trans-africa-2024
Trans-Africa-2024
„Hakuna Matata!“
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The 263 km to the finishing line most of it on a 4 lane highway were flying by in no time. We were the first ones to arrive at the Oyster Box Hotel. After arrival and a welcome drink we got the car cleaned. 7 people worked on the car for 1,5 hours. Every part was taken out and wiped down. They even used a steamer to clean the sand out of the trunk and the inside. In the meantime the other cars came in one by one. It was a great hallo. Everyone was pleased we had survived the rough roads in Namibia and Mozambique.
„Missy the Merc“ has performed exceptionally well. We did not have any problem along the way not even a punctured tire! It will be picked up tomorrow and then shipped back to Europe.
In the afternoon we met Seonie an old rally friend from „P2P“ and the „Road to Mandalay“ with her new partner Peter. We invited them to join us for the final dinner. We had a lot of fun. Bruno knows how to party. Even in this respect the other rally companies could learn something from him. A band with 3 black singers rocked the evening and in no time the whole crowd was on the dance floor.
Len and I delivered a short thank you speech followed by the rally song „Smile“. Our rally cohorts sang their lungs out so they must have enjoyed it.
The evening ended in the bar with a couple of glasses of rum and by 23:30 we were in bed.
Another great adventure came to it’s end!
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L&C
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The most intriguing experience of the day besides the game drive which started at 6:00 o’clock in the morning was being catapulted out of the truck and clinking on to the side in order not to fall out of it. When driving to a dinner set up in the middle of the bush our guide all of a sudden decided to leave the track at high speed to overtake and avoid the the dust of another vehicle. We hit a ditch and sitting in the third row high above ground Jeremy and I were whirled up in the air. He landed on my seat and I somehow got hold of the rail and got back in. What a stupid way to end the rally! All was good besides a bruised knee. The rest of the evening was great including being held up by a huge elephant in the middle of the road.
The pictures of the game drives tell more than words. In the afternoon we skipped the game drive and stayed behind. I had a massage and Len opted for a glass of wine: What else?
Tomorrow we are off to the finishing line in Durban.
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L&C
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At first we were not sure why we had taken the detour up north to Piggs Peak but when we drove from the north to the south of Eswatini this drive alone was worth the effort. The road was steeply going up and down from one pass to the next winding itself in gentle curves through forests and alpine scenery. There was a serious logging operation at the beginning with pine and very tall slim eucalyptus trees. The highest point was at 1500 m and the landscape was grandiose.
Shortly before reaching the capital Mbabane we even turned on a 4 lane highway for some 40 km. In the south the country flattens out and is dominated by sugar cane plantations and processing. We were stopped by a police man but not for speeding but out of interest for the strange car he had never seen before.
The border crossing back into South Africa was the smoothest so far and after additional 90 km we entered the Phinda Private Game Resort. Trucks took us to the Phinda Mountain Lodge which is fabulous. The central lodge with the bar, dining area and outside decks and pool is located on a hill with the various villas spread around it in the bush. When it’s dark a guide has to come and guard you on the way to and from the rooms.
Right after a light lunch we were taken on a game drive and got very close to a giraffe, two lions, three cheetahs and a rhino. They even threw in a flat tire which they managed to change under 10 minutes!
The evening ebbed out with a seated dinner and the best food we had so far on this trip. At 22:00 o’clock we were in bed. Tomorrow they wake us at 6:00 for another game drive.
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L&C
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Today we only had to cover some 219 km on our way from Maputo to Piggs Peak in Eswatini the former Swaziland. We left the hotel hitting the morning traffic in Maputo but after about 20 minutes the traffic decreased and we could speed up a little bit. We did not see much of the city but the little we saw was pretty rough. Not to our surprise as we learnt from the representative of the minister for tourism and transport the night before that Mozambique not long ago was still the poorest country in the world. Since then they left this title behind but you can still see it in the architecture all over the place. Abandoned and halfway finished buildings line every corner and road.
The ride through the countryside towards the border was nice but interrupted frequently by deep potholes and road works. The altitude was rising steadily and we finished the day at 1600 m coming from sea level. We got through the border in no time. Especially the Eswatinian side was very efficient.
