Day 18 Mucula Beach - Sonaki Camp

We left our beach camp and headed towards Soyo where we will see Congo River. It was 120 km far and took us 6 hours. The roads are bumpy and sandy we were lucky because there haven't been lots of rain otherwise all that would have turned into mud.

Road blocks next to the bridges and cops looking for Boa Festa (bribe), we just pretend we don't understand and drive away :) 

We passed many small villages with very friendly people greeting us with Boa Festa! The road from N'Zeto to Soyo looks like this:

Then we had our first puncture, very big hole in tyre and immediately stopped and changed it.

Next delay was a truck that was fallen over in front of the road and blocked it.

We took detour and saw a sign "restaurante" pointing towards beach, we went there to have a look. When we arrived we saw a brand new camping place with chalets. That was an option for our camp tonight.

In Soyo it took us quite a while to get to Congo River because of the busy streets and many markets. Then we arrived at the Congo River messy dirty and huge. It's a big oil town and you won't see any beauty of the mighty river. So we decided to go to Sumbe tomorrow.

In Soyo lots of people fixing punctures and we chose one place, it costed us 1000 kwanzas (10$).

Soyo city drive and fixing puncture video:

There was a show-off of Soyo city forces, army, police, ambulance, fire brigade:

We found a great camping spot 40mins South of Soyo, next to the beach, brand new place with showers, flushing toilets, electricity. Catering place for the foreign oil workers, we met a guy there at the beach from Venezuela, Joshua had a great conversation. There are many foreigners working for Angolan oil. Today was Christmas Eve.

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Day 17 Cabo Ledo - Mucula Beach

After 3 days of being spoiled we left Cabo Ledo and were on the road again! We passed Kwanza river, there was a toll 210 kwanzas (2.10 US$) and rusting tanks next to the bridge from the war.

We headed towards Luanda and we decided not to stay in Luanda but to take a ring road and drive North towards Congo River. On the road, markets come to you and for about 70 km our scenery was the following:

Shacks, rubbish, burning:

And new buildings and chinese signs:

The weather is very humid here and hot. From Luanda to N'Zeto is very good tar road.

Barra do Dande village:

And some roadblocks:

We camped 70 km outside of N'Zeto near the beach by the fishing village

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Day 14 15 16 Benguela - Cabo Ledo

Today we left Benguela. It is a very beautiful city by the beach, the main streets are very modern, lots of supermarkets, beautiful and freshly painted big houses, restaurants and bars. Full of trees and flowers. We of course drove some back roads, went to buy some food from locals: 

After Benguela we went to Lobito which is another big city just about 30 km North of Benguela, its quite similar to Benguela, but bigger. Peninsula called Ilha is where lots of bars and restaurants are located, Zulu restaurant is known because you can camp next to it on the beach and use their showers and toilets.

Suburbs of Lobito:

Lobito markets:

After Lobito starts tropical climate, very very green and loots of trees:

Roadside market:

They will fix your puncture anywhere in Angola:

And car wrecks:

We went through some seaside villages, fisherman selling fish and MPLA party's party:)

Cubal River Gorge:

In every medium sized town in Angola you can see pink and yellow hotels being built by chinese workers:

Then we turned inland to visit Binga waterfalls, quite impressive with Portuguese bridge in ruins. 

Roadside village:

Some tanks on the side of the road:

In the evening we got until Cabo Ledo and looked for camping. There were 2 possibilities - one at the surf beach and the other - in resort which was few kilometers down the road. We looked at the surf spot which was fine and decided to look at the resort as well. So we drove to resort and asked the owner if it was possible to camp there, but he said it wasn't, there were no camping facilities, only rooms to stay. So we turned around to leave. And then he looked at our car and changed his mind and let us camp in a car park with a use of a shower and bathroom:

The owner of the resort has travelled all over Africa on his motorbike so he was interested in our stories. And so we were his guests for the night! We quickly changed and showered and met at the beach bar for caipirinhas. After that we went to his restaurant and had starters, crayfish and other seafood with rice, typical Angolan dish for main course.

Red Portuguese wine, desserts, coffees and brandies after that. Very enjoyable evening with our host Dio!

We got to bed late. Next day had breakfast, did some washing, laid by the pool, went swimming into the sea, went for a walk to other resorts. Had dinner again. And the day after did the same. So we stayed there 3 nights:)

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Day 13 My Beach - Benguela

We left "My Beach" and drove some off roads, mountainous gravel roads. With beautiful plant life:

In one place there was a truck stuck on a steep and rocky road. We couldn't pass him so we had to drive backwards to get to another road. Video:

Whenever we saw a road towards the sea we took it, even if it wasn't on the map and we discovered many beautiful landscapes and small settlements:

After that we got onto tar road towards Benguela, mostly dessert, mountains of rocks on the sides of the road, and once in a while we crossed small villages, small houses made mostly of concrete and people selling and growing tomatoes:

We turned off the road and visited a friendly village by the sea, mud houses, or some houses made of branches of trees, most of them with satellite dishes, people walking and carrying wood or water or some food, some fixing motorbikes, kids playing, some asking us if we had a ball for them. Some derelict buildings from Portuguese time .We talked to fisherman and still we didn't find any crayfish nor prawns, they said they will got some for Christmas: Video of the village drive:

There are many of unfinished roads and bridges in Angola, the only cars tat we encountered were trucks driven by chinaman, it looks like the roadworks are closed for Holidays. Those roads that were tarred were absolutely empty:

We drove small gravel roads that leads from the main road towards the see and we found paradise: it's called Praia da Binga. Derelict Portuguese building with two Angolans sitting outside, and a boat in the sea: 

As we drive towards Benguela dessert landscape changes into tropics, some villages on the road, full with palm trees, rivers (with water :):

Just before Benguela there is a holiday resort it's called Praia Azul we had some beer at the bar right on the beach. Lots of construction happening, people building holiday homes.

Rubbish burning outside the towns:

In Benguela we camped in Nancys school of English, thank you very much Nancy for hospitality!

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