Travels through Africa 2009

Web Update 16.12.2008

Libya

The story behind the last entry is that on 01^st December, with no debate or consultation, the Libyan Government decided that only groups of 5 or more would be issued tourist visas. This stemmed from ongoing damage to and defacing of ancient sites, especially in the desert, and is to be controlled by Tourist Police escorts for groups of visitors.

After some dialogue with any number of people who were of no help at all, today we received an email from our tour company as follows:-

Hello Bridget Goldsmith,

Thank you for your email.

We have good news for you.

We have finally found a solution to your case, and luckily other cases to, which will allow you a normal tourist visa at the border just as agreed before.

Please consider the visa issue done and continue with your holiday as planned. You have nothing to worry about regarding Libya - (as of now )

We are really sorry about the distress this may have caused, but rest assured that we have experience the same if not much worse.

Just for your information, the VIP visa takes about a week to process and is obtainable only from the embassy, after we send you the visa approval from here. This visa is normally used by Americans who are not allowed any other kind of visa except a mission visa which is even more expensive for them. We can use this option as a last resort, but now it is certain that we don’t have to.

Thank you for your understanding and good luck with your tour.
You will hear from us when we have your visa approval, which we will email you about two days before arrival.
Please provide another means of communication if you cannot access your emails during travel.

Kind regards
Elmansori
www.temehu.com

Needless to say we are delighted and will raise a glass to Libya tonight (while we are still able to do so!).

B

Today- 8th December - have discovered from the chosen tour company in Tripoli that Libya has changed its Visa policy (November 08). We now are not able to travel in Libya in groups of less than 5 people, and visas will only be issued to groups such as this. Back to square one. In the meantime David read a different source which said that getting a visa has never been easier.

Today I read that the Tanzania- Mozambique border crossing which is a ferry across the Rovuma River, is no longer possible: on 15th November it is reported to have sunk! This has meant a revisiting of likely travel route South from Arusha!

Deepleigh Barn, our starting point

Expedition preparation: The Land Rover

Having purchased the 110 land rover defender in January 2007, a fully serviced ex Environment Agency vehicle, complete with hand wash facility, overhauled by Land rover man, Taunton to our specification, we have had plenty of time to use it for work, and prepare for the journey.

With a new roof rack, the next major purchase was a Hannibal Roof tent. We have experimented with the position of this on the roof, and now have it extending over the bonnet with the option of accessing via the ladder from the ground and ‘roo bar’ or up the vertical ladder at the back of the vehicle and onto the roof. A bracket will enable us to carry two additional jerry cans for fuel should the fuel tank and additional tank’s capacity (totalling 160 litres) not be sufficient. It is the quality of the diesel which is more often in question than the availability in many out of the way places… incidentally in Libya the cost is approximately 8p per litre, compared to well over £1.00 in the UK!

Wondering whether we should invest in a proper awning, and deciding that the weather was not always going to be favourable on our trip, we have gone for it. Already we have reaped the benefit during site work this year -2008- one of the wettest summers recorded. Another decision is ‘to winch or not to winch’. We have opted for replacing the wire with a rope which is lighter, and if it breaks, will drop to the ground rather than recoil and cause untold damage to life and limb.

Other essentials have been acquired- sand mats, bush wires, a breather kit and snorkel for river crossings. On the lighting front we have fitted high level spots, additional internal lighting as well as sundry power sockets for chargeable lights, running off a second auxillary double gel battery- to ensure that we can always start the vehicle.

The engine has been completely overhauled, with a new alternator, metal wheels with tubed, all-terrain Goodrich tyres fitted, and two spares, also a more robust suspension system installed. For this we have the Overseas Expedition Company in Kingsteignton to thank.

As far as security goes, the back windows are armoured, we have two safes bolted internally and have removed the back door handles. After much deliberation we have removed the alarm but retained the immobiliser because of fears of the battery running flat which happened early on in its life!