Eswatini only has a population of 1,2 mn and the highest aids rate in the world. About one third of the people are infected and there is a death toll of 3000 people every year! We noticed immediately that there were no streets lined with hundreds of people seeing to their business. The roads were perfect and there was hardly any traffic. We passed a lot of sugar cane fields and a huge processing plant. Coca Cola supplies the whole continent with the syrup for Coke from here. They account for a large percentage of the economy.
The country is ruled by an absolute monarch and is on the brink of bankruptcy. The king leads a very luxurious life style with many wifes while his people suffer. Supposedly he likes to buy luxury cars by the dozen. Due to aids the average life expectancy is only 51 years for men and 55 for women. The fertility rate is the lowest in Africa.
Close to the finishing line we were given a somewhat cryptical option to take a shortcut on a scenic road or travel onwards on the main road which was 40 km more. Len immediately spotted that the shortcut was on gravel which we both did not want to do anymore so close to the end of the rally. So far the car held up beautifully - knock on wood - so why should we take the risk. It was the better choice as we learnt later from the others. The road must have been terrible. The Bentley Boys got stuck loosing the screws that held their throttle plate in place. They were rescued by the cavalry our mechanics. Their performance was absolutely great on this trip so far although 25% of the classic cars retired already.
We checked into the PiggsPeak Hotel & Casino around 13:00 o‘clock. It is a very well kept property on the outside. Our room is spacious and there are no bugs at all. We shall check out the casino later.
Best L&C
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The sun peeks over the horizon as we set off from Inhambane, a coastal gem nestled along the Indian Ocean. The salty breeze carries whispers of adventure, and the road stretches before us like an unwritten story.
„Missy the Merc“ hugs the coastline, revealing pristine beaches and swaying palm trees. The azure waters beckon, but our destination lies ahead. We pass sleepy villages where children wave, their laughter echoing through the air.
At our lunchstop organized by Destination Rally, we savor fragrant seafood—peri-peri prawns, grilled calamari, and coconut-infused rice. The flavors dance on our tongues, a celebration of Mozambican cuisine.
As we venture inland, the landscape transforms. Rolling hills give way to lush forests. Baobab trees stand sentinel, their ancient trunks telling tales of time. We pause at viewpoints, capturing vistas of valleys and distant mountains.
The sun paints the sky in hues of orange and pink as we approach Maputo. The city buzzes with life—colorful markets, colonial architecture, and the rhythmic beat of marrabenta music. Our tired eyes light up; we’ve arrived.
We settle into the Polona Serena Hotel directly on the beach, the scent of grilled prawns lingering. The day’s journey etches memories—of winding roads, friendly faces, and the promise of more adventures tomorrow.
Brought to you by Bing‘s Copilot slightly edited by us! 😉😉😉
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L&C
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Today we covered 290 km from Vilankulo to Inhambane. At 10:00 o‘clock we left the Anatara Resort by boat and loaded our cars after arrival back on the main land. We left at 11:15 and first had to drive back to the N1 on the same demolished road we came in. From there onwards the surface was good and we cruised south always following the speed limits. We were stopped by the police 3 times. They only wanted to chat about the car or to get a little bribe. We pretended not to understand their requests and eventually they gave up.
The scenery changed rapidly into a lush vegetation. There were huge palm trees lining the road and hundreds of people walking on the shoulders. Many kids in bright white shirts and blue trousers/skirts were going to or from their schools on foot even the very young ones. We had no clue how far the schools were but one sign showed a distance of 7 km! To and from school is quit a distance every day!
We came through many villages lined with endless little shops on both sides of the road. It was a varied drive and very colorful. Around 16:00 o’clock we ended up in Inhambane in a nice hotel next to the Indian Ocean. The day ended with the usual buffet dinner.
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L&C
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The last two days we spent chilling at the Anantara Resort on Bazaruto Island. We were all transported there in 3 boats and then spread to the various villas after being greeted by a local folklore band. We had two separate rooms for the first time since we started in Austria. Everyone was just kicking back doing separate activities. Len chose snorkeling while I went on a dive with Michael from the Bentley Boys. It was just us two which was nice on the boat taking us to a reef (2 Miles Reef) and after that to another one which was the full of turtles. We saw huge groupers, big sea turtles with heads like watermelons, all sorts of colorful fish, a lobster and many more other fish whose names we did not know.
