Angola

The trip does not start on favorable terms. I am still at the airport in the island country of Sao Tome & Principe and the afternoon TAAG airlines flight to Luanda is delayed. I consider it certain that I will not make the connection to Lubango, where on this flight I was supposed to meet my group, two friends and a friend with whom I will make this trip starting from the south of the country. Finally arriving in Luanda, I receive a message from the group that the next flight is also delayed. So my hopes are raised and I try to catch up. The domestic flights terminal is far from the international one, but the employees kindly offer to transport me in an airport vehicle through the runway (it has happened to me before). In the end, my group and I will wait a full 5 hours before takeoff. After 1:30 we prepare to land in Lubango. However, the captain announces that due to fog and with the safety of all of us as a priority, he decides to cancel the landing process and return to the capital. Needless to say, the chaos we encounter at the airport, where there was no staff to offer accommodation for the passengers. Some members of my group decide not to stay up all night waiting for the airline to transfer us to a hotel, but to stay in a luxurious and expensive one. Personally, I do not travel with these data, but I decide that the group stays together and follows. The next day, the Odyssey continues. We try to contact the company early in the morning to find out the new flight time. I have traveled with many airlines to various developing countries, but I have never encountered what prevails with TAAG. At noon, we go to the airport and the efforts continue to no avail. We are told that today’s flight cannot accommodate all the passengers. Protests have the opposite effect, our local contacts are trying to find a diplomatic solution and are telling us that indirect means (financing) are required, which I personally refuse. After many hours of waiting, while check-in has closed and the flight should have departed, I remain the only one who has not received a boarding pass. My friends refuse to travel without me. After hours of anxiety, anger and frustration, I am finally ordered to board and I run towards the aircraft. I hand over my luggage on the tarmac and am given a handwritten boarding pass. To my great surprise and anger, there are at least 20 empty seats on the plane. Welcome once again to the paranoia of the African continent.

After a few hours of sleep, we depart from Lubango, which we will explore more extensively in a few days. The obvious puns on the city’s name perhaps match the degree of hardship to get here.

First stop: Tundavala

Tundavala is a spectacular natural viewpoint located near Lubango. It is located at an altitude of over 2,200 meters and ends in a gorge with an almost vertical drop of about 1,000 meters, offering stunning panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes that extend to the Atlantic Ocean. The high altitude gives the area a cool and pleasant climate, making it an ideal escape from the heat of the lower regions.

After descending a winding road, we head further south towards Chibia.

The first contact with the local population reveals the image of an authentic Africa, with several similarities and differences from other parts of it. The people are friendly, but at the same time reserved at the sight of white visitors. As almost everywhere, a simple smile and a little fun interaction, provokes a warm response from the people, despite the language gap. What is noticeable and particularly sad, however, is the deep poverty, which as we go deeper into the heart of the country, becomes shocking to such an extent that in few places have I encountered, places where there is malnutrition and a humanitarian crisis, such as Mali, South Sudan or Chad.

Chibia – Mumuila

We start early in the morning from Lubango, with our first stop being Chibia, a city with remnants of Portuguese colonial architecture that contrasts with today’s rural society.

From there, we continue to the Mumuila community. They belong to the Bantu ethnic group and live from agriculture. Their most distinctive feature is the extremely elaborate appearance of the women — with their impressive nontombi braids, created from a mixture of red ochre, dung, herbs and fat. Each woman is a living canvas, as her hairstyle and jewelry reveal her age, marital status and social status.

At Mukuma Market, where Mumuila women sell their handicrafts and agricultural products. In the village, the sounds of nature mingle with the voices of children, composing a joyful symphony.

Kamukuvi – Humbe – Xangongo

As soon as the sun rises the next day, we set off for the Kamukuvi market, to meet the “lowland Mumuila”, a variant of the tribe that differs in clothing and hairstyle from the highland Mumuila we met the previous day.

We continue south, to the Humbe region, to meet the Humbi tribe — a people with unique rituals and clothing expressions. Their striking “elephant ear” hairstyles are characteristic. Humbi women meticulously maintain these hairstyles, which symbolize age, motherhood and social recognition. We had the honor of witnessing a girls’ coming-of-age ceremony, known as “ficó.” The ficó hairstyle is considered one of the most intricate in the world — a work of art and ritual at the same time.

After lunch, we set off for Xangongo. As we approached, the landscape changed — huge baobab trees stood out like natural monuments in the dry land.

Xangongo – Kahama – Φυλή Vatua

The accommodation was not adequate to rest my body, tired from the dust and climatic conditions. We start from Xangongo towards Kahama. The route, full of red soil and small villages, ends at the village of the Vatua, a tribe of hunters and gatherers. The Vatua, although they look like the Himba, with almost the same clothing habits, are genetically and culturally closer to the Khoisan, the ancient people of the desert. Their life is inextricably linked to nature, they do not follow modern agricultural or livestock standards and their way of life is reminiscent of Paleolithic man. At night, we camp in their village, under a sky full of stars that I gaze at with the tribe around the fire.

Hakaona – Himba – Oncocua

The next day begins early, with the first sun illuminating the remote village of southern Africa. We continue the journey to the village of the Hakaona, traditional farmers and herders. The Muhakaona stand out not only for their dual occupation with the land and animals, but also for their linguistic identity that is not related to the Herero spoken by the Himba.

Particularly impressive are the women who, instead of the familiar red ochre of the Himba, use black peat and butter for their hair, creating an almost sculptural, black effect — a sign of identity, beauty, and tradition.

