other western countries supported their dictator for 30 years until a civil war ousted him. 3.4 million people died over two wars in the 90's. But when we did stop near a small village the locals were friendly and we bought the two remaining beers in the whole village, so we drank the place dry!
We were in the safer part of the country, there is still military activity further inland. The scenery in DRC was also stunning. I guess i assumed that war-ravaged countries like DRC and Angola might not look so good but the natural beauty in both countries was amazing, as good as i have ever seen. I really want people to know that these places are not just dumps filled with dodgy people. The landscape is world class and most people were really friendly, especially considering most of them can remember the recent horrible civil wars in which they would have lost friends and family.
Along the way we saw lots of ladies carrying very heavy loads from the forest back into their village while the guys seemed to be just hanging around watching. I have wanted to take more pictures of people but its rude really unless you ask permission which you cant really do from the truck. Anyway we got to Matadi and and the Congo river. We crossed a huge sparkling suspension bridge which the Japanese helped to build. After crossing the bridge soon arrived at the DRC/Angola border. A bit frustrasting taking ages to be processed at the border but thats Africa.
Angola
As we made our way into Angola the view of the river and surrounding countryside was amazing (i am running out of adjectives. Its just that the landscapes changed and got better every day.) We broke down and also got a flat tyre so i got Chilean Carolina to shave me head while we waited. We camped early at a small village cos there was a storm coming. We were surrounded by a hundred fascinated villagers as we set up camp and cooked dinner. They probably havent seen white people for a while, certainly the kids might not have. I was able to speak a bit of Spanish to them and they understood because it is similar to Portuguese which is their language. Again, although it is remote, they do have soccer shirts. In the morning we were teaching the kids the words and the moves to "YMCA" and other songs, and because Kiwi Phil was leading them they were singing in a Kiwi accent. It was lots of fun.
The roads in that northern part of Angola were horrendous, we made very slow progress. The roads were broken, lots of potholes and big branches overhanging the road. The branches would smack into the top of the truck, where we were stood up, even when we moved slowly. Sometimes we tried to lift the branches over the truck, other times it was better to duck. Lots of bugs would fall out of the branches into the truck including ants, spiders, grasshoppers and lots of things we didnt even recognise. The truck floor was a jungle! On the 17th of April we were in another small village for the night. It was Paddy's day, Charlotte's (my neice) birthday and Aussie Greg's birthday so we sang Happy Birthday a few times in front of the kids and they picked it up pretty well then showed us their own singing and dancing. After they had gone to bed i put the Pogues on and we drank whiskey.
Next day the roads got better but then we drove into a big muddy hole. We tried digging ourselves out. I was under the front wheel on my back sweating like crazy removing the mud from near the chassis. But it was pointless cos the back wheel was in four feet of mud and the guys couldnt shift it. So a few guys went back to the previous village and came back in a big truck with some local guys, which tried to pull us out but couldn't, neither could the next truck so they gave up. They promised they would come the next morning at 830 but we didnt hold our breath. We started talking about what we would do if we couldnt get out. It was a 50kms walk to the next proper village. What would happen to the trip if we had to leave the truck?
Anyway, after camping at the roadside we started digging again in the morning and made a bit of progress. Then, at 1045 a Caterpillar bulldozer turned up. It pulled us straight out of the mud. Meanwhile, the Chileans, Herman and Carolina, had got a bush taxi to the next town to find a hospital because Herman was really sick and suspected Malaria. After being rescued we picked them up in the next town and it was confirmed that Herman had malaria. It was horrible for him. Lots aches and pains and pressure in his head. They gave him some drugs which made him feel worse, but i think they have pretty much sorted him out now. Of course seeing the effects made us all more vigilant agasinst the mozzies.
Along the way we started to collect river water in case we got stranded again. We lost half a day when a suspension spring broke and it took driver Gav and Scotish engineer Mac, 7 hours to fix it. It was a huge dirty job, especially in the searing heat. I spent the time dodging wasps. Eventually the road got better and came to the ocean, and turned left towards Luanda, the capital. More great scenery and small villages and mud huts, those people really didnt seem to have anything. By the way, all the time we were stuck we were using up our visa time. When we had got our visas, a month before, they had only granted us a 5 day transit visa. Well, because of the terrible roads, (we were often going at 5 miles an hour for hours), breakdowns and the day stuck in the mud, we had soon gone past the visa expiry date. And the fine is $120 per day. But we figured we could bribe our way out of it..... Meanwhile, English Gav got a huge hole in his finger from dropping a truck part on it, and english Mike thought he had malaria so they went off to hospital. We met them the next day and Mikes malaria was confirmed. Again it was horrible seeing our new friends in so much pain. Again the drugs make it worse before they make it better.
As we bypassed Luanda the roads were magnificent as was the scenery. A bit like NZ, or Lord of the Rings. Stupid police checks where they come on board, start looking at our passports then get bored, dont notice that our visas have expired and then ask the girls for their phone numbers. This happened twice.
The road took us into the mountasins so we had to get our cold weather gear out again. But good to be able to sleep in the comfort of a sleeping bag rather then sweating under a sleep sac. To make up for lost time we would stop for early dinner and then drive on into the night. This was very cool, standing up the front of the truck. We were going through these savannahs in the middle of nowhere at night across wetlands and old bridges, with lightning (no rain) going off all around us lighting up the sky. Very atmospheric.
So we kept heading to the border, trying to hurry but having to go slowly on the crappy roads so as to not damage the truck. I have to say driver Gav is a great driver through all sorts of conditions and he never complains, just smiles and keeps going.
On wednesday we were still on terrible roads in the morning and wondering when we would ever make it to the Namibian border....then, suddenly it changed into a world class road for the last 140kms to the border so everyones spirits were lifted. Of course at the Angolan exit border we sat wondering what would happen about our expired visas. Well, first the Chileans were told that Namibia wouldnt let them in which was heartbreaking after they had travelled so far for so long, they would have to head back to the captial. Just as they were packing, driver Gav came onto the back of the truck looking very stressed. He said get your passports, get off the truck, show your passports to the policeman on the right and get across the border as quickly as possible. That was fairly easy. And on the Namibian side the black guards let us whites through ahead of the locals which seemed a bit bad but we wanted to get out of Angola ASAP so we kept walking. As we suspected, the Angola immigration people had realised, after handing back our passports, that we had overstayed by 4 days ($480 each!! and who knows, detention?). Gav told them most of us had already crossed to Namibia and he was too late, which of course wasnt true because we were all in the back of the truck waiting. So thats why we had to hurry. Anyway, we made it and it served them right for not being more efficient. Surely their job is to notice such things! So once we were in Namibia, after 9 days hard slog on the crappy roads we were in party mode and had a few drinks and enjoyed the modernity of Namibia.
So after all that, i can honestly say that after Cameroon, each country got better and better. I am so glad i came on this trip. Any fears i might have had about going to potentially volatile countries have proved unfounded. And although the roads were often terrible each country is trying to improve them; we saw lots of chinese guys and machinery fixing up some parts of the roads They are taking over!
During the 12 days we were bushcamping there was seldom access to fresh food so we had to eat the trucks stocks, as expected. So most nights we were eating a variation on pasta and tuna and tinned vegies. Still, if you throw enough spices and garlic at something, it normally turns out ok. and i still had lots of weetbix and porridge left for breakfast. The bushcamping, the changing scenery, the comaraderie and being self-sufficent has made the trip all the more enjoyable. Of course we still have a few months to go but this has been the real adventure as the east coast is much more well-travelled.
All the boys currently have marvellous moustaches, nicely trimmed. We are keeping them until we get to Cape Town.
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