Leaving Huambo behind, I wanted to take a trip to the geographical centre of Angola. A minibus would get me to Kuito which, from what I saw from the bus window, looks like an attractive town. Getting to Camacupa (sometimes spelled "Kamacupa") involved some waiting around. After a couple of beers I was on a bus on the way to Camacupa. My plan was to pitch my tent at the police station but the universe would look after me again. A nurse named Rita asked me in perfect English where I was staying tonight. I told her I'd likely be pitching my tent but she said there's an extra room at the hotel she's currently living at. With my expectations at ground zero, it was by no means the Hilton. There was a mattress on the floor but I checked to ensure there were no signs of rats or cockroaches. The room was simple but clean, and that's all that mattered. Rita's colleague Sean, and I would walk across the street for a simple but delicious Angolan feast of beans and fresh roasted pork. The power has been out here for weeks so what few businesses that are open at night run on generators. A deep sleep with no mosquitoes meant that I woke up refreshed. Even by Angolan standards this is a place that's far off the beaten track. It's a world away from Luanda, Lobito, and Huambo. One of the prettiest churches I've seen in Africa is here in Camacupa.
Sean, and his friend Venacio would be my companions for the day. Sean was brought up in Namibia and therefore speaks English fluently. Rita would call me and tell me that an immigration officer stopped by the hotel and wondering why there was a foreigner in the area. With my passport handy I went to the police station where one of the officers spoke English. He told me I was welcome here, to make myself at home, and to enjoy myself. A few months ago when I was in West Timor I had a very similar experience, so I have to understand and be prepared when I'm in countries or places that don't get many visitors. Police business done, it was time for the centre of Angola. What an interesting place, and it feels so interesting being here. This would be a great place to fly Juliett but I'd be nervous about flying her in areas where there are people, police, or soldiers around. I'm standing in the precise centre of Angola.
Sean, Venacio, and I discussed going to Cuanza, about 25 km east of here.
I really wanted to go to Quedas de Luando, which is another spectacular waterfall but I hear the road is terrible. We hit the market because I wanted to do some shopping. My sister Jennifer is having a baby in December and it means I'll be an uncle for the first time. My gift for her will be two sarongs used for carrying the baby on her back. An ice cold Cuca beer made me want to sit for a bit after shopping. We wanted to make some lunch but even at the shops, options are somewhat limited, so we had avocado on bread and then went to Sean's home where he cooked up a tasty concoction of cabbage with tinned corned beef and a side of porridge. From there we abandoned our plan of going to Cuanza and decided to just hang out here in Camacupa. We all went for a walk along the railroad track but we'd end up not far from the hotel. I pitched the idea to Sean to have dinner where we went last night. Beans and pork only set me about 1000 kwanzas (about US$1.25). Sean is planning to visit his partner and their three children in Kuito tomorrow but he turned out he had no money for the train, which only costs 500 kwanza. As a thank you for helping me today I gave him some money for the train. Tomorrow I'll be heading west again and my plan is to go to Lubango for a few days and then head back towards Namibia. On 23 July I'm flying from Johannesburg to Bangkok, so I have to factor in time to get there and I want to go to Etosha National Park when I'm back in Namibia. I'll be passing through Botswana but I'll likely only have a few days there. A fabulous journey this has been. After sitting quietly for a bit reflecting on my journey I'd lock myself out of my room when I went to brush my teeth. Ultimately the manager would pry it open with a wrench so I could sleep and collect my stuff.
As a loyal fan of geographic points, markers, and oddities, Camacupa is an interesting place. If you're travelling round the country and really enjoying it, it's worth a visit. Cheers to Rita, Sean, and Venacio for making my time in Camacupa so much fun. I'm not done being a trail-blazing traveller in Angola as I'm now headed for Lubango.
