tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45690146657967219112024-03-14T05:45:37.822+00:00Langebaan SunsetThis is travel diary for our 12 month trip from UK to South Africa via Europe and Western Africa. We started May 2010 and finished the May 2011. We covered 48,361km in our 4x4 Land Rover Defender 110, visited 30+ countries and performed a variety of photographic studies along the way. All content & photos are subject to Copyright. Please contact author for re-use rights.Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-68366299216603002162017-01-09T10:16:00.002+00:002017-03-22T08:18:10.809+00:00Land Rover Defender 110 300 TDi Overland Ready for Sale<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>#### NOW SOLD ####</b><br />
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<b> </b>Hi folks, after a busy few years here in SA we are now selling Dassie our overland ready Land Rover Defender 110 300 TDi Hard Top. We had a great trip across Europe & Africa in 2010/11 and have added many new things to the vehicle but we are now making a few life changes and starting a new challenge, so want to pass her onto a new owner for a new adventure.<br />
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The base vehicle is a 1997 Defender 100 300TDI Hard Top van with heavy duty Salisbury rear axle & R380 gear box. It was a former Environment Agency vehicle and was well looked after.<br />
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She had all major works (including cab roll cage) performed by Foley Overland UK with some subsequent additions by Burnco of Cape Town. On our trip she performed amazingly well and is in top class condition and been serviced regularly.<br />
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She is currently on an SA plate but we also have the original UK paperwork / plates, so import back to UK would be very easy as she is SORN with DVLA.<br />
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We enhanced the rear of the vehicle after the trip to serve as place to sit when cold / wet or needing some privacy and you can convert for emergency sleeping when in cities as the rear floor turns into a sleeping area in really bad weather. The new side windows give a real feeling of the space being with a cool breeze that makes the interior a nice place to sit.
A small fold out table is big enough to prep meals and use a laptop but
small enough to pack away when needed.<br />
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The list of items / extras in the sale is long but all the items included are covered below for you to review. See also main pics enclosed ...........wife and dogs are not part of sale ;-)</div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Land Rover Defender 110 300 Tdi Hard Top 1997</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">UK and SA Registration paperwork & plates 339,000 km on clock</span></div>
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R380 gear box (recon after trip) and heavy duty Salisbury rear axle</div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";"><b>Body works</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Full chassis wax and seal treatment<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Warn bumper winch with remote control 9,500 lb test wire on spool</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Expedition bumper, with winch fitment, 2 x D Shackle towing points<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Bull bar with light grill</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Under body protection front diff guard</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Full cab roll cage ½ internal ½ external</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Safari Snorkel with dust cyclone</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">5x breather pipes (front / rear diff, transmission, engine)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Checker plate on bonnet, panels</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Adjustable heavy duty tow bar</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Rear step and running boards / sliders</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Auxiliary deep charge battery with marine split charge system</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Various int / external 12 V plus USB charging points</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">LED lights internal</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Spot lights x 2 on the front 100w</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Stereo with iPoD connector</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";"><b>Suspension / wheels </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Enhanced rear shocks (Iron Man heavy duty springs)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">2x extra rear shocks & custom bracket<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">6x off road tyres with good tread</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">6" steel modular expedition wheels x 6</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Locking wheel nut kit x5</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";"><b>Other Equipment</b> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Custom Aluminum roof box<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">100 watt solar panel and charge system</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Expedition roof rack(Brown Church)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Side awning with swing out arms (free standing)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Hi-lift jack and mount with dust bag</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Rear door swing away mount for 1st spare wheel</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">20L Jerry can (Fuel) x 2 - this is emergency fuel</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">20L Jerry can (water) x 2 - back up water</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Jerry can spout</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Howling Moon Roof Tent (Star Gazer plus room and poles) as new</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Aux<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>fuel tank (stainless) 40 l</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Aux water tank (stainless) 40 l</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Water purification system and shower (Brown Church)</span></div>
</td>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">40L Engel Fridge Freezer with basket, thermal cover, slider mount</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Shower attachment</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Mellville Moon Safari Seat Covers 100% heavy duty cotten</span></div>
</td>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">In-line secondary fuel sediment unit to capture diesel water / sludge</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Water proof elec hook up and land cable</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 12.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";"><b>Recovery / Repair / Accessories</b></span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Waffle recovery / sand boards x2</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Recovery kit<span class="Apple-converted-space"> (shackles, ropes various)</span></span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Tyre repair kit (punctures and patches)</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Land rover tools</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">VIAIR 300P Portable Air Compressor with pressure gauge / deflator</span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Haynes Manual<span class="Apple-converted-space"> - Defender</span></span></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 12.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";"><b>Storage / Security </b></span></div>
</td>
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<tr>
<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Floor safe<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
</td>
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<tr>
<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Fuel cut off / engine immobilizer</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Rear windows / door window security grills</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Cab / rear guard / separator</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Lockable steal security cubby box with radio and cup holders<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
</td>
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<tr>
<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">2 x NATO side lockers for 2x Jerry cans each</span></div>
</td>
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<tr>
<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Padlock hasps on all 3 doors</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="border-color: #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb #cbcbcb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px 1.0px; height: 14.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px; width: 385.0px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font: 12.0px "helvetica";">Lockable Aluminum side windows</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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This overland ready Land Rover is located in Cape Town South Africa and would suit the following kind of buyer;</div>
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1) A couple seeking a fly-in / drive off 4x4 to take on Africa / world (with return to UK)</div>
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2) Someone wanting a fly-in, travel and then store a vehicle (we have local SA options we can share) </div>
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3) Couple seeking a "go anywhere" bush basher for local trips in SA / Southern Africa</div>
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<b>#### NOW SOLD ####</b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";">Nick and Vick</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
48,361km in 366 days<br />
Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/langebaansunset">https://twitter.com/langebaansunset</a><br />
Photography <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset">http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset</a><br />
Film <a href="http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset">http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset</a></span></span> <br />
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Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-77583494466799405642012-11-14T19:47:00.001+00:002017-01-11T15:43:51.612+00:00Land Rover Upgrades 2.0 - Part B<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi Folks<br />
<br />
Been very quite for 1 year - sorry about that. Got the Blog mojo back and thought we would post some pics of some of the things we have done to Dassie the Land Rover. We are going to add some more pics to this post shortly, but the key items are shown in the images below. The main focus has been on the interior re-wiring and solar system as well as some basic tidy up jobs to sort things that broke or wore out on the trip through Africa.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F0YKImuxE0o/UKPzqjIesnI/AAAAAAAAAfo/adldv46h5zQ/s1600/overland+land+rover+front+2.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F0YKImuxE0o/UKPzqjIesnI/AAAAAAAAAfo/adldv46h5zQ/s640/overland+land+rover+front+2.0.jpg" width="481" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oBH_vL4MMaw/UKPz2QksHlI/AAAAAAAAAfw/ZKtEa0Ey6Bk/s1600/overland+vehicle+land+rover+2.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oBH_vL4MMaw/UKPz2QksHlI/AAAAAAAAAfw/ZKtEa0Ey6Bk/s640/overland+vehicle+land+rover+2.0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Base vehicle is 300 TDi 110 Hard Top Defender 2 seats front plus 2x side seats rear. Rear is designed to serve as place to sit when cold / wet / privacy AND convert into bed for emergency sleeping when in cities or for emergencies / bad weather. We did this because we found that we liked the compact foot-print of a Land Rover but sometimes wanted some privacy and shelter from the elements - its not always hot and dry!</div>
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Although during most of our trip we were warm, there were times in the mountains, high winds and storms where you just want to sit inside and eat, talk and escape curious people. The Land Rover has a strange comforting smell (to us it does) and whilst space is of a premium, the cosy nature of the rear compartment is now something we really enjoy. The side windows do give a real feeling of the space being bigger than it is, with a cool breeze that makes the interior a nice place to sit. A small fold out table is big enough to prep meals and use a laptop but small enough to pack away when needed.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-05zkBsXizgY/UKP0CrLOKRI/AAAAAAAAAf4/u5emAK3Rcg0/s1600/overland+land+rover+interior+2.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="513" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-05zkBsXizgY/UKP0CrLOKRI/AAAAAAAAAf4/u5emAK3Rcg0/s640/overland+land+rover+interior+2.0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The floor is removable and we can attach it to the storage box to make a sleeping platform. Its not exactly spacious, but it gives us the compromise of a useful seating area, storage, place to work on the laptop / plan and sleep if needed. We had to modify the dog guard so we can crawl in, but its cosy and will do as a compromise. Vicks made some nice seat covers and I added the checker plate.</div>
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Actually the word compromise is the most often word used when preparing for an overland vehicle / trip.....get used to it!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wu1Qhfp95u0/UKP0K7J0CqI/AAAAAAAAAgA/ND_vMfG2048/s1600/overland+camp+site+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="483" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wu1Qhfp95u0/UKP0K7J0CqI/AAAAAAAAAgA/ND_vMfG2048/s640/overland+camp+site+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";">Nick and Vick</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
48,361km in 366 days<br />
Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/langebaansunset">https://twitter.com/langebaansunset</a><br />
Photography <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset">http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset</a><br />
Film <a href="http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset">http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset</a></span></span> <br />
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Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-75488627291364560182012-01-24T17:34:00.004+00:002017-01-11T15:42:45.133+00:00Land Rover Upgrades 2.0 - Part A<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Well - after 48,361km and now having proper tools, a garage and some spare time, Nick set about doing modifications to Dassie to make her into the 4x4 we wished we had when we started but why make the changes and what did we do......??<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z6p1pD_SvBQ/Tx7l9DsQb1I/AAAAAAAAAdk/NnAymQEpFqM/s1600/IMG_7484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z6p1pD_SvBQ/Tx7l9DsQb1I/AAAAAAAAAdk/NnAymQEpFqM/s320/IMG_7484.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">Our interior build was rushed and basically shook itself to bits - now used proper plywood</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">The fridge was poorly located and a pain to access - relocated / access from window</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">We lacked the ability to sit inside the rear when it was cold/ wet - fitted new seats</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">We lacked privacy - some times you just want to be alone / use laptop / eat in private etc...</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Storage was not ideal - we took too many boxes - installed 2x lockers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Rooftent - fly sheet good for shade but not a good design, poles fall out in heavy wind / tropical rain - upgraded tent to Howling Moon - much better design / stronger flysheet / add on room</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Lacked ability to carry a guide, awkward to carry people - installed 2x rear seats (above)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Sleeping inside – Impossible in original design, we have now changed this, with basic sleeping deck converted from floor panel</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Lack rear shade – Out tent opened over bonnet – we now have changed to open over rear / have add on room</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Camping table – Too small and not stable – longer type better</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Camping chairs – Ours were too basic and you get tired of sitting in one for 366 days - upgraded to bigger ones</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Roof bag – Good, but rotted in sun - now use a metal box - better and much more secure</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Rear work lamp – Old bulb uses too much power & is too heavy – fell off! Replaced with LED</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Solar panel - 40 watt panel too small. Now have 90 watt panel (5.3 amps)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Use a solar regulator - limits battery drain and over charge - can see what the status of battery and solar charge / draw is. Can set to suit different needs </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">No side windows - Fitted aluminium (solid) windows - secure and let in lots of light when open</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">2nd spare wheel - moved from roof rack to bonnet (frees up space)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Water tank fill - added exterior cap so can fill from outside</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Moved water filter and changed shower output pipe - more compact and better design </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;">All photos of the key changes can be found at our Land Rover 2.0 </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151193193020357.799006.895300356&type=1&l=fd639b3823" target="_blank">Album</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151193193020357.799006.895300356&type=1&l=fd639b3823" target="_blank"></a><br />
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We are still tweaking things but the basics of Dassie 2.0 are now complete and we just need to iron out a few more issues. A recent shakedown trip has shown that most of the changes work well. The final jobs are now focused on finishing the water system and fixing the solar panel to the roof box on a frame that will allow us to remove it and place it in the sun when we are parked in the shade.<br />
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If you want to make contact with Burnco, the people that did an AMAZING job on our side windows and fabricated our aluminium storage box, their contact details are below. They did a great job for us, on time, offered honest advice and were very competitive on price. They really know about 4x4 / overland prep and if you were shipping your car to SA to do Cape Town to London or have just finished your trip and need some work doing, I would really recommend you make contact with them for any bespoke modifications. <br />
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Hein Burnett<br />
Burnco<br />
Panel Beaters & 4x4 Manufacturing<br />
Tel: +27 21 949 1713<br />
email at info@burnco.co.za<br />
website at <a href="http://www.burnco.co.za/">www.burnco.co.za</a> <br />
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Happy to take questions on your own build.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";">Nick and Vick</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
48,361km in 366 days<br />
Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/langebaansunset">https://twitter.com/langebaansunset</a><br />
Photography <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset">http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset</a><br />
Film <a href="http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset">http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset</a></span></span> <br />
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Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-89725009096862365982012-01-20T07:33:00.002+00:002017-01-11T15:41:01.317+00:00African Hills - The ups and downs of 4x4 overland travel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi Folks,</div>
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One of the main questions that came back from our <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rAnyRaETKA&list=UU8qauPNum_WWGRBKKE2cUBQ&index=1&feature=plcp" target="_blank">London to Cape Town in 10 minutes film</a> was "Its a bit flat", "that's easy" and "where's all the hard roads we thought existed in Africa". </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ni4cqgGPLPI/TxkWY7hCABI/AAAAAAAAAdM/M62VoAbSjdk/s1600/route.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ni4cqgGPLPI/TxkWY7hCABI/AAAAAAAAAdM/M62VoAbSjdk/s320/route.tiff" width="286" /></a></div>
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<i>Our Route - click to enlarge</i></div>
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Well, to help develop that thread and answer those questions, we pulled nearly half a million track points off our Garmin database and analyzed the altitude information "You Geek!" I hear you say..... well, yes, to a point but the resulting information highlighted that we went up and down a LOT on our 48,361km drive South and perhaps a little more that we had realized. The chart below shows the data in more detail.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dV8C0CC82Yw/TxkWzVM6I3I/AAAAAAAAAdc/g8supWKPxRs/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dV8C0CC82Yw/TxkWzVM6I3I/AAAAAAAAAdc/g8supWKPxRs/s400/Slide1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Altitude data - Click to enlarge</i></div>
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As you can see, its pretty spiky!!! We have added some indicators to key regions and key countries with Lesotho being the highest we reached at circa 10,600 feet. Not quite Everest but certainly a challenge.</div>
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To answer the other question, "Where's all the footage of the really hard roads", well the simple answer is we tended not to get the camera out when we were really stuck, lost or struggling..... when its 40'C, your covered in ants, getting bitten and generally sweating like a madman, photography and filming tends to be low down the list of priorities ;-))</div>
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Regards</div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";">Nick and Vick</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
48,361km in 366 days<br />
Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/langebaansunset">https://twitter.com/langebaansunset</a><br />
Photography <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset">http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset</a><br />
Film <a href="http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset">http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset</a></span></span> <br />
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Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-68583075830163927792012-01-02T07:16:00.000+00:002017-01-11T15:53:08.200+00:00London to Cape Town in 10 Minutes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Happy New Year folks!</div>
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As part of a look back at our Africa Overland trip, we compiled a 10 minute film that offers an insight into the road conditions you are going to face if you travel the West Coast / Central African route towards South Africa. From the deserts of North Africa and the lush greens of West Africa to the mud of Cameroon and rain forest of Gabon, this video has the lot.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uh2y8upTZ20/TwFYVMkmHfI/AAAAAAAAAc4/7rcLwvUoQCw/s1600/africa+route+planned+and+actual.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uh2y8upTZ20/TwFYVMkmHfI/AAAAAAAAAc4/7rcLwvUoQCw/s320/africa+route+planned+and+actual.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We have the GPS track if you wish to use it - it was also given to Tracks4Africa </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/6rAnyRaETKA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<i>London to Cape Town in 10 Minutes Film</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We did a fair bit of off-road driving as well as main roads so the video has a mix of road types for you to see. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did driving it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";">Nick and Vick</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
48,361km in 366 days<br />
Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/langebaansunset">https://twitter.com/langebaansunset</a><br />
Photography <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset">http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset</a><br />
Film <a href="http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset">http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset</a></span></span> <br />
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Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-5356708169261821602011-12-27T10:20:00.001+00:002017-01-11T15:49:22.510+00:00Africa Overland - Top 10 Planning Hints & Tips<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi Folks,</div>
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Now our trip is over, we have taken some time to update our website and Blog with data you might find useful for planning purposes (applicable to any country for an extended trip). You can see our full FAQs list at our <a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/3.html" target="_blank">website</a></div>
