This is an odd way to begin a profile, but the description of Angola says the citizens are fighters. The press has labeled this country as a haven for havoc, civil wars, blood diamonds, wasted oil revenues, and starving people. As we recall the history of the past forty years, we remember Angola in the news reporting just what was written.
However, a religious society, they still embrace romance and an unwavering desire to dance like there is no tomorrow. Some see it as escapism, while others call it resilience like no other.
The Portuguese discovered this area of Luanda in 1575, and established a slave trade in Central Africa. The Dutch interrupted this trade in 1640, but the Portuguese took it back 8 years later. Eventually slavery was outlawed, and the country survived by exporting wax, rubber, copper, ivory, and timber. Their independence was gained by 1975, but at a price. Decades of civil war decimated the infrastructure.
It is a different story these days, ever since 1975, when oil was discovered. It launched an economic boom by 2002. Workers from all over the world have come here to work in the oil industry. And we would guess that the high rises house many of those workers. There were cranes all throughout the city center with new skyscrapers going up everywhere. On the other hand, we heard that 53% of the people are starving. Not good numbers.
The best time to visit here is June through September when it is the cooler drier season. The capital is Luanda and the population of the country was 12,800,000 people, which could have changed since 2012. The language spoken is Portuguese, with very little English.
There are many things to do and see here, but today they are not all accessible to us. City tours were 2 to 3 hours for $115 to $200. The longer tours included lunch for 6 ½ to 8 hours for up to a whopping $400.
What is there to eat here? Try calulu, a fish stew. Drink caipirinhas, a Portuguese and Brazilian favorite. White coffee is a special drink that is served with milk. Angola is the largest producer of this bean. But don’t eat anything washed with the local water…not even in the hotels, which is usually OK anywhere else.
Trademarks are blood diamonds, diamond diggers, oil, civil war, landmines, de-mining campaigns, beautiful beaches, dance, and music. A random fact is it was not long ago that Angola had more landmines than children. The average age for a man is 58, while a woman can make it to 62. There is a high rate of mortality for children in this country.
Angola and its capital, Luanda, has been said to be the most expensive city in the world. Not a bargain-hunter paradise. For instance, a ½ gallon of ice cream can cost $31 at the local supermarket.
Besides all of the warnings we quoted yesterday, we have been told not to buy bottled water or have anything with ice. Not even in the higher end hotels. No computers or ipads should be brought onshore. There are no ATM’s, and if you see one, there is no money in them. The locals will not accept foreign credit cards. It is illegal to get local money, but they will accept euros or US dollars. There may be no public restrooms.
The capital of Luanda has 5 million people. They sell artisan items like wood carvings, masks, jewelry, pottery, and textiles. If you are interested in higher quality carvings, then you would need to get an export stamp for proof it is not an antique item. Barbara H recommended that we do not buy ivory or anything that resembles it. That could be bone if you don’t know the difference. Fabrics, baskets, and beading or paintings would be a better bet.
The ship was scheduled to arrive and be docked by 8am. According to the Captain, he did the docking, but not with the aid of a local pilot. He failed to show on time, and the Captain decided to bring the ship in by himself. As he was pulling alongside the pier, the pilot showed up on the dock. He would come back later when we left.
The ship was cleared by 9am, and we left to go ashore by 10am. A shuttle bus had been added that was supposed to be for the most disabled of the passengers. However, most everyone we know rode it. They supplied two buses for the one mile drive to the port gate. For us, it was quite do-able, despite it being rather warm and humid. There was a chance of rain in the forecast, but that never happened. It was obvious that it had rained yesterday, as there were deep puddles everywhere.
Right across from the port gate, we found a local marketplace had been set up just for us, as we were told by the Captain’s wife later on. This was sure not what we had been expecting. This market and the vendors were as polite and friendly as they come. Of course, a police presence might have made a difference too. Several umbrella-shaded tables were set up with numerous souvenirs that included appliqued t-shirts, native clothing made out of cotton prints, and costume jewelry. Handbags were the most colorful and useful….all hand-made. We did buy two small clutches made with the native fabric and leather strips for $5 each. Necklaces were made from fabric, and woven with rings with a clasp. Earrings were also fabric-covered buttons. So of course, we bought a set just to figure out how it was made. Bright primary colors are their specialty.
The paintings were stunning, also done in tribal colors. They use a lot of orange and gold shades with black. If we had space on the walls at home, we may have been tempted. Nothing in this market was overly-priced, considering Luanda is the most expensive city in the world. Come to think of it, we figure this was an attempt to please us tourists, so we can spread the word to those we know.
We did see a table or two with wood carvings, but not as much as we expected. We did find some fabric – the waxed cotton that is sold with 6 yards of repetitive patterns. That was only $20. Matching headbands that the local ladies wear were also being sold. Bet we see a lot of these on the passengers later on. Somehow, they look great on the locals, but on the passengers? Well that is another story….. Our final purchase was a small papier mache black and white guinea fowl. Always wanted one of those cute figurines. He was $9. So we were happy, and on our way for a walk.
