EAT YOUR HEART OUT, NOW GET ABOARD
Having whittled our luggage down to manageable proportions, there are some essential items which we should have included but the extra baggage was just too bulky and awkward. Having seen some of the overlander trucks and the way they are kitted out, our next truck will have space to stash some friends.
I'm well aware that many of our friends would not appreciate the type or duration of a trip like this - and many would go into open revolt if we were to bung them into the luggage racks and rattle off down a rough road. But some would leap at the chance and these are the people we miss most out here, wanting to share the experiences with them.
Chugging slowly up the winding mountain pass to Soni in the dark with the clouds spitting on our windscreen was one time both Lisa and I - independently - thought of a specific friend.
Naturally, Lisa's thoughts were kinder - my first thought involved a lot of gloating. We'd travelled up Bagamoyo after spending the morning looking at glorified slave pens ("Old German Fort" in the guide book) and the caravanserai (the start and end point for slave and trade caravans), leaving about lunchtime and doing the first part of the trip along the old slave track to reach the main tar road between Dar es Salaam and Arusha.
Reaching Mombo on the main road to Arusha just after dark (yes, we know we shouldn't travel in the dark but we're a little slow at adapting to African time and distance!). Our initial plan of making for a well-reviewed (by other travellers) beach town called Pangani - another former slaving town - went out the window after the two and a half hours on the slave track out of Bagamoyo and the prospect of at least another hour and a half on worse roads (according to the maps) before reaching Pangani.
The oppressive humidity and heat of the coast helped to wash away that option and we struck out for Lushoto instead, a former German summer holiday town nestling in a high valley in the Usambara mountains. Our luck was in: the turn-off to Lushoto is sign posted, a somewhat uncommon occurrence in Africa, and it is tarred, thanks to the German government's "gift to the people of Tanzania".
The road winds, in much the same way a skein of wool does, from Mombo up to Soni, rising 700 m over a distance of 17km. Near Soni we had that "Wish he was here" feeling.
As we chugged slowly - 25 km/h slowly - upwards, from the darkness ahead there emerged the feline shape of a large spotted genet, gliding across the road 20 m in front of us to slip over the edge and away. Spluttering - both the truck and ourselves - I scurried to see if I could still see the genet - alas, not, although I suspect it was watching me.
For those of you who don't know what a genet is, it's a small, nocturnal, spotted predator with large ears and a pointed face and spotting one is akin to winning the main prize in the lottery (but more rewarding!). Back in the truck Lisa and both rabbitted on about driving at night having some advantages and this being only the second time we'd seen one outside a game park.
Ten minutes later we stopped abruptly for a second time. Another large spotted genet - there are a variety of genet species but all are shy and elusive - crossed our path. This time, the creature was kind to us and took refuge in sparse bush 2 m (yes, two metres) from the edge of the road, crouching nervously while we took photographs and watched it for about 10 minutes. We could tell when we were getting too close because its ears began twitching and its large eyes searched for avenues of escape.
As we walked back to the car after releasing the genet from its torment, I couldn't help saying: "Eat your heart out, Dr Jack". Lisa had also thought of our friend Jack Swanepoel, who loves the bush as much (more, maybe) as we do and who teaches us new things about wildlife and the environment whenever we see him. He is probably the only person we know who would have jabbered as much as we did at seeing two genets in one night.
Trevor and Alta Ackhurst (Gordon too, if he stops calling me "Uncle"), who were so much a part of our life in Pretoria that it's difficult to think of home without them around, would also find room in our luggage rack. Trevor's knowledge of vehicles would be welcome but it's the easy understanding and enjoyment in his company that I miss.
Naturally, considering that very few items in Africa have a fixed price, the fact that we like her having nothing to do with it, we'd also have to have our professional haggler Amy Orrock aboard. Africa would probably not make a profit during the entire period of our trip - and might even end up owing us money by the time Amy had finished.
I've often missed arch-cynic Julian Rademeyer and his only slightly less jaded father Robert. They are both bookworms, being able to ferret out appropriate reading matter on whatever topic is at hand - if they haven't read something about it already and just happen to have it to hand.
Lushoto, when we arrived the following day, didn't rate as a worthy stop. The town has a distinct Toblerone feel to it, overlaid by deep-fried mopane worms: Alpine village cottages and public buildings with typically African split pole fences, makeshift repairs and, off the main road, the higgledy-piggledy layout of African village planning which doesn't take motor cars into real consideration (possibly wisely!).
