XWORLD AFRICA tour diary Stages 1 and 2

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Travel report overview

Day 4 before our departure:

 

Around one week ago, we dropped the Amaroks off at the port in Italy. We are now sitting at the entrance to the port in Alexandria and experiencing first-hand why Egypt is known as the oldest bureaucracy in the world – customs clearance requires a great deal of patience and strong nerves at any rate!

 

Two full days are normally required merely to obtain an access permit for the port. Luckily we are spared this step thanks to the hundreds of emails with our Egyptian customs agent Hatem beforehand and whose preparation therefore “only” takes almost the entire morning in our case. We must then go to the shipping agency’s offices to sign the freight papers there in person. We spend the remaining hours sitting in the customs building, being told repeatedly how complicated clearance has become since the revolution, and gradually come to accept that the Amaroks will not be released to us today any more.

 

 

Day 3 before our departure:

After the preparatory work yesterday, today it should all come together – and so it is that our vehicles are driven out onto the traffic police’s forecourt at around midday. After quickly (for Egyptian standards) engraving the engine numbers in a visible place and attaching the licence plates as well as purchasing a further fire extinguisher in addition to the existing two (in line with the high Egyptian specifications), the first two Amaroks are finally “on the road” in Africa.

 

 

Day 2 before our departure:

 

Hatem says of road traffic in Egypt: “It is like in India, but they are more disciplined there ...” Hmm, that’s certainly one way to put it!

After the highly entertaining 230-kilometre transfer from Alexandria to Cairo yesterday evening, today we pack the two vehicles in preparation for the journey. In the evening, our first travel companions arrive in Cairo. Tomorrow we will return to the port to see the four remaining Amaroks through customs clearance.

 

 

 

Day 1 before our departure:

 

The alarm goes off at 4:15 a.m., as we have to set off for Alexandria at 4:30 a.m. to pick up the four vehicles from customs. We arrive at the port shortly after 8 a.m.

 

While we may now be familiar with the entire procedure, this does not make it any easier today. Issue of the documents and their copies, the filling out of more forms and copying of these ... Yes, this all takes time. Leaving the customs officers to painstakingly complete their work, we go for breakfast and enjoy the views over the Mediterranean.

 

We subsequently return to the port where we first have to wait again. We are then finally admitted to the port where we must provide another signature to then – yes, you guessed it – wait once again. At some point, we go to the police and the engine numbers are engraved. At around 4:30 p.m. everything is then complete: we can hardly believe that we are finally able to leave the port with the vehicles. We must now return quickly to Cairo where the rest of the first participants are arriving today.

 

 

Day 1:

 

Following a leisurely breakfast, we want to meet again at 2 p.m. to drive the Amaroks to the pyramids. Our tour organiser, Matthias Göttenauer, has already made all the necessary arrangements and so we set off in high spirits – after all, it isn’t particularly far.

 

We cheerfully travel up the hill and are already pointed in the direction that all other cars, buses and taxis are also heading in. However, shortly before passing through the gate into the large car park, we are stopped by an official. No, we are not allowed to enter the car park, as our vehicles are too colourful and also feature advertising too ... This is not permitted at the pyramids, no chance, turn around!

 

We of course attempt to change the man’s mind, but to no avail. He refuses us entry. What’s more, we must also delete all photos that we have taken around the pyramids so far. Shaking our heads, we drive the vehicles back to the hotel and return on foot to view the pyramids.

We then enjoy the summery evening during dinner at the Mena House Hotel.

 

 

Day 2:

 

We set off early. The going is good and we make rapid headway. In the afternoon, a road is closed, meaning we have to take a minor detour involving a ferry ride across the Nile. With our six Amaroks, we block the entire entrance to the village. The self-appointed guides’ well-intended attempts at instructions are not always helpful, yet somehow we manage to get all vehicles on the ferry in one piece.

 

Night has fallen by the time we reach our destination of Luxor – and we already suspect that it will not be the last time that we will be forced to take unexpected breaks.

 

 

Day 3:

 

After a short visit to Luxor temple, we travel on to Aswan. We must arrive here by 12 p.m. at the latest to complete the paperwork for tomorrow’s onward travel. We treat ourselves to a cool drink in the Old Cataract Hotel while our agent makes countless copies and completes endless forms.

We continues our journey at 1:30 p.m., crossing the dam and encountering one of the many meanwhile familiar police checkpoints.

 

We bring out all our papers again and explain where we have come from and where we wish to go. We are astonished to learn that we are only able to continue our journey when we have shown a special transit permit for travel to Abu Simbel issued by the tourist police.

 

There is no convincing them otherwise and so a motorcycle escorts us to the offices of the responsible officials. However, no one there knows which document is actually meant. And so the first few hours pass without much happening. I am stunned.

 

Time ebbs away as we drive from one office to the next. Our agent tells us everything is in motion and it just takes a little longer. He firmly believes that we will still be able to reach Abu Simbel today.

