Angola, it's not like they said.

[Rogerthat1]

As a newbie on this BB, I spent several hours going through this thread today. What a moving, life-changing experience - in a supposedly war-torn country you found friendship, happiness, and people with no material possessions but with a kindness of heart and strength of spirit that shames our materialistic and decadent western society

As so many have said before, your trip was all about the people you met along the way, but as you would expect, the biking experiences and pics were awesome.

As a guy running an internet business in Brighton, England I am already thinking out a scheme to opt out for a few months, px my R1200S in for a GS or KTM Adventure and just go for it...

Absolutely inspirational...and if I ever meet up with you guys, the drinks are on me....

R1200S - Carbon this and that
CBR600 - Elderly winter hack
Rogerthat1

[Tall Mike]

+1 from me as well! MetalJockey's RR is Top Shelf Reading! No time for working or riding until you've read this RR! It'll get you through winter!!

[Tiger_DFT]

Well what a fantastic RR, thanks for taking the time and effort to put this onto this wonderful forum.

First class!

Cheers

[hugobci]

This was an amazing RR. I cannot say if non-portuguese speakers can understood this, but I felt "Saudade" of a place where I never been, cos´ you guys make me feel like I know it.

Congratulations!

[homme de fer]

Pheeeuuuwww!!!

Just finished this report, beginning to end. It's rides like yours that give wings to others who may not feel up to the task of making their own rides come true.

[Padmei]

Why can't somebody take this RR & others just as good & put them in a bloody book or magazine? Now that would be the ultimate birthday present.

[Picopico]

This was amazing!
I think that "Adventure" is the best word to describe this adventure!!!
Amaaaazing!!

[asphaltmueller]

Originally Posted by Leviathan

Took me a bloody while to read the entire RR.
I'm jealous as hell.
It's amazing how the same country can give people very different impressions. Perhaps it's the fact that I was in a different area or perhaps it's the fact that I was there for work, but your impression of the locals is the exact opposite of mine (for the most parts).

Cheers for a great ride, and thanks for sharing.

I don't know what you worked there and I haven't worked in Angola, but have a bit of experience in other places.
By and large work is very different from a holiday (of course, you will say ) but : in countries we called underdevelloped before we had to pay attention to PC, not only structures may be very different, but you got to learn to reflect your own role in the environment - often the goals and loyalties of your local interlocators may be very different not only from yours, but also from what it appears to be on the surface and in formal context. Meaning somebody who is supposed to work for or with you has in reality a completly different set of loyalties and priorities and thereform performs and acts different than you would expect.

This changes not only from country to country, but even within a given country and it's subcultures

and BTW, don't know about Angolan pay, but in general people who don't earn enough to feed their family tend not to perform to well.

Angolans I worked with in europe where quite professional#

pity you didn't have a good experience, but try to ask yourself if you ( and your companies goals)where not part of it
(don't want to patronize, I just delivered a major cross cultural fuck up myself )

[Brewcity]

3 years later and this is still grabbing attention...epic!

[Tall Mike]

+1 Amaaaazing!!

[cnj]

I laughed and cried thru this whole thing! Best RR ever!

[Baches]

MJ you and the other 4 makes me proud to be an South African DS rider. There's nothing like planning a trip and actually doing it. Congrats on a fab report and I red it twice in so many days.

[MIOB]

Wow.

Thank you so much for posting this ride report!! Absolutely fabulous to read and see the pictures. Wow.

Bedankt!

[Asianrider]

You guys are totally off the chart! I love it.

Keep it coming, we're all waiting for the next one.

Laurent

[wildehond]

Nag metaljockey to post his latest exploit. Zambia this time...