Our Round-the-World adventure

[tacototheworld]

Benin - Part 2

After resting in Grand Popo, we were ready for more culture and learning. We drove east to Ouidah to visit the Zinsou Museum, famous for exhibiting contemporary African art. While we were there we also hired a guide for a few hours to teach us more about Voodoo and to show us some of the important sites along the Route of Slaves. Ouidah is known for both being the center of Voodoo in Benin and for being a slave trading hub.

Male spirits dressed to honor women

Salt processing outside of town

The “Route of Slaves” in Ouidah is lined with painful sites memorialzing the process of capturing, holding, selling and transporting human beings into slavery. Communities throughout Benin and the rest of West Africa were shaped and destroyed by the brutalities of the slave trade.

And then on to learning more about Voodoo at the Python Temple

Marcellen was a super guide and we learned a lot from him, grateful that he spoke excellent English so that we could understand everything. Despite three months in mostly French speaking West Africa, our French is still small small.

Still working our way east, along the coast now, our next stop was Ganvie. Built in the middle of Lake Nokoué 400 years ago, its unique history started in the era of slavery. In the 18th century, the people of the local Tofinu tribe were trying to escape from the soldiers of the Kingdom of Dahomey who were capturing people and selling them to Portuguese traders as slaves.

The ancestors of today's residents fled to the lake which was feared by the soldiers who believed a terrible demon lived under its surface. Knowing this, the tribe chose to build their homes on stilts in the middle of the water. The current population is over 35,000.

We toured the village in a boat with Natys, a local guide who grew up in the village. He even took us to his home.

Houses built on stilts and separated by water, to visit your neighbor you must have a boat

Most houses have at least three boats, one for the man to fish, one for the women to take the fish to the mainland market, and one for the children to go to school.

Life is conducted on the water with floating markets and vendors

Drinking water is collected from a well with a spigot in large barrels and brought back to each house

Posing with our guide Nestys with the king of the village, on a rare and small island of land in the village.

It was a beautiful place and fascinating to learn about village life on the water

Another captivating Benin experience. We realize looking back that when we do commit to paying for a guide it definitely deepens our experience - we end up having deeper conversations and understanding of the local culture. We cannot always do it, but it is worth noting.

Now, before entering another big city, it was time for some beach and ocean breezes. We found a delightful camping spot west of Cotonou on the beach where Blacky and his family gave us a warm welcome and helped us get into a beach side spot.

Beachside camping at $3 a person at Paradis du Soleil east of Cotonou.

Our final stop in Benin was Cotonou, not the capital but definitely the largest city and economic center. We planned to spend a couple of days exploring and then cross into Nigeria. The travel fates laughed at us once again.

Much as we enjoyed Cotonou, an easy city to navigate with calm traffic and wide sidewalks, we ended up spending too much time there waiting for the elusive Nigerian visas. We went from enjoying the city, to learning the city to being tired of the city. There is a surprising lack of museums and cultural attractions for a city its size, but we did find a few. We became well acquainted with the rhythms of the city as we walked its streets day after day - the thwock of the shoe polisher advertising his services by banging a stick on a box, the incessant honking of the taxi motos who were sure if they got our attention we would decide to ride rather than walk, the cheerful cries of “white person!” in the local dialects.

We also met up with a fellow traveler who was also planning to cross into Nigeria, so we shared strategies and frustrations.

Armando from Italy, traveling south on his Husqvarna

Learning about the different masks and their cultural uses in Benin

Visiting the Notre Dame of Cotonou with its distinctive striping

Statue of the Amazon - representing the fierce women warriors of the Kingdom of Dahomey

Appreciating the beautiful street art along the main coastal roads

.

Then the weekend came and knowing everything would shut down we headed back out to the beach to wait some more

But if you have to wait, it was a pretty great place to be

With built in soccer game and fishing entertainment

So at the time of writing, we are still at the beach, waiting . . . Really hoping to continue our journey soon! In three months in West Africa we have traveled 7500 miles and visited 12 countries. We are not giving up and turning around. As always, thank you for reading and wish us luck!

(Follow up note, we did get the visas! Left two days later and made it to Nigeria - see the West African Visa blog for that saga, but happy to be on our way.)

