Life’s a beach in Benguela Benguela’s coastal end of town is really rather delightful. Lovely tree- and palm-lined streets connecting clean planted squares that offer seating in the shade. However, there is no public transport between Benguela and the coastal town of Namibe, the hub being Lubango. So I must… Continue reading
Killer beauty There is so much building work going on in Luanda I hardly recognise the place by the afternoon. Its centre is the perfect place for architecture buffs, with buildings of every era spanning the waters of Luanda bay along the Marginal. Square dirty 70s blocks sit next to… Continue reading
When the taxi pulls into Monte Christo combi (minibus) depot all hell breaks loose. Its surrounded by touts: some get into the back, some open up the boot for my bag, others thrust themselves through the front windows. They are desperate for my custom to Oshataki, home of an Angolan… Continue reading
Windhoek, Nambia; a beautiful city I shouldn’t be in Once I stop thinking about the mess I’m in I sleep well. I must fly to Windhoek, the first friendly visa-free destination I can reach, and do so via flights to Nairobi and Johannesburg. A total travelling time of 9hr 50min… Continue reading
It feels like I should stay longer in Brazzaville. It calls to me – the European feel of the city. There is really nothing more to keep me. The only reason I can think of for not going to Kinshasa immediately is that it involves going to Kinshasa. Brazzaville’s port… Continue reading
The road to Congo is more like a country track, a little wider than a single lane, and composed of earth. At one of several Gabonese checkpoints a woman says to me: “And now you have to pay to cross the frontier”. “How much is it?” I ask, I’m not… Continue reading
I’ve been in Libreville quite long enough, a week, or almost 2 percent of my entire planned trip length. And I have a psychic taxi driver: “You’re going to Lambarené.” I don’t manage to find out how he knows. The road is pitted for a good couple of hours. There… Continue reading
Libreville (named after Freetown Sierra Leone) was set up as a home for freed slaves, and terrible art. I walk along Libreville’s coastline as I had done in 2009. The road seems neater and cleaner, the benches painted a lively blue when before they were plain concrete. Sunday is the… Continue reading
The last sighting of 2011’s sun, Campo, Cameroon On January 1st, Campo’s bus station looked decidedly like the location of a good party the morning after, but I was assured transport would materialise, and it does so in the form of a Toyota pickup truck. Bags of yams are surprisingly… Continue reading
One thing I might miss from Yaoundé is its quality beighnet sucre (doughnuts). The taxi to the bus company depot south of Yaoundé’s centre cost as much as the minibus ticket to Kribi. We follow route nationale 3 back down to Edea before turning east. Close to Kribi we almost… Continue reading