Besides those activities there was a barbecue on the beach at night, various bars to hang out. Most of the drinks were included so they really pampered us again.
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L&C
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Yesterday can be split in three parts.
Part 1: We and many others who followed the advice of Bruno to leave early (6:00 o‘clock) got lost already after waypoint 3 in the roadbook. Instead of going south we ended up going northwest back towards the border to Zimbabwe. After a couple of minutes we decided to turn around to find the correct road but missed the turnoff. So after driving in all directions for some 50 km we finally found ourselves on the right track.
Part 2: The correct road turned up to be the nicest drive we have had sofar in Africa: New surface, lush vegetation, winding through the hills up and down in curves and bends. We then ended up on a 50 km stretch of gravel which was not too bad. Again hundreds of kids trying to sell cashews, hot Coke, pineapples and other stuff. At a stop we gave a couple of kids watermelon chewing gum. At first they were very shy but then had big smiles on their faces.
Part 3: The main highway North-South in Mozambique is the N1. We were told it would be bad but after we turned onto it is was beyond anything we had experienced on any of the other rallies before! Right after the turnoff we had to drive across a bridge. The potholes were so big that we could have vanished in one of them easily! We crawled over it at a speed of 1 km/h and it took us 10 minutes to the other side for 150 meters. This continued all the way to Vilankulos with some parts on gravel, broken tarmac and thousands of potholes. Missing one of them meant ending the rally there and then. Even the last 18 km to the very touristy town of Vilankulos was so bad that we had the feeling the car would fall apart. It took a lot of beatings. We arrived in the Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel which was fabulous right at the beach after 10,5 hours on the road. We have now driven from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean by car. Not bad for old Missy the Merc!
The next 2 days we shall spend at the Anantara Resort on Bazaruto Island. It is supposed to be one of the best properties in Africa at the Indian Ocean.
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L&C
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Compared to the day before today‘s drive to Chimoio in Mozambique was a piece of cake. Roads were without any potholes and sometimes even a four lane highway. Traffic was not too heavy so that we covered those 370 km relatively fast.
The lunch stop was at a place called „La Rochelle“.
„La Rochelle is a newly re-opened Country House in Penhalonga, near Mutare. It was renowned in the 1950s and 60s for Sir Stephen and Lady Virginia Courtauld’s lavish and warm hospitality and has long been recognised as one of the most celebrated botanical gardens in Zimbabwe as well as an icon of the Art Deco movement. La Rochelle is a place of beauty for Zimbabweans to treasure, a heritage the Courtaulds wanted to share with everyone.“
From there it was just a few kilometers to the border. We are becoming experts in crossing them jumping from window to window. Usually if the officials know what they are doing it involves the following steps:
Country-out:
* Passport control - make sure they don’t forget the exit stamp
* Gate pass - a piece of paper stamped by every official
* Carnet de passage - they have to extract the export slip and stamp the remaining stump to proof the car has left the country
* Drive to gate and present gate pass together with passport and car registration
* Bribe official with USD 3,- to 5,- if asked for lunch money or drinks
* Drive to the other side and pass through all trucks blocking the road
Country -in:
* Find a parking in the shade - lock the car and don’t hand the Carnet the passage to any foreigner claiming to be the official agent
* Pay USD 1,- to 2,- to local guy hanging around to watch the car - pay only when coming back to the car or he is gone
* Fill out entry forms
* Passport control and payment of entry tax - don’t forget the receipts or you will be sent back later in the process
* Customs form and Carnet de Passage - make sure the official knows what he is doing. If not refer him to the internet with pictures explaining the process. Make sure he takes the import slip and confirms the entry with a stamp! Don’t try to find out why he enters every car detail from the Carnet by hand in a ledger no one will ever take a look again and then transfers the exact same information into a computer that breaks down every 10 minutes. It is Africa!
* Go to next window to pay the road tax - make sure to have the exact amount in cash otherwise it might happen they keep the change. Don’t forget the receipt or you come back
* Gate pass with stamps from every section - if not you come back
* Drive up to the gate and see above for bribes
Always try to stay calm! It doesn’t help if you loose it! It only slows down a process which can take something between 1 to 3 hours or more (Nepalese Indian border in 2018 was 6 hours).
