The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands - Sir Richard Burton

24 May 2019, Cacula to Quilengues, 58,3km
Snack Bar Esplanada / Hospedaria 10,000Kz (R446)

We have dropped from heights into hot hills on our journey northwest to the Atlantic. We should reach Benguela on the coast in three or four days.
Our ride between Cacula and Quilengues today was through beautiful countryside framed by mountains, which change how they present themselves as the road approaches and passes them and as the light alters. They can be smudged blue in early light, their texture revealed only as you get closer and the sun rises higher. They can be layered, with smaller mountains in the foreground and larger behind them, and larger still outlined against the pale sky. The biggest mountains of all initially were so pale, we thought they were a trick of the light. But after awhile it was clear, that though just a shade darker than the sky, they were indeed real. As lovely as they are, we hope they do not lie directly in our path!
We left the Cacula Hospedaria after making ourselves a cup of coffee and eating a snack we had carried from Lubango. Almost immediately, the road to Benguela peeled left off the Huambo road and dropped at an exhilarating 10 percent. After that, though we had some long hot climbs, we continued our downward trend.
We had a couple of pleasant surprises on the road today. At one of our cold drink stops were chairs and a table on a shaded balcony. Charl bought two vienna sausages from the proprietor, served with a hot but exceptionally tasty chilli sauce, good enough and hot enough to completely mask the taste of cheap processed meat. Then we came across a roadside restaurant, the Vikuku Churrascaria, which lured us off the road and persuaded us to eat something simply because it looked welcoming, with shaded tables and plants attracting butterflies. We ate soup with Portuguese rolls. As an added bonus, we discovered that the restaurant sported clean loos.
Quilengues is an attractive small town. We had no idea whether it would offer accommodation, but almost immediately on entering the centre, we spotted a hospedaria, which unfortunately was “fechado” (closed). We were directed by several of whom we enquired, with gestures indicating we had some distance to go, to a pub / snack bar / restaurant / hospedaria 4km north of town. The room is not cheap, and the manager not open to negotiation, but we are spoilt with aircon (when the generator is on) and an en suite with hot water.
Charl saw grey monkeys cavorting in trees. I saw only moving leaves, but we were both pleased to find that not all Angola’s monkeys have been eaten by the hungry. And we saw wooden sleds being loaded with large, heavy sacks to be dragged home by oxen with beautiful horns. And we saw lizards fleet-footed and fleeing from our whirring tyres, feet lifted high, angular knees pointed skywards.
On the whole, the road condition was still good, with the offset shoulder first encountered yesterday, though on occasion it was badly potholed causing vehicles to veer wildly.
A great ride.

For today's route see below photos
For overview route, click on ROUTE tab above…