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In the meantime, check out our summary Top 10 lists you might want to consider - we would love to hear more Tops 10's from other people.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">What were the top 10 most useful items you took?</span></div>
<ol style="font-family: inherit;">
<li>Water filter - Hands down the best investment</li>
<li>Multi-fuel stove - Efficient, don't need to fiddle with gas</li>
<li>The COBB - Great for slow cooking, bulk food, BBQ, roasting & making pizzas!</li>
<li>Vehicle Side Awning - Sun shade in tropics is essential</li>
<li>Roberts SW Radio - Great for BBC World Service, news & African programmes</li>
<li>Vehicle mounted side table - handy & space saving for cooking, esp. in rain</li>
<li>Rear mounted tap - great for convenient washing of hands / kit / utensils</li>
<li>Hennessy Hammocks - nice alternative place to sleep, lie down on hot days</li>
<li>Caravan power hook up - power was available in a lot of places (eases battery drain)</li>
<li>SPOT Messenger - Excellent for location tracking, keeping friends & family up to date</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;">What were the top 10 least useful items you took?<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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<li>Camp Kitchen table - odd shape, bulky (we gave it away)</li>
<li>Roof rack bag - Initially good, but leaked and rotted in sun (metal roof box better)</li>
<li>Thermarests - never used, lent them to people once</li>
<li>Large rucksacks - bulky, took up space, used once, used shoulder bags</li>
<li>Money belts - never carried wallet, not needed (carry cash that you need)</li>
<li>DC / AC converter - ours was a cheap one (not Sine Wave) buy better one next time</li>
<li>Two way radios - only useful if other people know how to use them & switch them on!</li>
<li>Board games - packed too deep in locker, pain to get out</li>
<li>Random tools - took too many and hardly used them</li>
<li>Lots of adaptors - took too many attachments, mainly used British plugs on multi-gang</li>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wha</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;">t were the top 10 things you would do differently next time?<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span></span> <br />
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<li>Don't rush! - You are on a journey of a life time, so take time to "stop" - we still spent 1 year on the road and in some countries wished we had stayed for longer</li>
<li>Realise that it takes time to adapt from "9-5 normal life" to 1 year on the road - it takes approx 6-8 weeks to get used to life on the road - its not a holiday ;-)</li>
<li>Have improved storage in vehicle - we rushed our system / it self destructed!</li>
<li>Sit inside / sleep in vehicle - It does get cold in Africa, good to be able to keep warm, get out of rain / damp. Its also nice to have some privacy sometimes.</li>
<li>Have roof tent open over the rear - its 50:50 on this - you gain shade at back</li>
<li>Make sure its easy to get to fridge !!</li>
<li>Try not to pack things in too many boxes - they take up space. Lockers are better.</li>
<li>Take Blue metal water jerry cans - The Black plastic ones leak</li>
<li>Take a spare alternator - It was the one item we should have packed</li>
<li>Might consider alternative Malaria prophylaxis (just take test kits / treatment)</li>
</ol>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";">Nick and Vick</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
48,361km in 366 days<br />
Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/langebaansunset">https://twitter.com/langebaansunset</a><br />
Photography <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset">http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset</a><br />
Film <a href="http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset">http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset</a></span></span> <br />
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<br /></div>
Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-78319206712996207362011-12-27T08:21:00.002+00:002017-01-11T15:52:40.442+00:00Importing 4x4 into South Africa Duty Free (Returning South African)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black;">Hi folks, if you are reading this, you are either about to embark on an overland trip, taking part in one or just about to complete one. Either way, if you are a returning South African (like my wife) we want to share our experience of importing our Land Rover duty free into SA after our London to Cape Town trip 2010/11. This process is likely to be the same for a motorbike or truck traveling on a Carnet but as rules change, this is now possibly out of date.<br />
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<span style="color: black;">We offer the following is a summary / check list for any returning South African citizen that has a foreign registered vehicle and wishes to import it into SA free of duty. There are several things that you need to consider BEFORE you set out as there are some items that need to be addressed in your departing country before you set out on your journey if you want to avoid a lot of hassle when you get here. Even though there are various guidelines available on this process, things "on the ground" are often different and even our clearing agent in Cape Town had to jump through a few hoops. </span><br />
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<b><span style="color: black;">STEP 1 - Key items to have sorted before you depart</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>MOST IMPORTANT FOR THIS SCENARIO: <span style="color: black;">The car has to have been registered in the SA citizens name for at least 12 months prior to returning to SA, so make sure the registration papers reflect this. Other import scenarios may have different rules and rules change!</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Original SA Passport (or IF dual citizenship, foreign passport) of returning SA citizen should clearly state departure and arrival times stamped in the passport of when you came into country and when you left SA – THIS IS KEY! </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Even if the entry date is on an old passport – bring the old passport with you otherwise you will have to produce an authorised affidavit to cover any discrepancy.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Letter confirming employment by foreign employer – this has to be an original and signed / dated. Copies will not be accepted. Get at least 2 signed originals just in case your paperwork gets lost in the system!</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Letter confirming resignation or no longer employed by foreign employer – again suggest 2x originals, signed and dated</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Valuation certificate of car – this seems to be a grey area. You can go and get a trade in valuation done and have it written on official letterhead of the garage that did the valuation (ideally a dealer in your marque)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Your ID book – Needed as additional proof as SA National</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Intl Certificate of Motor Vehicle – you can get this from your country where the car is registered – UK AA in our case </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Registration Certificate from the cars normal place of origin (registration documents V5C in the case of UK)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">De-registration as a taxpayer – when you leave your country you have to let the Inland Revenue know that you are leaving. There is a form for this and you will need a copy of this form. It will have to be certified as an original copy (by police or lawyer)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Carnet – You will / should have this for your journey anyway. For those people that hope / plan to travel and get into SA with a fake Carnet – good luck!! Based on the process we went through it would be HIGHLY unadvisable to try this!!</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: black;">STEP 2 - Procedure once you get to SA</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">At port of entry you only need to get the Carnet stamped into SA when you finally get here (i.e. the entry stub stamped) – same process for all the other countries you visited along the way. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">You do not need to fill in any forms at the border with regards the car import process. We even asked about this at the time and they simply refused to discuss it saying the Carnet “entry” stamp was all that was needed.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">The following forms / process need to be followed</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Form DA304 : Motor Vehicle Declaration from SARS</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Form P.1.160 : </span>Declaration in Respect of Unaccompanied Manifested Effects Entered Under Rebate of Duty<br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Compliance Certificate (Issued by Manufacturer)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Letter of Authority (Which will have to be applied for by the NRCS)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Import Permit (Which will have to be applied for by ITAC) <br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">There will then be the possibility that you will need a Customs Exam of the Car, this is at Customs discretion AFTER perusal of your Carnet. Even if you are told that this is required, it maybe cancelled at the last minute. We did not have to have one in the end.<br />
</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
A provisional payment may also be requested as surety for the duties and vat applicable, again at customs discretion so be prepared for this.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">You are aiming to get your Carnet exit stub stamped by SARS – this is key if you are to discharge the Carnet and get your Bank Guarantee / Security Insurance / Deposit cancelled.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Even though we had all of the above, we still had to get an affidavit stamped by the SA police to state that the dates of residency in the UK for the SA National and to cover a discrepancy on the passport (the wife’s old passport with this info in had been destroyed)</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: black;">STEP 3 - Procedure once you complete all the paperwork</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">When this process is over – it can take up to 2 months – you get the following back from Customs:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Stamped Carnet – exit stub is stamped by SARS / customs</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Customs Release Notification</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">SAD507 Customs declaration form</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">SAD500 Customs declaration form</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Copy of NRCS Letter of Authority</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Copy of Import Permit Notification</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Copy of completed DA 304A Motor Vehicle Declaration from SARS</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Stamped original of DA304</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Stamped copy of your declaration of particulars</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Stamped copy of affidavit we submitted</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">Your original vehicle registration papers</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">You are now able to go and register the vehicle in SA. </span><span style="color: black;">We posted the Carnet back to RAC UK and emailed copies of the SARS release form (we made a copy for our records).</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: black;">So how did we do it / what did it cost?</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">When we got to SA we hooked up with a logistics / import company when we finally finished the trip – Why? Well, the above process is not that simple. Anyone that has dealt with “officialdom” in SA will know 3 things: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">1) You are going to spend a lot of time waiting and finding offices etc…..</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">2) You are likely to be dealing with people unfamiliar with the process (the process can appear to vary from person to person on any given day!)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">3) Paperwork can / may get lost and no one is really going to look too hard for it</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">The benefit of using an agent is they already have established relationships with all the people needed to get the car released, they know the process / forms and they can minimise the amount of time and cost spent driving / calling around to various offices to chase paperwork etc….This is important if you have limited time or are spending time travelling elsewhere when you get here. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">We used Ashraf at IQSA and he was VERY helpful and professional. Whilst there is a fee associated with the service, we felt it was worth paying. We saved a lot of time & money simply on fuel costs for driving in and out of Cape Town to various places to get things sorted. We would highly recommend him!!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Mr Ashraf Mallick<br />
IQSA Logistics</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Cape Town, South Africa<br />
Tel : + 27 21 697 5443<br />
E-Mail : <u><a href="http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ashraf@iqsalogistics.co.za" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">ashraf@iqsalogistics.co.za</span></a></u> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Costs</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Certification & Bill of Entry = R3,135 = £250</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Service Fees & misc costs = R1,824 = £145</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Postage of Carnet back to UK = R64 = £5</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";">Nick and Vick</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
48,361km in 366 days<br />
Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/langebaansunset">https://twitter.com/langebaansunset</a><br />
Photography <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset">http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset</a><br />
Film <a href="http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset">http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset</a></span></span> <br />
</div>
</div>
Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-34111929114469844642011-07-22T13:21:00.003+01:002017-01-11T16:00:48.750+00:00Our medical kit & health on the road<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Introduction</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">We have just spent 1 year travelling overland in a Land Rover in Africa and wanted to share with you our medical / health care tips.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Hygiene & Basics</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Two overriding issues you have to think about are clean drinking water and basic body hygiene. Bugs love Africa!!! We used a charcoal / ceramic water filter and filtered all water we consumed orally. We never got seriously ill and only had a couple episodes of "50:50" number 2 action. We also washed our hands and tried to have flannel washes when water was low or no showers were handy (that's quite often in Africa). Bottom line, keep clean and drink clean water and you minimise a lot of problems. Also, if you cut yourself, clean it and treat it quickly with Savlon or Savlon spray. Cover up feet, ankles and arms in the evening. We only used DEET on our clothing and tried to avoid spraying it on our skin. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Injections</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We also had all our jabs done well in advance - we had approx' 7 visits to the local clinic in the UK. Visit your GP and chat with the nurse. They have access to MASTA and can advise what you need based on your route. You will need Yellow fever certificate and a list of the jabs you have had, it does get asked for in Africa, esp. Nigeria!!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Reading</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We took the Lonely Planet pocket health book.....VERY good buy and it helps give you a second opinion if you are a solo traveller. Its small enough to pack in a bike too. We looked at this a lot!!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>What medical kit did we take?</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We have listed the main items we took. They were packable into 3 small bags (pictured). We kept a basic kit in the front cab and the smaller medical kits were kept in the shade / cool part of the vehicle. We kept our malaria pills, text kits in the fridge. We have tried to indicate the frequency of usage too as a rough guide. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VtBbbE0PMq8/TillBKFr-NI/AAAAAAAAAaw/NhtuEn4Z6eE/s1600/first+aid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VtBbbE0PMq8/TillBKFr-NI/AAAAAAAAAaw/NhtuEn4Z6eE/s640/first+aid.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Doxycyclin tablets </span></span><span style="color: #ff2500;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Malaria prophylaxis - <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">used daily</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Malarone tablets </span></span><span style="color: #ff2500;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Malaria treatment </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (4 Tablets in one dose for 3 days) - not used</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff2500;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Canesten / Clotrimazole cream </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Topical cream for vaginal / skin fungal infections <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff2500;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vagisil cream</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Treatment for vaginal irritation <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- not used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ASPAR / Hayleve antihistamine tablets </span></span><span style="color: #ff2500;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Treatments for hay fever & allergies <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff2500;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hydrocortisone / Eurax </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Topical cream for non infected itchy skin rashes <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mycil / Daktarin cream & Daktarin Powder </span></span><span style="color: #ff2500;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anti fungal treatment for athlete’s foot <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff2500;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chloramphenicol antibiotic ointment </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Infected eyes / bacterial conjunctivitis treatment <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- not used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff2500;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Safyr Bleu </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eye irritation liquid drop treatment <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff2500;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Savlon Pavidone spray </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Treatment of skin wounds, abrasions - <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">used this a lot!</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sodium Chloride solution ampules </span></span><span style="color: #ff2500;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Washing of small wounds <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cetrimide / Germolene / Savlon antiseptic creams </span></span><span style="color: #ff2500;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Treatment of minor cuts <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- used this a lot</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff2500;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calamine cream </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Treatment of sunburn & windburn <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff2500;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ibuprofen tablets </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Musculo skeletal pain relief / anti-inflammatory </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> - used a lot</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff2500;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Paracetamol tablets </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">General pain relief / headaches <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff2500;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lemsip powders</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Treatment for flu <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Friars Balsam liquid, Sudafed tablets, Strepsil sweets </span></span><span style="color: #ff2500;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Treatments of colds / cold decongestion <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- used the latter</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Senokot tablets (laxative) </span></span><span style="color: #ff2500;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Treatment for constipation <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- not used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Normalone / Imodium tablets</span></span><span style="color: #ff2500;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Antidiarrhoel treatment -<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"> used once</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Electrolade powders sachets </span></span><span style="color: #ff2500;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rehydration treatment <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- used several times</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff2500;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Haemorrhoid suppositories </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Treatment of hemorrhoids / pain relief <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- used once</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bisodol (tablets) </span></span><span style="color: #ff2500;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Antacid treatment <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ff2500;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aquatabs tablets</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Emergency water treatment <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- not used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DEET - used sparingly and generally on clothing</span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="font: 16px Calibri; margin: 24px 0px 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Medical Hardware</b></span></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">NOMAD Sterile kits x 3 - used some items from these kits</span></li>
<li><span style="font: 9px Symbol;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dental kit x1 - never used</span></li>
<li><span style="font: 9px Symbol;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Malaria near Patient Test Kits - used once for another person</span></li>
<li><span style="font: 9px Symbol;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Compeed blister pack x1 - used once</span></li>
<li><span style="font: 9px Symbol;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tapes (various) - used</span><span style="font: 9px Symbol;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">•</span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Antiseptic wipes (various) - used</span></li>
<li><span style="font: 9px Symbol;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Latex gloves (various) - used</span></li>
<li><span style="font: 9px Symbol;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rehydration spoons x2 - used once</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Plasters, bandages & burn dressings (Various) - used</span></li>
<li><span style="font: 9px Symbol;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wound dressings (various) - used</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Steri-strip wound closures (various) - not used</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tweezers - used</span><span style="font: 9px Symbol;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">•</span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Scissors x2 - used</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thermometer - used</span><span style="font: 9px Symbol;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">•</span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Safety pins - used</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Emergency foil blankets x2 - not used</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font: 9px Symbol;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times"; white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Emergency glow sticks x2 - not used</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font: 9px Symbol;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times"; white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Blood donor cards - reference only BUT good to know your blood group</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What conditions did we get?</b></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the whole we only had minor complaints that were easily treatable:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thrush, blisters, sunburn, athletes foot, headaches, dehydration, flu, 1x skin infection from mossie bite, a few boils, 1x hemorrhoid (old age). We both suffered from sun sensitivity from using Doxycyclin tablets. This was worse at the equator.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What extra medicine did we need?</b></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We bought some Cyprofloxicin (for treating skin infections) in Mali. Easily obtainable and good for treating infected bites and boils.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";">Nick and Vick</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
