The Debrief

North South Venture Statistics:
• Miles traveled: 17,000+
• Days on the road: 122
• Countries visited: 21
• Number of countries where we drove at night (after we said we never would): 16
• Flat tires: 2
• Nights camping: 41
• Checkpoints crossed: 653 (including border posts)
• Number of times our bags were searched: 0
• Number of bribes given: 0
• Visas needed: 12
• Number of lightning strikes within a quarter mile: 3
• Number of gallons of fuel used: 676
• Number of birds killed: 3
• Number of crashed cars seen: 1789 +/-500
• Average number of handshakes per day: 20
• Number of times bikes fell over total: 29
• Number of times bikes fell over in Congo: 23
• Most consumed foods: instant noodles, biscuits, laughing cow cheese, and bread
• Number of Pain au Chocolats consumed total: 304
• Number of cappuccinos total: 511
• Things we wish we brought: espresso machine and spare rear sprockets
• Number of snakes seen: 14
• Worst night sleep: (tough call) rat-infested huts of Mount Cameroon
• Hottest place: Kayes, Mali
• Coldest place: Clarens, South Africa in a tent at 4 a.m.
• Craziest driving: Nigeria
• Worst border: Kinshasa, DRC
• Days spent getting visas: 14
• Number of books read: 39
• Number of feet of duct tape used to repair Justus’s rain pants: 26
• Number of speeding tickets: 0
• Best skiing: Oukaimedene, Morocco
• Best kite surfing: Dahkla, Morocco
• Best surfing: Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa
• Worst pot-holed road: Southern Angola
• Most expensive internet: Hilton Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria ($40/hour)
• Worst meal: Essaouira, Morocco
• Best meal: Oyo road, Congo (plentiful margarine, bread, and laughing cow cheese all together after not eating for 2 days)
• Worst sunburn: Turtle Bay Lodge, Ghana
• Number of items stolen: 0
• Number of hours spent discussing the tragic state our rear sprockets: 19
• Number of times we were told to go straight in Nigeria when asking for directions: every time
• Least favorite place: Nouadhibou, Mauritania
• Number of goat near-misses: 768.4
• Number of times we beeped our horns driving at night into Abuja: countless
• Number of times run-off the road in Nigeria: 5
• Number of hours spent without knowing where are passports were at DRC immigration:15
• Number of times we thought we were going to run out of fuel: 8
• Number of times we actually ran out of fuel: 0
• Toughest travelers met: French married couple riding tandem bicycle around Africa
• Friendliest country: Mali
• Nicest road: Franceville to Akom, Gabon
• Worst road: Akom to Oyo, Congo
• Best Patisserie: in Yaoundé, Cameroon
• Number of panniers (metal box on side of bike) lost: 1
• Number of people with maps of African countries wearing a wetsuit and Barbour jacket in southern Mauritania: Unknown

As a disclaimer, although travel in Africa is magical – it is also decidedly unpleasant at times. As many of you have noticed, the blog has been heavily sugarcoated to spare our mothers some of the rougher details. The people in West and Central Africa are some of the nicest in the world; however, their driving is also the worst. When things go badly in Africa they can go very badly. Small mistakes can have dire consequences. In summary, if you decide to do this trip – do not underestimate it.

As we have come to the end of our adventure, we would like to thank a few people that offered enormous help, guidance, and encouragement throughout our trip – Lindsay Shanholt, Rachel Saul, Jenny Jensen, Sara Kennedy, Aaron Chaus, Anna Farber, Charlotte Moats, Ben Reeve, Jack Meyer, Barbara Johnson, Michael Stutz, Katharine Sterling, Elizabeth Meyer, Julia Reeve, Halsey Meyer, Suzi Huntington, Danielle & Andrew, Neil & Mikaela, Grant & Paul, Hellen & Alain, Ian & Mick, Bridget & Gennen, Olivier at the Hippocampe in Brazzaville, Jim Rogers, Kevin Johnson, Tova Kaplan, Nick Albertini, Nick Hobbs, Nikki Probst, Dan Friedman, Jessie Mosier, Greg at Shipmybike.com, Reva at Airtransit in Cape Town, Dan & Ed from brightontocapetown.com, and the many many wonderful people we met along the way.

We would also like to thank Maurice & Luly Samuels, Stan Miranda, Will Fox, John Collis, Jack Meyer, Barbara Johnson, Nick Richio, Elizabeth Trotta, Debbie Kay, Sharon Lee, Mercedes Grandin, Joanna DeLong, Brandice Murphy, Alyssa Grinberg, Marina Pristupova, Brian Purcell, and Hillary Junk for donating to Millennium Villages. We very much appreciate your generous donations to a wonderful organization!

As always, please feel free to contact us regarding any questions you may have about our journey or the countries we visited.

Thank you everyone again for following North South Venture!

Until next time,

Justus & Sebastian

The Finish Line!

