On the Coast

Benguela, Angola

June 25, 2024

On the shores of the Atlantic, Benguela wears a tropical air. With it straight palm-lined streets, houses with tiled roofs and colonial architecture, it feels familiar and akin to so many locales around the world.

The grandest buildings are the governor’s palace and a domed one that is now the provincial governate.

In between is a long low building that has the unsavory history of being a holding space for slaves. In the 17^th century Benguela had a booming slave trade with the port of Benguela serving as the lead port. Newly renovated, this is now the archeological museum. The large doors and small windows high up on the wall retain the air of a prison posing as a warehouse.

There is very little on display inside except some artifacts of everyday use. More interesting are a few masks, some human and one an animal, maybe a pig? With no signs in English to explain anything, I make up my own stories as I wander.

At the other end of the cavernous space is an art exhibit. No explanations are needed as I ponder the interesting displays.

The beachfront stretches along the road. Early in the morning it was cloudy with the line between sea and sky difficult to decipher. But I could see silhouettes of fishing boats, some of them just tiny black dots. Through the zoom I find that one is steered with a single pole, similar to ones in south-east Asia. I would love to get a ride in one of them but this may not be the best place to ask. With very few people on the streets, there is a distinct feeling of good times gone bad. I take photos with my camera but quickly and cross the street more than a few times to avoid encountering groups of men. Their eyes follow me and my nape hairs stand at half-mast.

I while away some time at a café over coffee. With its tattered awning and emptiness, this too feels like a place that once was good but has gone to seed. But the day has brightened a tad and now there are more people on the beach. A group of girls are having fun splashing around and I watch an artist create a sand sculpture.