Travel to Angola...

This was quite a journey. The cars we set out to sell earlier still had not sold. One we had left at the Namibian border so we had to go back to either pick it up or give it a last try. We did the latter and decided that if the buyers from Angola didn't come to us we should go to them. Simple in idea but not so easy in practice. Just to get the visa, than to cross the border with all it's formalities, than drive 300Km on roads were sometimes there is more pot hole than road and sometimes hardly a road at all is quite a chalange. Lastly selling... not easy either! You have to be in the right place with the right cars, we did not have the right cars neither had time to go more inland to the right place. We did finally sell the cars but probably for the same as we would have gotten in South Africa itself. The trip definitely helped me to expand my mind and gain some wisdom, but as fund raising it was a failure... 

Below is the outline of a longer piece I wanted to write about the journey as it was really quite something... like the real adventures, best to read about while sitting in an confortable chair near the fire place... I'll have to leave it at the outline...

Third and last? trip up to Angola to try and sell our cars.

At the border getting visa. Back and forth and getting all papers... two days

Meeting Amedue, a mechanic also wanting to go to Angola and happy to guide us.

Trying to cross on Saturday... unsuccessful, lots of drama's

Need the right papers, stamps etc...

Waiting till Monday, more waiting, more officials, more drama's

Crossing on Monday, finally, just before the border closes, leaving the cars in Angolan cusoms hold, no time to clear them.

Trying to leave on Tuesday... but lots of paper work and still  more paperwork

Leaving in the evening. with a church group as passengers, 10 in the pick up truck and 4 with me in the Astra. (A low lying sporty car)

Getting petrol, also an adventure. Amedu our guide was not confident with his car and stayed behind...

Drive through hell... the first part which I tought to be really bad worked out to be the better part...

Our truck was doing fine being build for rough roads, but the Astra... Stop for each hole, inch through it and speed up to the next few meters later... 

Crossing the check post at bridge, one stamp on our papers was missing... and we were not allowed in the next district.

Find the in-charge and convince (= $) him to allow us to go. He had the stamp...

Worst part of the road, holes often deeper than the tires... better beside the road but stuck in the loose sand. With pasengers we pushed it out. After whole night of crawling, with 110% focus not to hit a hole and break the suspention, tires or get stuck.

Starting to fal asleep and handing over driving... new driver was fast and hit many holes... and finally broke the engine mounting... Carr still ok to drive but taking back the wheel, so no sleep and keep driving.

Arriving at 9am  in Lubango 30 hours no sleep and keeping focus all night

Finding buyers, many maybe's but finally after several days a 99%. Most 99%s are really 99% liking to buy... buying is a different thing...

Staying with very hospitable Mr. Bonavatii and seeing his projects (education for kids to recognise and avoid landmines, and sports programs for them), meeting university dean etc. Naturally a lot of sharing about meditation etc. 

All the hicktic and stress forced me to go really inside, spend 1.5-2 hours every morning and evening plus an hour at noon. This also was a struggle but when concentration was achieved it was really good!

Vinesh having to go back to his family and me staying behind to sell the remaining car. More delays and I had a program in Capetown to get back to on time...

Finally after many more drama's back to SA, no, not on time... had to change the program. That went ok though!

Finally found petrol station: no petrol	view from our room in Lubango

Mines, in all forms and shapes. All maim and kill mainly innocent people all over the world.	The volunteer group teaching the kids

Lubango University

Friendly soldier helping us to find buyers	Youth group

Children around the car	Everyone absorbed watchin a play to create awareness of Aids

The actors. I couldn't follow the Portugese but they did great.	Making fun for the photo, the best, the child on the right I only saw later when I viewed the photo's on the computer.

Outing to the place on the right. Beautivul views	Road through a pass designed be a woman engineer, everyone is proud of it. Angola is quite male dominated.

Monkeys too

Still in need for funds with little hope for profit on the cars I tried to sell my computer and camera. I didn't sell the computer, but the camera was sold for a price too low. I thought... After selling, I really missed having this camera as it was simple but with all features I needed. For one month no photo's... for the next news letter I borrowed a camera and at the same time while in the US I found exactly the same camera (second hand) on e-bay. And for less than I sold my one!

After Angola to Capetown, few people learned meditation. I had to pack up my things and travelled back to Johannesburg with three heavy bags. After few days in Johannesburg I was on my way to the training in the US (next, but earlier published, newsletter) On the way I spend few days in the Netherlands and attended the opening of our new (four class rooms added) school in Den Bosch.

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