Angola, Cabinda

I left Congo and crossed the border into Cabinda. This was a former Portuguese colony on the north side of the Congo river. There was a long conflict between the Portuguese and freedom fighters. But the policy changed abruptly when the government in Portugal decided to grant independence. They had originally decided to grant independence to both Cabinda and Angola but in their rush to leave they added Cabinda to Angola.

Now it is a little enclave separated from the rest of Angola by the Congo River and a strip of land that  connects the vast interior to the sea that belongs to the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire,  commonly called Congo DRC to distinguish it from Congo. There is a low level insurgency as the locals want independence from the rest of Angola. But this is extremely unlikely to happen as Angolas huge oil wealth is located in the enclave.

There are large cliffs that separate the coastal areas and the sea from the upland interior.

 I expected this area to be jungle but it is actually savannah, and a lot of it is tall grasslands.

 And away from the coastal settlements, the roads are dirt tracks. Bumpy but passable in the dry season but just mud in the wet season. I was lucky as the rainy season was late starting here and it took us just two days but could take a week to cross.

A common sight throughout West Africa, people would take wood from the forest and turn it into charcoal and then sell it at the side of the road. It is a common source of fuel for cooking and the wood is readily available. It provides an income for the family. It is very cheap at about the cost of a pint of beer at home but unfortunately, it contributes to deforestation. 

Some of the unusual vegetation of the area at the side of the road.

 A view from the top of the cliffs across to the Congo River and Congo DRC on the far side. And further to the south is the rest of Angola.

And then it was over the border into Congo DRC.