The city was founded in 1843 and owes its existence to the bay of the same name having been chosen as the sea terminus of the Benguela railway to the far interior, passing through Luau to Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The population of the municipality is 393,079 (2014) . Lobito, was built on a sandspit and reclaimed land, with one of Africa's finest natural harbours, protected by a 5 km long sandspit.
Under Portuguese rule, the port was one of Angola's busiest, and the busiest of Africa, exporting agricultural produce from the interior and handling transit trade from the mines of southeastern Belgian Congo and of Northern Rhodesia. Fishing, tourism and services were also important. The carnival in Lobito was also one of the most renowned and popular in Portuguese Angola. Post-independence After the 25 April 1974 Carnation Revolution in Lisbon, Angola was offered independence. Lobito's port activities were highly limited by disruptions to railway transit and high insecurity during the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002). With peace and stability, in the 2000s, Lobito started the process of reconstruction and resumed its path to development.
Aug 6 Wednesday. The final run down to Lobito. On to Luanda
The day started really well with an early breakfast looking out into the mist but by the time we got up to the observation car , which was still before 8 am , the mist had lifted and there was magnificent scenery for a couple of hours.
Hundreds of baobab trees, a river, winding hills and little patches of cultivation and round thatched huts in circles: it really was uplifting. We returned to the cabin soon after 11 and did the final touches to the small suitcase so that this was ready for collection at 11:30 as we jogged into Lobito station. We then had to wait in the lounge car until all the suitcases were downloaded onto the platform and then there was chaos as nobody had told us what we were meant to do. Shayanne seem to be in charge and there were loads of other agencies staff who seem to know more than she did. Anyway, eventually we found a man who drove us and one other traveller to the Terminus hotel which we reached about 12.30.
We settled down on a sofa overlooking the umbrellas that ran along the seafront. Someone served us two pineapple juices and we were then able to use one of these glasses to sip Amarula on ice for the next five hours And also have a piece of toast and ham and muffin. David found the swimming pool but there was a notice saying it was strictly only for residents and as there was no one around there at all and there were no towels or changing facilities I had to forego having a swim.
My ankle was quite swollen and hurting on and off so I just had a quick look at the swimming pool and had to stay stationary for the rest of the time we spent there. A group of guests from the train arrived about 3 pm having been taken to lunch somewhere on a package that they had paid through the nose for with Rovos. We left at 5:30 pm with about six others but each couple had a car to themselves and we drove to the airport outside Lobito, this serving probably Lobito and Benguala. There we had about an hours wait before being boarded for the 8:10 pm flight to Luanda but in fact it took off at 7:45 pm and landed just an hour later so all seem very good.
I had a wheelchair to meet me there but we were stopped on the tarmac by two fireman who even quite vicious and demanded to see my boarding card and wanted to know how old I was: eventually they let us proceed and it was a long trek through this recently opened, Chinese built, new airport terminal which was quite vast. Having collected the luggage there was a driver from the Protea Marriott hotel there to transfer us along with one other fellow traveller. It turned out to be almost an hours drive away, the distance being covered at quite a fast speed.
The check-in took quite a long time and we found that we had to get a bus to another airport (to fly to Lisbon) at 6:30 am on Thursday, not good news. The room itself was fine and we had a coffee and biscuit and a shower before turning in for the night. Tomorrows airport was only 15 minutes from the hotel, so that was good
To get a larger photo, click on a thumbnail below
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Aug 7, Thursday . Luanda back to Moraira
We were down at reception by 6.20 and enjoyed part of the breakfast they had packed up for us, whilst we waited for the transport to the airport. We took some of the fruit and buns with us.
We were at the airport well before seven. We booked in, not completely successfully, as they refused to put the bags through to Valencia. So at Lisbon we will have to pick them up and nd then go to check in again. I asked for a a wheelchair. But they did not have one available at the time so a nice man accompanied us through security and passport to the gate. He said a wheelchair will be available from there: we assured him a good walk this small distance to the plane that was just outside. Anyway, eventually we were escorted to a lorry with a lift with two other couples and entered the plane by being lifted up to near the cockpit. David had purchased an extra seat the previous day. But we found a fact we would’ve been a twosome by our selves and now we were a threesome in the middle with a fat man next to David encroaching on him. So in the end we just took the two further seats and at least a little space on our left hand side
And the pasta were very good on their lunch. There was also later snack just full of carbohydrates. It was an eight hour flight and passed quite quickly. At Lisbon, there was a wheelchair to meet me and take me through to the luggage reclaim: here we were slightly delayed as there was a strike of baggage handlers. Then I was pushed to the TAP special needs check in desk who eventually issued us with boarding passes. We think there must’ve been a trainee on this desk. Both the girls who pushed me were very pleasant, the second being a Hungarian was really vivacious and interested in our journey. Then we waited at a special leads area nearby while they got me onto the system. I waited for a new person to take me onto the flight when that time was ready. We treated ourselves to a Pasteis de Nata and iced coffee.
The Valencia flight was an hour late, so we did not touch down there till midnight, and it was 02.00 am on Friday before we got back to Moraira
To get a larger photo, click on a thumbnail below
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And the perfect day to end the holiday with pasteis de nata all round