48,361km in 366 days<br />
Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/langebaansunset">https://twitter.com/langebaansunset</a><br />
Photography <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset">http://www.redbubble.com/people/langebaansunset</a><br />
Film <a href="http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset">http://youtube.com/LangebaanSunset</a></span></span> </div>
Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-51194204020348370932011-07-22T08:46:00.005+01:002011-12-27T08:25:12.631+00:00Our budget - 1 Year in Africa, 2x people + 1x4x4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="font: 16px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold;">Introduction</span></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: justify;">The budget is probably the biggest question you ask after you have solved the “where are we going” and “what vehicle are we taking”. It’s perhaps the one we spent several months researching. We found there was a real lack of detail when it came to showing where and how you spend your money on a trip like this so we made a detailed record on the trip and the data is presented below. We hope you find it useful. </div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: justify;"><b>Overview of spending</b></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><b></b></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: justify;">The costs below include EVERYTHING we spent on the trip once we started travelling. It covers fuel, visas, food, tourist stuff, communications, fines, bribes, taxis, eating out etc...etc... BUT excludes all pre-trip costs / vehicle prep which are covered lower down this page.</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QNnrkrIXtsQ/Tikn4iNwXyI/AAAAAAAAAaY/ExXJA3zVy6o/s1600/spend+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="70" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QNnrkrIXtsQ/Tikn4iNwXyI/AAAAAAAAAaY/ExXJA3zVy6o/s400/spend+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SR6AOnevbAA/TikoCzQld0I/AAAAAAAAAac/0C7mUS7USmU/s1600/spend+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SR6AOnevbAA/TikoCzQld0I/AAAAAAAAAac/0C7mUS7USmU/s400/spend+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lPbTrZ2Cwo4/TikpN4PqQJI/AAAAAAAAAas/pc9IyrIc6mg/s1600/spend+by+category.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lPbTrZ2Cwo4/TikpN4PqQJI/AAAAAAAAAas/pc9IyrIc6mg/s400/spend+by+category.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">Fuel was the main expense followed by eating out, accommodation and food shopping. You could clearly lower the amounts you spend on eating out and accommodation, especially if you wild camp (see below) but to be honest, we found that after a long day of driving, sitting in a bar, eating local food and having a chat means you leave your “overland bubble” and interact with people more. If you ate out less you would cook more so there is some give and take on this aspect of the spending. </div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px;"><b>What kind of accommodation did we have on the trip?</b></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-li08Lnm9Yww/TikpB6-MrSI/AAAAAAAAAao/2_fSGjgaJU4/s1600/accom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-li08Lnm9Yww/TikpB6-MrSI/AAAAAAAAAao/2_fSGjgaJU4/s400/accom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px;"><b>What had we planned to spend Vs what we spent?</b></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: justify;">From our experience for 2x people and 1x 4x4 you need to be thinking of somewhere between <b>€45-€60</b> per day for EVERYTHING for a year in Africa, and that includes being able to "relax", have the odd night in a hotel, enjoy a variety of tourist experiences, buy gifts, eat a healthy diet and treat yourself to the odd "blow out". We had set an original budget of <b>€49 / day </b>and found we were on target for that by the time we reached Northern Namibia. North, West and Central Africa were relatively cheap. The charts below give you a feel for the spending we incurred for the whole year. </div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WjslpC9wIpE/TikonmgLL1I/AAAAAAAAAak/GRJ9X-FjkD4/s1600/daily+average+spend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WjslpC9wIpE/TikonmgLL1I/AAAAAAAAAak/GRJ9X-FjkD4/s400/daily+average+spend.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: justify;">Southern Africa is a lot more expensive and if you want to do tourist "stuff" it starts to add up and so we started to deviate away from the planned budget. This is even more so if you hit the school holidays or want to visit some of the famous / popular parks. </div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mlFRi8zOPnk/TikoQwJgTXI/AAAAAAAAAag/gPrDVMiQvyQ/s1600/spend+Vs+budget+graph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mlFRi8zOPnk/TikoQwJgTXI/AAAAAAAAAag/gPrDVMiQvyQ/s400/spend+Vs+budget+graph.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: justify;">We ended the trip after 366 days with an average spend of <b>€58 / day. </b>For people travelling on foot, by bike, motorbike etc...Budgets will vary from ours and will also vary for different regions of the world. Africa is not as cheap as you might think.</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px;"><b></b></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Types of budget </span></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-height: 14px;">During the year we met a few overlander folk doing similar trips to ourselves. It was a lot quieter on the west coast route. We did hook up with some of them and travelled some sections together but most of the time we were on our own. We found from these experiences that the people appear to fall into 3 main types of budget (based on 2x people & 1x4x4), you might want to consider this “rough” assessment as a means to measure your own plans Vs what you can expect on the trip. <b></b></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><i>1) Minimal Budget <€40 / day</i></b></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><i></i></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: justify;">People on this kind of budget have trip that is dominated by juggling an extremely small budget with very little if no contingency. These people tend to spend most of their time doing things on the cheap and when the cash runs out the trip is over in what ever country they happen to be in. They tend to be travelling without proper paperwork, a vehicle that needs constant attention or repairing and day-to-day activity seems to focus on finding the cheapest source of food or hanging around back street garages haggling for something to be welded or scrounged. There is little if no spare cash for gifts or tourist related activity and when you hook up with them you tend to find that you quickly become a surrogate contributor towards the things they don't have (after a while this becomes a real pain and very tiresome). We also found they tend to be poorly equipped and are not really set up to travel off-road without support. Sadly, and whilst its not a universal observation, we did note that their budget had a major impact on how they travelled and also (in the case of 3 couples we met) their attitude to other people they came into contact with. There seemed to be a strange (competitive) focus on who can travel the furthest for the least amount of cash, which in our view, is not what the trip is about. </div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><i>2) Realistic Budget €45-€60 / day</i></b></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><b></b></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: justify;">This group of people have a budget that has sufficient cover for a range of activity on the trip including site seeing, tourist stuff, gifts and contingency for vehicle repairs / things going wrong etc.... They tend to be well prepared with a reliable vehicle and have sufficient equipment to travel remotely / off the beaten track without support for extended periods of time. The trip can accommodate some changes along the way and pace of travel is slower and more relaxed. Accommodation tends to be simple and realistically priced with a focus on camping / bush camping with occasional stays in hotels / eating out as a treat.<b> </b>The end date is fixed or flexible and the budget will see them through to the end, even if some mechanical work is needed along the way. </div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><b></b></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><i>3) Money No Object Budget >€60 / day</i></b></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; text-align: justify;">This group of people have a massive budget that has sufficient cover for pretty much anything. They can change their plans at will and can afford to stay in top end campsites / hotels on a more frequent basis. They can undertake more expensive site seeing / tourist stuff and have a pretty large contingency for vehicle repairs / things going wrong etc.... They tend to be very well prepared with a high-end vehicle and have sufficient equipment to travel remotely / off the beaten track without support for a considerable period of time. Pace of travel is very relaxed. Have the ability to eat out regularly and the end date is flexible.</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Pre-Trip costs</span><b></b></div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px;">The day-to-day budget previously discussed is often linked to what you have left over after you have spent your hard earned cash on the vehicle, its preparation and pre-trip spending. The figures below are good estimates based on getting a sound base vehicle, fitting it out to basic but reliable level with mainly new equipment and the obligatory paperwork / medical kit. Other costs are included too. Key areas to consider are:</div><ol style="list-style-type: decimal;"><li style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px;">Base vehicle cost in 2006: 10-12 year old Defender 110 with 100k+ miles (unmodified): £3k - £5k. We note that you can pick up some good deals in the LRO / LRM magazines as people appear to off-loading vehicles at discounted rates at present - so happy shopping! Take vehicle to a dealer for a 30 minute check over. For Land Rovers key areas to focus on are oil and water leaks from engine, condition of cooling pipes, leaks from diffs and gearbox. Clunking noise from UJ wear on drive shaft, play in drive shafts, condition of radiator and alternator, tyres, check shocks for leaks, rock car to check for bearing wear, check for welds on drive member ends, condition of springs (especially rear springs) and service history. Check for dates and mileage when Cam belt timing chain was changed and also the last time the serpentine belt was changed. </li>
<li style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px;">Mechanical work, service, MOT, misc repairs, labour & VAT: £2k - £3k. Can’t stress that having this done is key unless you can do it yourself, you learn a lot on the trip!!!</li>
<li style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px;">Basic (new) overland vehicle equipment, preparation, labour & VAT: £10 - £12k. We got new equipment mainly because it lasts and we are glad we did. The sun and heat kills fabrics and does strange things to plastics. Kit we used the most includes, gps, tyre compressor, waffle boards, winch, winch accessories, awning, roof tent, water filter, SPOT messenger, jerry cans, extra fuel tank, extra water tank, Engel fridge, fuel sedimentor. The role cage was an added extra but one we felt was a good investment. </li>
<li style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px;">CARNET depends on the value of your vehicle and where you go - expect paperwork to cost £250 (ish) and depending on the security an extra £300 (ish) to cover this.</li>
<li style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px;">Visas, medical, paperwork, misc administration £2k</li>
<li style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px;">Other big costs: We sold our house and imported the vehicle into SA when we arrived. This means we did not need 2 x flights home or shipping costs (this could cost approx £3500). </li>
<li style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px;">Importing a car for a returning South African on a one-way trip like ours costs about £500 (ish). We will post a report on this when complete.</li>
<li style="font: 12px Calibri; margin: 0.1px 0px;">If you rent out your house furnished there will be admin costs etc ....while you are away and additional storage costs if you rent it out unfurnished that could add another £1-3k to your cost base, especially if you have to pay to store items.</li>
</ol><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12px;">As you can see, costs add up quickly, but they are realistic and based on real quotes / research. Labour and VAT are a big factor if you are getting a lot of new parts and someone to fit them. One thing we have observed, and many overlanders do comment (retrospectively) that they wish they had spent more £££ upfront and not cut corners or bought a vehicle already prepared with all the gear. We have heard a couple of accounts where the trip was a nightmare because things went wrong in a big way!! e.g. $2000 to get a tow for a broken down car in Central Africa, paying $500 for your vehicle NOT to be fixed at a back street garage and on top of that having your laptop nicked while it was in the garage. It seems expensive at the start BUT finding parts and getting things fixed if there are MAJOR mechanical issues along the way is not easy in remote parts of Africa. So spend money on getting the car fixed up before you go.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><b>Conclusion</b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Everyone is different and what you spend on your trip will vary from the above based on your mode of travel, location and spending habits. The overall lesson we learnt is that it does help to SET a budget and TRY and stick to it BUT allow yourself some wiggle room. Eating bread, drinking water and starving yourself does not really save you that much money in the long run and we found having the odd blow out is a treat worth waiting for. The flip side to this is you can actually become ill and then you have to spend money on medicines etc... A year on the road is longer than you think and its takes it toll in more ways than one. Good hygiene and a good medical kit are areas to focus on and mitigate costs, the water filter was the best buy as we rarely got ill. The vehicle prep is key and having a basic level of kit is important. Whilst you can get spares on the way, it takes time and money to find them. What you spend up front, saves you money in the long run and we would be very sceptical about couples who tell you you can survive in Africa on $25 / per day travelling in a 4x4 to remote locations like we did. Survival Vs having a good time / exploring are two different things!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><i>We hope you find this article useful and would welcome any feedback on your own budget Vs what you spent Vs where you went Vs duration of the trip. We would like to compile a summary and share this via Overland Live. Please email data to me at: nick @ langebaan-sunset.com</i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Thanks</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Nick & Vicki</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">www.langebaan-sunset.com</a></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11</span></span><br />
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</span></span></div></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-11936689740351336112011-07-21T17:51:00.002+01:002011-12-27T08:27:29.646+00:00366 Days - All good things come to an end :-(((<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><b>Summary</b></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Countries visited – Mozambique, Lesotho & South Africa</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IYwIiDu4rvU/TihV2Ma_iOI/AAAAAAAAAZk/QZBz5iCaWlE/s1600/IMG_5997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IYwIiDu4rvU/TihV2Ma_iOI/AAAAAAAAAZk/QZBz5iCaWlE/s320/IMG_5997.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Miles travelled – 3248 miles</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Sunny days – 25 days</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Coldest night – -2’C at Sani Top, Lesotho</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Warmest day – 32’C in Vilanculos, Mozambique</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Cheapest fuel – £0.68, Mozambique </div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Best food tasted – The most delicious smoked bacon from a farm in Baardskeerdersbos…this was the real thing!</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Easiest Mountain Pass – Sani Pass from Lesotho to South Africa</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Most useful things – </div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Least useful things – The persistent mozzies we encountered on our last night in Mozambique - DAMN YOU!!</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g6XkOGqbT2Q/TihWH1yeeSI/AAAAAAAAAZo/_H9dbSpkHVY/s1600/IMG_5990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g6XkOGqbT2Q/TihWH1yeeSI/AAAAAAAAAZo/_H9dbSpkHVY/s320/IMG_5990.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">LOWLIGHTS…</span></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">1) The mini ‘high’ season that we bumped into in Mozambique. It was more relaxed and less packed the further North one went which was pleasant.</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">2) The selfish South African caravaners who packed up camp and then parked their massive caravans and cars blocking the entry/exit point of the campsite as they had showers…how rude!</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fDOfT93qu8Y/TihWVvyw7uI/AAAAAAAAAZs/A1Pxjn92pY4/s1600/IMG_6147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fDOfT93qu8Y/TihWVvyw7uI/AAAAAAAAAZs/A1Pxjn92pY4/s320/IMG_6147.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">HIGHLIGHTS…</span></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">1) Visiting the Bazaruto Islands to go diving and snorkelling, absolutely spectacular and proper ‘paradise’ beaches. </div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">2) Going on a snorkel safari which is the craziest thing in it’s own but we got to see some mighty Whale Sharks and Manta Rays.</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">3) The fantastic views on our drives through Lesotho down the Sani Pass and all the way along the old ‘Transkei’ hills and coast.</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">4) Visiting the Nelson Mandela museum in Mthatha, Eastern Cape. Very interesting, informative and it’s free to visit. One big block of history well worth visiting.</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">5) Reaching Cape Agulhas, quite surreal that we had just driven all the way from Morocco but very satisfying.</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">6) Being able to catch up with friends and family on the way home. Thank you to Dean, Danielle, Athena & ladies, Eddie, Ant, Bronwyn, Jeanne, Graham, Rejeanne, Doekle, Lizzie & Marc. </div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FP5jLf_x-V0/TihW0UVGAHI/AAAAAAAAAZw/_G3BT72y0TQ/s1600/IMG_6264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FP5jLf_x-V0/TihW0UVGAHI/AAAAAAAAAZw/_G3BT72y0TQ/s320/IMG_6264.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">RANDOM FACTS…</span></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">1) We passed the Tropic of Capricorn one more time…we crossed this Tropic a whole 6 times on our trip!</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">2) It’s not comforting passing ‘Hijack Hotspot’ signs in a heavy Land Rover on the outskirts of Joburg. Anybody who owns a Defender will know the acceleration rate is lacking!</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">3) Finding a campsite that has industrial washing machines and tumble dryers, I couldn’t contain my excitement and had to do a load of washing!! (Hadn’t seen a tumble dryer for over a year.)</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">4) We left Cape Town on a stormy day in May 2010 and we returned to Cape Town on a stormy day in May 2011 - Karma!</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">5) One year and one day on the road and way too many memories to list here!!</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nddVPpHUI5c/TihXBoBDx7I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/JU-2_gSQp78/s1600/IMG_6324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nddVPpHUI5c/TihXBoBDx7I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/JU-2_gSQp78/s320/IMG_6324.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12px;"><b>Thats all folks!</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">48,361km after we started, we are now living our new life on the Western Cape, South Africa. It was a strange day when we pulled into the drive and odd to be living in a house again. But its the start of a new adventure and a new chapter in life. Some things we missed for sure while we were away but home <i>is</i> home and we are <i>now</i> HOME! </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Viva the people of Africa!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Viva the great continent of Africa!!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Viva AFRICA!!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Nick & Vicki</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">www.langebaan-sunset.com</a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1905864078&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-10394875199601724402011-07-21T17:31:00.003+01:002011-12-27T08:29:49.706+00:00330 Days - Things get a little too wild!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold;">Summary</span><br />
