So here’s a question. Should I blog when I’m frustrated by the bureaucratic labyrinth that I am navigating to get into Angola, or about the doubts and fears I feel most acutely when I lie awake waiting for sleep to come? Or when this wretched, niggly knee injury keeps me off the bike for a week and counting? Ok, so I just did.
I’m being reminded of the loneliness of a solo expedition. There’s no support team, no partner, just me. If I fail, it’s my failure alone. No collective sharing of the disappointment, no-one to help justify a decision to push on against sensible advice, or to pull out, postpone, cancel or change plans. Just me. I have supporters, to be sure, people who believe in me and in what I’m doing. But the journey is mine alone. And I chose this path.
So to solve the various practical problems I’ve found a visa agent who specialises in Angola visas, and a physiotherapist to work my knee back to full working order.
I’m aiming for 10 October as a start date. Beyond this and the expedition is off. The rains will start and the roads will become increasingly difficult to navigate. The heat will become a serious factor. I think I’m already pushing the timing envelope.
On a more positive note, I’ve found a great Portuguese teacher. We meet in a bar in Melville and I learn how to order beer in Portuguese (and a few other useful words and phrases). If only learning language at school had been this much fun!