Old Legs Tour Angola 2024 – Day 24

We rode through Kuito, past impressive government buildings, the CBD, and out along the road to Huambo, passing the massive ShopRite, the incredibly modern Dr. Walter Strangeway Hospital, and various polytechnics and institutes of excellence. Passing bustling vegetable markets as we left the town, Gus remarked that the scenery was starting to resemble the familiar countryside around Marondera. It was a stark contrast to the dense Miombo woodlands we had just been through.

We remain off-route, playing a game of shortcuts to try and recover lost time and still reach Lubango by August 21st. This shortcut is on a tar road, and our noble tour leader added a tailwind as a special treat. We flicked through the countryside at speeds we have not seen yet on this tour, Adam clocked a speed of 32km per hour on a 4 percent slope (going uphill), and we felt powerful. Today, we covered 42km in two hours, including stopping for 10 minutes after 25km. We found an armoured vehicle wreck rusting beside massive gum trees – the perfect breakfast stop. As we pulled up, we saw an elegant picnic set up under the trees; Laurie and Linda really know how to create comfort out of nothing.

The ride after breakfast was more of the same, and as we stared out into the countryside, we couldn’t help but notice how people seem to work here as families – children joining in on grading potatoes, cutting grass, cleaning clothes, collecting water, and all the various chores of the day. While poverty is still evident, it seems less acute compared to the eastern regions. The landscape is more fertile, supporting a lot more crop production here, and the variety of produce makes for fascinating roadside marketplaces that pop up unexpectedly along the way.

Keegan pointed out the absence of bicycles since leaving the rural areas, noting that motorbikes were the primary mode of transport here. .  In fact, in the past two days, despite being in bustling city centres, we have only seen one bicycle (apart from the ones we are riding, of course).   Intrigued by this observation, Jaime and Keegan pondered the reasons behind it. Nick suggested that with such cheap fuel, why would anyone bother with a bicycle? Adam thought that the vast distances between settlements might be a factor. However, the exact reasons for this motorbike dominance remains a subject of curiosity.  The king of the road here is the Keweseki tuk-tuk, basically Angola’s answer to the scotch cart. Also, people cruise around in these tuk-tuks and motorbikes without a helmet in sight, often more than five passengers, children and babes in arms included, somehow all squeezed onto a single motorbike.

 Day 24’s cycling destination was Chachiungo, a 97km ride away. The local government extended a warm welcome, inviting us to park our bikes in the district administrative parking lot for lunch. As we loaded the bikes onto the trailer ready for uplift, a woman struggled by with a squeaky wheelbarrow piled high with goods. With each rotation of the wheel, it sounded like the siren on a fire engine. Nick, our resident MacGyver, sprinted across the road, armed with his latest toy, a tin of ‘tool in a can’. With a few squirts, the wheelbarrow was silent. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, and it was one of those simple, fun moments appreciated by everyone who witnessed it.

Huambo lies about 70km west of Cachiungo, and as the sun had just fallen below the eaves of Christopher’s canopy, we paid homage to the local brewery, a celebration of a great day’s ride.  Huambo, hectically busy and noticeably more prosperous than Kuito, was our next stop. The centre bore a striking resemblance to Paris’ Place de Concorde, a grand circular plaza adorned with water features, statues, and flags. Benches invited weary travelers to soak in the scenery while the traffic ceaselessly buzzed around the multi-laned intersection. Beyond the circle were massive government buildings, including the governor’s residence, which overlooked the Central Park, and all freshly painted terracotta and white. The streets coming off the circle boasted hotels, restaurants, banks, and all the usual commerce associated with a big city.

Despite some team members’ preference for more upscale accommodations, the city centre was too expensive for our limited budget, which dictated a stay at the aptly named End Hotel, not far from the hub. While basic, it was clean, had hot water, and safe parking – key ingredients to a good stopover. During our search for lodging, Laurie met Fernando, who had seen our bike trailer in a cycling WhatsApp group. Eager to connect, Fernando, a two-time conqueror of Sierra de Leba, sought us out. We enjoyed swapping cycling tales and we are thrilled to have him following our adventure.

The initial rumbling of discontent with our modest accommodation was quickly replaced by the more pressing rumbling of tummies, and the talk migrated to questions about where we would eat. Nick was convinced that we could dial a delivery and have Hungry Lion brought to our lodgings, but Adam and Linda had set off at dusk into the city to withdraw cash from an ATM, and sent back a message to say the hustle and bustle of the city streets was well worth the experience.

The group, now down to 13 (as Adam and Linda were at the bank, and Laurie and Ali were still in Kuito) set off in the general direction of the Hungry Lion, some 3km away. But the Old Legs Tour group is like a school room full of ADHD children, distracted by anything and everything – some nipping into a shoe shop, others crossing the street in the opposite direction in search of gelato. After 30 minutes and only 200 m, Gus threw up his arms in exasperation and abandoned any idea of reaching the Hungry Lion that week.

As we know, when the ride captain isn’t there, Gus is in charge, but trying to herd a group of feral cats is an impossible task. He nipped into the nearest street restaurant to see if they could handle our numbers, amazingly they could, so we sat down for chicken and chips. Gus let Adam and Linda know where we were and to come and join us… That is until we saw the precooked, stringy roadrunner that was on the menu. Ant, our resident chicken guru, simply exclaimed, “That’s not safe,” and we were back on the streets.

After regrouping with Adam and Linda, a new plan was hatched. To keep the group focused, we dangled the enticing prospect of Hungry Lion fast food and soft-serve ice cream, however, the real mission was just to keep everyone moving in the right direction. Gus and Adam were dispatched as food scouts and it wasn’t long before we found The Cantino Pizzaria and a large neon sign boasting Italian Gelato. Run by a savvy Lebanese owner, the restaurant was a perfect find. Gus placed a mammoth order—fifteen pizzas, samosas,and fruit juices all round —and we enjoyed a delicious al fresco meal followed by indulgent gelato in Huambo’s upmarket business district.

What a Tour this is turning out to be – truly Epic in every sense of the word.  So in closing for Day 24, we thought we’d ask AI to define Epic, and this is what it came back with:

Epic: A Word with Multiple Meanings

1. Noun:
   • A long narrative poem, often telling the story of a hero. Examples include Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.
   • A large-scale work of literature, film, or other art form.
2. Adjective:
   • Extremely large, impressive, or memorable. For example, “an epic journey” or “an epic achievement”.

The Old Legs Trust has an Epic impact on countless lives, and we are immensely grateful to our global donors, corporate partners, and the dedicated Old Legs cyclists.   We are incredibly proud to be raising funds and awareness for Zimbabwean pensioners whose hard-earned savings and pension contributions were wiped out in an instant by the devastating hyperinflation crisis. Approximately sixty percent of the money we raise goes towards life-changing surgeries for those unable to afford them, while the remaining forty percent provides essential medication and food supplies.

Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a significant difference.  If you’d like to donate, here’s the link:   https://oldlegstour-gdg-j1141n.raisely.com/donate

Until next time,

Have Fun.  Do Good.  Do Epic.

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