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</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Countries visited – Botswana, Zimbabwe & Mozambique</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QJ15FNJY7Yw/TihTxcbiFkI/AAAAAAAAAZc/fqiqk29UN0g/s1600/IMG_4464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QJ15FNJY7Yw/TihTxcbiFkI/AAAAAAAAAZc/fqiqk29UN0g/s320/IMG_4464.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Miles travelled – 3118 miles</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Sunny days – 27 days</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Coldest night – 9’C near Bulawayo in Zimbabwe </div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Warmest day – 39’C we had two days of this temp, one in Maun and one near Nxai Pan</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Cheapest fuel – £0.65, Botswana</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Best food tasted – Camp dinners in Okavango Delta & the set meal at Elephant Sands, Botswana</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Worst meal/food tasted – Mopane worms - Nick says they taste of "wood".... after all, thats what they eat!!</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Best wild camp – In the bush near Moremi & Chobe National Parks, Botswana. Should really be the scariest one as it was certainly wild! Got invade by 50+ elephants and 3x lions roared under our canopy for 2 hours!!</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Most useful things – The mega torch we bought for when we went camping in the bush.</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">Least useful things – The Swedish Pink Caravan that invaded our camping pitch…Grrrrr… & the advice that all the roads in Mozambique are terribly potholed from when you cross the border…this is rubbish, the roads in Moz were actually surprisingly good, things are moving on.</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kguieRrpzFY/TihSDP2O8fI/AAAAAAAAAZM/FitVZiuKR2s/s1600/IMG_3919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kguieRrpzFY/TihSDP2O8fI/AAAAAAAAAZM/FitVZiuKR2s/s320/IMG_3919.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">LOWLIGHTS…</span></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">1) Hearing from other travellers that they refuse to visit Zimbabwe because of politics. This is heart breaking as we have travelled many countries that don’t have ‘ideal’ political situations but by refusing to visit a relatively stable country I feel that one is just boycotting the average person trying to make a living. Sometimes one has to see beyond a countries leader for the sake of travelling and experiencing something amazing.</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">2) Realising that we are on the homeward stretch and that our adventure will soon be coming to an end.</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f5A1jrJRLQM/TihSX-nrIvI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/N8JaYOY_Xfk/s1600/IMG_4271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f5A1jrJRLQM/TihSX-nrIvI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/N8JaYOY_Xfk/s320/IMG_4271.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">HIGHLIGHTS…</span></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">1) Visiting our friends Sim and Kate who run <a href="http://www.elephantsforafrica.org/">Elephants for Africa</a> at their base camp for their Okavango research programmes. A real treat for us being able to visit the Delta and even more so being able to spend time with the researchers on some of their daily sample and information gathering. Thanks again EFA, we hope to visit again.</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">2) Close encounters with wildlife…. This came in the form of wild camping near Moremi & Chobe. We had our scariest night yet camping alone in the bush with curious elephants and roaring lions who got comfy under our awning till the sun came up.</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jt-xoRdgt_E/TihUJP9Y-8I/AAAAAAAAAZg/jVYIFudFQ3k/s1600/IMG_5703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jt-xoRdgt_E/TihUJP9Y-8I/AAAAAAAAAZg/jVYIFudFQ3k/s320/IMG_5703.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">3) Zimbabwe!! The most amazing people yet with some great wonders to visit. Victoria Falls (with a visit to the Vic Falls Hotel for high tea, totally scrummy), Hwange National Park where the staff couldn’t do enough for you & The Great Zimbabwe Ruins amazingly restored and they have enthusiastic & informative guides to show you around. Bearing in mind that tourism has been hard hit in Zim with little money to re-invest in fixing/updating things you will find that staff will always try and ensure that broken things are repaired and that things are as clean as they can be with their resources. Aside from this, if I were to visit Natiional Parks based on service and the welcome, I would choose Zimbabwe over Namibia & Botswana. </div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M2fA3jSjl88/TihSy70Nf3I/AAAAAAAAAZU/bpsy9cdhb-M/s1600/IMG_5635_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="109" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M2fA3jSjl88/TihSy70Nf3I/AAAAAAAAAZU/bpsy9cdhb-M/s320/IMG_5635_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">RANDOM FACTS…</span></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">1) We had a near cow pat incident en route in Botswana. Driving with ones windows open opens the potentially high risk of been pat splattered…..luckily the fresh pat that was projected by a car passing us magically only hit our windscreen and the side of Dassie…how we didn’t get splashed is unbelievable!</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">2) One can buy old Zim dollars in the trillions as souvenirs. In the height of the unstable currency 1 trillion Zim dollars was worth US$32 for one day only.</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">3) When visiting a Zimbabwean National Park you pay an entrance fee, which is valid for 7 consecutive days as long as you stay in the park, quite good value when comparing to Namibia & Botswana’s Parks.</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">4) Steele & Amber, a couple from Australia who win the prize for being the lightest travellers we met. You have our admiration guys, well done!</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;">5) We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn another two times.</div><div style="font: 12px Cambria; margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z6ZWf_9nQf8/TihTe_2UxMI/AAAAAAAAAZY/ezHAwD9PAjw/s1600/IMG_4011+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z6ZWf_9nQf8/TihTe_2UxMI/AAAAAAAAAZY/ezHAwD9PAjw/s320/IMG_4011+copy.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12px;">Nick & Vicks</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">www.langebaan-sunset.com</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12px;">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1841623083&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-84260138245586784402011-03-28T18:21:00.001+01:002011-12-27T08:32:15.829+00:00300 days - Dassie’s heart attack (aka dead alternator) & More spectacular scenery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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}p.<span style="background: yellow none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">MsoNormal</span>, <span style="background: yellow none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">li</span>.<span style="background: yellow none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">MsoNormal</span>, div.<span style="background: yellow none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">MsoNormal</span> { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RGFWTHRiqvU/TZDBIPt5hEI/AAAAAAAAAY4/KKldsGxd7so/s1600/IMG_2767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RGFWTHRiqvU/TZDBIPt5hEI/AAAAAAAAAY4/KKldsGxd7so/s320/IMG_2767.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Countries visited – Namibia & Botswana</div><div class="MsoNormal">Miles travelled – 2739 miles</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sunny days – 27 days</div><div class="MsoNormal">Coldest night – 14’C Shark Island, Luderitz</div><div class="MsoNormal">Warmest day – 37’C Abu Huab River, Namibia</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cheapest fuel – £0.63, Namibia</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best food tasted – The scrumptious farm lunch with Oryx that Ina made for us at Steinfeld’s Land Rover Garage.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Worst meal – Wimpy burger with soggy roll….NEVER AGAIN!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best wild camp – Steinfeld Farm, near Keetmanshoop, Namibia – stars were amazing!!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most useful things – Finding LR parts in Swakopmund (brilliant customer service), great value and very helpful. Albert & Christo improved Nick’s understanding of the Land Rover by 1000% (not hard to do in reality)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Least useful things – Overlanders passing us without stopping when we broke down and seeing lots of commercial overlander trucks full of 20 something Americans who think making lots of noise at 4.50am is a hoot! We are getting old after all.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WX7Ce5eJnIs/TZDBTjEFSqI/AAAAAAAAAY8/6icuyjGdxsc/s1600/IMG_2992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WX7Ce5eJnIs/TZDBTjEFSqI/AAAAAAAAAY8/6icuyjGdxsc/s320/IMG_2992.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">LOWLIGHTS…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Our first proper breakdown where we didn’t have a spare to repair Dassie straight away. Our alternator decided to start self-combusting on the road to Luderitz. Well timed in an area where you can’t leave the road as it’s a diamond mining area and there is no phone reception….. an aptly named gentleman called Gabriel, came to our rescue and towed us alarmingly fast to a campsite in Luderitz. Nick changed the alternator like some sort of mechanical God – he is getting better with the Haynes manual.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YTOnOv05frg/TZDBeD7OnQI/AAAAAAAAAZA/2lrG_9rVMlo/s1600/IMG_3558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YTOnOv05frg/TZDBeD7OnQI/AAAAAAAAAZA/2lrG_9rVMlo/s320/IMG_3558.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">HIGHLIGHTS…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Adding Lions, Hippos, Wildebees, Elephant, Black-Faced Impala, Red Hartebees, Black Backed Jackals, Banded Mongoose, Dwarf Mongoose, Secretary Birds and many more beasts to our “spotted” list. Flying over and into the Okovango National Park and meeting our friends (Sim & Kate) that run “Elephants for Africa”. Amazing to see elephants at close hand, amazing food, people and memories. Gin & Tonic sun downers after the Makoro boat trip a must – we will be back!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Meeting some more “like minded” overlanders in Swakopmund, Aus & Windhoek. We thoroughly enjoyed listening to traveller’s tales and having a good laugh. Hope to see you again guys!</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Driving the Skeleton Coast National Park, amazingly stark with the contrast of dunes and fierce crashing waves…..and yes – there are lots of skeletons.</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) Visiting the Save the Rhino Trust camp, they have really cool showers.</div><div class="MsoNormal">5) Seeing the Garub wild horses en route to Luderitz, a great place to while away the time watching inter-politics between the horse groups.</div><div class="MsoNormal">6) England winning the 6 Nations</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YJ9YYDqR8I8/TZDBp_dyuEI/AAAAAAAAAZE/VLXUNTz88Wc/s1600/IMG_3378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YJ9YYDqR8I8/TZDBp_dyuEI/AAAAAAAAAZE/VLXUNTz88Wc/s320/IMG_3378.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">RANDOM FACTS…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) We have passed the Tropic of Capricorn 3 times already.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Nick has had his fix of fixing Dassie by rejuvenating her suspension (coil springs and shocks) on a perfect workshop floor…a sandy campsite</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) We were ‘upgraded’ to a chalet at a guest farm due to an impending thunderstorm, which was going to potentially flood the river then the campsite. Totally unexpected, and a most welcome night in a real bed for us. If anybody is passing from Soussusvlei to Helmeringhausen then do stay at Barby’s guest Farm, really lovely.</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) An alternator is quite heavy, especially if you have walked 2km from the post office with it….even heavier when you drop it in the engine bay and you skin your knuckles whilst getting it out and you are getting sun burnt!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8fLaBxyxMUs/TZDB2ZB4rRI/AAAAAAAAAZI/wqDHdxEU7hE/s1600/IMG_4050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8fLaBxyxMUs/TZDB2ZB4rRI/AAAAAAAAAZI/wqDHdxEU7hE/s320/IMG_4050.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Nick & Vicks</div><div class="MsoNormal">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">www.langebaan-sunset.com</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Botswana-Safari-Okavango-Northern-Kalahari/dp/1841623083?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Botswana: The Bradt Safari Guide, 3rd: Okavango Delta, Chobe, Northern Kalahari (Bradt Travel Guide Botswana)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1841623083&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1841623083" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nature-Wonders-OKAVANGO-DELTA-Botswana/dp/B0012DT2LW?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Nature Wonders OKAVANGO DELTA Botswana" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0012DT2LW&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0012DT2LW" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cry-Kalahari-Mark-James-Owens/dp/0395647800?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Cry of the Kalahari" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0395647800&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0395647800" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-48437060387545500872011-03-28T16:58:00.003+01:002011-12-27T08:34:40.476+00:00270 Days - Congo to Namibia – Tough on suspension but easy on the eye<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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}p.<span style="background: yellow none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">MsoNormal</span>, <span style="background: yellow none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">li</span>.<span style="background: yellow none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">MsoNormal</span>, div.<span style="background: yellow none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">MsoNormal</span> { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m65BDrZ0NmU/TZCuGguf6PI/AAAAAAAAAYg/WA3-C7Y9gi0/s1600/IMG_3065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m65BDrZ0NmU/TZCuGguf6PI/AAAAAAAAAYg/WA3-C7Y9gi0/s320/IMG_3065.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5kRHVYiDur0/TZCv8hKvpPI/AAAAAAAAAY0/4aIdveELuBM/s1600/IMG_2516_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="95" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5kRHVYiDur0/TZCv8hKvpPI/AAAAAAAAAY0/4aIdveELuBM/s320/IMG_2516_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Countries visited – Congo, DRC, Angola & Namibia</div><div class="MsoNormal">Miles travelled – 2667 miles</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sunny days – 27 days</div><div class="MsoNormal">Coldest night – 18’C Kamanjab, Namibia</div><div class="MsoNormal">Warmest day – 38’C Purros, Namibia</div><div class="MsoNormal">Highest mountain pass travelled – 4879ft, Van Zyl’s Pass</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cheapest fuel – £0.27, Angola</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best food tasted – Meat (of known origin) & Wine!!! We treated ourselves to the best steak and chips at the Luanda yacht club, it was delicious.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best wild camp – Kimassa Nord Village, DRC</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most useful things – Knowing that once we got to Namibia we no longer had visa constraints/deadlines, our waffle boards were invaluable on our Congo crossing, a spare jerry can of diesel which ended up being our ferry ticket across the Congo as they had no diesel for the ferry!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Least useful things – the humidity on our Congo crossing & ZERO Portuguese for our time in Angola</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9i3-o1KOQKA/TZCuS12SmYI/AAAAAAAAAYk/QldK0JpcUh8/s1600/IMG_1746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9i3-o1KOQKA/TZCuS12SmYI/AAAAAAAAAYk/QldK0JpcUh8/s320/IMG_1746.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> LOWLIGHTS…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) The challenging road that was built during the Belgian Congo era that has had no maintenance since it was built – it was also a highlight looking back.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Being stamped on the wrong day entering Angola which nearly left us 1 day short with 4 days to transit 2000km cross country…..the official then wrote over the stamp which caused a little patience/fretting exiting Angola. Luckily we got the phone number for the official at the border post, this was our get out of jail free card!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) The craziest tsetse flies in Angola that just wouldn’t die & Nick got bitten (they like the colour blue). The worst was when we had just got them out the car or killed them that we had to stop at a checkpoint and 5 more flew in! The official at the checkpoint then told us that there was no problem with tsetse flies (he lied)!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/---U-KQjOQe0/TZCudHFdGRI/AAAAAAAAAYo/AInAmWzyZqs/s1600/IMG_1246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/---U-KQjOQe0/TZCudHFdGRI/AAAAAAAAAYo/AInAmWzyZqs/s320/IMG_1246.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">HIGHLIGHTS…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Crossing the mighty Congo at a rarely used ferry crossing. Although the road was a lowlight, this experience was quite unforgettable. We met amazing people along the way and saw very remote & beautiful countryside.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Being the first tourists in a village called Kimassa Nord in DRC. We even got a full village send off the following morning. </div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Getting a police escort to a fuel station in Luanda. We got a bit confused with a one way system so asked a policeman on a motorbike (white leather boots & gloves styleee) for help and he showed us the way in a traffic stopping way, absolutely priceless.</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) Nick having a catapult contest with some village boys near Quilengues in Angola where we camped overnight – the Black Widow catapult was no match for the local weapons….. the kids were 10x more accurate than Nick! (I let them win….honest!)</div><div class="MsoNormal">5) Van Zyl’s Pass and all the scenery getting there. Passing through Marienfluss, big wide spaces – the horizons just got bigger and bigger.</div><div class="MsoNormal">6) Seeing wild animals in the wild!! We have seen Springbok, Ostrich, Baboons, Giraffe, Aardwolfs, Porcupine, Warthogs, Oryx & Zebra in Namibia so far.</div><div class="MsoNormal">7) Visiting a Himba village near Purros. We had interesting chats with the Chief and some of the Himba ladies who are admirably very good, bare chested, business ladies who drive hard bargains (Nick only managed to get £1 knocked off the curios).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cfs47xhv_Vc/TZCulke0PpI/AAAAAAAAAYs/w7rXA384bUk/s1600/IMG_2313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cfs47xhv_Vc/TZCulke0PpI/AAAAAAAAAYs/w7rXA384bUk/s320/IMG_2313.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">RANDOM FACTS…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) We had no problems/ hassle from anybody in Congo & DRC if anything we had one of the best times in these countries despite the ‘bad’ press you hear.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Angola is spectacular!!! We would definitely love to come back here on a hopefully longer visa. We did try and extend our visa in Benguela but they have stopped extending them here, you can only do this in Luanda now.</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) We were quite overwhelmed with choice when we went into our first shop in Namibia. You never realise this living in a modern world although we have become very fond of small village shops and street vendors, long live these great African entrepreneurs.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SfTx0gtohBg/TZCuu08Ig1I/AAAAAAAAAYw/g6SorbvGPwc/s1600/IMG_2157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SfTx0gtohBg/TZCuu08Ig1I/AAAAAAAAAYw/g6SorbvGPwc/s320/IMG_2157.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Nick & Vicks</div><div class="MsoNormal">Stonehenge to Cape Town</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">www.langebaan-sunset.com</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Namibia-4th-Bradt-Travel-Guide/dp/1841623350?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Namibia, 4th: The Bradt Travel Guide" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1841623350&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1841623350" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angola-Bradt-Travel-Guide-Stead/dp/1841623040?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Angola (Bradt Travel Guide)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1841623040&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1841623040" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nature-Parks-ETOSHA-Namibia/dp/B0012DT2B2?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Nature Parks ETOSHA Namibia" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0012DT2B2&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0012DT2B2" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> </div></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-58217886143711331202011-02-24T11:23:00.002+00:002011-12-27T08:36:40.230+00:00Day 278, "There are lions there sir"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi Folks,<br />
<br />
Just a quick one as we have found WiFi in Swakopmund, Namibia. We have been exploring the Skeleton Coast, North West deserts of Namibia and visited Etosha National Park. Had a great time and saw lots of animals.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MrSK8Kw-qTE/TWY4QskDwrI/AAAAAAAAAX8/bWDa56iy5o8/s1600/IMG_1578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MrSK8Kw-qTE/TWY4QskDwrI/AAAAAAAAAX8/bWDa56iy5o8/s320/IMG_1578.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GbRmsbxddyc/TWY4f84sOaI/AAAAAAAAAYA/fDEWmpI7eW0/s1600/IMG_2516_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="95" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GbRmsbxddyc/TWY4f84sOaI/AAAAAAAAAYA/fDEWmpI7eW0/s320/IMG_2516_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Now doing some work on the Land Rover and just fitted new rear shocks and springs - Dassie is getting some serious TLC before we venture back off-road. We now own a 6 Ton bottle jack and Dassie is looking well "PIMPED".<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jEj1rYtnMo4/TWeTVpvYp5I/AAAAAAAAAYc/IDeN68QwkaA/s1600/IMG_6075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jEj1rYtnMo4/TWeTVpvYp5I/AAAAAAAAAYc/IDeN68QwkaA/s320/IMG_6075.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-daYkxDLWKVs/TWeTPsybR_I/AAAAAAAAAYY/F4yM1f4_o0Y/s1600/IMG_6078.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-daYkxDLWKVs/TWeTPsybR_I/AAAAAAAAAYY/F4yM1f4_o0Y/s320/IMG_6078.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>All we need now to compliment the new suspension look is some loud gangster music and neon lights under the running boards...... ;-))<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5wb_iyMehQ8/TWeTFYKpdTI/AAAAAAAAAYU/9tUwMHqtoEM/s1600/IMG_6063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5wb_iyMehQ8/TWeTFYKpdTI/AAAAAAAAAYU/9tUwMHqtoEM/s320/IMG_6063.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vic6SH3oxsw/TWeSv-wPjXI/AAAAAAAAAYM/flczkV7uo2E/s1600/IMG_6010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wW-UpZxPy0o/TWY4oNAq1UI/AAAAAAAAAYE/IWIdLlr_WW8/s1600/IMG_1424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wW-UpZxPy0o/TWY4oNAq1UI/AAAAAAAAAYE/IWIdLlr_WW8/s320/IMG_1424.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
We also bumped into Austin Stevens - the famous snake guy from Namibia (as seen on TV) not to be confused with Steve Austin (The $6,000,000 Man) <a href="http://austinstevens.net/">http://austinstevens.net</a> He gets pretty close to very deadly snakes!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yzi2X-MANYQ/TWeS51ldziI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/xn22BI4Gc90/s1600/IMG_6027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vic6SH3oxsw/TWeSv-wPjXI/AAAAAAAAAYM/flczkV7uo2E/s1600/IMG_6010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vic6SH3oxsw/TWeSv-wPjXI/AAAAAAAAAYM/flczkV7uo2E/s320/IMG_6010.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EOKoo_P_JTo/TWY9qd5n2OI/AAAAAAAAAYI/oWGDrPvLlmc/s1600/skel+coast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
Talking of deadly animals - we camped at the gate of the Skeleton Coast - an amazing place to visit. As the sun set Nick went off with his camera for a sun downer picture.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yzi2X-MANYQ/TWeS51ldziI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/xn22BI4Gc90/s1600/IMG_6027.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yzi2X-MANYQ/TWeS51ldziI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/xn22BI4Gc90/s320/IMG_6027.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
As he ventured out of the campsite (we were the only people there) the warden said - "Dont go any further, there are lions there sir" (pointing to the horizon seeing running Springbok)....... Nick asked, "Is the campsite safe then?", this was the dialogue that followed:<br />
<br />
W: Yes, it has a fence........ but<br />
N: But what? <br />
W: We found lion footprints in there a few days back<br />
N: How did they get in?<br />
W: The fence is broken<br />
N: [GULP] What should we do?<br />
W: Go to bed before dark.<br />
N: And in the morning?<br />
W: Check the area before you get out of the tent<br />
N: Thanks [walks back to Vicki]<br />
N: Vicks, what's for dinner, oh, and do you fancy an early night.......?<br />
<br />
Namibia - a wild wild place ;-)<br />
<br />
Nick & Vicki<br />
Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
<a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">www.langebaan-sunset.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Namibia-3rd-Bradt-Travel-Guide/dp/1841621870?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Namibia, 3rd: The Bradt Travel Guide" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1841621870&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1841621870" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Namibia-1-200-000/dp/3831771030?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Namibia 1 : 1 200 000" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=3831771030&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=3831771030" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Skeleton-Coast-Journey-Through-Desert/dp/0563371811?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="The Skeleton Coast: Journey Through the Namib Desert" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0563371811&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0563371811" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <br />
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</div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-92214502829433648312011-02-11T10:25:00.001+00:002011-12-27T08:38:18.511+00:00Overland Photography<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TVUIz8b7c1I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/104RWnBu7og/s1600/IMG_1223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TVUIz8b7c1I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/104RWnBu7og/s320/IMG_1223.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Quite a few people have emailed us about our approach to photography on the road, the kit we use and hints / tips on taking photographs. Instead of sending separate emails we thought we would share with you our own experiences and thoughts on this subject.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0uG6Kw26f-g/TVUKPL78QKI/AAAAAAAAAXk/Cg_uoFaCGsc/s1600/IMG_1694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0uG6Kw26f-g/TVUKPL78QKI/AAAAAAAAAXk/Cg_uoFaCGsc/s320/IMG_1694.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Non-camera specific points (and probably most important):<br />
<br />
