Dekooijtjes

Picture for illustrative purposes only.

A few weeks ago I met someone who works as a play therapist at one of the local orphanages.
This orphanage, like many others, was originally established for children who lost their parents during the civil war. But nowadays they also support street children, abandoned children often due to witchcraft accusation or children who have run away from abusive homes.
The therapist specializes on work with traumatized children, particularly babies.
Play therapy should help them learn how to attach to other people to become more involved in the society. Normally babies learn this from their parents, but sadly for the orphans this stage of development they have missed out on. Because of that many of them lost their confidence and have developed a “don’t care” attitude toward the world around them.
Even though the nurses take good care of them it is impossible to give so many children the one to one attention they need.
It is so sad to see a depressed baby or toddler!
Most of these children grow up with negative attitudes and often aggressive which makes it even more difficult for them to join in the community.

The playing activities help to stimulate the children and help them overcome their fears and frustrations.
Many orphans have emotional difficulties around the issue of abandonment and loss, and play can help with the negative feelings and calm them down.
However, so far, play therapy is not a recognized tool in Angola that's why the work has to be done by volunteers.

There are also many kids with mental problems, physical handicaps, or both.
Some have most likely gone through a cerebral palsy as babies which left them lying almost motionless on the bed.
After two years of the play therapy, through being talked to, touched and held by volunteers regularly, they started to make eye contact, smiling, making sounds, stretching their crooked up legs and arms.
When you pick them up they are so happy!

I thought working with handicapped kids would be very sad and depressing but in contrary! Seeing them improving and expressing their joy whenever we give them some attention is very rewarding.

We all fell in love with the tropical island Nosy Komba we visited in October 2012. If only the trip there wouldn't be so much hassle!
Then some Portuguese expat mentioned São Tomé and Príncipe. Honestly, I've never even heard about this country!
I looked it up on the internet and got interested. These islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa, reachable via only two hours direct flight from Luanda! This could be a possible alternative for a tropical island trip, beach for the men and mountains for me!

I've already written about the visa challenge.
Also our car refused to start when we needed to leave for the airport.

This was our first trip with Angola Airlines. The flight was a couple of hours delayed but nothing really disturbing. What I really hated was the loud music played during the flight! But here in Africa this is something everyone loves: Music as loud as possible!

I would lie if I say we were excited about our first week accommodation. There was a road between the lodge and the beach, the main road of the island!
Even though there are not so many on the island the passing cars, motors and trucks spew out fumes the same way like in Luanda. Also Maarten already arrived with a cold when we arrived and I got it from him. I felt awful!

However we tried to make the best of it. We did some trips to explore the direct surroundings but it wasn't much different to what we used to in Luanda. Again a lot of garbage!

Toy car made out of plastic bottle and tin cans.

We were the only non locals on the beach.

One day we hired a guide with a car who took us down to the south of the São Tomé island. What a difference compared to the dusty city!
The countryside was much nicer! Well, it's usually that way.
Luscious green of the thick forest, many rivers, sandy beaches and the blue and white of the ocean.

Women washed clothes in the river and spread them to dry across the stones along.

Our first stop alone the way: Boca do Inferno/ Hell's Mouth. A rock formation on the coast, a dangerous place to be. Probably the oldest tourist attraction as it was already visited in the colonial time. The legend says that whenever the colonial plantation owner wanted to visit Portugal he only needed to jump to the hole on his horse.

A boy showing how to ride his handmade wooden go-kart.
Driving South we encountered many children riding their wooden vehicles, go-karts or bikes down the road.

About an hour drive south of the capital on a hill overlooking the fishermen village of São João dos Angolares there is this atmospheric place Roça São João Angolares. Roças are the coffee and cocoa plantations from the past Portuguese times. The former administrator house became an unique hotel. The views from its vast veranda and numerous terraces were stunning and all the rooms, every different, had a bit mysterious character.

Homemade jams, fresh fruits and vegetables and herbs, outdoor fire pit.
A magical place.

São João dos Angolares: It is believed that the town is named for the Angolan slaves who settled here in the 16th century after their ship was wrecked.

The fateful moment: Marcos, our guide stopped the car by a group of cheerful people carrying buckets of white fluid. They draw sweet juice from the tops of palm trees which through fermentation in the open air becomes palm-wine. Marcos bought a full jar and ordered us to drink it. Maarten and I only smelled it. It smelled very sour. Seeing the fingers of the locals inside of the jar seemed alarming to me considering that we used only bottled water to brush our teeth.
Rob maybe didn't want to offend them and took a swig. Ask him how he felt the coming days!

PicoCão Grande monolith in the background.

Porto Alegre: Portuguese buildings are often left unoccupied because most horrifying things have happened here in the past.