On our drive from the border to Chimoio we were held up by the police who wanted us to line up all the cars and drive into the city with a police escort. The 3 star general did not want to understand that this was a bad idea. Waiting in the sun for all 25 cars would have taken at least 3 hours. We then persuaded them to at least let us wait at the next fuel station. He agreed and we took off leaving the police car behind at the fuel station.
Chimoio is a shithole and so is the hotel. They would not let us park inside the compound so Len just shoved the plastic cone to the side and we parked right up front. Other cars followed until the parking was full.
The evening ended in the bar. They served us „Piri piri chicken“ which was excellent.
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The distance from Lake Kariba to Harare is some 370 km. The first 78 km we drove on a good road winding through a hilly area in wide curves up and down towards the A1 which is the major connection between Lusaka and Harare the capital of Zimbabwe. Bruno already warned us that as soon as we would turn on the A1 the situation would change to a road full of potholes, trucks and construction work. It turned out exactly as outlined and our average speed dropped considerably. Some of these holes were really nasty and if we could not avoid them because they spread across the whole width of the road we had to jump on the brakes to roll through as slow as possible. The road also broke of left and right in a steep decline so that turning on the gravel shoulder wasn’t an option. One of our 4x4s punctured two wheels and dented two rims at the same time when driving too fast into a deep pothole.
All these obstacles lead to a 7 hour drive with a lunch stop at „The Lion’s Den“ where excellent burgers were served with no waiting time at all. The second half after the break was much better but still we had to drive „Indian Style“ in order not to loose too much time.
We arrived in Harare around 15:30, got the car washed had two very crispy tacos at a food truck at the gas station. A lady started talking to us in excellent English. It turned out that she studied in Dallas and now served the „best“ tacos in town. Her name was „Sonia“ and she was ready to jump into the car to join us. After a lot of laughs we drove to „Highland House“ our lodge for the night.
The temperatures were very pleasant the whole day. Much cooler and a „tad bit nippy“ in the evening as Michael our rally friend from Jersey called it. Harare lies at an altitude of 1500 meters. When we came into the outskirts we had the impression of a rough city where the well to be hide in large compounds fenced off with long and high walls and barbed wire on top. Our hotel was in a suburb in an area where all the embassies were located. Streets got nicer, cleaner and everything was well kept.
After the usual „buffet“ dinner we went to bed early. Tomorrow we shall head to Mozambik.
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L&C
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We spent the day on Lake Kariba after the „Zambesi Trader“ picked us up at the beach. It was a large steel vessel with enough cabins for the rally crowd. After very busy days for the last 16 days doing nothing at all but chill, eat, drink a beer, read, eat, sleep, drink a Gin & Tonic was strange but we soon settled in that very lazy rhythm.
In the afternoon after a nice nap we went on a game ride on one of the pontoon boats accompanying the main vessel. We had low hopes of seeing something interesting. The sightings nevertheless were actually very good. We saw countless hippos and a few crocodiles and this time they presented themselves in all sorts of poses: Out of the water, yawning, chasing each other, etc.. We got some very good shots to prove it.
In the evening everyone settled into their cabins quite early. Tomorrow we have a transit day to Harare on a lousy busy road with lots of potholes.
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L&C
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The distance we covered today was 590 km from Livingston to the Lake Kariba dam. Lake Kariba is the largest man made lake in the world and - depending on the water level - can hold some 200 bn hectoliters of water. When built in 1959 the whole tribe living in the valley was moved.
The day began with a police control. The only purpose they serve is creating bureaucracy and the chance to collect some bribes by the officials. Corruption is everywhere. The policeman who checked our car wanted to see the warning triangle and immediately asked for USD 10,- „Lunch Money“. I gave him 5,- and we were through. Next was a toll station that only accepted Kwacha the local currency in Zambia. The exchange was made by the official from USD into Kwacha which were collected at the toll booth. Later it turned out that toll was already paid at the border and the 20,- Kwacha were just pocket money for the guys working there.
