15 Hours of Adventure

Here’s the overview!

On Wednesday we were honored with an extraordinary day trip. From the highlands down a 3000-foot escarpment, to an ocean colonial town, to desert to find the oldest plant on earth, to a remote oasis, to an ocean beach resort and back up to our guest home!

I’ll try and take you along with us in pictures and words knowing that you will marvel with the outstanding natural beauty of southern Angola.

A friend Michael we met last week sent me this cinematographic video he took of a similar rural area a little further north – this is only the beginning – an Out of Africa vibe that will convince you to travel here someday!

The escarpment view at Serra da Leba is phenomenal – One of Africa’s most scenic roads. We only got hints of the full view as it was so foggy, but here’s a little Google help.

An hour or so later, I missed snapping a picture of a baboon on the top of a pile of rocks like this! Imagine a large black baboon standing up and looking around as we whizzed by.

Here’s the view as we entered the main street of the picturesque colonial town of Mocamedes (Namibe):

And the quick tour of what looks like a UFO building – an unfinished theatre left over from colonial times. This country is pock-marked with unfinished projects from decades ago and from the last seasons of political power grabs and never-ending recession and financial restrictions for so many.

Turning directly south towards Namibia, we soon entered extreme desert and off-roaded to find a huge 1000–2000-year-old plant. Welwitschia mirabilis is THE genius elder plant of the world that survives extreme change. Plant lovers like me – please check out the characteristics of this remarkable plant!!

Then the desert fun began when we took a dirt track in the sand to find a promised oasis and Lagoa dos Arcos – the Lake of Arches. We were supposed to drive 4 km … but an hour later we were following a motorcycle through primitive farmland on the dry lake bed.

Victor kept hoping the lake would appear as he knew it from a decade ago! “We traveled in canoes - really!” I was tracking the GPS signal and counting my sips of water by now. Eventually, we did find and explore the magnificent sandstone arches (our motorcycle friend was born here but had never seen them before – that was why he too was lost!) A spectacular and rarely visited site. And a huge example of climate change. The sign says “No swimming” … and the farmers said they were still waiting for the water to return…

By now we were hot and hungry and devoured the custard Portuguese patisseries that had been waiting for a slowed-down picnic moment. And we drove back … for another couple of hours further north to an ocean resort that Etienne had planned for us to have lunch (4 pm late meal!) He was the vision behind this trip to give us a good taste of all that this country has to offer.

At one point, we drove through a very rough road area, diverted because the new over-the-train-bridge had been unfortunately too low and the train couldn’t make it through. A delicious lunch, but we couldn’t handle the mussels after our encounter with the norovirus the week before!

The drive home was long and scenic as we came home a different way as the sun set and we climbed the escarpment in darkness. Our nervous driver, who had never been on this road before, drove slower and slower around the multitudes of hairpin turns. I swear I heard him say in Portuguese something about ‘banditos,’ but thankfully after 15 hours we were deposited in the home of our dear friends, the Fosters. Sheila and Steve are old schoolmates, and it was like being with family. Too short. Too much to say in a late homemade dinner by Peggy. My heart overwhelmed with joy.

All I could talk about was how we might partner with them and the people they love here in the south of Angola. So much more to ponder and wonder about. It took me a very long time to fall asleep that night as there was so much to digest.

My soul is stuffed with the scintillating beauty of life like never before.

I’ll have a few more posts about this trip and we’ll be home before Christmas.

I have a sense it won’t be the last time I’ll be back in Angola!

Maybe you might be with me?!

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