1) If you don’t have your camera handy (and ready) you will not be able to take pictures – so always try to keep it close – especially for quick shots like animals, situations and people.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Take lots of photos and I mean a lot! If you want some great pics you should just click away and then look at the best ones on your PC / laptop later - its well easy to discard the not so good ones but amongst them you will find a real gem pic. For every 50 pics I take I probably get 10 “so so” ones and probably one or two good ones. Also do bursts of pics with people shots (bursts of 3 per shot) it helps avoid that "closed eye" look.</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Speak to people about what you want to do and the kind of trip you are going on. Visit your local camera shop and have a chat and I would strongly recommend go to a pro camera shop. Even if you are not spending $1000s on kit they normally employ people that have a passion for photography and whilst it may feel a bit embarrassing when you first go in they will spend time with you and chat about the options you could make kit wise. Trust me, you can learn a lot from the pro’s and any photographer worth his salt will share a few gems of knowledge that will help you develop your own style over time.<br />
4) If you have a basic photo editor (most PCs do) or it comes with camera software.... practice with it before you leave and focus on "cropping" pics. This gives you a better framed pic and allows the subject to stand out...most of my better pics are cropped images.<br />
5) You don’t need fancy software like Photoshop to get good pics.... in fact I am anti-Photoshop. Go for natural looking pics. Natural poses with people and kids playing or interacting naturally is best and get low down to their level as it helps to change the look of the pic<br />
6) Black and white is (for me at least) the best "colour" to use for people. Its warms up skin tones and you loose that "red cheek / red eye" look that you get if you shoot in colour - esp. with a flash. B&W sometimes looks odd but practice makes perfect. I never use flash as a rule full stop<br />
7) Avoid taking pics indoors and at midday - natural / warm light is best. Shoot in the early morning or late afternoon with the sun just shining on the face (avoid squinting).... natural light is best for people shots. Dark skin tones need some light to bring out features and note that most African people’s faces will simply be under exposed in the mid-day sun!</div><div class="MsoNormal">8) When shooting tribal / local people ALWAYS ask permission and spend time talking and interacting with them before you pop your camera out. With kids, play a game and gain their confidence. With adults, explain your trip and a bit about your trip and why you want to take their picture, ask the village Chief or village elder if it’s OK – they normally say yes and it’s a mark of respect that you ask them. That way you get less “staged” photos and less “formal looking” pictures.</div><div class="MsoNormal">9) If you value your pictures (memories) BACK UP your pictures on a separate hard drive. We use the Iomega 500GB drive which is about the size of 2 packs of cigarettes. The Mac back up process (Time Machine) is the best I have seen to date and makes life very easy indeed when it comes to performing this task.</div><div class="MsoNormal">10) Keep your back up hard drive safe and in a dust and shockproof carry case. There are some great ones available from the likes of Case Logic.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xcjM2Z5efeE/TVUJhj8-b0I/AAAAAAAAAXY/n9f8I7AToDs/s1600/IMG_1707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xcjM2Z5efeE/TVUJhj8-b0I/AAAAAAAAAXY/n9f8I7AToDs/s320/IMG_1707.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Camera specific points <br />
<br />
1) Decide what kind of photography you want to do – People, Wildlife, Landscape, Specialist etc..etc… as this will help you in your camera purchase. You may have already developed a style you like and know what equipment you want but before starting on a 1+ year overland trip (which could be the biggest trip you ever do in your life) so think about what images you want to capture and how you want to use them.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Try and get the highest resolution sensor camera your budget will allow. Basic but good DSLR cameras start at £300 ($500) and are pretty good entry points for most people. Buy the body first and add lenses as you go. Reason being you can begin to start to get the right kit for the kind of pics you want to shoot. Canon and Nikon both sell “kits” i.e. a body with a good mid range mini-zoom lens (in the range of 30mm-150mm) a good all rounder and a good starting point</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) There is a lot of competition in the market and camera prices and specs change almost daily. Amazon, Jessops & London Camera Exchange are good places to shop for gear and don’t be afraid to ask for discounts by waving around other prices from the web if you buy from a shop – price matching is common.</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Next you will need a lens, again the choice is bewildering. For people shots go for a mini zooms...Canon EF-S 18-55mm or similar (get it second hand) EBay is good for this. It’s a good all rounder for people and places. People tend to look after all their kit so surfing for good second hand ones can save money. This may take you over your budget but it’s worth it. For wildlife you will need a bigger zoom lens – try and get a combined lens say 80-300mm or 100-400mm that will give you a range of options for medium to long range pics. For more specialist effects like wide angle, fish eye there are lots of choices and prices start to get more expensive – anything between 16-35mm will be good for this kind of shooting. As a rule - the better the lens, the more light it will let in and the better the image quality you will attain. Also, consider an anti glare hood – most lens come with them these days for helping removing sunbursts and flares. </div><div class="MsoNormal">4) Get a tripod if you want to do long exposure or long shots in low light conditions. Get one that has a wide footprint and will be stable. Manfrotto make some great modular tripods with a wide range of interchangeable adaptors, heads and grips.</div><div class="MsoNormal">5) Buy a polarising filter – brings out blues and helps cut down glare. Helps with contrast in skies with clouds and can really add some nice effects to B&W pictures. It’s also worth buying a basic UV filter (basically protects your lens glass) and a camera bag to protect and carry kit (Lowe Pro probably have the best range but there are many to choose from)</div><div class="MsoNormal">6) Buy a book on DSLR photography - you can get a lot of hints and tips off the web on settings etc.....as well as forums. The key things to focus on are settings such as aperture, shutter speed, film speed ISO, depth of field, AWB, exposure compensation and lighting. Try and shoot with these factors in mind and move away from using the camera’s “auto” shoot modes.<br />
7) Practice Practice and PRACTICE!! Play with your camera and test shoot on different settings. Simply go for a walk and take pics of all sorts of things to get a feel for the camera settings. Eventually you will find a mode you prefer shooting in.</div><div class="MsoNormal">8) Most DSLRs have a "live view" mode, it’s useful to a point but I would practice with the eyepiece, it will also save a lot of battery power</div><div class="MsoNormal">9) Buy a second battery and always make sure its charged – it’s a real pain when you run out of charge and cannot keep taking pictures!</div><div class="MsoNormal">10) A lot of DSLR cameras now can shoot stills and movie footage (top end bodies can shoot HD film). If you were thinking of buying a separate Video Camera I would strongly advise you spend that money on a better / higher end DSLR can that can do both. You end up getting more for your money and will carry one less item of gear in the van!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dJ0TVzu7c0E/TVUJu-LhVzI/AAAAAAAAAXc/Rw6va3Wqbvw/s1600/IMG_1075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dJ0TVzu7c0E/TVUJu-LhVzI/AAAAAAAAAXc/Rw6va3Wqbvw/s320/IMG_1075.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> I always get asked – what gear do you use, well the answer is as follows;</div><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The workhorse is a Canon 5DMKII body (shoots HD movie and has a 20MB, full frame sensor) – it’s a semi-pro model and probably not in most people’s budgets BUT its helped me take my photography to a slightly higher level of quality than my older 350D</li>
<li>I use a small Canon IXUS for “in the pocket” quick pics / basic movie footage</li>
<li>Canon 16-35mm wide angle L Series lens</li>
<li>Canon 24-105mm mini zoom L Series lens</li>
<li>Canon 100-400mm zoom L Series lens</li>
<li>Canon 2x converter for doubling up on the 100-400mm (makes it 200-800mm)</li>
<li>Manfrotto tripod with round head and pistol grip handle with quick release mount</li>
<li>Lowe Pro Fastback 300 camera case – has laptop compartment, and is small enough to be of a manageable size while walking etc….but ca carry all my main kit & lenses</li>
<li>Hoya filters, spare battery, cleaning cloths, rubber hand pumped dust remover</li>
<li>Wireless remote for Bulb and distance self timer shots</li>
<li>Buy the BIGGEST and fastest memory card you can afford!!!!! I use Lexar Professional UDMA CF 16GB cards rated at 300x Speed.</li>
<li>Computing: 15” Mac Book Pro laptop with 500GB HD and Iomega 500GB portable drive</li>
<li>Software: Apple’s iPhoto for all JPEG pics and Apple’s Apeture software for RAW files</li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iF8SSXGzWrA/TVUJ9qk_AKI/AAAAAAAAAXg/BZf6lIqNBUk/s1600/IMG_0294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iF8SSXGzWrA/TVUJ9qk_AKI/AAAAAAAAAXg/BZf6lIqNBUk/s320/IMG_0294.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Preferred shooting mode</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I shoot 90%+ in Av (aperture) mode and 80%+ of my pics are B&W. They always say "photography is all about light" and its true.... the more light you let in the more you can do with the image, so controlling this is what I focus on. My personal settings for my B&W pics are:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
1) Style Monochrome<br />
2) Switch on red filter (this is a setting in the camera..... It mimics what the traditional filter you would have attached in the old days – great for skys / clouds / high contrast<br />
3) Increase contrast and sharpness settings depending on what you like <br />
4) Shutter speed is then dictated by the Av setting - the smaller the Av number the bigger the hole in the camera and the more light you let in and the faster the shutter speed.... read up on this and have a play.... depth of field is important for people shots.... and this setting also helps controls depth of field.<br />
5) I shoot in JPEG mode (mainly) as the camera produces very good compressed JPEG files of around 5-7MB. You will also hear people say ALWAYS shoot in RAW format. This depends. If you have a high res camera you can afford to shoot in JPEG.... the 5DMKII will take a 20MB RAW file and then compress it to make a pretty large JPEG image. This mode is suitable for most home / shop printing up to A3 and they can be edited on a basic PC using simple software. If you want to make bigger prints or selling your images or want big blow-ups greater than A3 you will need to shoot in RAW and post process the images using something like Photoshop</div><div class="MsoNormal">6) Apart from some small contrast or exposure changes I do very little if no post processing. I try and aim to capture the image I want there and then and when you are on the road processing 100s if not 1000s of RAW image files is a pain. Plus, if you can find a dust free place to sit down in Africa for any length of time – please let me know ;-)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RqBn2OWuM_I/TVUK6FXPKjI/AAAAAAAAAXo/CqB8IIYQn9c/s1600/IMG_0118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RqBn2OWuM_I/TVUK6FXPKjI/AAAAAAAAAXo/CqB8IIYQn9c/s320/IMG_0118.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> My “dream” set up</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I would love Canon’s 1D MKIV – it’s their top end pro camera and an absolute gem to use. I would also love to have a range of prime lenses i.e. fixed focal length lenses but these tend to be expensive. They have bigger aperture ranges letting in lots of light and made to a very high degree of quality. The less “glass” you have between the sensor and the subject the better the image you can create. One day eh!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HDatFzDbhzs/TVUNLkxJBGI/AAAAAAAAAX0/BQXXZ1HczFk/s1600/IMG_9605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HDatFzDbhzs/TVUNLkxJBGI/AAAAAAAAAX0/BQXXZ1HczFk/s320/IMG_9605.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And finally.........<br />
<br />
People take pictures NOT cameras.... the camera will do a lot of work for you but its YOU that takes the picture. I like the quote from one my own photographic heroes Robert Capa “<span class="huge"><i>If your pictures aren't good enough, you aren't close enough</i>". Kind of sums it all up really. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJUuEynCMJQ/TVUMCm7yKQI/AAAAAAAAAXw/JAoPOnF2p_M/s1600/IMG_8707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJUuEynCMJQ/TVUMCm7yKQI/AAAAAAAAAXw/JAoPOnF2p_M/s320/IMG_8707.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="huge">If you would like to view some of our travel pics please <a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/6.html">click here</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="huge">Enjoy!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="huge">Nick</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="huge">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/"><span class="huge">www.langebaan-sunset.com</span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="huge"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="huge">Tripods & Heads by Manfrotto</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="huge"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="huge"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-055XPROB-Tripod-Legs-Black/dp/B000UMX7FI?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Manfrotto 055XPROB Pro Tripod Legs (Black)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B000UMX7FI&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000UMX7FI" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-322RC2-Joystick-Head-Short/dp/B000JLK5PK?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Manfrotto 322RC2 Joystick Head Short" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B000JLK5PK&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000JLK5PK" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="huge"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-86933760936196153752011-02-10T11:14:00.006+00:002011-12-27T08:40:00.705+00:00Langebaan Sunset Broadcasts to the World from Namibia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Langebaan Sunset were thrilled to take part in the first "Live Podcast Post" from Namibia for the <a href="http://www.overland-live.com/">Overland Live Network</a> in association with the <a href="http://www.expeditionportal.com/">Expedition Portal</a>. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The host, <a href="http://overland-live.blogspot.com/p/about.html">Martin Solms</a>, a veteran overland traveler and founder of Overland Live spoke to Nick about a variety of topics including a <span class="style4">trans-Africa trips in a Defender 110, The West Africa Route, the vehicle, cooking, border crossings, Cameroon, Congo and Angola.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.overland-live.com/podcast-series.htm"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CituE4H1Qsw/TVZZrHmxsvI/AAAAAAAAAX4/8tMZbCfAdW4/s320/podcast+link.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="style4">The podcast is available for download at the <a href="http://www.overland-live.com/podcast-series.htm">Overland Live Podcast Series</a></span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="style4"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="style4">We hope our readers will enjoy listening to the discussion.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="style4"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="style4">Nick and Vicki</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="style4">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11 </span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="style4">www.langebaan-sunset.com</span></span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="style4"><i>We use Bradt guides </i></span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Namibia-3rd-Bradt-Travel-Guide/dp/1841621870?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Namibia, 3rd: The Bradt Travel Guide" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1841621870&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1841621870" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Africa-Overland-5th-Motorbike-Bicycle/dp/1841622834?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Africa Overland, 5th: 4x4, Motorbike, Bicycle, Truck (Bradt Travel Guide Africa Overland)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1841622834&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1841622834" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cameroon-2nd-Bradt-Travel-Guide/dp/1841622486?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Cameroon 2nd (Bradt Travel Guide)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1841622486&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1841622486" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></div></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-35472418123333884542011-02-08T09:42:00.002+00:002011-12-27T08:41:18.812+00:00Tracks4Africa - Submit your data & help improve this valuable resource<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hi Folks,<br />
<br />
We at <a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">Langebaan Sunset</a> wanted to put out a general call to action to the overland community about how you can help improve a very valuable resource.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://tracks4africa.co.za/"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TVEPa36eTJI/AAAAAAAAAW0/VH4IoPgm0AY/s1600/t4a+logo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://tracks4africa.co.za/">Tracks 4 Africa</a> has been building a complete GPS database / map for Africa for the last 10 years. It contains many thousands of way points, tracks and routes. For anyone traveling across Africa its a valuable aid to your trip and a very useful means for finding places that don't exist in guides or simply helping you navigate the path less traveled. <br />
<br />
The key thing to note is that T4A is built from the raw data acquired by the overland community. Its submitted to T4A, processed and checked and then included in the next release. Updates can either by purchased online or by buying the map set on an SD Card. T4A also have a Live Map on their website.<br />
<br />
The maps are constantly evolving and you can assist by contributing your travel experience, be it for business or pleasure. The following are common types of contributions;<br />
<br />
<ul><li>GPS track logs and waypoints</li>
<li>Place markers - if you mark a place in Google Earth</li>
<li>Photos - upload direct to the T4A website against a known point of interest</li>
<li>Comments - make a comment about a place on the T4A website</li>
<li>Descriptions - submit a description or contact details for a place on the maps </li>
<li>General corrections - find a mistake, just let them know</li>
</ul>If you want to learn about how you can contribute your own data set / info please visit the T4A website <a href="http://tracks4africa.co.za/community/submit_data/">submit data page</a><br />
<br />
T4A prefer GPX or GDB data formats for submissions but can work with most formats. Simply compress your files using something like WinZip and e-mail it to T4A at <a href="mailto:newdata@tracks4africa.co.za">newdata@tracks4africa.co.za</a>.<br />
<br />
Once submitted, your data will be entered into the T4A <a href="http://tracks4africa.co.za/community/dataprocessed/reports/">register</a> and you will be notified when it has been processed. They may come back to you with some questions if they need clarification on anything. Once your data is processed and included in a new version of the maps, you will be asked to download this Garmin compatible map and check that your data has been processed to your liking.<br />
<br />
Because T4A is based in South Africa, the Southern African overland / 4x4 community have really built up a lot of data for the likes of SA, Namibia, Bots, Moz etc..... and they would love to get more data on North, West and Central Africa. So, over to you folks!<br />
<br />
Please help T4A to continually improve this valuable resource for the benefit of those that follow you.<br />
<br />
Thanks<br />
<br />
Nick<br />
<br />
Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
<a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">www.langebaan-sunset.com</a><br />
<br />
<i>For some of the GPS kit we took on our trip click below </i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-GPS-60CSx-Handheld-Navigator/dp/B000CSOXTO?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Garmin GPS 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigator" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B000CSOXTO&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000CSOXTO" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/RAM-Mounting-Systems-RAM-B-138-GA12U-Surface/dp/B000TFPKYC?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="RAM Mounting Systems RAM-B-138-GA12U Flat Surface Mount for Garmin Astro 220, GPS 60, GPSMAP 60, 60C, 60CS, 60CX, 60CSx" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B000TFPKYC&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000TFPKYC" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SPOT-Satellite-Messenger-Orange-Black/dp/B002PHRDO2?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger unit, Orange/Black" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B002PHRDO2&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002PHRDO2" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-31256826058851660622011-01-27T13:44:00.004+00:002011-12-27T08:43:35.201+00:00Crossing the Congo – Alternative route in detail with map & GPS data<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well we made it from Gabon into Congo with no problems - just 100 miles of sand and a short drive down to the Capital, Brazzaville. We had been in Brazzaville for a few days and began to think about options for crossing the Congo River. In summary, the Brazzaville Kinshasa ferry crossing is expensive and involves a fair degree of haggling, hanging about and hassle. Some fellow travellers recently reported being held at the gates and missed their ferry, had to pay port entrance fees with others paying for expensive disinfection charges, cranes and various forms of “help” etc … in all it seems that you will be lucky to pay less than $100 with most people being charged approx $150 for a 4x4 and 2 people (bikes obviously get charged less).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vicki and I were very keen to try and look at other options and perhaps make the crossing a little more adventurous by trying an alternative route. One of Martin’s recent posts caught our attention: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.snailtrails.lu//posts/view/123"><b><span style="color: #0000f0;">Obstacle course through the Congo and Angola</span></b></a></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri;">. </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Inspired by this post we began to explore this option in more detail along with one other route we happened to find while staying at the <b><a href="http://www.hippocampe.asia/">Hippocampe Hotel</a></b> in Brazzaville. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We found some data on two alternative crossing points South West of Brazzaville which are both marked on the Michelin map (blue box with a number in it). The first alternative crossing point is at Luozi DRC, this was completed by </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.snailtrails.lu/"><span style="color: #0000f0;">SnailTrails</span></a> and the second was at Pioka and recently completed by <a href="http://www.toyota-adventure.com/">www.toyota-adventure.com</a> in August 2010. We consulted their blogs and looked at the maps and decided that the Pioka crossing was the one to try for three main reasons; </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri;">Its closer to Brazzaville with good tar to Boko</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri;">The amount of time spent “off road” appeared to be less </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri;">Most of the locals we spoke to told us that if we left the Hippocampe Hotel at 8am we would be at the ferry “terminal” at 3pm that day</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri;">Over our last fantastic meal of fried beef with ginger & rice, and having informed Olivier (the owner of Hippocampe) of our plans, we left Brazzaville on the 19<sup>th</sup> January at 8am and headed off to Boko. The road is indeed tar all the way to Boko and you have to have a chat with a few police and security before you leave the tar and head for the village of Ntombe Manyanga (the border post where you formally leave Congo and get your papers stamped out). The road is a mix of compacted sand with sandstone rock in places. It twists and turns its way over small hills. Before you get to Ntombo Manyanga you have to negotiate a steep descent / ascent which has been heavily eroded by rains and trucks. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUFyUTnNTjI/AAAAAAAAAV8/yPdH4ukmUsk/s1600/IMG_5603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUFyUTnNTjI/AAAAAAAAAV8/yPdH4ukmUsk/s320/IMG_5603.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri;">Part of the descent has a very bad camber that slopes down to the left making the risk of rolling your vehicle a real possibility. We took it slowly in Low range 1<sup>st</sup> with diff lock and used our waffle boards to help raise our vehicle over the storm gullies and rocks. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We made it though OK and reached the village as it was getting dark – having to get the border guard from the village to open the barrier. It was approx 6:30pm. The customs folk said we could camp in the village and do the paperwork in the morning. They also confirmed that the ferry was working. We learnt that this village is called Ndendanga.