After two days at sea, we made it to Angola.
Africa is a continent of contradictions; and Luanda
certainly exemplifies this. The country has immense oil and diamond riches and
the people live in poverty. You see modern skyscrapers and people living in encampments on the
beaches, in the parks and on the streets.
Angola has had a long relationship with Russia and Cuba.
Their national flag certainly tells you that the communist have been
influential. It’s a country that survived decades of civil war, and military
control is pretty evident. We toured the city in a minibus caravan with a
police escort. We got the distinct impression that it would not be a good idea
to go touring on our own. Most of the pictures were taken from the bus window or the limited stops at the "pretty places",
so we never had the chance to grab some good shots of the people or the poverty.
 |
| Skyline and beach |
 |
| Church built in 1664 still in use |
 |
| How the people live |
 |
| The women carry just about everything on their heads. Jim worked to get a shot of the woman carrying 3 dozen eggs, but didn't get it. |
 |
| Parliament |
 |
| Angolan flag in background. Can you see the resemblance to the hammer & sickle? |
Just now backtracking and catching up with your posts. So very interesting! Have been fighting a wretched cold and celebrating Tom's wedding. Love the church photo!
ReplyDelete