While everything is “in motion”, we visit the Nubian Museum, which is well worth a visit. We then go to a restaurant – and just as the food is served, we receive the call we yearned for that the paperwork was now complete and we were finally able to continue our journey. We arrange to meet at the tourist police.

 

Upon arriving there, we are of course told to wait again – this time for one hour. We then go on to the police checkpoint where we were stopped before and wait again. And then, the time really has come and after a total of seven hours, we are finally allowed to pass the police checkpoint. We are given an escort for the final kilometres, and arrive at the hotel in Abu Simbel at around midnight.

 

 

Day 4:

 

After a short night, we use the morning to visit Abu Simbel temple. We all enjoy the ensuing ferry ride on Lake Nasser during which we simply relax and enjoy the views, read, chat, or catch up on our sleep.

 

At the border, things go amazingly fast on the Egyptian side – after just three hours, we and the Amaroks have exited Egypt.

 

Now for entry into Sudan. Countless forms must be completed and copies also made here. Dusk falls and it is late by the time we arrive at Hotel Wadi Halfa. We grab a bite to eat before falling into bed dog-tired.

 

 

Day 5:

 

We cannot leave first thing, as all tourists must register within three days of arriving in the country. Mazar does this for us while we breakfast in the village.

 

Then we set off. Our journey takes us over gravel and sand trails along the railway line through the Nubian Desert until just short of Abu Hamad – it is pure driving indulgence! The final kilometres to Atbarah are then on tarmac, and the secret wish to arrive in the daylight despite the late departure is scuppered once and for all by a police checkpoint that conducts an intensive (and unsuccessful) search for alcohol.

 

 

Day 6:

 

We arise at dawn and breakfast beside our vehicles at the side of the road: tea with cinnamon, cardamom, plenty of sugar and a number of other ingredients that we could not identify – but were all extremely tasty! This is accompanied by something resembling shortbread.

 

The drive to the Pyramids of Meroë takes a good hour. We enjoy this rather unfamiliar historic site in the early morning light.

 

We do not want to drive through Khartoum and instead decide to take a nice dirt track past little towns and what feels like 3,000 goats. As in the previous days, we only reach our destination of Al Qadarif when night has fallen; indeed, the hours of light are short at this time of the year.

 

 

Day 7:

 

We arise early and breakfast beside the road. Once the sun has risen, we drive on towards Ethiopia. The exit and entry formalities go quickly.

The road to Gonder is tarmacked and easy to navigate, meaning that we reach our destination in daylight for the first time since leaving Cairo. There is even sporadic internet access in the lobby of our hotel – and we are astonished to realise that things that are commonplace at home are something special elsewhere.

 

 

Day 8:

 

We decide to alter the original route slightly and to pass via Lalibela to see the rock-cut churches there. After days in the desert and plains, driving through the mountainous uplands makes a welcome change.

 

We reach Lalibela at around 4 p.m. Following our visit, we enjoy a typical Ethiopian meal in the evening and head to bed after a nightcap

 

 

Day 9:

 

Around 700 kilometres through the Ethiopian uplands lie before us to the capital of Addis Ababa. Our impression so far is confirmed: Ethiopia is very densely populated; everywhere the land has been built on or cultivated.

 

The track that is less than ideal over the first kilometres gradually improves and the hope grows that we may even reach our destination in the daylight. However, this hope is dashed when it turns out that the approach road to Addis is currently being resurfaced. With no detour signs and six large vehicles, finding our way back to the right road proves something of a challenge.

 

Upon finally reaching the hotel, we learn that the rooms we booked are no longer available. The hotel manager is apologetic and endeavours to find a solution. He eventually manages to find rooms for us at another hotel.

 

Day 10:

 

We are getting used to the early starts! Today we continue south on to Arba Minch. We descend from the uplands and cross vast plains to reach today’s destination. We are there so early that we decide to visit Lake Chamo. The route is beautiful, and we hear hippos and see huge crocodiles along the way. A tasty dinner in the hotel “beer garden” brings this pleasant day to a close.

 

 

Day 11:

 

Today’s route leads us through the “cradle of humankind”, Omo Valley. It is hot. The roads are dusty but in good condition and we make rapid progress. In Omorate, we complete the formalities to exit the country and reach the spontaneous decision to camp instead of spend the night in the desolate town. We bring the day to a close with a lukewarm beer round the campfire and look forward to tomorrow’s adventure of travelling along the “green border” beside Lake Turkana.

 

 

Day 12:

 

The first visitors arrive before breakfast. We already met the first herdsmen last night, and early this morning they are back. More and more people arrive until it feels as if the entire village had gathered around us. We look one another up and down, attempt to communicate as best we can, laugh and take photos. What a charming start to the day!

We set off in good spirits and hungry for adventure – and are not disappointed. In the first town in Kenya, we receive an official escort letter explaining why we do not have an entry stamp and why the carnets for the vehicles have not been stamped.

The route is beautiful and varied. Though demanding, we have a great deal of fun and enjoy the day’s stage that leads us to Loiyangalani – arriving after dark, of course.

 

 

Day 13:

 

We drive beside Lake Turkana and discover beautiful routes that lead us to the foot of Mount Kenya. We spy elephants and giraffes along the way.

