A brief tryst with the vivacious culture of Angola.

At Namibe

Namibe beach side view from Club Nautico

Streets of Namibe

Prawns delight

The mighty ship Imbondeiro

Semi desert Namib

Porto Namibe

Bridge room

Lobito Shopping Plaza

Lobito beach roads

At Luanda beach

Posing together

On our way to Luanda by tug boat

Luanda streets

Sandy beaches of Luanda

At Ilaha de Luanda 

At Zulu

It was a beautiful sunny day of July and I was busy listening to some old Hindi melodies when suddenly my phone rang. The call was from the shipping office where my husband worked as a Second Engineer. He was asked to join a vessel stationed in African continent along with me within a week. The joining country was Angola. I jumped with excitement but was nervous at the same time as we were running out of time to prepare ourselves for a sailing journey which could have stretched for as long as five months. The thought of months long African adventure on board gave me instant adrenaline rush and spurred the much present globetrotter inside me. Yes, I was all set for the upcoming adventure.Like others, I too had a fair share of idea about the countries of Africa which included jungle safaris, exotic beaches, green forests, equatorial climate, black people, tribal culture and cuisines. However, I discovered many fascinating avenues about the varied nature, history, climate and cultural diversities of each of these countries after I landed in this tri-shaped continent of the world.

After making required preparations for our forthcoming travel, we were all set for our long journey from India to Angola. Our Emirates flight took little more than twenty hours to arrive in Quatro de Fevereiro Airport in Luanda which also happens to be the capital city of Angola. We were greeted by our friendly local Angolan agent who was there to assist with immigration formalities. Soon we headed towards the port amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.

Luanda is a dusty port city undergoing massive reforms. Due to newly found oil sources, suddenly the city has witnessed an instant growth of energy giants flaunting multi-storey sky scrapers and upcoming swanky malls. However, the vicinity areas have nothing to boast of and is marked by occasional pot holed roads, dilapidated building remains and shanties.

Since Angola was a Portuguese territory, a tourist can easily notice their influence in the culture, culinary style and architecture of the city. Portuguese is the official language and Christianity is majority religion of Angola. We took halts in between as a day long journey had its toll on us. The agent on our request took us to a nearby food joint for a quick bite. We ordered sandwiches and juice. Soon I realised that the natives could hardly speak in English as it took us pretty long to make the waiter understand a simple order.

Watch out for price tags once you enter even a humble eatery as you can end up buying a sandwich and a glass of orange juice for whooping 3000 Angolan Kwanza which roughly comes around to 30 USD. Our total bill came around 50 USD which was enough to raise the eye brows of any foreigner and my reaction as an outsider was not an exception too.

Due to underdevelopment, inflation is sky rocketing making Luanda the priciest city in the world!!!!

Prolonged bloody civil war racked and robbed the country of its natural resources and skilled manpower. Most of the population is poverty stricken and jobless. The economic development did not achieve much for its own people. Local women were selling glucose biscuits, bananas, phone cards and local fruits.The expatriates have flocked the city due to new career opportunities and handsome pay packages.

National Tree of Angola: Imbondeiro

It was an entirely new experience to observe so many transformations in an ethnically diverse continent like Africa.

We were soon aboard our ship MT Imbondeiro where I was given a warm welcome from Captain and Chief Engineer. The tanker ship interiors were similar to what we see in Hollywood flicks. Since it was my second voyage, I could acclimatize with the environment almost immediately.The weather was remarkably cool as it was winters in Angola. The vessel was to voyage around Angola in Port Luanda, Namibe, Lobito and Amboim for next few months with a brief sail to Senegal for dry dock. 

Next day we went for a shore leave to Ilha de Luanda. It’s a strip of sea coastline where residents and visitors go during weekends to rejuvenate themselves. A wide array of open and fine dining restaurants, bars, night clubs and marinas are located along the sandy beaches. Some of the prominent ones are Lookal Mar, Coconuts, Tamariz, Miami Beach etc. They offer some of the best sea food in the city. The customers can choose from the varieties of fresh fish on display and can ask the chef to prepare the fish as per their taste buds.  Although the prices are bit on the higher side but every penny spent is worth the value.The local guide took us to Lookal Ocean Club for brunch. I and my husband chose to relax and bask in the sun for a while on the white chaise lounges in the club’s private beach while sipping a glass of mojito. I stared at the horizon for some time and was soon lost in the scenic beauty and earthly charm of the place. Yes, I was loving every bit of the serenity and ambiance, this African land had to offer. Covered with palm groves, with one or two hawkers selling handicrafts and jewellery carved out of wood and shells and a small show of women dancing to the Angolan beats, the place gave me a glimpse of the Angolan Culture. After much bargaining, I too bought a souvenir for home.
Later, we ordered an Angolan Pizza with toppings of some exquisite fresh tropical fruits. The pizza looked spectacular and succulent. We relished the delicious meal.

In the evening we went to a famous nightclub called Chill Out.  As it was a Saturday night, the city seemed to suddenly come alive. Portuguese and locals just thronged the entrance of the cafes and restaurants. The clubs were jam packed with foreigners and wealthy natives. The silence of the afternoon was replaced by the flashing street lights, lines of luxurious sedans and sports car, hip hop and hard rock music along with crowd of youngsters jostling hard to get an entry to the clubs with their partners. We somehow managed to make out our way through and soon were toe-tapping in the lively atmosphere of this open beach discotheque. In between the DJ played some famous Punjabi Chartbusters of Mika Singh and Honey Singh. I was overwhelmed by the cultural reach of Incredible India. We ended our fun filled night with a sumptuous spread of lobsters and shrimps served with Jasmine rice, French Fries, local sauces and Red wine.

