15.06 to 29.06.07, 14 days, currency rate 1 € = 99 K (Kwanza)

highlights – we crossed the border from Democratic Republic of Congo and we were starting to  search the transport to the capital. Unfortunately, the rumors about high prices have turned out to be true (70 € for 530 km). Happened even worse, that day no local transport was planning to go. Well, we walked behind the village in hope to hitchhike. We did not assume, that we will be hopeing for any long ride for the next 4 days - so much time took us walk to the first bigger village where finally we caught the ride. During this hike only 6 short–distance cars passed us, all of them gave us a lift (in total 65 km), remaining 109 km we have hiked with full load backpacks. Since this trekking was not planned - water and food has gone extremely quick, we have eaten all stocks including sugar and bouillon cube. We were forced to drink water from the river (with purified tablets), and in passing villages we asked for bananas and oranges, because usually that was the only available stock (lack of shops, but once we could purchase bread and tin of sardines). Malarial mosquitoes made our life more difficult, as well as tsetse flies which spread coma. However, openness and friendly attitude of locals made our march more interesting. Children pointed fingers on us and screamed with joy "mondele" (white man), almost all inhabitants ran out from homesteads. Request for accomodation under mosquito–net beside the house met always with host enthusiasm. Spanish and Portuguese mixture was our common language. Finally in Tomboco we have found transport, but our travel peace has not drastically increase. Nightmare of corrugated, impossibly full of holes, tragic road was continue for hundreds kilometers, and sometimes our trucks were not able to achieve average speed higher than 10 km/h - we were passed even by bicycles (once we covered distance 115 km during 12 hours of continuous ride!).

Many regions of the country still have land mines - there is no way to get off from the main road in search of toilet or accommodation in the wild (we slept only on the tread paths). It is no wonder that countrymen don't cultivate too much land – while plowing the field you can explode. The answers for the current situation should be seek in the recent past – more than 30 years of wars ended in 2002 destroyed the country (and particular the traffic trails). First drove away Portuguese colonizer and Angola has become the unofficial arena of the Cold War. FNLA military organization was supported by Congo–Kinshasa and Western Europe countries; Unita by United States, South African Apartheid Government and Portugal Right wing; MPLA by Cubans, Soviet Union and its communist allies. So, almost half of the world was testing the latest weapon here. There is a reason for this war - ground is rich in diamonds, iron ore, copper and oil. The book, which gives a fantastic picture of this unique country is "Another day of life" by Ryszard Kapuscinski. Look at this country with quite unusual perspective – I strongly recommend reading this book.

In Africa you will always see the contrast between poverty and wealth, but here it seemed to be the most. Especially in capital Luanda – where dominate elegant shops, exclusive restaurants and expensive cars, and on the other side you see hand–to–mouth existence of those people who weren't able enrich in the war. The most shocked me view of the sheet–iron and cardboard settlement, literally built on rubbish heap, followed by a modern shopping center. Luanda is well situated, pretty, with coastal promenade, colonial buildings, beautiful girls, etc. It is nice to walk to Ihla or to fort Sao Miguel who reign above the town. It is also considered to be one of the most expensive cities in the world (after London, Tokyo and Oslo). We even haven't heard about hotel for less than $ 100 per night. Moreover, the majority of services and costs were beyond our financial budget (sometimes Catholic Missions offered accommodation and hospitality to us). Money can be exchanged in Cambio on Rue Rainha Jing, but moneychangers offer similar rates.

As well interesting was the coastal town of Lobito with old, destroyed during the war colonial buildings, as well with horrible cardboard settlements. In Lubango we liked an enormous Christ Statue (Cristo Rei, similar to that from Rio de Janeiro, Fatima and Dili; there are four of them in four former Portuguese colonies in each continent), and it was interesting to see one of the local tribe which doesn't wear any cloths. Please note also that the closer to Lubango the temperature begins drop, in the night even up to 0°C. We wanted do more sightseeing in Angola, but national parks have no wildlife and there is lack of transport, roads, etc. So we used free easy hitchhiking continued to the south.

accommodation – because of the high prices, once we slept in the wild, three times were invited by locals and seven times we were guests in the church missions. While hitchhiking once we slept in minibus, then twice under the truck. However, we heard then you might get free space for your car or tent in Noval Yacht Club, right at the beginning of the Ihla de Luanda.

transport – no words necessary – tragedy! So terrible roads I haven't seen anywhere else. That's not all because there is extremely rarely traffic (especially in the north) and it is so expensive. There are no public transport companies in the country with exception in paved section Caxito – Luanda – Benguela. The other parts is a matter of luck, you must wait, one day something should go. In the northern part of the country along the road towards Matadi (DRC) villages are marked with the name together with the distance to Noqui.

The following duration of the trips is authentic and doesn't include any longer breaks. We must also remember that jeep will cover the same section much quicker then the truck, approximately one and a half time faster. The worst part (mixture of asphalt and mud) occurred between Tomboco and N'zeto and the middle part between Benguela and Lubango (the closer to city the better).

Example prices: Noqui – Tomboco truck for 2,000 K; N'Zete – Luanda truck for 1,500 K

To get out from the centre of Luanda to the south, you should take a blue and white minibus (50 K) to Aeroporto (you don't reach the airport). Hence we catch next minibus to Rocha Pinto, where is a lot of transport to the south of the country. We went by other minibus close to urban Talaton district (you do not enter into the district, just stick to main road) where we started hitchhike one hour before dusk. It worked and we spent the night at rear of minibus. Unfortunately in Benguela paved road ends and once again we had to suffer with the road condition. The road from Lubango to the Namibian border was already in a better condition and we have seen Chinese company that was building a new road.

visa – it's the most difficult visa to obtain outside your own country. I applied in Warsaw more than 7 months before entry into Angola. However I made extra effort providing map with planned route through Africa, and explanation letter translated into Portuguese. Cost 46 $, a visa valid for 1 month from the date of the declared entry. I had to wait two weeks for consul decision, but they didn't keep the passport.

While travelling I met people who were refused even the visa applications. But, as always, there are no rules – a Belgian couple got 30 days visa in one hour waiting in Oshakati (Namibia). Another way to go around the bureaucracy difficulties is asking for 5 days transit visa (for example issued in Matadi, DRC), which can be extended in Luanda, or simply pay a fine for each day of overstay (do not remember the amount, but it wasn't too high).

Angola has embassies in Windhoek and Oshakati (Namibia), Matadi and Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Brazzaville (Congo), in Nigeria, Togo, Gabon, Zambia and South Africa.