 

[tacototheworld]

Nigeria - Part 1

Fantastic crew who helped us get by a broken down truck in the road

Nigeria was a huge milestone for us in our West Africa journey. At the time we were traveling, it was the hardest country for overland travelers to pass through on the coastal West Africa route. It was really difficult to get a land border visa in any embassy along the way (traveling south from Morocco). Visas on arrival were only being issued at the airport for people flying in. People driving West Africa were stopping their travel to fly home to get visas at embassies in their home countries, or deciding to turn back or ship their vehicles around. There are many more details on our visa blog, but visas for Nigeria were our hardest and most expensive to obtain.

Our route through Nigeria - 5 days in Lagos, 5 days of driving

We were interested in exploring Nigeria - it is the most populous African country with a vibrant reputation for art and culture. But we were hearing of others hiring private security to escort them to drive through the country and that is definitely not how we prefer to travel.

Approaching the land border from Benin to Nigeria at Idiroko

While we were debating what to do the elections proceeded calmly. When we later spoke to people in Nigeria there was national pride in how the police, military and vigilantes (their word) all came together to enforce a peaceful process. In a nation with a recent (in the last 60 years) history of bloody coups and civil war this was significant. Partly because of the pattern of British colonization, the nation is divided along cultural and religious lines with the southern, coastal section being mostly Christian and the northern area mostly Muslim.

In the end we decided to drive through on our own. We had been thinking about and discussing the whole definition of “safety” and how and who determines the criteria for travelers. The reality is we would be driving through areas labeled “do not travel” by the US State Department and other UK and European advisory sites both in Nigeria and along the border with Cameroun.

Arriving at the border gate between Benin and Nigeria

Our friendly welcome from Oke, Nigerian customs agent

We were required to have a police escort from the border to the airport (about a two hour drive). We had secured approval for a visa but they were only issued at the airport so an officer had to accompany us until we had the visas inserted in our passport.

Our immigration escort, James riding along with us.

It was a hefty charge of $200 for each of the two of us to get the escort, but on the upside with one officer riding with us and two in front in a pickup with flashing lights, we got to speed through the approximately 80 police stops and military barriers on the way to Lagos airport.

Following the officer pick up truck

The first challenge was money. In the time since the election, the government had backtracked a little and made the old currency still legal tender, so the problem was not quite as accute. But ATMs were still short of money and cash withdrawals were limited.

Through asking around, we ended up at the Eko Hotel gift shop where a crew of money changers with stacks of cash were happy to give us Nigerian naira for the US dollars we were carrying with us.

Our friendly money changers. If money go before, all ways do lie open.

The first hiccup in our plans to head fairly quickly across the country was the fact that the consul at the Cameroun embassy was out of town so we had to wait five days to get our visas.

Nike Art Gallery - West Africa’s Largest privately owned contemporary and traditional art collection, curated by artist Nike Davies Okundaye

Tour of some of Dawn’s favorite pieces

Five floors of incredible art

We were sung a greeting when we arrived at the gallery by these two lovely young women. We enjoyed and laughed with people wanting to have their picture taken with us, we are not usually that popular.

First time sitting on a couch with a big screen TV in three months

Dawn cooking up some noodles for the upcoming long driving days

We were almost the only tenants in this huge apartment building in Lagos

Spreading grain on the margins of the road to dry

The military stops were constant and draining. Sometimes you would barely get up to a reasonable speed and then you see the random items in the road ahead and have to start braking again. On the upside, we quickly determined which ones were serious and which ones we could get away with just driving through and waving. Pretty much if a person was not actively blocking our way we would just keep driving. At least no one ever chased us. And even when we had to stop, officers were friendly and mostly just curious about who we were and what we were doing. Many asked for our WhatsApp numbers so they could keep in touch. People repeatedly told us they wanted to come to the US and mentioned how difficult it was to get a visa (so it goes both ways).

Typical barrier for police or military check point, pieces of wood.

Or sandbags and tires

Here is a brief run down of our journey across Nigeria from Lagos to the most southern open border between Nigeria and Cameroun. (Limited border access due to violence and unrest on the Cameroun side.) This is the most common and direct route overland travelers were taking at the time.

Day One - Lagos to Asaba - 450 kilometers in eight hours

We woke at the crack of dawn ready for a long drive. Water and lunch packed, gas tank full and audio books cued up. Most of the way was a fast four lane road, although we did have 21 police stops (ones we actually were stopped at, there were at least twice that many set up). There were some soft asks for gifts, but when Andy would say he just had his smile to give he would get a big smile back and we were waved through.

We stopped once for gas and made good time so decided to stop over in Asaba so we could go for a walk. Asaba was a modern prosperous town with nice hotels so we chose one with secure parking, walked for a couple of hours exploring the town and then tucked in for the night.