Next day our ship sailed out for the next port of Angola called Porto do Namibe.  After two days of voyage, we reached the port. The first view of this city was breathtakingly beautiful. It was surrounded by spectacular semi-desert called Namib. Unlike the busy city of Luanda, Namibe was a sparsely populated, calm and tranquil town. The turquoise coloured ocean water was crystal clear and was full of fish. I spotted dolphins, sharks, stingrays and squids in the water. The weather was chilling yet fresh. The port had a single jetty and was surrounded by Rocky Mountains where frothy ocean waves were splashing against the edges of rocks creating music of ripples. I indulged myself in reading books in the bridge room of the ship. The cool and gentle breeze touched and caressed my hair and face. The bright sunny sky was occasionally overshadowed by the dark clouds and this hide and seek game of the clouds went on throughout my entire stay.

I soon got a chance to explore the city. It was a Sunday, we stepped down from the ship, and decided to do a local sightseeing by public transport. In Angola, one can travel for as low as 2 USD around the city in a minibus called Kangongeiro which is also a safer option for new travellers.

The number of women passengers were more than men and even the conductor was a female too. Unlike Indians, Angolans keep dancing and listening to the music even on bus. You might even see them carrying beer cans to make merry aboard. However, locals were very friendly and warm. The bus took us around the small town. The houses were colourful and vibrant. There were few shops and banks. Soon we reached the beach side of Namibe. It was just marvelously panoramic in view surrounded by colourful umbrella carved sitting area and roadside food kiosks. There were very few people around. After some clicks, we headed towards one of many beach side restaurants. Most of them were owned by Portuguese. They had wide menu serving delicious pizzas, cakes, pastries, quiches, shrimps, crabs and lobster dishes.  We stopped at Clube de Nautico which was renowned for its cuisine and elegant interiors. Painted in blue, it was a two storey eatery joint which displayed intricate artifacts like seashells, navigating wheel, wood carvings and a comfortable sitting area.  They served a hearty meal of delicately prepared shrimps in olive oil with sticky rice dips and some fresh salad dressings. The food was prepared from fresh local produce and absolutely palatable. After strolling along the beach with some light music being played by the locals, it was time to go back to the ship.

Our next stop was Lobito which was a province of Beneguela, another impeccable beach town inhabited by the Portuguese and Angolan elites. This city was much more historic and was lot more happening unlike Namibe. Lobito boasted of excellent shopping destinations, beach bars to relax, hotels, great food and exciting sun kissed golden beaches. The beaches had volleyball courts where regular tournaments are organised for expatriates. I went to the sea shore and kept on playing with the soft tides of water and then collected many sea shells of varied colours, shapes and size. 
We also bought freshly baked cakes and muffins from a nearby baker. Zulu is one of the most beautiful beach side rotisserie. The seats were laid on the sands of the beach and the staff was extremely courteous.

The place was full of Chinese, rich Angolans and Europeans. They served us the Chef’s menu of the day which consisted of roasted chicken, French fries, fried rice and cans of coke. The meal was delicious. It was a great and memorable jaunting around Lobito.

The last destination was Porto Amboim which was sadly our signing off port too. Yes the long vacation of fun and frolic had come to an end. It was a three days voyage from Lobito. This port was under construction. There were very few ships moored here but the view of area was stunning, the water was clear and full of marine life. I took many snapshots from the ship.

Finally the day came when we signed off on a tug boat. The time had come to bid our final adieu to all the ship crew. It was an emotional moment too but guess it’s a part of sailor’s life. We reached the port and from there it was an hour and half drive to Luanda from where we were supposed to take our flight back India the next day. A very friendly agent came along with his wife. The drive was very smooth and the view on both sides was simply astonishing. At one side, the virgin sea shore seemed to be running parallel to the road and on the other side there were patches of green pastures and line of Angola’s national tree Imbondeiro. This unusual looking tree is found in all parts of Angola and stands fragmented. The traffic was next to nowhere. I enjoyed the long drive as it gave me a glimpse of the local village, markets, lifestyle and culture of natives. We purchased fresh and sweet ripe mangoes which were simply awesome in taste. 

Finally, we reached Luanda and stayed in Hotel Presidente. Since it was Christmas time, the city was glittering with lights and echoing with gospels and music. Luanda was in a full celebration mode. The hotel also had an elaborate menu planned for the day. From a choice of visually appetizing different types of cheese to local drinks, breads, rice, puddings, raviolis, roasted meats and so on were served that we both were simply perplexed about the picks. 

Gobbling upon the delicacy

At Hotel Presidente

It was a last toast to this beautiful country and a perfect end to our stay. Next day, we were on our way to airport, it was raining since morning. After a smooth immigration it was our final call for our boarding.

Yes I was leaving Angola after five long months with cherish able memories and a promise to come back again. The lifetime memoirs of this desert country were to remain forever in my heart and soul.  

Adues Angola!!!Ate mais  (Good bye Angola…see you soon)