Travel far enough, you meet yourself - David Mitchell

19-22 May 2019, Lubango
Residencial Dumas 11,000Kz (R487)

While in Lubango we tried unsuccessfully to extend the period we are allowed to spend in Angola (no visa required; 30 days granted). There does not seem to be a problem getting an extension, but they would prefer us to apply later, they said. We need more than 30 days to cycle the almost 2000km to the DRC border.
We also replaced my saddle. I had snapped the frame lifting the bike over the threshold at Residencial Dumas - could not have been better timed. Was thrilled to get a decent replacement at a sports shop at the Kero shopping complex.
We also visited, by taxi, the Tundavala Gorge, a narrow gorge that drops almost 1000m.
And we resolved our cash issue. Since entering Angola, we have been struggling to withdraw sufficient cash to manage on. Often ATMs do not have cash in them. Often the electricity is off, which means the ATMs cannot dispense cash even if they have it. A low maximum withdrawal amount makes it difficult to draw enough for several days. We cannot draw cash inside a bank. And our credit cards, which would have limited use, are rejected wherever we go. While in Lubango, we found that while ATMs set a low withdrawal limit, they are not set us to monitor whether you draw more than once in a day. So we have taken to both drawing twice to the max, thus resolving our cashflow problem.