With close to no notice, the unscheduled life of wilderness was over, and the everlasting African plains were suddenly substituted by the green mountains of Switzerland. Covid definitely knows how to ruin a party.
Their last months of travel were spent in both Angola and Namibia and that’s what we will mostly talk about today. After all, the world is still out there, waiting to be discovered, once we are allowed to do it again.

Angola seemed to mark the definite return to tarmac roads. What were your first impressions of this country?

The change in the beginning wasn’t that big, but after a while we were surprised about the poverty in rural Angola. We expected the standard of living to go up, but we felt like people got poorer and poorer the further we got from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Then in Luanda, we realized that there were many rich people in this resource-spoilt country as well, but the gap between rich and poor was humongous.

Being from Portugal, I’m particularly interested in Angola. What have you learned about the history and culture of this country while you were there?

The history of this “young” country is dark and full of wars and death. That’s why we were even more surprised about how positive the attitude of the Angolans was. They tried to look forward and felt like their country was finally developing. We learned that in Angola there are many tribes with different languages and that the current borders divide the territories where these tribes previously lived together.

In Portugal we know Luanda to be a city of huge social and economic discrepancies. What was your experience in this city that is considered to be one of the most expensive cities in the world?

Yes, that’s what we witnessed in the capital. Before we reached the center of the city, we had to cycle through the slums of Luanda. People in these suburbs have no running water, no electricity and maybe one toilet per neighborhood, so the living conditions are horrible. Then in the city center we saw sports cars, yachts and skyscrapers which represent the rich oil companies and its employees.

Angola seemed to have some of the most breath-taking landscapes you have cycled through. What were your favourite places in the country?

We really liked the beaches and the mountains going inland. It was a nice change to see real mountains after all the jungle in Western Africa and in the central part of the continent.
The Serra Da Leba mountain pass and the view from Tundavala were our highlights in Angola.

What are your favourite Portuguese words?

Cerveja, comida (comer), obrigado. Our Portuguese is/was very limited.
– I feel wee need to work on this (Inês)

Your time in Namibia seems to have been a bit all over the place. Before the world turned upside down, what we the most amazing things you have witnessed?

When we crossed the border into Namibia it was already clear that something will happen to our trip, but we didn’t know what exactly would happen and in which timeframe. The most amazing thing we did was visit the Etosha National Park. We were almost the only tourists and we saw more animals than we were supposed to in this season. Thanks to a friend of Adrian we could also see a rhino just a few meters away and therefore saw more animals in Namibia than in the last six months of our trip.

After just a few days in Namibia you were “shipped back” to Switzerland. How weird and nice was it to have a guaranteed shower, flushing toilet, internet and all those things we take for guaranteed back?

It was actually not that strange to be back, since home is never weird or foreign. It was nice to have all the luxuries we craved for many times in Africa and not have to change places every few nights. The highlight was definitely to see all our family members and friends again after all that time away.

Is there anything that has changed in your daily routines or thought process since you came back?

Adrian: I try to eat more sustainably and healthier. My view of the world has changed and I try to be more conscious of the decisions we make here in Europe as I can see its consequences for underdeveloped regions as well.
Fabian: I appreciate many things more than before the journey and I am more relaxed. In addition, I do sports more often as well.

What are you doing to gain upper body strength so you don’t look so disproportionate?

A bit of push-ups and pull ups, but it’s definitely not our strongest part of the body. Fabian does a lot of climbing, so he definitely has more practice for the upper body.

Finally, the million-dollar question: what happens now? Will you go back and finish?

We are both more or less back to work and try to socially integrate in Switzerland. As soon as the situation in southern Africa calms down and the Covid situation allows uncomplicated travelling again, we will be back in Namibia and finish the trip for sure.

The post [EN]Cycling Cape 2 Cape: Angola, a rushed Namibia and an unexpected pandemic appeared first on Mudanças Constantes.

Since we last met – and I apologize for the long hiatus on this series of interviews – Adi and Fabian cycled Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and are currently in Benin.

Following them is not only great to increase my knowledge of African geography (can’t wait to play Trivial Pursuit again) but, above all, it’s an open window to this region of Africa that only comes on the news when some sort of big tragedy happens.

I’m sure West Africa is far from being one of your “dream destinations” and that’s one more reason to let them show us a reality we wouldn’t otherwise know.

Let’s start with the mosquito in the room: Malaria. Both of you have had it several times. How are you still alive? How do you feel when you have it and how do you get rid of it?