On 22 June we reached Cape Agulhas, the Southernmost tip of Africa and the official finish line of our trip!

South Africa Part #3

South Africa Part #2

South Africa Part #1

Zimbabwe

In 1961 Rhodesia formulated a constitution that favored whites in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more complete voting rights for the black African majority in the country. UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert Mugabe, the nation’s first prime minister, has been the country’s only ruler (as president since 1987) and has dominated the country’s political system since independence. His chaotic land redistribution campaign, which began in 2000, caused an exodus of white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread shortages of basic commodities. In April 2005, Harare embarked on Operation Restore Order, ostensibly an urban rationalization program, which resulted in the destruction of the homes or businesses of 700,000 mostly poor supporters of the opposition. President Mugabe in June 2007 instituted price controls on all basic commodities causing panic buying and leaving store shelves empty for months.

The power-sharing government formed in February 2009 between Mugabe and Tsvangirai as prime minister has led to some economic improvements, including the cessation of hyperinflation by eliminating the use of the Zimbabwe dollar and removing price controls. The economy is registering its first growth in a decade, but will be reliant on further political improvement for greater growth.

All I wanted to do now was get back to Africa. We had not left it, yet, but when I would wake in the night I would lie, listening, homesick for it already… The decision to drive through Zimbabwe was unspoken. Also not on our original agenda, we were both intrigued to see what had become of the former mystical Rhodesia. We entered the country at the edge of Lake Kariba and were immediately back in the Africa we missed.

After getting our passports stamped we were encouraged to visit a nearby building where a lady wrote down our vehicle registration details and then asked if we had brought anything from Zambia for her. I replied, “Yes, some good luck and this big wide smile.” This seemed to satisfy her, as indeed such an answer should have. Her question satisfied us, as indeed we missed practicing our now worn corruption avoidance tactics.

The most comical moment at the border occurred during our final discussion about the road tax payment. Since the only USD that had survived the trip were coated with mud, the border official initially did not want to except the currency. We explained that if they simply washed the mud off the dollars they were of exceptional quality. After much discussion, a nice gentleman exchanged our bills for mud free bills. As we were to receive eight dollars in change, we started giggling when all of the one dollar bills we were given were even dirtier than the original money we tried to pay with.

Unsure of what to expect, we were struck with how beautiful the land of Zimbabwe is and how developed the cities are. Both factors make the county’s recent political woes all the more shocking. Huge sophisticated farms – abandoned.

The road to Harare, although in need of repair, was decent and progress was rapid. We reached the center of the city quickly and began our search for a working ATM and a place to stay. As tourists stopped coming to Zimbabwe in 2005, accommodation is difficult to find and most hotels have gone out of business. We did not have any luck finding an ATM either.

Eventually we found a nice family that offered us their lawn for the night for ten euros and we graciously excepted. We had a few remaining US dollars so we went to the supermarket to purchase some food for dinner. As the former Zimbabwe dollar is no longer in circulation, USD is Zimbabwe’s new currency, although there are very few coins in circulation. Since change is not available, one must plan one’s purchases carefully to minimize rounding loss.

Our final stop in Zimbabwe was at the old Zimbabwe ruins. The Great Zimbabwe is a ruined city that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which existed from 1270 to 1550 during the country’s Late Iron Age. Great Zimbabwe acted as a royal palace for the Zimbabwean monarch and would have been used as the seat of their political power. They are also the second largest ruins in Africa, second only to the pyramids.

With one more day until the start of the World Cup, and eager to get our final border crossing over with, we sped off the following morning towards South Africa – our 20th and final country on North South Venture.

For more photos of our Zimbabwe venture, please visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/112415594944556713328

Zambia Part #3

Finally, the day of rafting came. Our guide, Potato, picked us up at 7:30 am and drove us as well as the six other anxious passengers to the edge of the river.

While the normal liability waiver in the United States for Class V whitewater is a lengthy dull document with many places to sign and initial, liability works differently in Africa – there is none. We all scribbled our names on a piece of paper stating that this was a bad idea and declared the process complete. Okay – ready to go rafting? Great – here is your wetsuit, paddle, and helmet. There is the path down to the river – see you at the boat!

Potato turned out to be a great guide and we navigated the river without much difficulty. The river during flood season is actually not as exciting as most of the rapids are too far below the surface to produce dynamic hydraulic features. The waves were huge and powerful though, and the trip was a fantastic ride.

Satisfied that we had conquered the mighty Zambezi, we once again headed North. This time, for the Zimbabwe border.

For more photos of our Zambia venture, please visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/112415594944556713328

Zambia Part #2

With several days to fill before our rafting venture, we had many activity options in or nearby Livingston. Bash found the old Livingston Golf Club which had a fitness center and an excellent deck for coffee. We spent two mornings there.