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next day we completed the paperwork for entering DRC – both customs, immigration and security asked for 20$ each to complete basic forms and we managed to negotiate this away by saying we had paid for the visa already and had only enough money for the ferry. We then set off for the ferry and descended the valley to the river over more tricky eroded sections and overgrown grass to reach the ferry “terminal”. Now “terminal” is a bit of an overstatement as there is only a concrete slipway with a couple of huts, dugout canoes and trees - that’s about it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We were introduced to the ferry captain who said he had no diesel (oooppps) and so we set about a negotiation for the price of the crossing Vs the cost of them buying some of our diesel. He seemed to want 20 litres of diesel and this equated to one of our emergency fuel jerry cans which had cost us approx €16. He seemed happy that this was a fair trade and so I escorted them to the ferry to top up the John Deer powered tri-hulled craft that sat alone on the shores of the Congo.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUFyobfTcII/AAAAAAAAAWA/YXOgTxll1Vk/s1600/IMG_5627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUFyobfTcII/AAAAAAAAAWA/YXOgTxll1Vk/s320/IMG_5627.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After fuelling the boat with our emergency fuel and praying we would not need it at some point later in the route, he powered up the craft and said we had to drive onto the beach. I asked about driving down the perfectly, well formed concrete slipway but it appeared that the “off road” option of mounting the ferry was the done thing in these parts. I wondered off into the tall grass and bushes and checked out the ground it seemed firm and so Vicks gingerly drove the Landy onto the beach and then ascended the ramps until she snugly sat in the middle of the ferry. It was only then that I vaguely remembered someone saying there are Crocodiles on the banks of the Congo!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUFzVpDETaI/AAAAAAAAAWI/bhbsGRMGCQI/s1600/IMG_5641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUFzVpDETaI/AAAAAAAAAWI/bhbsGRMGCQI/s320/IMG_5641.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The crossing was quick and you really got a feel for the power of the river. Its narrow here (just 1 mile wide) and the vista are amazing!! Rapids up stream can be seen and the boils that swirl in the middle of the river are pretty large, you could feel the boat being taken by the current and this made the Landy lurch forward! My immediate instinct was to push the vehicle back as I genuinely thought the car was going!! They had forgotten to chock the wheels and the play in the Land Rover handbrake meant the vehicle rolled forward a few inches. Quickly one of the crew grabbed some wood blocks and placed them either side of one of the wheels. It was at this point I realised I had just tried to stop a 3.5 ton car rolling off a ferry into the Congo river much to the amusement of the crew, I am sure that moment took at least 1 day off my life!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As we approached the shore I was surprised to see that we were not heading to the other sandy beach, moreover we were actually heading to a heavily overgrown riverbank with no real road or area to disembark at all!! This got the heart going and we gestured to the Captain to go to the beach. As we got closer men with guns approached and greeted us. Huuuuummm, this could be fun. We had a brief look at the lie of the land; tall reeds, grass, mud and sand with some deep eroded channels…..!!!! We prayed to the God of Diff-Lock that we would not get stuck as we left the ferry.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUFzlC3lfaI/AAAAAAAAAWM/dHluInQcZbs/s1600/IMG_5653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUFzlC3lfaI/AAAAAAAAAWM/dHluInQcZbs/s320/IMG_5653.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUFz2FrCUuI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/9xrDjQy8wXM/s1600/IMG_5655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUFz2FrCUuI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/9xrDjQy8wXM/s320/IMG_5655.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vicks did a grand job of driving as I frantically walked (ran) ahead to bash a trail to the “road” and nearby the security hut….no sign of Crocodiles! It was clear that not many people come this way by car but with a bit of wheel spin and a dab of throttle we were up and out of the tall grass and made it to the hut. After a brief discussion as to why we were not going to pay $20 to a man with a gun that had clearly had a few beers we went off in search of the road. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now we had no idea of what lay ahead and that the next 8 hours would be some of the hardest off road we had ever done! The village you are heading to on the Michelin map is Gombe Matadi and the initial ascent out of the river valley is pretty steep. Again, heavily eroded sections of road greeted us and it had to be negotiated with patience and a cool nerve. Some of the sections were so eroded that the original drainage channels at the side of the track vary in depth from a few feet to 15+ feet and undercut the road. The camber and angles you have to traverse mean your wheels are sometimes literally on crumbling soil that would result in the vehicle falling into one of these channels and getting seriously wedged in. As we were on our own, this factor laid heavily on our minds and we used the waffle boards on several sections to help spread the load with only inches to spare. There were also sections where we had to cross very water logged sand and mud. This was very hazardous as some of it looked hard packed and solid. Walking the road and checking every inch of these sections was essential as one wrong move would mean getting very bogged down! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUF0NMh3G3I/AAAAAAAAAWU/F0tg7gaAzAY/s1600/IMG_5660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUF0NMh3G3I/AAAAAAAAAWU/F0tg7gaAzAY/s320/IMG_5660.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Then, out of nowhere a local village Chief appeared on a bike and we offered him a lift. He was happy to help guide us to his village and also seemed keen to help with digging and waffle board “administration” which was good as around the next bend we got stuck in the sand crossing a small river. We were able to talk to him in a mix of French and English and learnt that there had been recent heavy rains that had caused a great deal of new damage to the road during the 2011 wet season. We dropped him off and made more slow progress – the road was no better and more and more eroded channels and tricky ascents awaited us around every bend. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUF0hWryLpI/AAAAAAAAAWY/G7Ui-HrR7j8/s1600/IMG_5664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUF0hWryLpI/AAAAAAAAAWY/G7Ui-HrR7j8/s320/IMG_5664.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One last tricky section almost stopped us in our tracks – it was a gully that looked as though the rains had created a small waterfall on the right side of the road. This presented us with a problem as we needed the waffle boards to stop us sinking into the wet sand but the camber was a steep drop to the right before having to mount a small step up onto a tricky ascent. After a lot of checking and debate Vicks edged up as I ran on trying to see where the tyres would hit the step and give Vicks the nod to put the power on. As I turned to get my next footing up the steep slope I heard Vicks screaming!! I turned to see the van tilting to the right at an angle you only see in the Land Rover Owner’s Manual under the section entitled “Maximum Tilt Angle” (Vick’s face told me all I needed to know). It was clear the sand was swallowing the waffle board and thus the van was sinking and tilting over. I ran back to the van and braced myself between the Landy and the gully wall. I shouted to Vicks to “dab the throttle” and she hit the accelerator. The Landy lurched up the step and I motioned sideways - crab like - pushing the Landy sideways with what little strength I had left. We made it! The sun was starting to set and whilst the surroundings and vistas were amazing we were both exhausted. Since the ferry crossing it had taken us 8 hours to go to 16 miles – it was time to stop. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We pulled into a village (not realising we had actually left the main Gombe Matadi road) and 3 men greeted us. All of them were teachers and we had pulled up alongside the school buildings. We asked if we could camp up for the night and they said yes. We had a great evening with them as nearly 50 people watched us cook our meal and go to bed. As we climbed the ladder to the roof tent there was much laughter and merriment (we were to learn the next day that we were the first tourists to have ever visited their village) we must have looked like aliens to the children. Deep sleep followed!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUF1FXJ429I/AAAAAAAAAWg/eXBYyi8F2Ts/s1600/IMG_5665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUF1FXJ429I/AAAAAAAAAWg/eXBYyi8F2Ts/s320/IMG_5665.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next morning we headed off to Gombe Matadi with one of the villagers who wanted a lift / help us with navigation. After some more tricky eroded sections, mud pools and some bridges in need of repair we made it to Gombe Matadi. The road after here was “better” maintained and we made it to Mbanza Ngungu at 11am on the 3<sup>rd</sup> day. The road thereafter was tar to the Angola border turning at Songololo.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TUF1TItRlYI/AAAAAAAAAWk/LrlppL4NC7M/s320/Congo+crossing+map.jpg" width="320" /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i>Screen shot of <a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/4.html">GPS Map and route</a> we made</i></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In summary</span></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the route GPS data & waypoints for the 3 days from Brazza to Songololo visit our website GPS page <a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/4.html">here</a></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Watch a film of us on this route <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWA2-A-sPgM">here</a></span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This trip was a great experience on may levels. Not only did we see some truly remarkable countryside we also met some truly remarkable people. We also saved approx $130 and it ended up being one of the highlights of the trip so far. The remote villages that reside close to the Congo River are welcoming but their remoteness and the condition of the road mean you have to take your time and think about possible recovery options should things go wrong. It’s no easy “day out” and once you cross the river you are actually more remote than you think.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you fancy tackling this crossing think about the following before you set out;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The road was built during the zenith of The Belgian Congo and in its day would have been a nice flat, quick road. The road now, esp. the section from Pioka to Gombe Matadi, is on its last legs and needs repairing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It took us 2.5 days to go from Brazza to reach the Kinshasa Matadi road in DRC.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">- You may wish to ask at Boko about the road to the ferry at Luozi - could be a better option than Pioka</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Waffle boards, spade and walking the road ahead are essential esp. if you are doing this as 2x people 1x vehicle</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The eroded gullies make progress at times very hazardous – its becoming 50:50 in places and more heavy rains / no repairs may make this crossing impractical in the future.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pay careful attention to sandy sections, especially near reed and palms groves in the bottom of valleys as water logged sand that appears to be hard / solid can swallow you very quickly as it actually covers deep mud, esp. near the edges</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Low range 1<sup>st</sup> with diff lock is the gear of choice on the difficult sections and take your time – much of the driving is “blind” and you have to rely on had signals from a second person to negotiate big drops and deep channels.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We never saw a single car from Boko (Congo) until we reached Gombe Matadi (DRC). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is a real chance of getting stuck on this route, either by falling into a gully, mechanical damage to vehicle or simply having to sit it out if you got caught in the rain. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">People do pass by on foot / bicycle so if you really do get stuck help could be reached to assist with recovery.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had a winch and there were some small trees near most sections (not all) that you could pull off – we never needed to use it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Doing this road in the rain would be EXTREMELY hazardous!! We checked the weather before hand and it was OK. It was also the wet season when we did it (Jan 2011) luckily it did not rain. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Had it been raining we would have turned back as the risk of slipping into one of the eroded channels and getting stuck would be all too easy. The sandstone appears to be mixed with fine clay so when it rains it becomes very slippery. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had back-to-back visas as far as the end of Angola with enough contingency if things went wrong. If you damage your vehicle recovery and parts could add many days if not weeks onto the trip.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our advice, given the state of the road, would be DON’T DO IT if you know it will rain or is raining on the day you set out and only attempt this route if you are confident at driving blind on steep / hazardous terrain. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nick</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11</span><br />
<a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">www.langebaan-sunset.com</span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i>We use Hi Lift recovery products</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hi-Lift-Jack-HL485-Red-Cast/dp/B000688VNE?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Hi-Lift Jack HL485 48" Hi-Lift Red All Cast Jack" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B000688VNE&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000688VNE" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000F285EG" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hi-Lift-Jack-ORB-Off-Road-Base/dp/B00042KJQ4?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Hi-Lift Jack ORB Off-Road Base" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B00042KJQ4&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00042KJQ4" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> </span><br />
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</span></div></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-10654050635686666732011-01-18T13:35:00.002+00:002011-12-27T08:45:19.868+00:00240 Days….. Forests, more mud and the savanna plains of Congo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Countries visited – Cameroon, Gabon & Congo (Brazzaville)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Miles travelled – 1990 miles</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sunny days – 28</div><div class="MsoNormal">Coolest night – 20’C</div><div class="MsoNormal">Warmest day – 34’C Although this has been difficult as the humidity has been relatively high</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cheapest fuel – £0.63 in Gabon</div><div class="MsoNormal">Worst road travelled – The 2km from Campo Beach to Campo in southern Cameroon. We managed to do a staggering 500m in 4.5 hours on the way back to Campo after some heavy thunderstorms!!!! We ‘LOVE” orange mud!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best food tasted – The Vietnamese buffet that we treated ourselves to at the Hotel Hippocampe in Brazzaville and the fish we bought from a boat that came ashore on a remote beach…. We cooked it that night on an open fire!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best run of free camping – We managed not to pay for any camping all the way through Gabon & Congo equalling 15 days free camping – Get in!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Longest time without a shower – 6 days…. this went hand in hand with our free camping as there weren’t always facilities…. BTW we do flannel wash ;-)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWVnaWfD5I/AAAAAAAAAVk/NKrSL6jk4VE/s1600/IMG_0864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWVnaWfD5I/AAAAAAAAAVk/NKrSL6jk4VE/s320/IMG_0864.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Most useful things</div><br />
<ol><li>The faithful flannel and soap in times of need when there were no showers</li>
<li>Liberal use of deodorant (the classic “dry shower”)</li>
<li>WINCH – this came into its own in Cameroon! Allied to use of recovery ladders and rope…. All needed!!!</li>
<li>Nicks ability to drive the Landy like a God at a severe angle – two wheels in rut – two wheels on hump....Vicks was calm throughout !</li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWWtNZn6_I/AAAAAAAAAV0/R0KnggRycvw/s1600/IMG_1039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWW-1ERVlI/AAAAAAAAAV4/fDU6EpiLNNs/s1600/IMG_0724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWW-1ERVlI/AAAAAAAAAV4/fDU6EpiLNNs/s320/IMG_0724.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Least useful things</div><br />
<ol><li>DUST!</li>
<li>Wet clothes after being caught in some serious thunderstorms</li>
<li>Tyre compressor pipe that has succumbed to many days of heat – it has literally fallen apart into many pieces that resemble somebody cutting the pipe up with a pair of scissors. Nick managed to fix this using 5 meters of fuel hose…..its what Ray Mears would have wanted!</li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWV1OrFWhI/AAAAAAAAAVo/ICjV6yimo2s/s1600/IMG_0765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWV1OrFWhI/AAAAAAAAAVo/ICjV6yimo2s/s320/IMG_0765.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"> LOWLIGHTS…..</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Being chased by a taxi driver that crashed into our friends on the outskirts of Doula, Cameroon. We crossed Cameroons second largest city film styleee with Vicks assuming the role of a female version of Bullet in a 3 Ton Land Rover and Nick delving deep into his Carrier Pigeon like navigation instincts to lead all 4 of us to safety……another great escape.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) The rude man and foul facilities where we stayed at a mission in Younde, Cameroon. Nick continues his adventures in the French Language and managed to tell him in French that “his toilet was full of mothers” instead of S””T by accident but we think he got the message.</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Seeing lots of bush meat for sale – whilst you feel for people who subsist on less than a dollar a day, seeing a live tortoise hanging by its foot or a dead monkey being held up by its tail lashed to its head by the side of the road makes you realise why there are less and less animals on the planet.</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) Logging – its difficult to drive through a National Park and be surrounded by logging trucks – this can only go on for so long as you cannot re-grow 400 year old, 70m hardwoods overnight folks!!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWWTFpd73I/AAAAAAAAAVs/LJgFIpup0ik/s1600/IMG_1075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWWTFpd73I/AAAAAAAAAVs/LJgFIpup0ik/s320/IMG_1075.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> HIGHLIGHTS….</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Xmas and New Years in Cameroon – we feasted like Gods and had a great time eating fish and relaxing in the sea.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Camping on an awesome remote beach where the rainforest met the sea and not an ounce of plastic rubbish lying around either. We whiled the afternoon away by teaching and playing Frisbee with some local boys.</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Realising just how bad and at the same time, beautiful, the roads can be in Central Africa. They take you into places you have only seen in books and films with truly spectacular vistas.</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) Nick finding the T55 Torx bit so that he could check the gear box oil….. DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT ONE if you have the R380 gearbox!</div><div class="MsoNormal">5) Wild / free camping in some bizarre places – police stations could become the next Boutique rest stop for the discerning overlander who is seeking security, refined hosts and close proximity to some of life’s more “interesting” town folk.</div><div class="MsoNormal">6) Seeing real Army Ants at close quarters – they are VERY aggressive when poked with a stick!</div><div class="MsoNormal">7) Crossing the Equator and arriving at the Congo river….It’s BIG!</div><div class="MsoNormal">8) 100 miles of sandy road into Congo….. The Mother of all sandy roads! Although I think we timed it well with the rain :-0</div><div class="MsoNormal">9) We’re famous!!!! Well almost, Vicki was interviewed for a radio programme in Brazzaville. A radio journalist who spotted our Land Rover came over to chat about what we were doing. Very kindly the interview was done in English and we also used the opportunity to promote Solar Sister. The journalist was very interested in where we had been and how we have found travelling in Africa and meeting locals.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWWfVfnbwI/AAAAAAAAAVw/QQYFcCLWd6w/s1600/IMG_1022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWWfVfnbwI/AAAAAAAAAVw/QQYFcCLWd6w/s320/IMG_1022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> RANDOM FACTS….</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Father Christmas (our Italian friends) brought us a new washing machine, yay!</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Africans are very adept at travelling along the worst roads on motorbikes and still manage to look absolutely immaculate with not a splash of mud on them, we can learn from them.</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) We were so tired after our mud episode on New Years eve that we had to start our midnight celebrations with a lie down and several cups of espresso before steadily progressing to several Brandys and Baileys……we were a lot more “awake” at 4am.</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) Nick (for his birthday) purchased a very “fine” whisky called ‘Black Stallion’ (made in India 43% Vol). He has it on good authority that this particular drop of Fire Water (a more apt description as it happens) is popular with Congo truckers and Chinese road construction gangs……. we think it might become a Cadeaux for a border post guard sometime soon or maybe simply as an aid to stripping tar from the chassis as and when required.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWWtNZn6_I/AAAAAAAAAV0/R0KnggRycvw/s1600/IMG_1039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWWtNZn6_I/AAAAAAAAAV0/R0KnggRycvw/s320/IMG_1039.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Nick & Vicki<br />
Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
<a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">www.langebaan-sunset.com</a><br />
<br />
<i>We use the Engel fridge products</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Engel-AC-DC-Fridge-Freezer/dp/B001SIRDD0?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Engel AC/DC Fridge Freezer - Engel MT45F-U1" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001SIRDD0&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001SIRDD0" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Engel-Fridge-Slide-Tray-MT45F-U1/dp/B00399T488?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Engel Fridge Slide Tray for MT45F-U1" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B00399T488&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00399T488" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Engel-Transit-Bag-MT35-TBAG35G/dp/B00042JY2O?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Engel Transit Bag for MT35 - Engel TBAG35G" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B00042JY2O&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00042JY2O" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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<br />
</div></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-23355642632123378222011-01-18T13:22:00.003+00:002011-12-27T08:46:44.173+00:00210 Days….. A great escape and hundreds of potholes!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWR3k3i2tI/AAAAAAAAAVE/vz-s2DVu5Oo/s1600/IMG_0242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWR3k3i2tI/AAAAAAAAAVE/vz-s2DVu5Oo/s320/IMG_0242.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Countries visited – Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria & Cameroon</div><div class="MsoNormal">Miles travelled – 2186 miles</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sunny days – 29</div><div class="MsoNormal">Coolest night – 20’C</div><div class="MsoNormal">Warmest day – 37’C in Togo & Nigeria</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cheapest fuel – £0.45 in Nigeria</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best food tasted – Freshly caught fish that was so tastily barbecued to order in Limbe, Cameroon (they could sell the recipie and make a million!)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most interesting camps – Day 1 Cameroon outside a bar in Kumba – A GREAT night after a most amazing day in the Rain Forest.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most scenic (muddy) drive – Through the forest in North Cameroon, we saw our first clear streams/rivers for the first time in West Africa – feels like the Africa you see in the films.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Easiest visa application – Congo(Brazzaville) Embassy in Abuja. Mary, the lady who deals with applications, was amazing and got us on our way with our visa’s in less than half an hour</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWSHo2CxwI/AAAAAAAAAVI/vibOQOrgWgk/s1600/IMG_0251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWSHo2CxwI/AAAAAAAAAVI/vibOQOrgWgk/s320/IMG_0251.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Most useful things</div><br />
