When one is traveling, everything looks brighter and lovelier. That does not mean it IS brighter and lovelier; it just means that sweet, kindly home suffers in comparison to tarted-up foreign places with all their jewels on. - Catherynne M. Valente

24 July 2019, Ndende to Mouila, 78.71km
Motel Mont des Oliviers 7,000CFA (R175)

We averaged a smidgen under 18kph between Ndende and Mouila, testament to relatively easy terrain (gentle undulations), little traffic and a road in good condition. We are travelling the RN1 toward Libreville, though we don’t plan to cycle as far as the capital. For most of today’s distance, the road sported a shoulder, set slightly lower, onto which we could drop when a truck approached, but this proved to be a rarity. The distance markers, of the cement gravestone variety, looked freshly painted in white and red. They appeared on both the left and right sides of the road: counting down from 70km outside Ndende, the left-hand stone would appear after 2km, the right-hand stone 3km later, so two stones every 5km. The scenery was not particularly inspiring, though we passed some pretty forest, all green leaves and tall trees.
At one of several rivers we crossed, we stopped to photograph the old bridge, just a stone’s throw from the new on which we stood. We were surprised to find that steps had been constructed down to the river’s edge, giving easing access to nearby villagers for clothes and body washing. Lighting the stairs, a solar-powered light on a pole. Minutes later, arriving in a village, we saw that the same lighting lined the street and sometimes was offset from the verge to provide lighting to individual huts. Although the village looked poor, with rudimentary housing of wood and tin and cement block, each building displayed an orange TV dish. Outside one was hung fresh meat, a porcupine and half boar for sale.
For the first time since leaving Namibia, we have been aware of commercial farms (we saw only one or two in all of Angola, and none in Republic of Congo); on this section of road were a couple of palm oil plantations. We also passed several small fires, crackling menacingly as they devoured dry grass and brush. And several small cemeteries, the graves decorated in tiles and bedecked with artificial flowers.
It is an extraordinary thing, but people in Africa seem reluctant to properly advertise themselves and their businesses. We usually know that accommodation of some sort exists in a small town, because it is advertised, not by the owner, but by other travellers on one or another site or app. Even when you reach the app-advertised option, there is seldom a sign in the road to stop you from passing it by, or even a sign on the building. Inevitably you have to enquire and are pointed to some building that turns out to be what you need. So odd. So many missed opportunities…

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