Porto Alegre: drying fish in the sun.

Praia Inhame, a beach at the equator: we stopped here for lunch. We were the only guests and had to wait for more than one hour, but the freshly cought fish was delicious.
Over the lunch we had a lively discussion with Marcos, talking about history, politics but also about São Tomean polygyny, for him the most common matter.

At the end of week one: A bumpy road took us to the Jardim Botânico of Bom Sucesso. This wasn't the right time to admire their orchids collection but the guide was very knowledgeable explaining the native trees' medicinal qualities.

Here in the mountains it was chilly, wet and foggy. We took a trail leading through the vegetable fields all way up to the Lagoa Amélia. The forest was dark and mysterious and the climb was quite exhausting, maybe because all the three of us still weren't quite yet healthy.

Through the foggy rainforest with giang begonias, hollow sounds, squeaking birds, smell of ylang ylang...

Lake Amelia doesn't really look like a lake. it's completely overgrown by spongy grass. In the lake there were several pipes stuck into the ground. When you pulled it out you could see that there is a lot of water under the vegetation we were standing on.
Marcos told us about the legend that a Portuguese girl named Amelia drowned here together with her horse. They never found her. This story added some extra mystery to this place, especially for Maarten.

Two days later we boarded a small two propeller plane that brought us 140 km North East to the even greener island of Principe.

The noise in the machine was bad but the views from the air were spectacular.

This was our own slice of paradise for one week. The resort is located in the heart of th Gulf of Guinea, on the northern shore of the volcanic island of Príncipe.
Even though the bungalow could have been better the setting was just perfect.

Accessed by a 230 meters raised wooden walkway, the tiny Bom Bom islet itself is home to the resort's restaurant, bar and marina.
Due to the season the sea was very rough. The waves crashed against the rocks down the walkway splashing high up so many times it was a challenge to get across without getting thoroughly soaked. Once that happened to me and I had to return and change.

We were able to watch whales straight from our breakfast table!

The resort is positioned above two untouched palm-fringed pristine beaches.
(Bom Bom Islet in the background).

The São Tomé Kingfisher.

Maarten quickly became a friend with the grey parrot Chaplin.

Even thought the resort offered many activities due to the rough sea we were not allowed to take the boat trip and we weren't really interested in spending the day in a car.
The possibility to explore the island on a bike was more appealing to me. The receptionist reacted quite surprised. She explained that the bike hasn't been used in ages and someone has to put it together.
She also warned me that biking on the island won't be an easy job.
She was right the roads were steep dusty and very sweaty. But for me this was the highlight of this vacation!

The sounds and smells of the jungle, the feeling of freedom, it's impossible to experience that in a car!
Happy times!

The locals eyed me with suspicion waving Ola and kids shouted for sweets Doce doce!

Typical Sao Tomean house raised on stilts which should be a way of avoiding mosquito bites. The mosquitoes would feed on the animals kept under the houses and avoid people.

Through the jungle, along the airport I headed to Santo Antonio - the capital of Principe - the smallest city in the world with well preserved colonial architecture in pretty pastel colors along the shallow Papagaio river.

As there was only one bike to rent a trip in a golf cart was a great option. It was comfortable like a car but quiet and ecological and also a little adventurous. Maarten loved that!

Another day we went out to the forest to explore. It didn't take long and Rob spotted a black snake on the ground and immediately the diurnal Sâo Tomé green snake, cobra verde, in a tree.
Maarten was thrilled.

Mudskippers!

Hermit crabs fight over a shell.

During the low tides there were beautiful tide pools around Bom Bom Island with many sea creatures to observe.

This was the only day when they could finally go snorkeling.
But suddenly Maarten started screaming and crying and they both hurried out of the water. He was badly stung by jellyfish all over his arms and legs, everywhere where his skin wasn't covered. He hurt a lot wailing that he will never go in the sea ever again.
But later he spoke with excitement about all the cool things they saw particularly the colorful parrot fish.
We'll see.

I believe the jellyfish invasion had to do something with the stormy ocean in the past week.
Many washed ashore together with those tiny blue creatures.

It's called blue angel but I'd prefer blue devil. It's a small sea slug that can also give you a very painful sting!

This was the end of our stay at Principe. Now we were smart bringing ear plugs on the plane.

Our last day in the country, at least we hoped.
During the breakfast we watched the fishermen smashing stones into the water and chasing the fish into their nets.

Traveling in Africa can be a challenge. Also our trip from Sao Tome didn't disappoint us.

I will spare you all the details and 12 hours of frustration. Most important we safely reached the Angolan mainland even though one day later than planned.
One thing is certain. This definitely wasn't one of those boring tropical paradise beach trips!