<ul><li>Our whiteboard on the side of the van. We decorated this in support of the national football teams of Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon (Black Stars, Super Eagles & Lions) which was a real winner for all our police checks. </li>
<li>Oh, and the winch! When the Landy fell into a soak-away pit at The Stumble Inn in Ghana</li>
</ul><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Least useful things</div><br />
<ul><li>Kelly Kettle! DON’T buy one of these – you will never use it</li>
<li>DEET – does not stop you getting bitten by Fourous (we call them Hoover Flies) they are an absolute pain in the butt – literally!</li>
<li>The lack of a T55 Torx bit to inspect the gearbox oil!! Poor planning!</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWSwAgVYHI/AAAAAAAAAVM/yoJWS2_7LLc/s1600/IMG_0294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWSwAgVYHI/AAAAAAAAAVM/yoJWS2_7LLc/s320/IMG_0294.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"> LOWLIGHTS…..</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Seeing a mangled, dead person on the road in Nigeria.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) The crazy roads in Southern Nigeria, pothole & tanker heaven – 80% of the road traffic are fuel tankers that have yet to learn that the cargo they are carrying should not be driven at speed greater than 20 mph on potholed roads!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Both Nick and I got the flu in Nigeria and only got better when we were at the sea in Cameroon. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWTTlr79mI/AAAAAAAAAVU/7QPbXH5YoQ0/s1600/IMG_0328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWTTlr79mI/AAAAAAAAAVU/7QPbXH5YoQ0/s320/IMG_0328.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> HIGHLIGHTS….</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Doing the gentle hour hike to see the lower Wli Falls in Ghana, they really were worth seeing (Nick took a swim in his pants …..“real man” swimwear)</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Finding a little Swiss run hotel in Togo where the owner had two washing machines (we haven’t seen these since we left Europe) and allowed us to do a load of washing for free, filled the swimming pool for us and did not charge us anything to stay there!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Getting in and out of Abuja in record time. We arrived on a Sunday evening and we proudly left before sunrise on the Friday morning with our Angolan, Cameroon & Congo visa’s.</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) Driving through amazing forests in Northern Cameroon – Cross River Park is amazing.</div><div class="MsoNormal">5) Meeting Sam, a 6 Foot 8” Cameroonian farmer, who took us on a tour of his Rubber and Cocoa farm which was preceded by him taking us to a local music night and dedicating a song to us (which he sang!).</div><div class="MsoNormal">6) Meeting up with our Italian friends and meeting some new fellow overlanders, Heike & Stefan going North – THANKS GUYS!!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWTDoZBVOI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/oOx3SL8_PWU/s1600/IMG_0594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWTDoZBVOI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/oOx3SL8_PWU/s320/IMG_0594.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> RANDOM FACTS….</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) We visited the ‘birthplace’ of voodoo in Togoville and we had an official audience with the Prince of Togo (in Togoville), quite surreal really. We are not sure whether the king is still alive as we were told he is ill but they won’t publicise his death until two years have passed from his death….go figure.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Nigerians on a whole were extremely friendly and very welcoming. We only had one incident where we were stopped by ‘fake’ officials. They claimed that we had come into Nigeria near Lagos and as we had travelled this way so we had to pay ‘environmental tax’. We firmly stood our ground and told them where we had entered Nigeria as tourists but they wouldn’t believe us and so they then asked us to pay ‘baggage drop off tax’. We firmly told them we had no baggage and the very alcoholic smelling man started to try and mumble some other taxes we would have to pay and that Nick should go with him to see what this was all about. Now we would normally just drive away but we had another man standing with a nail board under our front tyre so we couldn’t go forward. Clearly they still had hangovers and they didn’t anticipate us escaping. Nick saw two large lorries approaching (I might add that we were stopped on a very fast dual carriageway) and told me to put the car in reverse and GO GO GO. We escaped tyres intact and some very surprised ‘officials’ who just stood and watched us leave!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) The route around Abidan in Nigeria is chaos where the Abidan-Lagos expressway dumps all the traffic into the middle of a market. Fuel tanker mayhem and a huge fire risk as there are many leaking fuel tankers!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWTjAN_oZI/AAAAAAAAAVY/NNkoAt2i0bw/s1600/IMG_0646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TTWTjAN_oZI/AAAAAAAAAVY/NNkoAt2i0bw/s320/IMG_0646.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Nick & Vicki<br />
Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
<a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">www.langebaan-sunset.com</a><br />
<br />
<i>We cook using the Trangia system</i> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/27-8-STOVE-KIT-HARD-ANOD/dp/B0014BOSUW?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="27-8 UL STOVE KIT HARD ANOD" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0014BOSUW&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0014BOSUW" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trangia-TR506010-TRANGIA-FUEL-BOTTLE/dp/B000Q6BQKG?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000Q6BQKG" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trangia-GAS-BURNER-PRIMUS-SYSTEM/dp/B001BXA2PS?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="GAS BURNER PRIMUS SYSTEM" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001BXA2PS&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001BXA2PS" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <br />
<br />
</div></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-84341652228271020752010-11-25T20:23:00.002+00:002011-12-27T08:48:40.055+00:00180 Days…..The real Tropics, great food & amazing music!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b>Countries visited</b> – Burkina Faso & Ghana</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Miles travelled</b> – 1704 miles</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Sunny days</b> – 27</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Coolest night</b> – 21’C</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Warmest day</b> – 40’C Koubri in Burkina Faso and the days have got more humid coming South to Ghana</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Cheapest fuel</b> – £0.51 Ghana</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Slip slop repairs</b> – 2 more…..Reef SA if you want slip slops road tested you better send them my way!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Best food tasted</b> – Burkina Faso: Fab doughnuts Ghana: Chicken Curry & Red Red (Deep-fried plantain with chilli sauce)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Best wild camp</b> – Village corner under a tree on a junction at the “Rasta” Camp</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Most useful things</b> – Our spangly new solar panel to keep our fridge going when we stop for a few days</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Least useful things</b> – Our squashed beloved washing machine!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>LOWLIGHTS…..</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Getting an infected mosquito bite! Although Nick’s Boy Scout first aid “training” came in handy here (so did a packet of Ciprofloxicin)</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) One more traffic fine* in Ouagadougou for not stopping at an amber/red light….Nick!</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Not being able to find anywhere in Ouaga to watch the deciding Grand Prix.</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) Nick driving over our roofrack ‘washing machine’ tub!!!* ^^</div><div class="MsoNormal">5) Realising what man is doing to the land in the tropics – not many hard woods left but also people “existing” on less than $1 a day – it’s a tough one.</div><div class="MsoNormal">6) Almost rolling the landy – Dassie decided to have a “sideways” moment but luckily Nick is such an amazing and gifted driver he managed to “wrestle” the car back into a straight line …. Phew!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">*Comment by Nick: Vicki paints Nick in a bad light here – its NOT all his fault!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">^^ Comment by Vicki: It is if you put the tub under the wheel arch, forget that you have done this and then reverse over it!! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TO7EZ1wgWcI/AAAAAAAAAU0/R80s3qhvXWA/s1600/IMG_4812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TO7EZ1wgWcI/AAAAAAAAAU0/R80s3qhvXWA/s320/IMG_4812.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>HIGHLIGHTS….</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Being invited to have some tea with villagers in a small village in Burkina Faso. Although the tea making was a long process, it was so worth the wait and the conversation.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Free camping at the Hotel Ok Inn, couldn’t be better in a capital city and meeting up with our mates from Gravel Roads (Eric and Dean)</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Staying with our fellow Italian overlanders (Fab and El) in a village in Burkina Faso and hosting Italian coffee mornings for one and all (including Rastas on donkeys)</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) Demonstrating 5 solar lamps for an evening school class and getting involved in a volunteer project at a local school in Koubri, Burkina Faso</div><div class="MsoNormal">5) Staying at the Green Turtle Lodge, Ghana….. paradise!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">6) Vicki realising that Nick is better at map reading almost ALL of the time ;-)</div><div class="MsoNormal">7) The welcome we got when we came to Ghana – complex handshakes and a discussions about the world cup – GO BLACK STARS!!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">8) Ghana street food – It may well be fried in palm oil – but boy it tastes good!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">9) Greenery – palms, hardwoods and plants of tropical sizes</div><div class="MsoNormal">10) Music and dancing – amazing concerts and players – seen some proper African drumming along with some sexy bumpin and grindin!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">11) Trying to master several different African handshakes</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TO7D70-6i2I/AAAAAAAAAUw/AQse6bH3CYk/s1600/IMG_0168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TO7D70-6i2I/AAAAAAAAAUw/AQse6bH3CYk/s320/IMG_0168.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>RANDOM FACTS….</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">1) We gave two volunteers a lift in the back of Dassie and they said it was more comfortable than a tros-tros (local mini bus transport in Ghana), so much so that they both fell asleep!!! And it wasn’t even a tarred road!</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) We had our first proper bartering experience with a little girl in Burkina. She had spotted that we had an empty coke bottle so she came over with a bag of peanuts (they grow these themselves). I thought that she wanted to sell them to me so I got a little bit of money to pay her, when handing over the money she was clearly shocked and gasped. She then made it clear that she wanted our coke bottle. She then said goodbye and something else in the local language, which I clearly didn’t understand. About half an hour later she came back and had made me a little hand broom as a thank you for the money!</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Meals in Ghana sometimes come on two plates….. we are putting weight on!!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) Dassie was orange by the time we hit the coast in Ghana so we gave her a good clean – nice to see parts of the van that we had not seen for more than a month</div><div class="MsoNormal">5) West Africa has had some late rains – we had some great tropical storms with proper Hollywood style lightening, one of which required a complete drying session the next day.</div><div class="MsoNormal">6) Forgot to mention that even though Nick has lost his wedding ring – he still managed to get a marriage proposal from a lady at an egg stall – Nick thinks its because of his good looks and charm – Vicki belives it was because he was so dirty that she took pity on him and simply offered to scrub him clean and wash his clothes…. Could have been a “lost in translation” moment ;-)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TO7FOQfSdSI/AAAAAAAAAU8/CwEtoOpQVQE/s1600/IMG_4984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TO7FOQfSdSI/AAAAAAAAAU8/CwEtoOpQVQE/s1600/IMG_4984.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Nick & Vicki<br />
Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
<a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">www.langebaan-sunset.com</a><br />
<br />
<i>We use the Shurflow pump & British Berkefeld Filters</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/SHURflo-2088-422-444-Classic-Potable-Water/dp/B0006GK5NA?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="SHURflo 2088-422-444 2.8 Classic Series Potable Water Pump" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0006GK5NA&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0006GK5NA" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/British-Berkefeld-Ceramic-Filters-Berkey/dp/B0030FAAIY?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="(2) 7" British Berkefeld Ceramic Water Filters for Big Berkey" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0030FAAIY&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0030FAAIY" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> </div></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-34086543670519763512010-11-06T21:25:00.002+00:002011-12-27T08:50:40.111+00:00On reflection, Rosso Border Crossing........<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">For overlander types familiar with traveling North South via West Africa, here is a summary (for the record) of what to expect if you go via Rosso into Senegal from Mauritania. If you are just interested in reading about what one of the worst border crossings in Africa is like, read on.........<br />
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In May 2010, the wife and I left the UK to travel South to Cape Town and had the pleasure of going through Rosso a few weeks ago (Oct 2010). Rosso is one of the links between Mauritania and Senegal. Its one of the crossings people dread on this kind of trip and really try to avoid.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNXDSGW1N_I/AAAAAAAAAUg/1--uW9MDSck/s1600/rosso+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNXDSGW1N_I/AAAAAAAAAUg/1--uW9MDSck/s320/rosso+map.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
1) The Rosso crossing is not as bad as people say as long as you "try" and stick to the following......You can avoid it and there is a better crossing at Diama that is reachable when the rains finish. West Africa had suffered some late / heavy rains in Sept / Oct 2010 and we found the route to Diama closed / flooded. Thus if you have no other option Rosso it is!<br />
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2) The border / crossing is true African experience and most of the blogs / posts on the topic are right, so if you have read up on it most of what happens is no surprise and you can arrive "prepared". Keeping your cool is key and take your time - dont get rushed and be firm but polite with the "masses" that "welcome" you.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNXBpI6ftFI/AAAAAAAAAUc/draZeVxwYaw/s1600/angry_mob.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNXBpI6ftFI/AAAAAAAAAUc/draZeVxwYaw/s320/angry_mob.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br />
3) Chaos starts way before you get to the border heading South from Mauri. We were "introduced" to a "guide" 15km North of the border who "chased" us in a Merc. When I say chased, I mean he and his 2 mates drove at speed to cut us up and stop us several times to make sure we "knew" that "they" were our "chosen" guides for the crossing and the people to buy insurance from etc..... These guys seriously intimidate the locals and offers of "free" help were jumped on quickly!!! Attempts to shake them off (changing direction, going back to previous police post etc....) simply resulted in them turning around and chasing us the other way. Easy to escape on motor bikes - less so in an aging Land Rover or push bike. These guys have a well rehearsed routine - with each of them fully understanding French and English they will stand right next to you and listen to your conversations. Try and be polite and talk in private when you are on the move.<br />
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4) As soon as you reach The Blue Gates (they have erected on both sides of the river) crowds gather..... you have no choice but to go through them to start the processing. This ensures that Westerners are "greeted" by the right "gang" that happens to have first pickings that day / time. Just ignore the idiots / kids / beggers / scammers and drive through the gates....drive and do not stop and a few inches from the gates they will miraculously open for you...... WELCOME TO ROSSO! <br />
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5) Parking is just down by the river. Park up and lock all doors etc... if you are on bikes..... leave your partner with the bikes and walk in with all your paperwork. If you were solo this would be hard work to secure your gear....pick pockets and thieves are ACTIVE and alert to all your moves, with young kids acting as distraction artists (singing, begging etc...) while older, more skilled Oliver Twist types try door handles, locks, bags etc.... etc.....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNXEzUNAYYI/AAAAAAAAAUk/leo_sgrO95s/s1600/olivertwist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNXEzUNAYYI/AAAAAAAAAUk/leo_sgrO95s/s1600/olivertwist.jpg" /></a></div><br />
6) Police and customs are in on the scam..... they so not get involved in disputes and the "guides" are basically their slave / gimps that do their bidding (fetch tea, read out documents etc....) so kind of feel good about their position in the pecking order. <br />
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7) To avoid involvement of the "help" is a hard task..... even when (as we did) ignore all attempts of help, and handing our paperwork over to the police etc.... you realise that this gets given straight back to the "help". We accepted this and as we had not lost our cool with them things actually progressed quite smoothly and friendly. A kind of Stockholm Syndrome begins to prevail !<br />
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8) While you keep your money in your pocket YOU hold slightly more power than them - its your cash they want - remember this and avoid handing money over in dribs and drabs. Make sure you state you will pay the "fees" when EVERYTHING is complete and all paperwork is back in your hands.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNXFuYjtRrI/AAAAAAAAAUo/N2p6Ed4z_0w/s1600/spud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNXFuYjtRrI/AAAAAAAAAUo/N2p6Ed4z_0w/s320/spud.jpg" width="186" /></a></div><br />
9) If you have more than 2 people in your group (we had 6 in our party) it helps to divvy up responsibilities. This helps create confusion for them and several people will stick with you to make sure where the "money is". Its kind of fun to keep this "show" going right to the end.<br />
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10) Ignore the B S""T info about needing insurance before you cross etc..... buy it on the other side. The "help" will cross the river with you and when you get to the other side a "handover" is made to "help" No. 2. Again, be friendly, don't loose your cool and work with the guy.<br />
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11) We bought a 6 month Carte Brun for 3rd party insurance for the Landy for West Africa Community Countries for 100 €. You will need to get this as its an easy bribe point at the numerous check points that exist on the way to St Louis. We got asked for it at least 6 times before St Louis along with a series of other items, like warning triangles, high vis jackets, fire extinguisher etc...etc.... <br />
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12) When the helper gimps have finished with the paperwork the fun begins. There are some legit. fees to pay, ferry ticket, passivant etc...but the rest is fake. Here is what we paid as a guide (per couple / vehicle). <br />
<ul><li>Ferry ticket 23€</li>
<li>Passivant, processing, tax 25€</li>
<li>Insurance, 6 month Carte Brun 100€</li>
<li>"Help" fee 21€</li>
</ul>For sure we got ripped off but also we got off lightly compared to what other people have paid in the past. The insurance alone probably saved us at least a few fines on the way to St Louis.<br />
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13) Bear in mind we avoided all the smaller scams (parking fees etc...) and bar one of our mates getting his hat nicked and me getting my pocket felt (a kid stole my ferry ticket receipt HA HA HA), we were finally let out of the Blue Gates in Senegal side at approx 8pm (dark by now) having started the process at 3pm (way too late). We then had a 120km drive in the dark to St Louis.....It was dark and the crowd was intimidating but we stuck together and got through it.<br />
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What would we do different next time / advice we would offer:<br />
<ul><li>Go to Diama for sure - but we cut it too fine with the rains - check the weather situation in advance - ideally with Zebrabar people.</li>
<li>Catch the earliest ferry - we made a bad choice because of the closed road to Diama and so ended up on the last ferry (fools)</li>
<li>Unless you speak absolutely fluent French and insist on speaking with the Chefs at each post and probably use a line along the lines of reporting them when you get to Dakar, it is better to work with the "help" - I sensed that no one wants to rock the boat at Rosso so this is probably a futile strategy - so agree a price for the lot before you start and ONLY pay it when you get THROUGH the gates.</li>
<li>You do hold some power and its your cash they want - withhold it for as long as you can - if you can go as a group it helps.</li>
<li>You dont have to worry about your documents going missing as you can stick with the paper chain - just hold your nerve and keep your eyes peeled</li>
<li>Dont do what one of the people in our group did (a traveler we met along the way) and tell them that you are "scared", this helps transfer power to them and probably a racking up of more fees on the "scam meter"</li>
<li>Going there with a "I am going to not pay a single bribe" attitude is probably going to rock the boat. Softly, softly works best.</li>
</ul>All in all - Rosso does exactly what it says on the tin! Its a sorry looking, poor place, full of people trying to make a quick buck. It looks like one or two main gangs hold control and they work with the officials - I am not sure how you could change this.<br />
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Its a real shame as Senegal is a nice country and this is "introduction" is just a let down which you quickly get over, especially over a bottle of wine discussing the revenge scenarios you might employ should you ever pass by on the river in an "Apocolypse Now" style gun boat and an unlimited amount of ammunition !! ;-)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNXGTOHgYqI/AAAAAAAAAUs/ncTnQoXFRjY/s1600/Apoc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNXGTOHgYqI/AAAAAAAAAUs/ncTnQoXFRjY/s1600/Apoc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Enjoy it and good luck !!<br />
<br />
Nick & Vicki<br />
Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
<a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">www.langebaan-sunset.com</a><br />
<br />