Crossing the river Niger

 

[roamingyak]

Damn you, your making me want to do all of this again! Keep them coming

 

[tacototheworld]

Nigeria - Part 2


Day Two - Asaba to Takum - 468 kilometers in eleven hours

This was a longer day but the countryside was becoming more rural and interesting. We crossed the river Niger as we listened to our audio book Formation discuss the importance of the river in early trading routes. This day we were stopped twenty times and Andy was switching up his responses to requests for gifts. When one of the officers asked him for something Andy asked him if he had a gift for him instead, after all, he was the guest in the country. More smiles and laughter and waving us on. We never paid a bribe on the road in Nigeria. One officer tried to worry us by telling us we could not get by with an International Driver’s Permit, that Andy was required to have a Nigerian Driver’s License but we talked our way out of that too. (It is not true.)

Still the ever present police and military check points

Villages becoming more traditional as we head north

Roadside fruit for sale

Views more mountainous. Sandy spots on the road are upcoming potholes to weave around using both lanes - even with oncoming vehicles - its the African Way

It was quickly becoming one of the most scenically beautiful routes we had driven in West Africa.

Constructing the thatched roof

Beautiful mango sellers at a police stop let us take their picture. We did buy some, how could we resist?

Cars waiting at a military check point

The road to Abakaliki was a good one, some slow moving trucks to navigate but otherwise we made good progress. After Abakaliki the potholes started to grow. We had filled up with gas in Abakaliki having heard that it was the last modern gas station on the route, but we actually saw modern pumps all the way to Takum. We pulled into a guest house in Takum at dusk, paid $5, were the only guests, secured a spartan room with a lackluster fan and attempted to sleep. (It was 90’ all night, not our best rest.)

Day Three - Takum to Mayo Ndaga 417 kilometers in eleven hours

This is when we started to lose our smooth asphalt road. There was decent tar for the first 80km, and then good gravel to Nguroje. The last modern gas station we noticed was in Bali. Fuel was available in roadside bottle stands, but we have been avoiding those to date.

The road turns to gravel

Beautiful mountain plateau views across Taraba state

Don’t know why, but photos never adequately show how rough the road is, this required 4wd lo range

Driving this route we had what we think of as a classic West African driving experience. The road we were on was our only option for crossing into Cameroun and we were 400 kilometers in on an 800 kilometer route. On a narrow stretch we came upon a large broken down truck. The driver was waiting for a part, could be a few more days. Another truck was stuck behind him waiting for the first truck to get his part. When we arrived at the scene, they immediately started trouble shooting how to get us around them and on our way. Helpers were called on from the nearby village and a group of men literally dug out the bank so that we could squeeze by. Incredible. Repeatedly in Africa we have been treated with such warmth and kindness, people help eachother here. It is normal, so much humanity and sense of community.

Broken down truck with another one stuck behind it

Navigating around the rear truck, no problem

Digging out the bank so we can get around the front truck

Meanwhile Dawn helpfully takes selfies with other onlookers

Success!

In Mayo Ndaga we camped at a military compound where we were warmly welcomed and payment was refused.

Day Four - Mayo Ndaga to Banyo - two hours to the border

Early morning fog in Mayo Ndaga

Our last day in Nigeria was sunny and clear and we were grateful for the continued dry weather. Roads were rough but passable with high clearance. It took us two hours to get to the border. Procedures were slow with multiple log book entries for our yellow fever vaccines, vehicle permit and passports but we made it through in another couple of hours. The drive south to Banyo in Cameroun was unpaved and rough but also still dry and easily navigable.

Wide load coming down!

Border between Nigeria and Cameroun (Their way of spelling their country)

In the end, our only regret was that we didn’t spend more time in Nigeria, exploring some more of the remote cultural and natural sites. Partly we let underlying caution get to us and partly we were still pushing through, on the edge of monsoon season, knowing that some of the upcoming roads could become impassable. The journey continues as we work our way south. Thank you for reading! Next up, Cameroun

 

[tacototheworld]

Cameroun

Road from the Nigeria border to Banyo in Cameroun. Truck-swallowing potholes.

We were grateful to enter Cameroun on a bright and sunny morning with the roads still dry. Much of our West Africa timeline had been based on a race to ensure we got through Cameroun and Gabon before the monsoon season, typically in April. We knew that roads could easily become impassable once the potholes were filled with mud. Because of our unexpected visa delays on the way, we opted to pass through Cameroun quickly. Later, the timeline became even more accelerated as we ran into major problems with the truck - the Tacoma started to fold like a taco in Gabon and we had to have repair work done in Libreville. But it is all part of life on the road.