We continue towards a village of the Himba, perhaps the most emblematic tribe of the region. The red ochre on their skin and hair, the organization of the community, and their relationship with the herds reveal a people who insist on primitive values. They are living carriers of a tradition that seems to have stopped in the past, and although one can also encounter the tribe in northern Namibia, here they are particularly authentic and cheerful.

In the afternoon we reach the most remote and authentic point of the route, the Oncocua settlement, the place where the traditions of the Vatua, Hakaona, Himba, Mundimba and Mucubal meet. Here the roots, the primitive cultures of Africa are alive like in few other places.

Nguendelengo – Bibala – Namibe

First stop of the day, the village of the Nguendelengo, a lesser-known but impressive southern tribe and particularly warm-hearted. The Nguendelengo maintain traditions that are rarely recorded and their cultural composition combines influences from semi-nomadic peoples who are on the verge of extinction.

All indigenous tribes live in very poor conditions, but in these remote places the food problem is evident! People struggle for little food, while medical care is absent. We see newborns who are thin, barely weighing one kilogram, babies with eye infections and other diseases. Neither the medicines we have are sufficient, nor the medical qualifications of our fellow traveler K. are sufficient to save this population. Of course, international aid organizations are nowhere to be found.

The city’s central market, the Mercado Municipal, is one of its liveliest spots. Stalls filled with corn, mangoes, fabrics, soaps, shoes, vendors and customers in an endless bazaar. Women balance baskets on their heads with incredible skill, as is customary throughout Africa.The city’s central market, the Mercado Municipal, is one of its liveliest spots. Stalls filled with corn, mangoes, fabrics, soaps, shoes, vendors and customers in an endless bazaar. Women balance baskets on their heads with incredible skill, as is customary throughout Africa.

Further along, in the streets around the city’s city hall, we encounter a festive scene. Brides in wedding photo shoots pose in their pure white wedding dresses in front of the imposing building and the modern square.

In Jardim da Independência Square, the modern side of Africa disconnects you from the primitive and so impoverished images of days gone by.

Young people sit on benches listening to music on their mobile phones, children play, couples and seniors enjoy a walk in this clean city.

On the beach, the sun spreads over an open, shallow bay, with fishing boats that have just come out or are preparing to enter the sea. Along the coastal road, there are a few cafes and restaurants, while on the beach there are children and locals enjoying their time with typical African simplicity.

The old railway line that connected Moçâmedes to the interior now runs once a week, but remains a silent symbol of the town’s history as a major export port. We are lucky because a train has arrived at the station on this day. Some half-naked Nguendelengo women, contrasting with the colonial-style station and the industrial-era trains.

The fish market is a central hub for the region’s fishing industry and plays a vital role in the local economy, supporting the livelihoods of many fishermen and traders.

The city becomes even more magical at the golden sunset over the Atlantic, taking on a cinematic character.

The next day is dedicated to the Namibe Desert, one of the oldest deserts in the world, which hugs the Atlantic in an almost unreal coexistence. The desert is familiar to me, as it continues to southern Namibia, which I have visited, but the images are quite different. It is certainly the most impressive topographic point of the trip.

With the 4×4 vehicles we start an off-road adventure, through a landscape full of contrasts: sand dunes reaching 300 meters, bare rocks, dry rivers and places where life persists, such as some endemic plants that resist the conditions. The silence of the desert, broken only by the sound of the wind and the wheels on the sand, captivates me.

We continue southwest to Tombua — Angola’s largest fishing port. Fishermen, boats, nets, and the laughter of children playing on the shore.

We continue to Lake Arco, an oasis that seems to have sprung up out of nowhere, with arched sandstone cliffs, sculpted by time and wind. Even further, the Camilunga Gorge. Naturally carved by time and the elements, this gorge combines steep cliffs, natural arches and spots that offer shade from the hot desert sun.

In the afternoon we return to Namibe, where the day ends with a delicious seafood dinner.

The main attraction is the Fortaleza de São Miguel, the historic Portuguese fortress that dominates the city. From here, the view of the bay of Luanda is unique. Inside the castle, old cannons, statues of colonialists, and testimonies of the country’s turbulent history are exhibited. It is a good way to understand how the city lived through centuries of slavery, colonialism, and the struggle for independence.

In Baixa de Luanda, the old city, are the markets, banks, and administrative buildings. In Miramar is the most aristocratic district of Luanda, with villas, embassies, and views of the bay. Further along, in the bay of Ilha do Cabo, Luanda reveals its cosmopolitan face, with beaches, bars, seafood restaurants, and lounge music.

One of the most striking sights in Luanda is the Slavery Museum, housed in a former colonial home of a slave trader, 25km south of the city. From there, thousands of Africans were shipped to America during the Atlantic slave trade. The view from the museum over the ocean is awe-inspiring, right where people boarded ships to the unknown.

A few days ago, US President Joe Biden visited the country and gave a speech at this monument. Nevertheless, the typical African sloppiness is evident

The Miradouro da Lua 🌙 is a natural geological phenomenon. Its name means “Place overlooking the Moon”. It is a stunning geological landscape, with reddish rocks, sand and clay formations eroded by wind and rain — creating a lunar, surreal image.

Images of the journey from rare tribes, to windswept dunes and seals splashing in the waves of the ocean coast, and modern cities, swirl in my mind. Images of the grandeur of nature and the ability of man to live in harmony with the most adverse environments.