The World Off Road Pt 2Girlsalditiong trarmin
perfoe indanc.

ilandSwazA boy surviving deep
Sahara desert, M in theauritania.

We Are AllAfricans!
an overland trip in africa is the ultimate
adventure and proved to be an addictive
continent for our adventurous couple.
words by Akis Temperidis Photos by Vula Netu and Akis Temperidis

42

www.overlander.com.au

The couple
outskirvisit an oldts ofw
Mbab itch docane, St
wazil or at theand.

OVERLANDER dec.09

43

The World Off Road Pt 2

Pasta, rice, ‘The LaughingCow’ cheese and eggs was
the basic diet in Africa.

“Playing with chimpanzees in Cameroun was
the highlight of our trip so far,” Vula says.

Stuck on the golden sand dunesof Em Hammid, Morocco.

Istill dream of Africa. This was our maiden
adventure, the grand opening of our epic triparound the world. Given the rough character of thecontinent this was a weird – if not risky – choice,
but we both were confident and determined to
face the hazards of the place.
We knew that Africa is not easy but we also
knew that it’s considered dangerous more thanit really is. Stereotypes apply to Africa more thanany other continent, in other words.
Our schedule for this overland adventure was ratheroptimistic. We thought we could cover Africa in six or sevenmonths. We did it in nine months and, believe me, it felt fast!
Other Overlanders we met on the road did the same route inroughly two years. Some are still there! Africa is an absorbing
place. Energetic, vibrant, rough and diverse! It is black or white,
fertile or arid, rainy or completely dry, poor and rich. In ninemonths, from north to south and vice-versa, we experienced
eight climatic zones. It was like simulating two years’ timein fast forward. I remember we were surviving 45 degrees inJune in Mauritania and freezing two months later while weAn ucape nexpectedof Go
od H welcome atope, S
outh theAfrica.

Africa is anabsorbing
place,energetic,vibrant,rough anddiverse!

Children of Mali haveplenty of swimming pools!

Trip ID

Vehicle: Land Rover
Discovery3 TDV6
Crew: Akis Temperidis,Vula Netou
When: 3/5/2007– 25/ 1/2008
Days: 266
Countries: 26
Total distance: 53,488km
Border crossings: 33
Refuellings: 84

eauty…

bKenyan

The diva ofSerengeti National Park.

Leading a family of elephants atthe Masai Mara park, Kenya.

44

www.overlander.com.au

OVERLANDER dec.09

45

The World Off Road Pt 2
River crossing on the Atlas
mountains, Morocco.

Tips for crossing

SAHARA

1. Never travel alone.

2. Secure enough fuel for 1000km.
3. Visit www.saharaoverland.com
for GPS waypoints.
4. Proper tyre pressure on sand is
50 percent or less (1,2-1,5 bar).
5. Never drive on high dunes before
checking them by foot.

Driving by night in Sahara.

Flying over Okavango delta,
Botswana. The ultimate
heaven on earth!

Africa is the birthplace of mankind.
Our ancestors were African, so weare all Africans!
were crossing the Namibian desert!
The landscapes we encountered
e but .
iv
were dramatic enough to fill ourit
imrpAfrica
n havehard disks and our memories withChildre amusing toys inly
extremewonderful, everlasting pictures. The
diversity of African landscapes blows your mind. The
alpine feeling of the Atlas mountains, the huge sand dunesof Sahara, the desperately arid soil of Sahel, the photogenic
sunsets in savannah, the mist of the tropical forests, the blendof red, yellow and white soil at Kalahari desert, the deep bluesky, the three dimensional clouds, the curvy, vivid starlight, allare essential elements of Africa.

6. It is harder to escape flat sand
if you get stuck. One secondof spinning means one minute(more) of digging.
7. Feel the traction and the dragof the sand every moment. If
the car decelerates dramaticallywhen you release the gas, itmeans you are on deep sand.
Keep the engine on torque all
the time.
8. Sand is softer in the afternoon
than early in the morning.

After nine and a half months in 26 African countries,
we could tell this was the mother of all continents and theultimate escape for adventure seekers. Not just for thedramatic landscapes, the harsh roads, the remote villages andthe mud brick huts, but for its people as well. Africa is thebirthplace of mankind. Our ancestors were Africans, so weare all Africans! This is how
the swahili script on ourwindshield – ‘sisi sote ni
waafrica!’ – is translated.
We still have it and areproud of it.