We fully admit we did not do the country justice. But, similar to when our two years driving around in Europe was coming to an end and we had lost our capacity to continue appreciating cathedrals, castles and ancient druid sites, we were ready for our next phase of African adventures.

West Africa is about enjoying people and culture. There are beautiful landscapes and animals here, but that is not the primary focus. The eastern and southern areas of Africa have vastly more accessible wildlife viewing opportunities. West Africa is alive and vibrant with people gathering at bustling outside community markets. Routes bisect villages with people gathering along the road enjoying each other’s company and watching life go by. The culture is people-oriented and the cultural standards of closeness and staring are very different than what we are used to. It is not unusual for our truck to be surrounded by people wanting to talk, or even just staring to see what we are going to do. There is this fascinating dynamic of how we see the people here and how they see us across racial and cultural divides. We want to take pictures of people carrying loads on their head, (endlessly and beautifully intriguing for us to watch this graceful practice) or gathered at a riverbank doing laundry. We refrain because it feels rude and definitely not the cultural norm here. The people here want to watch us setting up camp, preparing food and see inside the truck. Sometimes they will sit and watch us read our kindles. It is both unnerving and strangely touching. We have had children open the door after we have retired for the night because they want to keep watching us.

Being the introverted types that we are, the constant attention and curiousity from people has started wearing us down. We have been driving on the highly populated coastal route as opposed to passing inland through countries with greater security concerns (Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso). Heat was also an ongoing battle for us and our bodies reacted differently. Andy found himself soaked through with sweat on a daily basis and Dawn’s face would turn bright red. Finding sites with some cooling breeze and without people gathering around was a constant challenge.

Our route through Cameroun and Gabon

Humidity, relentless sun, challenging dirt roads, constant police and military stops, and navigating crowded markets to negotiate for food are all part of the West African experience and we had accepted the challenge joyfully for the first four months. But the newness and excitement from the constant sensory overload was wearing off. We were feeling a little exhausted and looking for the next experience to inspire and re-motivate us. Travelers must be content. All this to say, we chose to pass through Cameroun and Gabon fairly quickly with a goal of getting to the mountainous regions of Angola and then on to the National Parks of Namibia that we were excited to experience.

Unpaved road after crossing the Nigerian border into Cameroun

Arriving at the official border into Cameroun

We had learned how to take border crossings in stride, working our way from one official to the next, sitting on wooden benches as our information was painstakingly entered by hand into huge logbooks. But our vigilance was a little down in Cameroun and we ended up paying $12 for a vehicle import permit that should have been free. The amount sounded reasonable and we were tired so we just handed over the money. Oops. We were also re-entering a French speaking country and once again language-challenged.

First water crossing, but still mostly dry roads

Beautiful tropical grasshopper

Our first night in Cameroun - peaceful and cool wild spot with mountain views, and no people!!!

Traditional villages along the way

Men gathering at the Sultan’s Palace in Foumban

We stopped off in Foumban on our way south, reputed to be an arts and culture center. There is a large history museum (shaped like a spider) which is not open yet. The Sultan’s Palace was closed because of an official ceremony and the arts village was a dusty shell (probably a Covid casualty) so all around a bust. The final straw was as we were waiting to see if the ceremony at the palace would end and we could enter, a man came up to Dawn and yelled at her in French. It took a while for us to understand but apparently he was telling her she was not allowed to sit with her legs crossed. We have no idea why, she was wearing a long dress that came down to her ankles. It made us feel uncomfortable so we continued south to Yaounde.

Switch to paved road - what a relief!

We worked our way south, noticing the country became less tradtionally Muslim as we did. Clothing styles changed and instead of mosques, we would see churches. The scenery was lush and green, covered in rainforest. We spent our last two nights in Yaounde, securing our DRC visas. The city felt relatively prosperous and modern but lacking in obvious cultural sites. Onwards.

 

[tacototheworld]

Gabon

Entry into Gabon was uneventful. We were back on guard now so when the immigration officer asked us for $25 to process our passports we reminded him it was free and he just waved us on.
Our first impressions of Gabon were huge rainforests, lots of active logging and a surprising number of military and police checkpoints. They actually felt as frequent as Nigeria and more serious as they were actively blocking the road and asking to check passports. We also noticed that people were not dressed in the bright fabrics of Benin and Togo. Women carried their wares in large baskets on their backs instead of on their heads. Homes were built in more contemporary styles, mostly square with tin rooves.