Back at the hotel, we toast reaching the halfway point on our trip with a cool drink in the evening and enjoy a well-earned steak.

 

 

Day 14:

 

To save time and relax a little after the challenging previous days of driving, we wish to drive to Arusha directly via Nairobi.

Entry into Tanzania takes an eternity and night has fallen by the time we arrive in Arusha. Border crossings definitely count among the adventures of this journey!

 

 

Day 15:

 

The day begins with us attempting to withdraw some money from a cash machine only for it to unceremoniously swallow two cards.

We then continue our journey. A tarmacked road apparently lies ahead of us to Dodoma, the administrative capital of Tanzania.

 

While construction of the tarmacked road is by no means complete, the dirt track is pleasant to drive. We pass countless baobab trees along this road under construction as far as Dodoma.

 

 

Day 16:

We once again attempt to withdraw cash today – and again encounter a hungry cash machine that refuses to return our card. Our plan of setting off early is unfortunately quashed as a consequence, as we must wait for the bank to open to retrieve the card.

Today’s route is entirely tarmacked. The passengers are assigned the important task of checking whether the road is clear to overtake – this can prove a real challenge with so many lorries. At one point, it rained so hard that we were barely able to travel faster than 30 km/h. We still manage to make such good headway that we have time for lunch in Iringa.

 

We have a nice hotel in Mbeya where we eat pizza in the bar in the evening and listen to the parliamentary debates on TV over a beer.

 

 

Day 17:

 

The less than 120 kilometres to the border with Zambia go smoothly.

Considering twelve visas have to be issued and the paperwork for six vehicles completed at the border, we get through relatively quickly. Because we apply for our visas during the breakfast-time break, the vehicles are processed faster than our entry visas.

 

Beyond the border, we once again play Feed the Cash Machine. However, we have since learned that the cash machines run on a Windows programme that reboots itself after 40 minutes when a card becomes stuck. Shortly before rebooting, the card is ejected briefly and if you are fast enough, you are able to pull it out. Because we are now familiar with this trick, we have the card back after 40 minutes.

 

We drive on. The route is super and we fly through Zambia, drive even further than planned, and enjoy an evening in Serene beneath the stars with a T-bone steak.

 

 

Day 18:

 

Last night, the idea was hatched over a beer to drive as far as Livingstone today so that we can take a rest day tomorrow in the Zambezi Sun and enjoy a leisurely visit to the Victoria Falls. However, this means a journey of almost 1,000 kilometres today.

We set off early and make good headway. Around lunchtime, we are in Lusaka, and we continue at a good pace – perhaps because today is Sunday. We make it to the Victoria Falls in time for a sundowner.

 

 

Day 19:

 

Rest day. Today’s itinerary:

Walk to the Victoria Falls where there is unfortunately very little water at the moment.

Sundowner at the Royal Livingstone Hotel with views over the Zambezi River.

 

 

Day 20:

 

After a day with no driving, we look forward to continuing our journey. 200 kilometres to the border with Namibia, then through the Caprivi Strip to Rundu.

 

The crossing into Namibia takes forever. The customs officials are dogmatic and clearly have little desire to work. But we stay relaxed – after all, we have already mastered all the other border crossings.

We cross the Okavango and pass through one of the few areas in Namibia where the roads are not lined with fences to the right and left.

It is still light when we reach our lodge in Rundu. Our huts lie directly beside the Okavango and we can see as far as Angola.

 

 

Day 21:

 

We set off early again today. Our goal is the Etosha Pan and the like-named national park.

 

We reach Namutoni Gate shortly after midday where we go our separate ways until the evening. We all explore the park under our own steam and search for elephants, lions, zebras, rhinos and one of the many types of antelope – and indeed we do see many of these animals.

 

 

Day 22:

 

Less than 2,000 kilometres lie ahead of us to Cape Town, but today we first head for the Namibian capital of Windhoek. We arrive at around noon, and have time to explore the city before returning to Joe’s Beerhouse for dinner.

 

 

Day 23:

 

We set off for the last country on this tour: South Africa!

Today’s route will take us 950 kilometres. The roads are good and we make good headway. Shortly after midday, we cross the Orange River, the border between Namibia and South Africa. The border crossing goes fast.

Our hotel is located just outside of Springbok.

 

The first wave of melancholy hits shortly before the end of the tour, over tasty food and good wine.

 

 

Day 24:

 

The final day of driving. Exciting, sad, emotional? All of these at once!

We reach Cape Town at about 3 p.m. The road down to the Cape of Good Hope is a highlight. Time and time again, we pass beside the sea, encounter towns both small and large, and enjoy the civilisation. Upon arriving at the Cape, we are overwhelmed.

 

We have made it here as a team. We hug, take photos and enjoy the stunning views over the sea.

 

We drive back to Cape Town via Chapman’s Peak Drive, move into our rooms and go for dinner. We celebrate our arrival – and ourselves – a little with lobster and fine wines. It is by all means well-deserved, I feel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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