As we enjoyed an exceptional cup of Angolan coffee, the Mayor explained that Gabela was built on the money made from the export of robusta coffee, palm oil and cacao, for which it was internationally famous. We can vouch for the fact that the coffee we had was by far the best we’ve ever tasted and stood us all in good stead as we set out to ride up to the Fortaleza de Gabela (Gabela Fortress) which stood on a hill overlooking the entire city, sporting a giant cross and a small turreted castle.
The Mayor told us that every Angolan city has such a fortress, and that to the Angolans they were symbols of colonial power and military domination. Built by the Portuguese in 1883, the Gabela Fortress has played a significant role in Angola’s history. During the Angolan Civil War long-range cannons were mounted up there, and Heiny told us that as a result of this, the fort was a target of many retaliatory artillery attacks in the 1990s, making it unsafe for people to move about on the streets in the city below.
Heiny’s explanation for the culture of kindness and generosity prevalent in Angola today is powerful in its simplicity: their tumultuous past has shaped their present, and their intimate knowledge of the horror of war has led to an overwhelming desire for peace. Though now in ruins, the fort stands as a poignant reminder of the country’s rich and complex history.
Next up was the Administration centre in the town square, where we were welcomed by the entire administrative staff. They had also laid on a police escort to guide us to a town called… Zambia! which is 40km away from Gabela.
We thought that it would be downhill all the way through the famous Kumbira forest reserve. Haha. We never learn. We were presented instead with a massive climb out of the city, which lasted several kilometres. To our relief, after this, we enjoyed a wonderful stretch of downhill through the remains of a diverse forest, now somewhat invaded by small farms growing all manner of fruits and vegetables in its fertile soils.
Today was a day for stopping and shopping and we couldn’t resist pulling up to a roadside market, bright with yellow bananas and orange and green pineapples. The bananas were gigantic, twice the size of a cavendish. (Only someone from Selbies could use such a term and assume everyone knows what that is, but for those of you who are wondering, a cavendish is basically the most common type of banana that you’ll find in a grocery store). But the best tasting by far were the tiny lady fingers. We, along with our police escorts and local Angolan cyclists, enjoyed a quick stop to devour our delicious bananas, whilst Linda bought two of the biggest pineapples we had ever seen.
As we rode on, Heiny mentioned that the people in this area make a banana liquor which is very good with coffee. We are not called the Old Legs for nothing, and of course, we soon persuaded him to find a vendor so that we could sample it. Under the watchful eye of the police, we all took turns to take a swig of this powerful moonshine, right there on the side of the road. A liberating experience, but it didn’t really put any additional power into our pedals.
As we descended the hill, a breathtaking spectacle unfolded: a colossal waterfall erupted from the dense bush, cascading perpendicular to our path and feeding into the nearby river. It was a beautiful spot, thick with bush, butterflies and birds, but sadly too far off the road for us to have a quick dip.
All too soon we reached Zambia (not Zambia Zambia – Angola Zambia) and pulled up alongside the freshly painted police station, where we decided to have breakfast. Zambia is a hectically busy little village (Angola Zambia, not Zambia Zambia), and as always our brightly branded vehicles drew a huge crowd of interested spectators despite the searingly hot sun.
At this point, we left our escort behind and instead collected a few new cycling friends who had been driven from Sumbe to join us on the ride. They were all youngsters on racing bikes. We hadn’t gone far when true to form, our ADHD crew spotted a waterfall – aka an opportunity for a swim with a view. As we came over a bridge, down a hill and around a corner, everyone promptly dismounted and ran towards the flowing river for a dip, much to the amusement of our new Angolan friends.
Adam, Mark, Keegan and Nick enjoyed challenging these young racing snakes, whilst Jaime, Dave, Caveman and Ali took a little longer to climb the newfound hills. And Gus…well, he was right at the back waxing lyrical about all the new endemic tree species he had spotted. Us non-botanists did at least notice that the diverse forest had now been replaced by baobabs, taller and skinnier than our Zimbabwean ones, and much more densely populated than we are used to. Just like the bananas and pineapples, their fruit was gigantic. Gus tells us that they are in fact the same DNA and that their differences must be environmental. We’re happy to take his word for it.
As the day progressed the Angolan sun beat down relentlessly and our cyclists were starting to look like rats on a stick. To get to the sea we had to wade through a field of sand dunes, wave upon wave of them rising endlessly before us. Eventually, we crested the final and biggest of them all and coasted down into the city of Sumbe, still 10km short of our seaside destination. A few more dunes carried us out of town and into our campsite for the night, which was an oasis right on the beach in a quiet, isolated stretch of bay, where the only other people in sight were the local fishermen hauling in their nets.
Their catch was pretty meagre, not much more than a tiny Tupperware full. Keegan attested that pulling in the nets was one of the toughest and most physical challenges he’s had so far. We’re happy to take his word for it.
We all relished a refreshing evening swim in the sea. Unlike the icy waters of Mile 108 on the Skeleton Coast, where the water was so cold that even the fish could be caught deep frozen, this ocean was a warm embrace. Jess, Troy, and Gary, liberated for once from behind their cameras, spent hours frolicking in the waves, while the rest of us enjoyed the simple pleasure of watching the sun sink slowly over the Atlantic Ocean.
And so, from the balmy shores of West Africa, to wherever you are in the world, we say thank you for following us this far. We hope you join us as we count down the days now to Christo Rei…
Time really flies when you’re having fun, doing good, and doing epic!
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#HaveFun #DoGood #DoEpic