Day 76… Friday 16th June
Having recently applied for an Angolan E-Visa, discovered that it was only the pre-authorisation stage and another process was required. Decided to stay an extra night in Pointe-Noire so we could exchange money (CFA to US Dollars) for the Angola visa. Spent all morning trying to get local cash out of a working ATM. Usual problems but managed to get some local cash, enough for the Angola visa and tonight’s accommodation. Fuel is cheap in the Republic of Congo. 500 CFA per litre (65p a litre) so half a tank 40 litres was £26. Went to a currency exchange but they had no US dollars. Found another exchange and managed to get what was needed for the border crossing tomorrow. Walking around the city with cars beeping, no pavements, trying to cross the roads, and navigate through traffic and people was exhausting. Realised we had not eaten in 24 hours so found a café for lunch. The hotel we stayed at had Wi-Fi which is always a blessing. Went out for a cheap pizza in the evening. The last of the CFA to spend until we hit Angola and deal with kwanza. Despite a nightclub next door to the hotel which played loud music until 6am, managed to sleep through most of it.
Physical challenges so far
- Mosquito bites
- Excessive sweating and dehydration
- Traveller’s diarrhoea
- Fatigue
The weight loss has been good😊
Decided to change the route plan and head on down to South Africa to recover and spend time with family. Looking forward to Braai’s, South African wine, and a washing machine.
Allen’s perspective…
Although we have been fortunate during our stays so far from reading online it seems to an African favourite to locate hotels next to nightclubs. This is no doubt a tactic by the club owner to make more money off their sozzled and tired guests who need to sleep off the nights partying. But for us it is a loud and tiring experience, requiring earplugs. But I can’t grumble as it was okay, and the staff were friendly enough.