<i>We use Chris Scott guides - Fantastic resources!</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Overlanders-Handbook-Worldwide-route-planning/dp/1905864078?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide route and planning guide (car, 4WD, van, truck)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1905864078&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1905864078" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sahara-Overland-2nd-Planning-Trailblazer/dp/1873756763?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Sahara Overland, 2nd: A Route and Planning Guide (Trailblazer)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1873756763&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1873756763" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Morocco-Overland-motorcycle-mountainbike-Trailblazer/dp/1905864205?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Morocco Overland: 45 routes from the Atlas to the Sahara by 4wd, motorcycle or mountainbike (Trailblazer Guides)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1905864205&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1905864205" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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</div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-64573559761203266042010-11-05T20:32:00.002+00:002011-12-27T08:54:36.495+00:00150 days…..3 borders, 2 repairs to Dassie & 1 traffic fine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNRnad9qa7I/AAAAAAAAAUI/Kf4Nxhat31I/s1600/IMG_8595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNRnad9qa7I/AAAAAAAAAUI/Kf4Nxhat31I/s320/IMG_8595.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Countries visited</b> – Morocco including Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal & Mali </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Miles travelled</b> – 3436 miles</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Longest day on the road</b> – 18 hours……this was the day we crossed the border at Rosso from Mauritania to Senegal</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Craziest driving</b> – Bamako, Mali</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Sunny days</b> – 29</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Coldest night</b> – 16’C on the Tizi ‘n Test Pass in Morocco</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Warmest day</b> – 42’C in Sidi Ifni, Morocco</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Highest mountain pass travelled</b> – 6829 ft, Tizi ‘n Test Pass in the Atlas Mountains</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Cheapest fuel</b> – £0.40 in the Western Sahara</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Slip slop repairs</b> – 2 (one on Marrakesh and one in Bamako)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Best food tasted</b> – the garden fresh food that the little restaurant on the summit of the Tizi ‘n Test Pass served……they grow all their own veg & the freshly caught fish we bought from a fisherman in the Western Sahara</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Best wild camp</b> – although extremely windy, in the desert in Western Sahara….we had the sky as our spectacle for the night, the highlight seeing the 4 moons of Jupiter with bino's</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Most useful thing</b> – the addictive and indispensible “African air-conditioner” (a fan) that I bought in Bamako</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Least useful things</b> – the ant colony that took up residence in Dassie</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNRnkCRpKZI/AAAAAAAAAUM/hN3HHLAWewI/s1600/IMG_8707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNRnkCRpKZI/AAAAAAAAAUM/hN3HHLAWewI/s320/IMG_8707.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>LOWLIGHT…..</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Probably the biggest lowlight in the whole of the trip so far was our crossing from Mauritania to Senegal via the Rosso border crossing. Unfortunately our efforts to get to the Diama crossing were crushed as they had late heavy rains, which meant the roads were still impassable to Diama. To add to the misery of this, we were chased by a threatening border hustler by the name of ‘Muhammad Ali’ for over three hours in our efforts to see if there was any other way to Diama. We did find a very obliging local gentleman who was happy to show us a track, which was passable to Diama. As we were about to set off with the local gentleman, ‘Muhammad Ali’ and his cronies appeared on the roadside and started to aggressively threaten the local gentleman. We decided it was safest for all involved to set off back to the last checkpoint and speak to the police and decide on what to do. We could either drive back to Nouakchott (a very long drive), camp at the police checkpoint and start the next day fresh and possibly go back to the gentleman who could show us the track to Diama OR cross the border at Rosso. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Rosso was decided and we entered the blue gates that meant there was no going back!! Aside from all the hustlers, scammers, pick pockets and chaos we managed to get the last ferry over the river where we were basically held ransom till after dark. The authorities seem to turn a blind eye to the goings on and they leave the border post at 6pm. We were then held by the scammers& hustlers and told we had to pay for ‘parking’ at the border post and then were not allowed out the border gates till we paid a ‘community’ tax!!!!! In the madness and negotiations to reduce these fees and taxes with an ever increasing crowd around us, Dean had his hat stolen from his bike, Ruth and Ian had an imposter trying to steal from their vehicle and Nick had a hand go into his pocket, luckily the little thief only acquired our ferry receipt. It was now dark and well after 8pm and we still had 120 km to drive before reaching the Zebra Bar. We succumbed and paid fees to get out and started our long journey breaking the BIG RULE of not driving at night.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The road was atrociously pot holed and took over three hours to get to St Louis. Once entering St Louis we got stuck in a traffic jam due to an accident and a sewerage cesspool in the street. We eventually turned around and went another way. Relieved that we were very near to the Zebra Bar we headed out of St Louis with the bikes going ahead. This was short lived as the bikes were stopped at a checkpoint and initially they were told they were speeding and then it changed to an ‘illegal’ overtaking of a moped. We finally got to the Zebra Bar at 1am after negotiating the fine….we were all exhausted and very pleased that we were welcomed at this hour with cold beers. <span style="font-family: Wingdings;"></span>We had survived Rosso……!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNRn3eWKGbI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/m4iC0c1GI94/s1600/IMG_9568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNRn3eWKGbI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/m4iC0c1GI94/s320/IMG_9568.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b>HIGHLIGHTS….</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Meeting fellow overlanders in Marrakesh for our transit through Mauritania. We did this transit with 3 vehicles and two motorbikes. The ‘team’ consisted of ‘The Italians” Fabio & Elenora, “The Boys/Bikers” Erich & Dean, “The Africans” Ian & Ruth and ourselves. We thoroughly enjoyed all the time that we were together and we hope that everybody has a fab journey onwards.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Having Happy Birthday sung to me in Arabic by a lovely Moroccan gentleman where we stayed on the Tizi ‘n Test Pass.</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Seeing goats in trees!!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) Being given tomatoes for free when we stopped to buy some on the roadside of a very rural village. Later that day we were given some oranges by another local where we were wild camping. We have had such amazing experiences from people who have such a little, it really leaves you with a lump in your throat.</div><div class="MsoNormal">5) Helping to fix a bicycle for some children and seeing how appreciative they were.</div><div class="MsoNormal">6) Getting our Carnet stamped in Rosso – GET IN!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">7) Surviving Rosso crossing and having revenge fantasies involving gun boats, automatic weapons and people in high places (up yours Muhammad Ali)</div><div class="MsoNormal">8) Visiting the Bandia Wildlife Reserve in Senegal. </div><div class="MsoNormal">8) Exchanging travel tales with our fellow travellers……we have all laughed till our bellies have ached on some of the things that have happened to us..... most of which seem to be toilet related ;-)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNRoCiZ2P-I/AAAAAAAAAUU/b1FwvVQ-q_M/s1600/IMG_9617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNRoCiZ2P-I/AAAAAAAAAUU/b1FwvVQ-q_M/s320/IMG_9617.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <b>RANDOM FACTS….</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) I braved it and went to buy a fresh whole chicken to cook everybody a curry whilst in Western Sahara. After seeing chickens being ‘dispatched’ to order in most medina’s, I was a bit worried that I would have to watch the fate of the chicken…….luckily they had been ‘dispatched’ a little earlier in the day but the chicken butcher did laugh when I asked him to remove the chicken’s feet!</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) We had to replace Dassie’s clutch slave cylinder on the roadside….big thank you to Dean and Erich who were so keen to help us on our two slave cylinder episodes, you are legends!!! Again, sorry that Nick spilt clutch fluid on you Dean.</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Our diesel fuel injector sprung a leak, luckily we were able to find a specialist in Dakhla who was able to replace a seal which has worked a gem since.</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) We got one traffic fine in Morocco for not stopping at a stop sign….always listen to the wife Nick !<span style="font-family: Wingdings;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">5) We got our wheel clamped for parking in the ‘wrong’ place in St Louis, Senegal….again Nick should listen to his wife more.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNRoNtE7GFI/AAAAAAAAAUY/NkzUenJiGJk/s1600/IMG_9605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TNRoNtE7GFI/AAAAAAAAAUY/NkzUenJiGJk/s320/IMG_9605.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Nick & Vicki<br />
Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
<a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">www.langebaan-sunset.com</a><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>We use the Michelin Map Series for Africa</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Africa-North-West-cover/dp/2067128329?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Michelin Map Africa North & West 741 (w/cover)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=2067128329&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=2067128329" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Africa-Central-South-Madagascar/dp/206712837X?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Michelin Map Africa Central South and Madagascar 746 (w/cover)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=206712837X&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=206712837X" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Africa-Northeast-Arabia-cover/dp/2067128361?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Michelin Map Africa Northeast & Arabia 745 (w/cover) (Michelin Maps)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=2067128361&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=2067128361" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/0742-Morocco-Maroc-Michelin-National/dp/2067118870?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Map 0742 Morocco/Maroc (Michelin National Maps)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=2067118870&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=2067118870" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<br />
</div></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-23144035608177294242010-10-17T19:24:00.002+01:002011-12-27T08:56:07.852+00:00120 days, Goodbye Europe, Hello Africa - New adventures on a new continent……<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Countries visited – Spain & Morocco</div><div class="MsoNormal">Miles travelled – 2365</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sunny days – 26</div><div class="MsoNormal">Coldest night – 13’C at the start of the High Atlas Mountains</div><div class="MsoNormal">Warmest days – 44’C on the desert piste on the edge of the Sahara / Algeria</div><div class="MsoNormal">Highest mountain pass travelled – 9479 ft on a mountain track in the High Atlas Mountains</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cheapest fuel – £0.58/l in Morocco</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best food tasted – the syrupy pastries we tasted in the Chefchaouen medina for breaking the fast</div><div class="MsoNormal">Worst meal – Meal at restaurant in Fez medina……subsequently made all in the group ill</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best wild camp – in the desert….amazingly quiet and even better star gazing</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most useful things – a small spray bottle to spray our faces in the desert for some cool relief, sarongs (multi-use as a skirt, towel, ‘blanket’, sunshade etc.) and our hammocks which double as a 3rd or 4th seat around the camp fire</div><div class="MsoNormal">Least useful things – the ignorant/selfish teenage Spanish boys that kept us awake till 5am in Tarifa</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TLs_BCRLHEI/AAAAAAAAAT0/3jSI1I8dWLw/s1600/IMG_7381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TLs_BCRLHEI/AAAAAAAAAT0/3jSI1I8dWLw/s320/IMG_7381.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">LOWLIGHTS…</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Visiting Gibraltar to do some admin/banking. A very bizarre place stuck in a 1983 time warp. The thing that is saddening is that it is next to a very poor Spanish town that has crumbling roads and a lot of visible poverty. </div><div class="MsoNormal">2) The legacy of plastic pollution in Morocco as well as the smell of burning refuse. Added to this was seeing the devastation that erosion and flash flooding have on people struggling to make ends meet.</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Seeing the direct impact of the wrong type of tourism….the type of tourism where people have clearly driven through villages and given handouts like masses of pens, stickers, paper, clothes, toiletries etc. It does leave a bit of a sour taste when you get mobbed by people who just want things from you.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TLs_JpPEwZI/AAAAAAAAAT4/TeSzKOwnGho/s1600/IMG_7833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TLs_JpPEwZI/AAAAAAAAAT4/TeSzKOwnGho/s320/IMG_7833.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">HIGHLIGHTS…</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Visiting the Alhambra in Granada. This is one fine place to spend a day with hundreds of years of history, art, gardens, architecture, monarchy and religion to marvel over.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) ‘Hotboxing’ aka one of us sitting in the back of the Landy whilst having our friend Chad travelling with us for a few days….really fab having had Chad spend this time with us….we miss you!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Throwing ourselves into Moroccan life whilst staying in Chefchaouen during part of Ramadan. This little town has an amazing little Medina with most walls painted in amazing blue hues. The buzziest part of the day started about an hour before fast broke and it was fab seeing everybody getting ready by collecting food from the communal bake house, collecting water, buying fruit and all the hustle and bustle around this.</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) Spending 3 days in the desert. Hot and dusty but wow!! All the different landscapes were amazing.</div><div class="MsoNormal">5) Having children run up to us merely to say hello, smile (the biggest smiles ever) and wave. It was an absolute pleasure seeing this in very rural areas. More heartening was when we had whole families greeting us and welcoming us to their village.</div><div class="MsoNormal">6) We slept in our first proper bed since Holland!!! We stayed in a little hotel on day 114 and it was quite strange being in a room instead of the roof tent.</div><div class="MsoNormal">7) Visiting the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. We would recommend this to everybody!!! Really interesting and it’s one of the few mosque’s that non-Muslims may visit and it’s the third largest one in the world (St Peters in Rome easily fits inside)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TLs_QZgD0xI/AAAAAAAAAT8/P1i4sv4md4c/s1600/IMG_8372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TLs_QZgD0xI/AAAAAAAAAT8/P1i4sv4md4c/s320/IMG_8372.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">RANDOM FACTS…</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Nick and I got ‘remarried’ with our new €1 wooden wedding rings in Tarifa, Spain</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) I got seasick for the very first time ever on the ferry over to Africa!!</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) We have got better at not being too messy whilst doing oil changes on Dassie. Finding a cardboard box can do wonders at being tidy.</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) Wherever we stopped to wild camp in Morocco regardless of how far away you think you are from villagers we always had two boys come to see us. Some arrived on foot, by donkey or by motorbike. They usually have something to sell too like some goats milk, the strangest thing we were offered was a lizard on a leash!<br />
<br />
Nick & Vicki<br />
Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
<a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">www.langebaan-sunset.com</a> <br />
<br />
<i>Just some of the books we found useful on the trip</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Africa-Adventure-Atlas-Geographic-National/dp/1597751464?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Africa Adventure Atlas" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1597751464&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1597751464" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Africa-Shoestring-Anglin/dp/1740594622?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Lonely Planet Africa on a Shoestring" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1740594622&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1740594622" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Healthy-Travel-Africa/dp/1864500506?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Lonely Planet Healthy Travel Africa (Lonely Planet Healthy Travel Guides)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1864500506&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1864500506" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Europe-Phrasebook/dp/1741799732?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Lonely Planet Europe Phrasebook" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1741799732&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1741799732" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Africa-Lonely-Phrasebook-Yiwola-Awoyale/dp/1740596927?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Africa: Lonely Planet Phrasebook" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1740596927&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1740596927" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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<br />
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<br />
</div></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569014665796721911.post-47195805995308939732010-10-17T19:21:00.003+01:002011-12-27T08:57:28.907+00:0090 days, mountains, vultures & offroad tracks……<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Countries & Principalities visited – France, Andorra & Spain</div><div class="MsoNormal">Miles travelled – 2066</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sunny days – 27</div><div class="MsoNormal">Coldest night – 7’C in the Spanish Pyrenees</div><div class="MsoNormal">Warmest days – 38’C in the Spanish Pyrenees</div><div class="MsoNormal">Highest mountain pass travelled – 7477 ft track from Llessui in the Pyrennes</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cheapest fuel - €0.93/litre in Andorra</div><div class="MsoNormal">Best meal – Roast chicken & potatoes, thank you Mrs B <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Weirdest place we wild camped – ghost ski resort in the Pyrenees</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most useful things – our warm clothes whilst we were in the mountains, the road atlas & guide for Spain that Fiona & Colin gave us, thank you.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Least useful things – big rectangular plastic storage box…it actually took up too much space so we gave it away & our auxillary battery that died a death.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TLs_1L_cOnI/AAAAAAAAAUA/cWvSXKK6UKM/s1600/IMG_6879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TLs_1L_cOnI/AAAAAAAAAUA/cWvSXKK6UKM/s320/IMG_6879.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">LOWLIGHTS…</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) We thought €35 was a lot to be charged for camping but we were yet to be surprised when we got to the Costa Bravo……€55 a night for two people is outrageous! We compounded our shock by trying to sleep in the cab of Dassie which resulted in stiff necks and driving into the mountains at 2am…..we slept very well in a forest car park after this!</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Nick losing his wedding band….I don’t think it is in the Land Rover but there could be a lucky gypsy in The Camargue that had his day made finding a platinum ring!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TLs-YJIyGWI/AAAAAAAAATs/zMn2UWcPQow/s1600/IMG_6575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TLs-YJIyGWI/AAAAAAAAATs/zMn2UWcPQow/s320/IMG_6575.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">HIGHLIGHTS…</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) Spending a great afternoon sailing and swimming with friends.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Finding a fabulous campsite in France with a secret beach for snorkelling.</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Doing some super 4x4 tracks high in the mountains in Andorra & Spain., we spent most of our nights wild camping in the mountains too.</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) Vulture spotting in the Pyrenees. </div><div class="MsoNormal">2) Walking the length of the ancient aqueduct in Segovia and visiting the Mosque/Cathedral in Cordoba.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TLs-gYCMT8I/AAAAAAAAATw/yK3-H-Ek3yo/s1600/IMG_6747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RMTXpCuKEG8/TLs-gYCMT8I/AAAAAAAAATw/yK3-H-Ek3yo/s320/IMG_6747.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">RANDOM FACTS…</div><div class="MsoNormal">1) A lady always finds a way to do some shopping…….as some of you will know, Nick occasionally enjoys the occasional cigarette. Although I don’t mind this entirely, I did mind the fact that the cigarette money was coming from our daily/weekly budget. So a compromise deal was reached….I get the value of the cigarettes in a little kitty to spend on whatever I like <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">2) We treated ourselves to our first gift and we bought ourselves a snorkel and mask each. We have already spent some great hours swimming and spotting different fish.</div><div class="MsoNormal">3) Spanish road signs can sometimes be a bit sparse (missing, stolen or possibly removed purposefully) so if in doubt drive on a bit further and you will inevitably find another sign to point you in the right direction.</div><div class="MsoNormal">4) The library in Toledo’s Alcazar is really fabulous. A great place to unwind for a little while, they sometimes have some photographic/art exhibitions as well as free wifi.</div><div class="MsoNormal">5) We have helped numerous people in a spot of bother, which started during the 60+ days. Two of these incidents happened at one campsite, different people, different days but one thing in common….as the owner of the campsite said, ”Problemo camping platz number 10!!” We have helped to put smiles on people’s faces and allowed some to go to bed with full tummies.<br />
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Nick & Vicki<br />
Stonehenge to Cape Town 2010/11<br />
<a href="http://www.langebaan-sunset.com/">www.langebaan-sunset.com</a><br />
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<i>We used Lonely Planet Guides in Europe</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Country-Guide-Spain/dp/174179000X?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Lonely Planet Country Guide Spain (Lonely Planet Spain)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=174179000X&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=174179000X" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-France-Country-Guide/dp/1741049156?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Lonely Planet France (Country Guide)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1741049156&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1741049156" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Europe-Shoestring-Masters/dp/1741048559?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Lonely Planet Europe (Shoestring)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1741048559&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1741048559" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Western-Europe-Country/dp/1741049172?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Lonely Planet Western Europe (Multi Country Guide)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1741049172&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1741049172" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Walking-Helen-Fairbairn/dp/1740593952?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Lonely Planet Walking in the Alps" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1740593952&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1740593952" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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</div></div>Nick Bradshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10850271507199484542noreply@blogger.com1