Angola Past Second Edition (16)- Visiting Lubango

Lubango, a city located on the Bie Plateau in Angola, is 17 meters above sea level.

The average altitude in Beijing is only 43 meters. For me, Lubango is a plateau.

I feel that the climate in this city has two characteristics: dryness and coldness.

My lips are always dry, and it's useless to drink too much water. When they are dry, they will crack, and it will not heal easily.

Many years later, when I was working in Ba Farm, Queen, the doctor popularized a knowledge to me: every 1 meters above sea level, the temperature dropped by 6 degrees Celsius. Of course, he said the average.

But when I first went to Lubango, I didn't have this knowledge reserve.

At that time, the company built a sports field in Lubango, and Yong and A Bing and I escorted the workers to the project department safely. The project manager sent Joao, the local driver, to take the three of us and the head of the construction team to visit Lubango.

Many European-style buildings in the street during the Portuguese colonial period are obviously renovated, at least they look cleaner than those in Luanda.

every house has a different shape, each with its own characteristics, and it is not the same.

It's not quite the same as a large number of residential quarters with uniform style in domestic cities, and even villas are uniform.

In foreign countries, individuals are emphasized and respected.

What attracts our attention is the pedestrians in the street. They are wearing a variety of clothes, including short-sleeved T-shirts, leather jackets and even down jackets. It is easy to worry about them, whether it is cold or hot!

I chatted with Joao, a local driver.

I said: Your city is beautiful, and I like it here.

Joao was very happy and said, Yes, this is my hometown. I know everything here.

I asked: Luanda is the capital, which city is the second? Huambo, or lobito, or Lubango here?

Joao said: In my mind, Lubango is the best city in Angola.

I asked: Why? Luanda is your capital.

Joao said: Luanda has traffic jams, crimes and high prices. It's very good here. There are not so many people and cars, and the law and order is quite good. Everyone here lives quietly, not as restless as Luanda.

In fact, according to the official statistics of the Angolan government, Lubango is the fourth largest city in Angola, with a good development and a small population. At that time, in 29, Angola conducted a census, with a population of 24,. A small population means good public security. Although we have heard of vicious cases against China people in recent years, it is still much better than the public security in Luanda, the capital.

The driver drove us away from the city gradually. After leaving the city, about half an hour later, there were African-style scenery on both sides of the road.

patches of wasteland, no one is farming. I thought, if it were in China, it would have occupied the land and started to grow crops or vegetables. It must be said that China people are hardworking.

This is the first scenic spot that the driver took us to. The most famous Tundavala Rift Valley in Lubango is 1 meters deep. Standing on the top of the mountain, overlooking the city and all beings, all the joys and sorrows are nothing serious.

It reminds me of Jia Pingwa's words: since people come to the world like ants, they suddenly live and die, gather and disperse. In just a few decades, they should be at home, be chic, and live their own lives. This is the whole meaning of survival.

There is also the highway in Leiba Mountain, which comes down the mountain in this way. I only saw the Qinghai-Tibet Highway and the Sichuan-Tibet Highway in China on TV or on the Internet before, but I didn't expect to see them with my own eyes in Angola.

The world is very big, so we should go and see it.

Monte Cristo of Lubango

The above picture shows the Christ statue of Lubango, which is very similar to the Christ statue of Rio in Brazil, a South American country, but much smaller in size and scale.

Angola and Brazil were once colonies of Portugal, which are still related.

Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

visited two famous scenic spots in one morning, and I'm hungry, too. We don't really want to go back to the project department for Chinese food, and with the boss of the construction team, are we still worried that no one will pay the bill?

I asked the driver, where can I eat in this city?

The driver said: I know a restaurant near the lake. Let me take you there. I think you will like it.

I asked: Is it far?

the driver said: not far.

Actually, I know that my asking is equivalent to asking in vain. Angolans have a different perception of distance from us in China. They think that 1 kilometers away is a very far place.

I said, let's go. The big boss behind me invites you to lunch. Thank you for taking us out to play today.

The driver was very happy. He really took me to a lake by driving. There are several African-style thatched cottages by the lake.

on the terrace of the restaurant, you can see the mountains in the distance opposite, and the environment is very satisfactory to me.

the driver told me that this is actually a hotel, and the thatched cottages are independent rooms.

independent room

I was particularly curious at that time, what was the inside of such a thatched shed like? The driver called the waiter and said that the China man wanted to live here and wanted to see the room.

The waiter said no problem. On the way to show me the room, I saw a little boy playing with a zebra. A zebra alive, not a model, not a model, not a model!

a live zebra!

This hotel constantly surprises me, and the interior decoration is more distinctive. Even during the day, the indoor lighting is very soft, and all kinds of decorations are very African.

room price

I can't remember the room unit price that the waiter told me at that time. This is the price of a cabin I just found, 34, kwanzas, equivalent to 337 RMB. This is the accommodation fee for staying in a cabin. If you order in a restaurant, you need to pay extra.

The price at that time was definitely lower than the current price. I think it was still a good deal, so I asked the waiter for the business card of the hotel.

I went back to the restaurant with the driver, and our order came up. I ordered a grilled fish, and the driver ordered their traditional Muanba, a way to stew chicken legs with cassava.

grilled fish

a * * * cost 5 kwanzas.

when I was eating, I asked the driver that this hotel is good, and food and accommodation are quite cheap.

The driver said: That's true for your foreign countries, but Angolans can't stay here for one night for a month's salary.

I said, are you satisfied with your work in China company?

The driver said: It's ok. People in China pay their wages on time every month. They have regular jobs and sometimes travel allowances. I came out with you today, so you invited me to dinner. Talk to the leaders here and take me to work in Luanda Company.

we: don't you have a home here? No wife and children? What will they do when you leave?

The driver said: I want to work in Luanda. Although I think my hometown is better than the capital, Luanda can earn more money. I can work in Luanda, send money to my family, or take them all to Luanda.

I said, save it. When you get to Luanda, it won't be you. You still send money and pick up your wife and children. You must start a new life.

The driver was amused by me and asked me: How many years have you been in Angola?

I said, it's been three years.

No wonder, he said, you really know Angolans.

Angolan men, many of whom have wives and children in other provinces and then leave home to work in the capital, will rebuild their families and send money to other provinces with conscience. Those who have no conscience will basically be regarded as wives and children from other provinces. This is a common phenomenon, not an alarmist. Many women from other provinces are so alone with four or five children and ask her: What about men?

their answer is: disappeared and ran away.

There are fewer job opportunities in other provinces, so you can only farm, but you won't starve. But if you want to drink beer and buy a pack of cigarettes, you can't, because you have no money. Don't say don't smoke and drink. Necessities, towels, toothpaste and toothbrushes always need to be bought, right? If you have no money, you can't buy it.

So many men from other provinces, fleeing from family of origin, rushed to big cities without hesitation, doing odd jobs or small businesses, just hoping to have some living money in their hands. After so many years of fighting, there are fewer men than women, and it is easy for Angolan men to rebuild their families.

As a result, Lubango, the fourth-ranked city in Angola, has a population of 24,, while Luanda, the capital, has a population of 5.17 million.

The national population is 3 million, and one sixth of them live in Luanda, the capital.

# Africa # # Tourism # # Travel # # Angola # # Luanda #