Day 131: Nearly out of Angola
Soutpiel Safari
John & Jenny
Wed 16 Mar 2011 05:29
|
Day 131: Tuesday 15 March 2011. Bush camp near
Xangongo, Angola. S16 45.392 E015 02.357 Distance driven 317
km
I thought this was going to be an easy day - how wrong I
was!
I started out with a hot bath, the first since leaving
the UK last November. Then a leisurely breakfast followed by routine maintenance
on the car in the hotel car park. I then filled up with diesel and left for
Xangongo and again T4A devised a tortuous exit route.
The first 217 km was on new, smooth, fast tar and,
thinking I had all day i idled along at 80-90 kph. Unfortunately, 100 km
before Humbe, the tar ceased abruptly and then began the toughest section of the
whole trip. I had a few minutes warning of what was to come in an SMS from Chris
on the Oasis truck which was just passing into Namibia. He (Oz) described
it as 100 km of shit, to be followed tomorrow by 40 km of crap. I've done
the shit but will the crap be better or worse?
To make it worse it rained all afternoon, at times
torrentially, and all the holes filled with water. It took about 4 hours
to do the 100 km and for a lot of the time I was in low range with diff lock
engaged. However, the Land Rover never faltered - it took it all in its stride.
It was 1800 by the time I got to the Police check point at Humbe and I asked the
police if I could camp there. At first they agreed and then changed their
minds "for security reasons". I drove through Xangongo and, just before
dark, ducked off the road behind some trees and i don't thinks anyone knows I am
here.
I'll be glad to get out of Angola; it is a grossly
over-priced country, I find the people dour and unfriendly, the food bland
and tasteless, the Police blatantly corrupt, the cities very scruffy and the bad
roads are truly awful. On the good side, diesel is ridiculously cheap at
33p/litre!
|