Angola a country of 37 million persons has since the end of the civil war in 2002 become a relatively stable constitutional republic and its economy is among the fastest growing in the world. The country is rich in oi, diamonds, gold, copper, iron and many rare earth minerals. However, the economic growth is highly uneven, with most of the nation's wealth concentrated in a disproportionately small part of the population as most Angolans have a low standard of living; life expectancy is among the lowest in the world, while infant mortality is among the highest.
We arrived early and had only scheduled the included 2-hour tour. The primary reason being, there really wasn't any tours in the capital city of Luanda which were remotely interesting. In fact, of the few tours offered, they all seemed to cover the same points of interest, it mainly being a matter of how much time you spent at the various locations.
As we left the ship we were greeted by a troop of singers and dancers. They apparently weren't an official welcoming committee like we often saw, because they were soliciting donations.
We had been warned during our port talk that there were not any "official" tour guides. Our guide was very nice and seemed to be quite knowledgeable about the area, but it was obvious that he had little experience in handling a large group of people.
The following is the description we were given of the tour when making our decision to make the booking:
Discover Iconic Sites and Beachside Charm -- Admire notable landmarks along the stunning Atlantic Coast during a visit to some of the Angolan capital’s top sights. Drive along Luanda Bay, past the 17th century Church of Our Lady of Nazareth, one of the oldest in the country and a national monument featuring ornate drawings on its walls and ceiling. Ascend above Luanda Bay for one of the area’s best views of the city at its former center of defense, the Fortress of São Miguel. After, trace the Ilha
de Luanda, a sandy offshore spit-turned-hotspot for chic restaurants, upscale nightclubs, lovely beaches and high-end shopping. Cap your tour with a stop at the Dr. António Agostinho Neto Memorial—an obelisk-shaped mausoleum dedicated to Angola’s first president. Here, learn about the leader of Marxist organization Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, who was at the forefront of this country’s fight for independence
We stopped to admire some of the "beachside charm " and "stunning Atlantic coast".
We then walked across a multilane highway to the Church of Our Lady of Nazareth. This rather austere looking church (as described in Wikipedia) was reconstructed in the late 19th century.
All of the photos in this post were taken with my cell phone camera and mostly thru the coach's window. We were warned about taking anything valuable ashore and also warned about taking photos. If a police or military person thinks you took a photo that you shouldn't, your camera will be confiscated.
Our next stop was the Fortress of São Miguel. This is now the National Military Muesum. It is also one of the highest points in the city and afforded good views. We were instructed that we could not enter the Muesum by our guide because our tour was just a Panoramic tour. Kay and I walked around the perimeter of the fort to kill some time. When we returned, most of the tour group had disappeared. Apparently, our guide was mistaken, and we could have entered the museum.
An interesting tree, a euphorbia triangularis or chandelier-tree.
We then drove along the Ilha de Luanda, described as "a sandy offshore spit-turned-hotspot for chic restaurants, upscale nightclubs, lovely beaches and high-end shopping." Although we did see a couple of hotels and a number of nightclubs (none of which I would describe as upscale), we mostly saw homeless people living on the beach.
Our final stop as advertised was at the Dr. António Agostinho Neto Memorial which we were able to view thru a fence at a distance.
The one site I would have liked to visit was the Miradouro da Lual, a natural sandstone land formation about 30 miles from Luanda. There was one tour which visited the area but only for 30 minutes and you spent the other 6 hours at the previous sites above.
Miradouro da Lua (stock photo)
I apologize for being so cynical in today's post, but I really feel this was a wasted port stop. There was little to see, and if there had been, it was unsafe to do any exploring of the city on your own. I did get a better understanding of how the corruption in many of the African nations just devastates their people. I think a better port could have been found...
We now have 6 days at sea before reaching our next stop in Cape Verde Islands.
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