Decent paved roads and lots of green

Lots of active logging - huge trees. Andy, a lifelong forester, was saddened not to see any signs of replanting

Entering the long bumpy road to Lopé National Park

Still grateful for dry roads! But something is going on, all of a sudden the truck is clanking weirdly when we go over bumps. We cautiously continue.

We can see why the road gets impassable in the wet season

But the strange noises are getting worse and we decide not to continue on a remote road with minimal infrastructure. So we turn around and head for Libreville.

On a close inspection at dusk, we can see the truck is folding up in the middle and the top of the camper is almost resting on the cab (normally there is a 5” gap).

On the road to Libreville, metal drums signify something for sale, much of it a variety of bush meat, we have a policy of sticking to either chicken or beef.


The Tacoed Taco

After the bone-jolting roads of Taraba state in Nigeria and the truck-swallowing potholes of the rough 4x4 track crossing into Cameroun, we had put our overweight truck through its paces. As we continued on our way and hit our next rough track in Gabon, we knew by the noises we heard something was wrong. Our fairing that is attached to the overhang of the camper started to hit the top of the cab. Andy removed it. Next, the smaller cylinder that holds our mosquito netting started to hit. Finally we noticed the gas filling pipe that sits between the camper and the cab on the driver’s side starting to hit the side of the cab.

Gap between the top of the cab and the camper shrunk from 5” to 2”

Not sure what was going on, but sure it was not good, we made the nerve-wracking 200 km drive to Libreville. Not sure if the truck was going to break in two on us, we creeped along at minimal speed.

When we stopped for the night, Andy did a more thorough inspection and figured out what had happened. Thinking that the truck’s frame was breaking, Andy discovered the problem. There are six mounting brackets that connect the flatbed and camper to the truck frame. The welds on the front two brackets had broken.

Andy’s fingers between the mounting bracket and the black truck frame. Flatbed is the bright aluminum above


Our first stop was the Toyota dealer in town and they were awesome. Despite a huge language barrier (our French is atrocious), they immediately understood the problem and assigned someone to help. He took Andy to a local automotive shop that specializes in 4x4 trucks and they agreed to work on it the next day.

The folks at Cartech in Libreville were fantastic. They made time to jump on the problem and carefully worked through it with us.

Side view showing how the bracket is no longer attached to the frame on the driver’s side.

Passenger side bracket, weld is broken but bracket still resting in place

Our first challenge was that we thought we would have to find someone to remove the camper and flatbed with a forklift in order to re-weld the brackets.

At the time of starting the repairs, the camper had sagged onto the cab so the shop used a jack to lift it into place.

Once the camper was lifted into place with a jack, they realized that the brackets to be welded could actually be accessed by removing the flatbed lock boxes so no need to find a forklift - phew!

Once the flatbed lockbox was removed, the failed Toyota welds were clearly visible

Mounting bracket and lockbox removed from frame

Second jack precisely aligning camper and flatbed back to correct position before re-welding

Repair in action

Finished weld on passenger side mounting bracket

Before repair, Andy can barely fit his hand between the top of the cab and the bottom of the camper

After repair, back to normal

Thank you to the crew at Cartech - they came in on a Saturday to get us back on the road

There is a lot of discussion in travel and overland forums about the wisdom of placing a camper setup like ours on a midsize truck. We knew that we were taking a risk with weight but felt it was worth it given the Tacoma’s proven ruggedness and because it was the standard size we wanted for world travel. We found the weak spot! The original Toyota welds gave way, but the welding was limited to the inside of the bracket. When we had the repairs done, the welds were completed again on the inside but in addition on the complete outer circumference of the bracket, stronger and better suited for the weight we have on them.
We are also impressed with the robustness of the flatbed itself and are glad we made the investment in Norweld. When the front brackets gave way, it put stress on the remaining brackets and the flatbed frame itself that was overhanging with no support. In the end, the flatbed frame did not have any damage or warping. The other takeaway is for Andy to slow down more on the many big bumps.

 

[tacototheworld]

Gabon Part 2

Feeling strong and confident again with our truck back up to speed, we decided to re-attempt the road to Lopé National Park. The rains had come, but it was still very driveable.

