Return to Luanda

Luanda, 31/10/2009 We thought Norway had unbeatable prices! That is, until a few minutes ago, when we made contact again with the city of Luanda 15 years after our last visit. In 1995 Angola was still a country immersed in war, today it's a country in reconstruction. The size of the city has multiplied, entire residential areas built, such as Talatona with its endless series of private apartment blocks. The new ghettos for the rich of the 21st century. At the airport we were welcomed by Dino, the driver of the Guest House Soleme, which we booked over the Internet.

It's Saturday morning and the chaotic traffic of Luanda seems to grant a truce, in about 15 minutes we reach the Guest House Soleme (Rua Kwammw N'Krumah, 1 – web-site: Finding a Hotel in Luanda always seems to be quite problematic, after a series of fruitless attempts, we came across the Soleme site on the internet by chance, contacted them and received a reply in less than half a day, we confirmed. The Guest House proves to be up to the images on the site, clean rooms with air conditioning, internet and satellite TV, the service is also excellent. It's furthermore in a strategic position in the very centre of Luanda, 500 metres from the presidential palace and the main ministries, therefore a very safe area. We negotiate with Dino for a panoramic tour of the city to see a bit of the changes it has undergone in 15 years.

We start with the Miramar district with the private residence of Dos Santos, the president, the area of the ambassadors' residences and the magnificent views over the bay of Luanda and the Ilha, but also over the working-class districts of Sambizanga where one of the largest African markets stands, the Roque Santeiro, a true jungle and an extremely dangerous area. We continue towards the port, with a view of the shantytowns that rise just behind the perimeter wall. The marginal, on which a pharaonic redevelopment project of the whole area is underway, with the dredging of sand from the bay to build artificial beaches on which to build new tourist facilities. We pass under the Fortaleza of San Miguel, to reach the entrance "da Ilha".

On the Ilha there's a whole series of luxury hotels and restaurants, but also small cheap eateries very popular with the locals especially towards evening or at weekends. At the "Ponto Final", at the far end of the Ilha, we treat ourselves to a "Cuca", the local beer, wonderfully chilled. Big clouds loom over the northern sector of Luanda and the wind tries to snatch away the shade awnings badly tied to rocks. Time to leave, we pass through the Cidade Alta, with the various ministries, the president's palace, the Bom Jesus church, but also the shacks of "Hong Kong". Dino explains to us that in Angola they're very creative, an old occupied building has been renamed "Chechnya", another slightly problematic district "Baghdad", now only Kabul is missing, but maybe places like that don't exist in Angola.

Passing near the residence of Dos Santos, a highly forbidden and heavily protected area in Savimbi's time, we head towards the new district of Talatona. 15 years ago there was only forest here, now the largest shopping centre in Luanda stands, the Belas Shopping, and an endless series of super-luxury private apartment blocks. Dominant motifs throughout the city are the advertising billboards of the CAN 2010 (African Cup of Nations, football) and the campaign against AIDS.