Lingering in Lubango

When Jolandie arrived in Lubango on Sunday, she’d been cycling for an amazing 16 days solid. With no rest days inbetween!! In this time she crossed the border into Angola, covered nearly 1,200 km at an astonishing average of 74 km per day!!! Good going, Jolandie!! That’s awesome!!

She’s taken some time out in Lubango to rest her weary body, take in some sights and to work on raising some funds for the remainder of the trip.

And our Wonder Woman has also managed to get her Whatsapp to work again!! Whatsapp has been our primary source of communication, primarily because it is FREE and money is the one thing Jolandie has very little of! Since crossing into Angola, her Whatsapp hasn’t been working, which has meant that I’ve had one meagre SMS update per day! Now we’re back to chatting, I’m getting plenty gorgeous photographs again (visit her Facebook page for ALL the Angola pics) and I can pinpoint her location daily again!! YAY!!

Chatting to her last night, she said she was really eager to get into the DRC. Physically she is taking some strain. She has saddle sores that are healing very slowly and are rather uncomfortable and painful. Ouch!! Mentally she is quite frustrated with the time constraints the pending expiry of her Angola visa is putting on her (she has until 24 Aug to cover the rest of Angola) and the lack of funding to have this extended for a week or so. But, as we have come to expect from our brave trouper, she is emotionally strong and fine – as long as she doesn’t think about home to often!!

I’ve done some reading up on Lubango, just because I know so little about where Jolandie is at the moment and I have a sense that this place is a well-kept secret of some true African beauty. It would appear that Lubango, the capital of the Angolan province of Huila, was largely unaffected by the terrible civil war that devastated most of Angola. It is said to be a unique, tranquil and picturesque city, nestled in a lush tropical valley and surrounded by mountains.

Towering over the town is a dazzling white marble statue of Cristo Rei (Christ the King). It is a replica of the one in Rio de Janeiro and one of only three of these statues in the world. Just outside Lubango is the Tunda Vala volcanic fissure where you can climb to 2,600 meters above sea level and enjoy the spectacular view of the sheer drop to sea level (some photos below). And then for me, an avid Tour de France follower, the most amazing sight I ever expected to see in Africa – the Leba Mountain Road! This reminds me so much of Alpe-d’Huez, one of the hallowed climbs of the Tour de France and the mountain that decided this year’s race. The Leba Mountain Road winds its way up the mountain through a succession of precipitous switchbacks – it simply looks spectacular!!!

A reminder that a Paypal button is now available for donations or sponsoring a country – check out the SPONSOR A COUNTRY page!! So, if you, your friends or your company want to sponsor her for one of the countries on her journey, check it out. Otherwise, mail Jolandie or myself!!

The incredible statue of Cristo Rei

A view over Lubango

Sitting on top of the world!!

Awesome views!

The amazing Leba Mountain Road! Now those are switchbacks!!

Created and posted by La Domestique

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Good Samaritans, friendly goats and reaching Angola

26 July 2011

I have been cycling for 11 days solid now. No rest days. I just simply can't afford to take a rest day. The time limit on my Angolan visa puts me under enormous pressure. So I simply have to push on.

We (Hanret and I) have worked out that I have to maintain a minimum daily average of 70km, and I can only afford 3 rest days! That's only 3 rest days from Windhoek all the way to the DRC!!!

On my way from Windhoek to the Angolan border, I have experienced immense kindness! FNB Namibia has helped, not only financially (by sponsoring the Namibia leg of my trip), but the staff at branches on my way North have welcomed me with open arms! Helping me with organising sponsored accommodation, taking me out to dinner, making me feel welcome!

I have also experienced kindness from strangers on the road. Like Terry, who I met on my way to Otjiwarongo. Terry drove 70km that evening to fetch me so that I wouldn't have to sleep next to the road! And then there's the family who gave me N$100 at a picnic spot on my way to Oshivelo! Strangers who have given me shelter and even offered their own beds for me to sleep in!

I have given motivational talks at a number of schools in Namibia, as well as to FNB staff at some of the branches on my route going North! The responses have been amazing and I feel so priviledged for the opportunities given to me to share my story!

From Oshivelo onward it became a very different ball game! I had been told that 80% of Namibia's population resides in the North. Meaning: that I would now start to see more and more people! At Oshivelo I went through a control post. Here I got shouted at for attempting to take a photo! Then I had a group of kids surround me and chant: "Miss, miss, give me one dollar".

After that things got better though. I did see more and more people! Mostly friendly. People would wave and greet me with big smiles as I pass them by. Some would just stare with confusion written all over their faces.
Even the goats would run up to the road and bleat at me in greeting!! (I kid you not!!) Halfway between Oshivelo and Ondangwa I spent the night sleeping next to the road. No problems whatsoever!

And now I find myself sitting just a few hundred meters from the Angolan border! Oshikango is a chaotic town! I picked up a tail about 10km from town (local boys riding in my slip stream). In return for my hard work, one of them had to guide me around. I cannot adequitely describe what it is like riding into this town on a bicycle! People shouting at you from all directions in Portuguese, English, Afrikaans, and other local dialects. It feels like there are millions of people here! Even had my first Portuguese conversation! Yay!
Staying at Piscas tonight, for free! Had pizza as my last meal in Namibia!

Tomorrow morning I cross the border and say: BOM DIA ANGOLA! :-)

Last night in Namibia!!!

A Paypal button is now available for donations or sponsoring a country – check out the SPONSOR A COUNTRY page!! So, if you, your friends or your company want to sponsor her for one of the countries on her journey, check it out. Otherwise, mail Jolandie or Hanret!! Next up is Angola – who will we be promoting for a whole month?

Written by Jolandie, posted by La Domestique

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Tomorrow is Jolandie’s day!!!!

Today Jolandie recorded her update interview with Jacaranda FM, so be sure to listen to the news (top of the hour) on Thursday 21 July for updates on Jolandie’s remarkable journey.

A big thank you to FNB Namibia for sponsoring the Namibia leg of the trip!!!

Created and posted by La Domestique


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