Around Africa in a Shorty - Now includes Australia in an older Shorty

Cruisn

Adventurer
Im still working on m drone work, but here are a few small clips from Botswana. ill piece a proper video later when i get around to it

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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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Cruisn

Adventurer
We have crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo. Or DRC for short. sitting in lubumbashi at the moment so see where this goes, most likely short trips as its the start of the wet season.

Crossing in:



Posed up at the hotel after driving to town in the dark. 100% do not recommend night driving. haha. all good though.



I did do an extra hot lap in Botswana too, posingon the salt flats again:
 

Cruisn

Adventurer
Indeed, newer

Glad to hear it’s going well.
I’m not trying to bring you down, just encouraging you to be cautious.
Stuff stolen? Every country, all the time. I loved Africa and African people, mix people and extreme poverty and as the locals say “everything is born with a set of legs”
This is our quote for work.

I’ve been back living in USA for 8 yrs but lived for a long time in Africa, drove thru all of Southern Africa at one time or another. Was back for three weeks in northern Mozambique last year.
I’ve had to buy many stolen things back over the years. If you get something knicked, lose the anger real quick, smile and be polite to the people around, ask if they know anybody around who is “selling” the exact same thing you just lost. Offer a reward to those around. Leave your phone number with local shop near theft point, they may “find” item after you left. Do not involve police.
Your new tires are worth their weight in food in the rural areas, we had our car emptied of everything while swimming in ocean near Pemba, Mozambique. We could see the locked car parked sideways to us while we swam. Thieves broke window away from us and took everything, we never suspected anything, big learning curve!
Sorry to hear that, we have been rather lucky. car is a ********** to pull stuff off of so hope that helps.

You mentioned you realized getting spare parts would be problematic. Try and locate/ purchase all wearable spares ahead of time. Some may need to be purchased abroad.
Car has been almost rebuilt in SA, steering/bearings/bushes that could possbily be problematic. I figure I have 20k travel without issues. but I have contacts in Zambia and congo for parts.

You mentioned you’re heading to the Congo? Never been, my wife was in the capital last year for work, are you heading to mining areas?
Mining is life

Again, loved Africa, (adopted my three kids from there) but be realistic and don’t put blinders on or you will be hurt emotionally and possibly physically. South Africa, southern Mozambique is not the rest of Africa, Congo is a whole different world.
Last suggestion, carry a very good and complete medical kit in your car
Surgical gloves, lidocaine, skin stapler, all basic antibiotics, diarrhea meds, etc
The number one cause of expats deaths in Africa is car accidents. Be beyond cautious. Never drive at night.
We are fully stocked for the medical kit, updated it after reading this. night is scary, no lights, or high beams, people and animals all over. just the strain. driving 80km into lubumbashi at night was the stress equal of 1000kms in canada at night during a snow storm.

Keep a pack of cigarettes on the dash, cold drinks in the fridge, good way to get thru police road blocks quicker and without paying bribe
Always smile and be friendly, it will help ten fold.
Be cautious parking/ sleeping in remote areas, it is no longer safe in many areas, stay near a village, rural Africans are always friendly.
Enjoy!!
I’m jealous as hell!!, hope to be back in three yrs.

To make it easy I broke you comment up with my replies.

and included some more photos

The most painful bit of a trip is going through and editing photos. so here are a few from Namibia, I found it to be the most amazing place I have ever been, the remoteness, the struggle. the sand.

Proper area to test man and machine.

Drones are amazing: This was about 100kms form puros. the amount the scenery can change here is amazing.


Leaving Puros, and rolling into day 8 out of a shorty with no restock. this would be our last night in the bush on this stint before we could restock. I ended up buying a leg of goat as we had no meat.




And because I love sand dunes. here is the size comparison.

 

Cruisn

Adventurer
So I am working in DRC now, so I figured why not just temp import the wagon. anyway, a quote of 4000usd later the car is back in SA. a little rich for my blood. I made it to Joburg in 3 days with border crossings, it wasnt easy, but the ol wagon gets the job done and passes anything like its standing still.

Relaxing after packing the wagon:






No photos from the congo side as I was full go go go to make it through the border as early as possible as both congo and zambia take ages.


Into Zambia:




Saved this guy from getting run over:




The crossing from Zambia into Bots, the locals say the bridge will be done this year.




Waking up in Botswana to this:



Then hitting rain:


Rolled over 292000kms!!!



And finally back in Joburg, with a leaking fuel pressuresensor. wagon didnt quit running so that was a win. I jsut replaced the complete rail and sensor yesterday. 2 hours in out and done in the storage unit I leave it in while at work.



The rest is on hold for a bit while we sort out our next few months. does the wagon get shipped somewhere new? does it stay in Africa? I have no idea.
 

Cruisn

Adventurer
I have been slowly working on my blog... but its painfully slow, between the internet and working long hours its taking a bit. but I have some time off coming up.

We should see some more travelling in the next 2 weeks, but in South America, then again in June with the wagon in South africa as I will make a run to Lesotho.

So here are a few photos to keep you occupied while I work my way through this.

I loved Namibia the most, so here is a photo from the remote parts of northern namibia,













And here is some nice animal photos I was able to snap:



 

Cruisn

Adventurer
Great pics - Namibia gets under ones skin. We leave for Damaraland and Kaokoland in 2 weeks time - can’t wait

Awesome, picture required for sure.

I have two more blogs up:



Blogs will be rolled out 2 per week starting this week. Ill keep this updated as best I can.
and hopefully in that time I can get some more travelling done.

Not related to Africa but I will also chuck up some Australian outback trips.
 

Cruisn

Adventurer
Release day, our first wild elephant encounter


 
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Cruisn

Adventurer
Today we enjoy a bush shower


 

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