We passed on through, spent the day exploring a back road and gawking at little bee eaters and Angolan black and white colobus monkeys (which make spectacular leaps of up to 30 m from tree to tree - 20 or more metres above the ground. Then found a camping site in a remote valley.
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THE HARD WAY
Near Lushoto, 26 January 2002
Having travelled for 2 and a bit months in Africa, possibly more than most of you have, we thought we'd give you the benefit of our esteemed wisdom - for what it's worth - and the lessons we've learned.
Most of what follows applies to people who intend travelling with their own vehicle and much will need to be applied to your own circumstances and budget. We're probably wrong on many things but maybe you can learn from our mistakes.
Vehicles
* Don't take a vehicle that has been modified too much. We did and though we love our Toyota Hilux pick up dearly, the modifications have given the most trouble. Wag 'n Bietjie has a canopy on the back with roof rack, the supports for which come down the sides and mount to the chassis. The back wall of the cab and the front of the load area and canopy have been cut out and joined with a rubber bellows to make it into a station wagon.
It's a great idea but keeping the seal waterproof is virtually impossible. The roof rack framework likewise has many benefits, including rollbar status and keeping the weight off the canopy, but it is heavy and along with the rooftop tent adds about 150 kg to the weight.
Do not remove the wheel arches and replace with flat sections to provide a straight, flat load area. It's great if the vehicle is empty or very lightly loaded (only going for week's journey) but a full load and shite roads will cause the wheels to touch. We went through a set of rear tyres in 12 000 km.
On the plus side, Wag 'n B's mechanical modifications have performed faultlessly - Hennie Prinsloo, from whom we bought the truck, being a mechanic. The engine has chugged along without giving a murmur of protest, staying cool under extremely adverse conditions, pulling us slowly, but with the sort of determination displayed by rugby forwards in search of fame, towards our goal. The worst she has done to us is snort black smoke at us in a silent demand for a service.
Likewise, the air compressor Hennie installed, converting the air conditioning compressor to the task and fitting a storage tank, has been stellar. It not only inflates tyres when we change from dirt to tar but powers the air drill we brought along (a really useful tool for roadside modifications and rivetting things back together) and the shower system Hennie built.
* Four-wheel drive is not strictly necessary unless you are travelling in the middle of the soggy season. What is necessary is ground clearance and, possibly, diff-lock. We met one guy who spent two years coming down (and halfway back up) Africa in a 22-year-old Renault 4 with 800 000 km on the clock!
The main roads are virtually all tarred and most of the back roads are negotiable in a normal car - the locals manage, although their vehicles are not a good advert for the road conditions! If you really are planning to travel the most obscure tracks, then the chassis strength, ground clearance and wheel articulation of a 4x4 are more important than 4-wheel drive itself.
* How fast do you want/need to go? If you struggle to travel slowly (and I mean slowly - 30 km/h on some roads is a good speed) then look for a vehicle with a very strong chassis and suspension - Land Rover or, my choice, a Land Cruiser.
* Petrol or Diesel? There has been long debate about this one. Petrol offers simplicity of repair, longer service intervals, slightly quieter operation (worth considering for game viewing), greater speed (generally) and most people are more familiar with their operation.
But fuel consumption is greater (one couple we travelled with for a while had a 1980s Land Cruiser station wagon that drank 20 litres per 100 km at 80 km/h), petrol is more expensive and it is supposedly harder to come by, although we haven't seen or heard of any problems thus far.
Diesel offers better consumption (We're getting just under 12 litres per 100 km at any speed up to 100 km/h), is cheaper, more readily available in remote areas and trucks use, so if you run out along the way, you buy from truckers if you're lucky.
The down side is more noise, less power, more frequent servicing (although generally they are simpler and there isn't any timing/points hassle involved) and if the diesel pump does go on the blink, it's a real mission to get to a proper repair facility. That said, they don't give trouble very often. Also, getting used to a diesel engine is not difficult but they are different to petrol engines.
* Complexity The more complex - which usually goes hand in hand with newer and more luxurious - your vehicle, the more there is to go wrong. Not that it will, but an engine is complex enough when trying to fix it in the bush with only a manual and not much mechanical training! Add a turbo-charger (especially for diesel), power steering, air con, hydraulic or pneumatic suspension, electronic timing and ignition etc and you increase the chances of misfortune. But (there is always a "but"!) these things all make life easier, more comfortable or improve fuel economy and performance.
There is no definite answer - except to say work out what you need or want and then live with the consequences - good or bad!