9. Tracks are softer than untouchedsurfaces.
10. Potholes and gravel
irregularities are less visible atnoon when the sun is up.
11. Sun reflections can be
dangerous after sunrise andbefore sunset.
12. Drive fast (80 km/h) on
corrugations to save your car’s
integrity. Control can be tricky
though…
A two-day camel
trekking was the perfect
introduction to the magicof Sahara.

The ruined pyramids of
Karima, in northern Sudan,
still wait to be discovered.

Aencou rare, four-w
ntering a eek-old
weirdlio
creat nure…

The famous
drummers ofBurundi - theessence ofAfrican soul at
the shore of Lake
Tanganyika.

46

www.overlander.com.au

OVERLANDER dec.09

47

The World Off Road Pt 2
It’s a privilege to encountera mountain gorilla in his
natural environment.
Human conflicts threaten
the existence of the rarecreature at the rain forestsof D.R.Congo.

Is it safe?
This is a question that needs to be answered. Is africa safe
for independent travellers? From our personal experience
we can say, yes. africa is not dangerous or at least it’s
not as dangerous as most people in developed countries
believe it is. For sure it is a risky environment, especially for
its own people. You can easily have a road accident there.
You can get malaria from a mosquito bite or dysenteria if
you drink tap water. HIv is another threat. You can be in
the wrong place at the wrong time and get intimidated oreven robbed for money or whatever. clashes are common
during elections. we have witnessed some violent incidents
in Kenya but you know what? when people with sticks androcks realised we are ‘mzungu’ - white foreigners – theyMosi-oa-Tunya – the mist thatthunders - at the Zambezi river
was discovered by Scottish
explorer David Livingstone in1855 and is famously known
as Victoria Falls.

48

www.overlander.com.au

Chimanuka,thfamily of 31 e 20-year-old grey
back goat th
are no mor e Kahuzi Biega Natio rilla supports ae than 30
like him in nal Park. There
the world.

steppedaside and let us go.
african hazards are all avoidable. You needcommon sense and positive energy to travel safely inafrica and totally enjoy its natural and cultural grace. If you
behave yourself, in the end all the hazards will be just thespice of a dreamlike trip.
This is what we did. as we were going on, every fear
we had beforehand was drifting more and more into oursubconscious. we were no more afraid of Berber bandits, as
Berber proved to be honest and proud people. we had not
the minimum problem with nigerian authorities despite theimage of the country as notoriously corrupt. In d.r.congo
we were expecting to be intimidated by police officers but
the one we remember most was a funny old man with ayellow helmet who performed a theatrical dance to make us
stop. He just wanted a chat with us ‘white people’.

Africa is notdangerous orat least it’s not
as dangerous
as most people
believe it is.

The World Off Road Pt 2
Magkadigadi salt pans at
Kalahari desert, Botswana;
the most privileged
camping in the world!

We love Africans for many reasons. They don’t
give a damn about tomorrow, they just live
every moment as it comes.
Enjoying the crystal
clear water of LakeMalawi.

we gave him a bag of rice… At the national parks weapproached rhinos, lions, buffalos, crocs and elephants. Even
though we were intruders, most animals were calm, evenbored, and wouldn’t attack a human. We had one attack inBotswana from a hungry hyena though. She climbed on ourtable and ate our sausages. Africa is like this. If you don’t
protect yourself everybody will take advantage of your food,your money, your belongings. You are the white, wealthy man
and this is logical. On the other hand, this stimulates yoursurvival instincts. You have to be tough but not rude. You
have to smile and never be in a hurry. You must understandthese people and forgive them for their naive approach to life.
We love Africans for many reasons. They live on
the edge every single day of their life but theysurvive. They don’t give a damn about tomorrow,they just live every moment as it comes. They will
smile most of the time and are positive in frontof illness and death. That’s why we love African
people. That’s why we still dream of their country.
Go to www.theworldoffroad.com to see where weare now!

Survival Tips
Do’ss
1. Take off your sunglasse(to be seen better).
dshake the
2. Smile, salute and han
officer.
uments.
3. Keep handy all your doc
you get4. Be calm and patient ifd.
delayeed for money.
5. Ask for a receipt if ask

Don’ts

1. Never show you are in
you really are.

a hurry even if

Next month…
le East,head to the MiddisAkdanlaVu,riaSy,
anrd
through Egypt, Jon!
IradanyTurkewith the officer.
2. Don’t exchange jokes
l language
3. Don’t speak in the loca
munication
comoflackesetimsom–sle.
hasyoue
will sav

50

www.overlander.com.au

Police controls are frequent in Africa.