Of course, there are people dying from Malaria, but mostly if treated too late or not at all. Normally, we feel weak, have strong headaches and eventually fever. Therefore, in case we experience those symptoms we do a Malaria quick test, which is available in every little village. For the treatment, there are several drugs with more or less the same contents in it. After 1-3 treatments with those drugs, we normally got rid of Malaria. Sometimes, after one treatment, the symptoms appear again and one has to do another treatment.

I’m sure you have been learning a lot about the West-African culture, costumes and beliefs. What are the biggest stereotypes and misconceptions you saw debunked?

Actually, the culture in West Africa is slowly dying! We expected to find more dances that are traditional, costumes and music. Unfortunately, we hardly witnessed any of that. Even in the remote areas, we stayed with villagers and did not see that kind of culture. Of course, the people love the local music, have some superstitions and in some areas, there are secret societies. Therefore, Africans definitely do not dance half-naked around a fire and hold a stick in their hands making monkey noises!

On the same topic, what has surprised you the most?

The hospitality is incredible and surprises us every day!

I believe that in Africa, more than anywhere else, it’s the people who make the places. Tell us about two or three unforgettable moments of kindness you lived during the past months.

In Mauritania, we explored the inland by hitchhiking for a change, leaving the bicycles in the capital. During these days, we encountered great hospitality and once a family even invited us for a meal, after giving us a ride. In addition, afterwards the father organized a free transport for us to the next town.

At the Gambia River, we stayed a few times in small villages without electricity or running water. The experience in one village was special, since we installed our mosquito net in the middle of the village on a platform. The chief of the village introduced us to the whole village, showed us the school and even organized a trip with a pirogue to see hippos.

During the rainy season in Liberia, we asked a family if we could stay with them for one night and they immediately accepted happily. After dinner, the eldest said we must try the African chicken and he ordered his sons to kill a chicken for us. One hour later, his wife served us another delicious and spicy meal with chicken and rice.

Now that we have learned about the people, let’s go back to the places. Landscapes, beaches, natural parks… which places have struck you as the most beautiful?

• Sahara Desert in Mauritani
• Wild Chimpanzees in Guinea-Bissau
• Beaches in Guinea-Bissau and Ivory Coast
• Fouta Djalon Mountains in Guinea
• Elephants in Mole National Park in Ghana

A lot of scary looking food has been featured on Instagram lately and you also seem a lot skinnier. What is the staple food in West Africa, what’s the worst thing you have eaten and what gives you energy to keep going?

Especially Fabian has lost around 12 kg since the beginning of this trip and looks quite different. As we are doing a lot of sport and were sick a couple of times, Fabian’s body transformation does not surprise us. Rice is definitely the staple in West Africa. Since Ghana, maize is extremely popular and is available in various variations. The worst thing we have eaten is probably rice with a pepper sauce, which was so spicy that we could hardly eat it.

We eat a lot and accept everything as an opportunity to get energy, even if it’s undefined bush meat or unfiltered water.

Looking back to the time when you were planning your trip, how do you feel it compares to what you are actually living now? Does it correspond to your expectations? Were you naïve or realistic?

It is more or less how we imagined it. There is a difference in a way that is hard to explain. We definitely expected more rain and the humidity to be harder on us. Additionally, we thought there would be landscapes that are more interesting and bigger changes between the countries. We were probably naive in thinking to reach South Africa in 600 days, as we realized that we need more time to discover all those countries along the way.

You have passed by areas that suffered terribly with Ebola. Are there still traces of the disease and can you see its impacts on the society?

Yes, definitely! In Sierra Leone, we met many families who were suffered severe losses because of Ebola. There are many orphans and we saw street kids who will hardly have any future because they cannot afford to go to school. We are sure there was an impact on society, since so many people died. It is hard to see how it is now; we would have to stay longer in the country to get a general picture.

I’m the first one to say “nowhere is as dangerous as media portrays”, but you have passed by several war-torn countries and you will pass many more. Have you ever felt “at risk” and do you take any particular safety precautions?

We actually never felt unsafe so far. The most dangerous aspect is always the traffic, but otherwise we felt extremely safe always.

Has this trip changed your core views on life? Did it change your perspective on what you want to do once this chapter comes to an end?

Time will tell! It is too early to look back, since we are still in the middle of this amazing adventure and it will probably take time once we are back home to reflect on every aspect of this trip and life in general. Maybe we have more clear visions when the next interview is due

The post [EN] Cycling Cape 2 Cape: Into the heart of Africa appeared first on Mudanças Constantes.