For the first 200 km the road was good. The gravel road we turned on next was also in good shape and we drove a winding road through many villages up and down the hills. There were hundreds of children on the side of the road all smiling and yelling when we passed by. The women were all carrying a baby on the back while at the same time were balancing a 20 liter plastic canister on their head while holding bags in their hands. Their figures are totally erected and they gracefully walk with these heavy loads for large distances. We would not last for 10 minutes!
The biggest problem back on tarmac were the potholes. They can be car wrecking deep and one has to scan the road constantly not to miss them. We could not avoid to roll through the nastiest ones at snail speed and every once in a while had to step on the brakes hard when we oversaw one or the other hole. The landscape was very nice with huge baobab trees lining the road. It was a melange of kids, goats, cows and the occasional baboons during the day.
We swapped the wheel every 2 hours and were pretty exhausted when we reached the border to Zimbabwe after 7 hours. The Zambian side we did in no time and then drove over to the Zimbabwe offices over the dam. Once there the usual chaos with a police officer sitting under a tree with his computer asking for a little bakshisch. He asked me bluntly what I brought for him from Austria. My answer was a „Sacher Torte“ but unfortunately it melted away in the heat. He let me go.
The hotel we stay for the night is called „Crowned Eagle“. The view over the lake is breathtaking. The biggest design flaw in the rooms is the missing door for the bathroom. Even for experienced rally cohorts this is a challenge!
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We spent our free day with a late breakfast and some minor service work on the car before we took off to go white water rafting on the „Mighty Zambesi River. In total we were 5 Michael, one of the Bentley Boys, Karen and John from Australia and the two of us. We were picked up at the hotel and after a 25 minutes bumpy ride through some villages got to the base camp of the rafting company. After a short intro they provided us with the necessary gear: Paddle, helmet and life vest. Then we had to climb down 792 steps to reach the bottom of the gorge. For Len and me it was no problem at all but Michael suffers from vertigo and Karen got sick on the way down while John has an artificial knee which posed some problems. Finally when we got the river we boarded a raft together with our captain „James“ and two of his men who were riding in front of the boat.
It was a great trip down the river some 13 km in distance. The rapids are thrilling the most difficult was a 4,5 out of a scale of 6. We were the only ones on the river and the views from down below are great. We could also jump out of the boat frequently and swim through the rapids. After sweating down those stairs we enjoyed the fresh water a lot.
At the end we had to hike up all the way to the rim which was a major workout after 14 days of driving. John was close to a heart attack.
The day ended with a nice seated dinner on the terrace of the Royal Livingston.
Tomorrow we are partly back on gravel on our way to Lake Kariba back to Zimbabwe some 600 km. We can’t wait for another border crossing!
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L&C
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It was another great day of rallying! First we had an early game drive and had to get up at 5:00 in order to board one of these Toyota trucks they use for 8 people. We got an electric one and sure enough it quit after 15 minutes and was replaced by a good old diesel truck. Another reason why Len and myself will never drive one unless in the city only or if those politicians force us to get one. It was cold and dark at first but the first sighting could not have been better when we saw 3 female lions walking along the road and then disappeared in the bush. After that we encountered a couple of elephants and all sorts of birds, baboons, impalas and other antilopes and deer.
After our drive they served us breakfast before we drove off to the Zimbabwe border. Crossing it was relatively efficient and around 13:00 o‘clock we got to the Victoria Falls Hotel an old colonial style hotel and still very British. We had lunch and then took a taxi to visit the Victoria Falls from the Zambian side on a 45 minutes walk. The water thundering that over the cliffs is massive and fascinating to watch. They skim off USD 50,- per person but it is well worth it!
Afterwards we had to drive over the bridge to cross into Sambia. While the Zimbabwe side was very efficient total chaos broke out at the Sambian side. Some people totally lost it after they had spent 2 hours trying to get their passport and carnets stamped. The forms we could fill out in 30 seconds took them 15 minutes and afterwards the exact same information was then entered into a computer that broke down every once in a while. Eventually we got through and checked into the Royal Livingston Hotel supposedly one of the best hotels in Africa.
Tomorrow is a day off and we shall try to arrange to raft down the rapids of the mighty Zambesi river.
We shall keep you posted!
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L&C
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