Internally the canvas seat covers, tried and tested with Marc in Tanzania, we sourced at Exmoor trim in Williton. Having a handy metal worker in the village we have been able to fit purpose built hooks and washing line attachment points, as well as securing points for luggage while in transit. Thank you Anthony Cowling!

As the company has been trading for 25 years, and is thriving and evolving under its new ‘Limited’ status, We- David Trump and Bridget have decided to expand our respective horizons. The upshot is that in January 2009 we will depart in David’s beloved Landrover, fitted with all available kit and vital accessories (thanks in large part to the Overseas Expedition Company) for the African Continent.
The journey down through Europe will be important for making last minute adjustments, rationalising and perfecting our organisation, pinching each other to believe that the planning is over and the adventures about to begin. Also we look forward to visiting some lovely friends on the way!
We met in Africa. It is a special place to both of us, and Marc and Claire Baker who live in Tanzania form a significant part of our planning for this journey or ‘safari’- as they say in Swahili. Quite apart from flying up to meet us in Ethiopia for a fortnight, they plan on joining us for 2 months with Oscar, aged 3 and Niamh, 5, for the Southern part of Africa when we will travel together as two vehicles.
People ask us about our route, and whether it is safe. You will see from the map the way we hope to go, but of course we have to be flexible, prepared to change if circumstances dictate. David has been training hard on the mechanical side, we plan to update our Expedition First Aid thanks to an adventurous Doctor friend, and for the rest we have read avidly many accounts of Overland trips through Africa and are confident that we are prepared for most eventualities.
With enormous expertise in the field of water treatment, we will be very aware of circumstances in villages and towns which we encounter en route, and no doubt David will give advice freely. We will certainly hope to meet up with a boy who we sponsor in Kenya through Plan International.
Although we have decided not to carry a laptop computer we do intend to update this web site when we find internet cafes -surprisingly common now, and you will all be able to write to us and follow our progress on Google earth! Please do keep in touch.

The intention is to depart from Somerset on 01^st January 2009, take the ferry to France, drive through Italy visiting a number of friends and checking that we have everything we need, before crossing the Mediterranean to Tunisia (Algeria is too dangerous according to the Foreign Office, and my uncle says on average 20 Christians have their throats cut every day).

Visiting many Ancient sites, we will continue to Ben Gardane, the coastal border crossing with Libya (currently the only one which is regularly open to tourists). As David has worked in Libya and having arranged for a  travel company to provide a local guide- a prerequisite- and a letter of introduction, we will be able to travel freely within Libya. Time will determine the extent to which we explore the desert sites inland from the coast, but we look forward to Carthage, Leptis Magna -a vast Roman site which David visited some years ago when he found himself the only visitor!

Libya is a vast country even to traverse and Egypt beckons.

The plan is to reach Alexandria where we follow the Nile South to Lake Nasser, cross by ferry into The north of Sudan where we pick up the River again, and more or less follow it to Khartoum, later revisiting its source in Ethiopia. Marc and Claire Baker are flying to Addis Ababa to join us at Easter which will determine our timings through North Africa. With them we will be heading to the Bali mountains and rift valley lakes (south and SW), benefitting from Marc’s encyclopaedic knowledge and interest in birds, and with luck on to the Omo valley- birthplace of ancient Hominids such as ‘Lucy’.

David and I will wait for a convoy of vehicles to proceed across the border into Northern Kenya, thence Nairobi, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.

Last year we spent time on Lake Tanganyika, following Michael Palin on the MV Liemba (the oldest passenger ferry still plying its trade) to Mahale National park, where we observed chimpanzees at close quarters. This time we will make haste towards Arusha to meet up with the Baker family.

From July, as two vehicles, we will continue on down to Southern Africa-Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, recording bird species sighted no doubt, and benefitting from Marc’s fluent Swahili! Claire and the two children (Niamh, aged 6 and Oscar 4) fly back to Tanzania in early September, while two American clients of Marc join us to meet work contacts in two Angolan National Parks.

Finally David and I will drive down South Africa as the year draws to a close and prepare to ship the landrover back to the UK, and fly home for Christmas. With luck, anyway!