Flat tire

When the car gets back from delivering the kids at school, it has a flat. Now, I have never shied away from changing a tire; I at least go through the motions of taking out the jack before help arrives, but I have never actually completed this myself and I rely on my driver to help me out.

I take the manual out, and we begin, but it is soon apparent that the team of "Twiddle Dum and Twiddle Dee" is not going to be very efficient. Thankfully, a couple of other drivers hanging out in the basement are attracted by our fumbling and they start coming with their advice. The tire is changed, and I realize, that it is not as scary as it seems.

Now, we have to repair the tire. The other drivers and the maintenance man recommend a vulcanization shop not far and they tell me it will cost 1,000 KWZ (10.00 USD)

My driver and I head just a couple of blocks away to a sidewalk repair shop. I see men in overalls, a bathtub and hoses. We approach them and they look at the tire and say, no problem. However, the price is 1,500 KWZ per plug. All right, so a 50% increase in price because I am a foreigner is expected. I try to negotiate, but they stick to their guns and since I am close to home and realize that any other workshop will entail battling traffic, I accept.

Things get rolling quickly and I am showed the plug. Not sure what I am looking at, but I have to have a car, with a spare, this afternoon to pick up the kids and they assure me that it will be done correctly. I can't call anyone since my phone has no service for some reason.

First, they find the cause: a metal piece that was almost completely impaled into the tire.

The culprit

Then, they take a plug, fold it in half and stick it into the hole. This is repeated since the opening is so big. The price is now doubled since they use another plug.

Then, they check whether the plug has done the job by sticking the tire into the bathtub. As they roll it around, another puncture on the side is discovered as water shoots out and barely misses me.  Another plug is needed, although they maintain that they used  a 4th. 

The patched tire is bounced on the sidewalk to show me that it is indeed holding the air. By now I am laughing as are the spectators gathered to watch the work. The repaired tire is safely put in place and I go to pay. I am suddenly being charged labor as well and after some discussion they get 6,000 KWZ ($60) and not the 7,000 KWZ they ask for. As I pay, ice cold Heinekens are cracked open. Yes, it's very hot and yes, I over-paid.  

Later in the afternoon, one of the professional drivers where my husband works is finally contacted and when I show him the metal piece, he has no doubt that we need a new tire since the plugs will not hold.     

Expensive Shade

We headed out to Mussulo, a 35 km. long sand spit which runs parallel along the southern part of Luanda. This is a popular spot on the weekend where many flock to escape the city.

The first challenge can be parking.  On the 2nd of January, many New Years revelers were probably at home resting which meant we found a spot right away. This is usually a major headache as parking is scarce and cars may be stopped at the main highway turn off leading down to the parking area and have to wait for spots to open up.

The second challenge is getting a boat. Simple, outboard boats ferry people back and forth across the bay. Locals will run up and immediatly begin haggling as they all want customers. The discussion can get quite heated, but we had already commited ourselves to the man that had "helped" us park. As soon as this was made clear, things quieted down and we proceeded on to the boat. We all got life jackets although some of them were ill-fitting. The ride was surprisingly fast and the water was a beautiful turquoise-green. Mussulo sparkled ahead.

 We had not known what to expect, so we took along beach chairs and drinks. Apparently the fact that we brought our own cooler limited us to where we could actually go since some of the restuarants do not allow coolers on their premises,  so we trusted the captain.

We were let off at restaurant/hotel/ facing the bay which had "tiki" huts and two lounge chairs each.  There were several empty huts, but at first told that they were "reserved". After further questioning, the waiter decided that we could, after all, set up camp under one. After a while, the waiter came to collect for the use of the hut and cheerfully informed us that we owed $40.00! Not only that, but the restaurant was only serving a buffet lunch and that the pricer per head was $75.00!!! We were certainly glad that we had had a late breakfast and had packed some pretzels and some mixed nuts. We think that the price was slightly higher than normal due to it being holidays , but even so...

Granted, the huts were beautifully made and structurally sound, but their shade was nothing less than what you would expect from any shade: shade. The surroundings were nice, but nothing that warranted such an extravagant price. The showers were non-functional, but the fee also allowed us to use the bathroom which was pretty nice: toilet paper, soap, towels and functioning toilets. Again, just what you would normally expect from a bathroom.

Luanda is one of the most expensive cities in the world, but I continue to be shocked. Next time, we will also pack food and our shade tent and be left off on the Atlantic side where there are no facilities and enjoy ourselves just as much at a fraction of the cost!

Back on the Board

One of the reasons my family was looking forward to coming to Angola was the promise of good surfing.  Surfer's Beach is approximately 1 1/2 hours drive south of  Luanda, depending on traffic. The turn off is just south of Cabo Ledo, entering through what is a gravel producing area, "Pedreria," requiring a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

Our first visit back in September was a bit disappointing for this warm-blooded girl. The beach was sandy and beautiful, but there was no way I would go in the water even with a body suit. Even my son, who is half viking, could not remain in the icy water too long. Sadly, my board remained on the beach.

In the end of November everything was different. The beach was not as wide and the waves were entering the bay at a different angle, the water was warm enough for me and  was beautifully clear. The waves were perfect for a beginner as myself and other more experienced surfers were also enjoying themselves further out. The waves came in at a 45 degree angle, which was quite a change from their  almost parallel entry on to the beach, back in September. A new surfing acquaintance, who has surfed all over the world, told me that he was able to ride the longest wave of his life along the beach and had to walk back for 30 minutes to his original starting point back then! Definitely less tiring to surf this way when one does not have to paddle out so much to catch the waves.

Even though paddling out was necessary this time around, I prefer the warmer water any day! I used my new, much shorter, soft board and stood for seconds which was good enough for me on my first real try under new conditions.

We were prepared to bring everything needed: plenty of water and food. The only amenities are simple shacks that provide a narrow strip of shade  for which we paid $USD 5.00. Even so, it was smart to bring along a shade tent and plenty of high factor sunscreen. Some surfers camp out overnight and locals sell fish and lobsters which they grill on the fires they make on the beach.

On our third visit yesterday, the beach had once again gone through a transformation: less beach and much more shallow water. It was quite windy and actually almost chilly under the shade. The water was clear and beautiful and full of jumping fish. Not many surfers this time, but definitely still possible to surf. The water is a gorgeous turquoise/green color and the beach is clean.

All in all feel much more positive about the beach now that I know I can surf for at least part of the year. I think we will be coming here much more often on the weekends. Back on the board feels good!