Crossing the highway, we walked a wide well-paved strip along the Luanda Bay called the Marginal. We suppose calling it an esplanade would also be the same. Recently completed, this pathway is flanked with a grassy area and planted with many palm trees. There are cement benches along the way where you can sit and watch the tiny fish jumping in the water. A few egrets were perched on the wall, waiting for their chance for breakfast or lunch.
Very few people from the ship had attempted to walk here. Guess the warnings had scared most folks into staying on the ship. And many did take the tours. What we discovered was a well-guarded pathway with some shade and a few portable restrooms along the way. Who said there were no public restrooms? These must have been added when it was learned the ship was arriving today. Something tells us that few cruise ships stop here.
One thing one of us neglected to bring was a bottle of water. This type of humidity is dehydrating as heck, and one of us was feeling the heat. Just then, we spotted our hosts, Steve and Wendy, and a gentleman that goes geo-caching with them. Stopping to chat, they admitted to finding three already, but were done for the morning due to the heat. When admitting we forgot water, we said we would look for a soda up at the Shopping Fortaleza Center we could see by the fort. Wendy said forget it, the center was still under construction and not opened yet. So with that, the nice man with them offered to give us his spare bottle of water he had. Pulling out three small boxes of Cheerios to get to it, we all laughed. Never know when you might get hungry on a hike. We thanked him profusely, since that water may have saved one of us from dehydration. We owe him.
Continuing on, we did get some good photos of the downtown area, but never crossed the wide boulevard. Hidden between newly-built tall skyscrapers, we did spot the National Bank of Angola, housed in an impressive colonial building with colonnaded balconies. It was painted pink and white with a huge round dome.
Towards the end of this esplanade was the San Miguel Fort, built in 1575 with ramparts and cannons facing the bay. Wendy and Steve had hiked up that road to see the miles of shantytown that was built all the way down the coastline. Beautiful beaches were there, right next to the worst poverty you can imagine. We were told that there is no sanitation in these areas also. Not sure about running water either.
On a hilltop behind the fort, we could see the obelisk marking the grave of Angola’s first president, Agostinho Neto. It was built with funds from Russia, who reportedly had close ties to the president.
Normally, we would be looking for a good place for lunch. After all of the warnings, we knew we did not want to chance getting sick. So we headed back to the ship, having walked at least six miles. Several glasses of ice tea with lemon was sounding really good by then. We made it back, without taking the shuttle, by 12:30pm. As always, the air-conditioning on the ship was wonderful. So was the lunch, which we shared with our buddies. Barb and Woody had stayed onboard, but Susie ventured into town, and made a successful visit to the craft market. At least we can say that we have some small treasures from Angola, since it may be a long time before the Amsterdam comes back here, if ever.
Staying onboard for the rest of the afternoon, we worked on photos. Sail away came quickly after 4:30pm, the all aboard time. Many fellow passengers shared stories of the day with as at the back railing. It seems that one lady had a bad experience while she was on a private tour with a small group of friends. A local thug attempted to rip her camera off of her neck, and would not let go. Her friends stopped the guy, and held him for the police to take away. Guess it could have been worse had it not been for the extra police force out today.
It was taking a long time for the ropes to be dropped, as the dock crew were having problems doing the job. That gave us the chance to take pictures of some passing egrets, harbor traffic, and panoramic photos of the city itself. With the good camera, we could see the many sections of the city that held the slums. They were numerous. Talking to one of our friends who had gone inland with her group for part of the day, revealed a story different from what we experienced in town. They had been questioned, and stopped by police, even having their tour guide’s driver’s license taken and photos taken of them. The interest was in the fact that they were taking pictures of the sites, which happened to be the moonscape of all things.
Just as we were talking, a drone appeared about eye-level with the aft pool deck, scanning the passengers like us, watching the sail away procedures. Assuming it was being handled by a local, we soon figured it was being done by the local police force. Then we recalled that a camera crew had been set up at the craft market, filming every person there today. Perhaps this was an attempt to film us for the local news. Whatever the reason, it was unnerving for most of us. The drone suddenly zoomed up high, and dipped over to the gangway side. As much as we all tried to connect this machine to an owner, we could not. Eventually, it went back to the heart of the city.
The local pilot must have arrived, and we were finally ready to sail out of the busy harbor. Weaving around a flotilla of fishing vessels and trawlers, the winds picked up as we sailed out into the ocean. Staying out until the sun went down, we did get some good sunset pictures. Off in the distance, over the higher grounds, we spotted the end of a rainbow. It must be raining in some part of the atmosphere to create this, because it was not raining where we were.
We had a wonderful dinner with friends Bill and Leta at their table for four. So nice to be able to catch up with their travels in the ports, which has been limited to short walks and exploring close to the ship. They were also put off of seeing this port due to the scary warnings we got recently. Wonder what the next two stops will be like? They are also new to us.
After dinner, we walked the outside deck like we usually do. We saw a bright fire that lit up the surrounding sky, but it sat out in the water. We assumed it was a gas platform, with the excess being burned off. It was mesmerizing, and we did learn it was just what we thought…..a gas platform.
We will have five days at sea now as we head towards the next port of The Gambia.
Bill & Mary Ann
Coming into the port of Luanda, Angola
Typical Angolan instrument made with dried gourds
A cloth-covered basket - $25 USD
Easier to pack
This esplanade is fairly new
Palms provide some shade
