Fun things to do in Angola

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In the 1700eds fandango mixed it up with the Brazilian dances fofa and lundu, in Portugal the results Fado.

The Brazilian dance lundu that started in Baia in the 1750ies becomes popular in Portugal in the late 1770's. Lundu is connected directly to Angola which are the roots of a very popular dances in Luanda know as masemba or semba. The hallmark of Masemba is the erotic Belly thrust oh ya – a pushing the belly button right out there. This erotic dance the slaves took to Brazil that was than changed to the social and economic conditions found in Brazil. The very word lundu a powerful Angolan word for “spirit a being of the invisible world -- Ka-lundu they say in Luanda he is struck down with madness from the spirit world.

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The luxuriant north of Angola, with hundreds of unexplored coasts and beaches, has, in Uige area, everything to surprise the visitor. From punctual rain (you can predict in one week in advance or more, with an error of less than half an hour) that is really rain, to the sublime look and fragrance of coffee blooming, the sub-tropical forest controls life. And it feels good, following those rhythms of life. Zaire, in the coast, is less predictable.

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This actually turned out to be a lot easier than I thought! This will sound strange, but it’s easy. Drive towards Ruacana in Namibia. Just outside the town (do not turn left) you will see signs that say ‘Angola Border’ and Ruacana Falls. You will drive for a while then end up at the Namibian Border post. You can see the Angola Border Post to your right. Tell the guards you want to go to the falls. Do not mention Angola or they will say “not possible”. They raise the barrier and you drive a few hundred metres forward. Do not turn right towards the official (and armed!) Angola Border Post. The road ends in a car park beside a closed store. You are still in Namibia at this point. Walk along the path and fence to your left. You will walk up hill and see some stairs. To you right is a low wire. Step over it and you are in front of a cement post that says ANGOLA. You are now in Angola.

Illegally!

The meeting and mixing in Brazil between the Native Americans/ Portuguese with the Angolan rhythm, kaduke/semba, resulted in samba. Semba/ ma-semba are one and the same. Semba is just singular.

Samba is not what really what most Brazilians think, sort of folklore. But in Luanda at its African roots it means to pray to the spirit. So The Angolan slaves in Brazil would meet at night to pray in there new land of Brazil after working the masters sugar cane field. The would gather for there traditional tribal worship to the Spirtis there Semba or Ku-Zamba a prayer plead with their African God, in the form of traditional dancing and music. The slave masters so this mixing it up and thought its party time and joined in Only in Brazil in this hotbed of culture mixing would a religious act turn into a party.

In Luanda there is a place you should not miss: the beach of Chicala in an island just at the end of the town, called La Ilha. It is united to Luanda by a kind of isthmus.
Around there are many kiosks selling sardines on the grill, so delicious! Buy also a Portuguese beer Sagres to accompany the sardines. Everything is very cheap, just a few kwanzas.
Dominating the isthmus there is a fortress constructed by the Portuguese in the XVII century that you can visit. It is called Sao Miguel and the entrance is free. Today is a military casern.
In the other side of the Ilha there are several hotels, apartments, and a small village more pleasant and less dangerous than Luanda. That area is called Bairro da Ilha do Cabo.

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São Miguel fort built in 1576 by Paulo Dias de Novais, it became the administrative centre of the colony in 1627 and was a major outlet for slave traffic to Brazil. This old fortress of São Miguel overlooks Luanda Island beyond the port.

Museums: There are three museums in Luanda. An outstanding Museum of Anthropology contains a fine collection of African art and handicrafts. The museum collection is housed in an old colonial building which has anopen courtyard and a gallery where a traditional Angolan village has been reconstructed. Admission is free, but tipping guides is encouraged. The museum is open Monday through Friday. (Tel: 33-70-24)

The other two museums in Luanda are the Natural History Museum and the Slave Museum. The Natural History museum has a collection of native shells as well as an exhibit on the Angolan coastline and the fish species found in region. The museum will occasionally host exhibits on local artists. The museum is open Monday through Friday. (Tel: 33-40-54 or 55).

I want to see or do Bungy Junping Craziness. I want to do that because it sounds like fun to me. The Bungy Jumping Craziness will fal down a 20 feet drop and will go crazy and wild. That is why it is calledBungy Jumping Craziness.

Later