At the Jollyboys guesthouse where we were staying, we ran into our Swiss friend Dominik. After ample time reminiscing about our dear night on Mount Cameroon with the rats, Dominik mentioned that he had signed up to go Bungee jumping. Eager to watch the excitement, we all headed over to the nearby bridge. Somehow in all of the enthusiasm my name also ended up on the participant list…

For more photos of our Zambia venture, please visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/112415594944556713328

Zambia Part #1

While not on the original agenda, as we were ahead of schedule we decided to venture into Zambia with two simple objectives: to see Victoria Falls and to raft the mighty Zambezi river. The stretch of river starting immediately below Victoria Falls is classified as Class V whitewater and is known as one of the wildest whitewater runs in the world.

Upon arrival in Livingston achieving our first objective, seeing Victoria Falls, was easy as it was flood season. In fact, it was difficult not to see the Falls due to the immense cloud of spray forming from the incredible quantity of water flowing over the 300 foot drop and exploded into the small gorge below. Considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the sight was phenomenal.

While aesthetically pleasing, the current size of the river was not as as conducive to rafting. None of the rafting companies were currently running trips. Not to be dissuaded we looked into renting rafts and kayaks as an alternative. Bash was not as enthusiastic about this idea; nor were the rental companies.

Although slightly discouraged, we were not prepared to give up. With a little luck, the small guesthouse that hosted our morning yoga class heard that one of the nearby rafting companies was going to run their first trip of the year four days later, a “test run” for the season. We told them to sign us up.

For more photos of our Zambia venture, please visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/112415594944556713328

Botswana

It looks like a paradise, but it is the most treacherous desert in the world. The Kalahari. After the short rainy season there are many water holes, and even rivers. But after a few weeks, the water sinks away into the deep Kalahari sand. The water holes dry, and the rivers stop flowing. The grass fades to a beautiful blond color that offers excellent grazing. But for the next nine months, there will be no water to drink. So most of the animals move away, leaving the blond grass uneaten. Humans avoid the Kalahari like the plague because man must have water. So the beautiful landscapes are devoid of people.

Bash and I entered Botswana at Charles Hill and quickly drove toward Ghanzi along of the edge of the Kalahari. We found a deserted brush area off the main road for a night of bush camping. The temperature dropped to almost 35 degrees as my hyenas yelped in the distance. I was very grateful that Charlotte had donated her warm sleeping bag as my summer bag was no match for this land. The following morning we continued our trip to Maun at the edge of the Okavanga Delta. The trip there was complete with the normal motorcycle concerns – this time a fuel shortage forced us to drive 60 km per hour most of the way to keep our RPMs low. Bash drafted behind me for better gas mileage.

As we were most interested in spending time in the delta, we arranged for a day trip on the water in a mokoro, or dugout canoe. With our guide whose name we were unable to pronounce paddling at the stern, we crept along quietly through the lily pads and partly submerged grass. The guide was careful to avoid the deeper sections where the hippos frequently feed and sometimes remain submerged and unnoticed until a canoe, such as ours, disturbs their meal.

After a few hours on the water and numerous encounters with spiders which jump off of the surrounding grass into our boat, our guide took us on a short game walk on one of the delta’s many islands. While seeing animals out of our car window in Etosha was a magical experience, it was unique to see them on foot. We tiptoed through the brush trying to minimize our noise, hoping to see as much as possible. A troop of baboons wandered a few hundred feet ahead of us throughout most of the walk. Out in the distance a giraffe’s head poked out from the brush next to a palm tree, a wildebeest stood idle, a herd of lechwe grazed, and warthogs continually spooked around us.

The Okavango Delta is produced by seasonal flooding. The Okavango river drains the summer (January-February) rainfall from the Angola highlands and the surge flows 1,200 km in one month. The waters then spread over the delta over the next four months (March-June). The high temperature of the delta causes rapid transpiration and evaporation, resulting in a cycle of rising and falling water level. The flood peaks between June and August, during Botswana’s dry winter months, when the delta swells to three times its permanent size, attracting animals from miles around and creating one of Africa’s greatest concentrations of wildlife. The delta is very flat, with less than 2 meters variation in height across its 15,000 square kilometers.

Tired from the day’s excursion we went to bed early and prepared for the long drive to Kasane, near the Zambia border. Similar to other parts of Botswana, wildlife is abundant. At 4pm, Bash and I approached an elephant on the side of the road. Unsure of what would happen if we tried to pass we waited at a safe distance until it walked further away from the road before attempting to continue on. That night in our campground there were elephant footprints everywhere. The camp manager visited to explain that they had driven away most of the gigantic creatures and we should not worry. Throughout the night we could hear the boom of nearby flares as other establishments attempted to coerce the elephants back into the wild. The gods must have been crazy that night.

Oh yes – see if you can spot the giraffe and elephant in the photos above.

For more photos of our Botswana venture, please visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/112415594944556713328