* Extras So-called adventure shops will sell you anything you want and you could easily load your vehicle with so many gadgets that it can't carry you or you clothes. There are some things that are essential and others that you can live without: here's our "Dream vehicle" with necessities. The lighter the total load, the less problems you will encounter and the more responsive the vehicle will be in all situations. Likewise, carrying the minimum you need makes it easier to live out of the vehicle for long periods. We brought lots of "small" luxuries which made it very difficult to get to anything and daily life became a tedious chore of unpacking half the truck to get to the loo roll - a serious problem at times!
Dream Vehicle
Obviously cost is a major factor in making a selection but the following is how we'll try to equip ourselves for our next trip.
*Toyota Land Cruiser Pickup diesel - strong chassis, strong engine with alright economy. Failing that, a Toyota Hilux non-turbo diesel pick up or Land Rover. There are criticisms of, and problems with, all three but they are all good and spare parts - and mechanics who can work on them - are available virtually throughout Africa.
* Steel canopy with straight sides. Make sure it is strong enough to take the weight of the roof rack without extra reinforcement. Straight sides makes it easier to stack boxes.
* Roof rack with light plywood floor and tie-down hooks. The solid plywood acts as a safari roof and keeps the interior of the vehicle a slight bit cooler.
* A roof-top tent. It isn't essential and there are pros and cons - the extra height offers (real or perceived) safety benefits from wild animals, it catches any breeze that there is and is therefore cooler, it folds up with the bedding inside and gives more space if you stuck inside in rainy weather. Cons include extra weight, accessibility problems (try getting up the ladder into one when you're drunk!) and the need to pack it all away if you are just going for a day drive.
Mount the roof top tent either at the front or rear of the roof rack. Again, there are pros and cons to both (jerry cans should go at the rear when they're full so any spillage goes off the back - in theory!) but mounting the tent in the middle just wastes space.
* Side table. Unfortunately we can't claim credit for this idea but we can rave about its brilliance. A square steel tubing framework with steel mesh structure as the work surface, about fingertip to elbow width and 2 m long, mounted to the side of the vehicle at about "breakfast nook" height and hinged so that it folds up against the side when you travel.
The mesh allows it to drain - after rain and spillage, and the height is great for standing and cooking, eating, using as a work bench or preparing meals on. If it's strong enough, you can stand on it to get to whatever is on the roof.
* Wooden framework with plywood cover on either side of load bay. Make sure there is a central aisle so you can get to things. High enough to store boxes in - or build shelves, etc - and stack other stuff on top. Include some tie down points as rough roads bounce EVERYTHING around. Also include a wooden flap to cover the aisle - the surface then doubles as a sleeping surface if needed.
* Fuel. The experts advise carrying enough fuel for 1 000 km. In practice, we've found fuel in ample supply thus far. We'd have a long-range tank (for 800 km to 1 000 km range) built in and carry two jerry cans as spares - anything more becomes a storage problem. Only fill the jerry cans if you are going way off the beaten track or if you know fuel in the next country is very expensive.
* Water. We've made do with carrying 25 litres although this might change in Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt (we'll let you know). A plastic, see-through container is our preference as it lets you see when to fill up. If you bush-camp a lot, a second container will be useful. We're using plain old chlorine bleach to purify water but try to take a filter as in some places the water has a lot of gunge in it.
We'd also take a shower system, available in Seffrica and possibly elsewhere, that screws on to standard water container openings. A pump pressurises the container and, hey! presto, a shower.
* Hi lift jack, wheels and spares. If you have a 4x4, a hi lift jack is essential (you have to lift the body so high before the wheels come off the ground) but they are frighteningly unstable. We'd also include a bottle jack for raising axles and general repair work. Split rims with tube type tyres or tubeless systems are a personal choice as both types have advantages and disadvantages in general use.
* An air compressor mounted inside the engine bay - for inflating tyres, a tyre gauge, a comprehensive toolbox and a workshop manual are all no-brainers. The list of spares, however, is a difficult issue. The more you take the better your chances or repairing whatever goes wrong but the extra weight increases the possibility of breaking something.
We've found no shortage of Toyota and Land Rover spares so far. We do carry enough oil and other service items for two services - one scheduled and one emergency, in case we can't find what we need in time. Other essential items: duct tape, electrical tape, some 3 mm electrical wiring, 2 m or so of fuel hose, zip ties, silicone sealant, plasters (for grazed knuckles), baling wire (to hold things together), a variety of nuts, washers and bolts and, in case I forgot to mention it, duct tape.
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