Mostly hard packed gravel

And, of course some mud

The truck had been clean for a grand total of 24 hours

We had tried to research Lopé National Park in advance but it was difficult to find information. Because of our inability to speak French we never like to try to call in advance - phone calls are excrutiatingly awkward. So we decided to just show up at the main park lodge where we heard they organized tours and see if we could arrange something. Naturally, the road was a little longer than we had planned so we were pulling into town at almost dusk. And the lodge was closed. So using iOverlander, we drove by a couple of other lodges/areas to camp - also closed. On our last attempt, we drove by a hotel and were greeted by Musa who came out of his home and agreed to let us camp on the grounds for a fee. There were no other guests. He also agreed to call a guide for us - what a bonus!

Donald, the only English speaking guide in the park, showed up an hour later and we made our plan for the next day. He explained that the train that connects the town and park to Libreville had been broken down for several months so no one was coming. That explained why it felt so shut down and deserted. People were struggling without the visitors coming and without easy transportation to work. A country like Gabon has so little transportation infrastructure that when it breaks down, the consequences are harsh for people. The fallback is minivan taxis, typically crowded with passengers bumping along the challenging roads

We had a super morning with Donald in the park, a lot of excitement when we were tracking an elephant in the forest, but we never spotted him. We had seen elephants from our vehicle in the past, but it is a different feeling following one on foot in the forest. The park and surrounding area was stunning, a beautiful mix of savannah and forest.

Our first new wildlife sighting - African Forest Buffalo

Lots of monkeys!

Beautiful day for a hike

And then we got back in our truck to (very carefully) travel the rest of the muddy road and prepare to enter the Congo.

Verging into wet season

Another mixed bag of adventures. We were feeling confident about the integrity of the truck and this shook us a little. On the upside, maybe we found the weak spot and all is good. Or, when feeling pessimistic, we think this could be the first sign of a series of stress problems. We hope not. Either way, we are ready for what comes ahead. Thank you for reading and next up, the Republic of Congo - hoping for gorillas!

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

All things considered, if it was to break..thats the best way it could of happened.

 

[tacototheworld]

Republic of Congo

As we approach the final leg of our West Africa journey, we continue to struggle a little with the realities of long term travel in hot countries. There are not many other travelers on the road, and everyone goes at their own pace. We notice that we tend to go faster, rarely staying in one place more than a night. For us this is partly about the heat, if we cannot find a cool place to stop, we just keep driving in our air conitioned truck (we know we are spoiled). We also know that we are not good at relaxing.

The Republic of the Congo (Congo Brazzaville) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo Kinshasha) were very different experiences for us, and also relatively quick.

Our route across the Republic of Congo, crossing the Cabinda section of Angola then across the Democratic Republic of Congo and into the main pairt of Angola

Hands down the highlight of the Republic of Congo was going to visit the gorillas at the Gorilla Project at Lesio Louna. But we also enjoyed scenic drives across the savannah.

Our border crossing took longer than expected so we found ourselves with dusk approaching looking for a safe place to stay. We asked the kind policeman who had just checked our passports and he gestured to his yard and welcomed us. Throughout West Africa almost all of our interactions with the local gendarmerie have been positive and we appreciate the sense of safety they provide for our travels. Our conversation was limited (that English/French language thing) but we had a hilarious time as the whole village came out to inspect the camper and poke their heads inside to take a look.

Our first night - camped at the village police station

We were surprised how much of the Republic of Congo was grassland, at least in the more southern region where we were traveling

Yellow containers seen everywhere throughout West Africa, used for carrying both gasoline and water. Always as many as possible attached to a vehicle.

Our visit to the Lesio Louna gorilla reserve was outstanding but had a complicated logistical beginning. We could not find any information online about setting up a visit or tour so decided to just drive into one of the camps and see what happened. We arrived at the intersection for the road out to the camp and saw some local people sitting in front of a small building. We managed to convey that we wanted to go to the reserve and received a thumbs up. Then around the corner appears a fellow traveler, Jose. It turns out we had been on the same travelers Whatsapp group sharing information and we finally were to meet in person! Jose had already attempted the drive out to the reserve on his motorcycle and turned back as the road deteriorated, he thought he took a wrong turn and he was by himself. So he was up for attempt #2 in a convoy with us. We put his panniers in our truck and set off following him across a sandy track.

Grass track to the Reserve

Jose giving us the thumbs up as we follow him

We ended up at Camp Albo where we were warmly welcomed and invited to camp for free (it was about $75 each for the actual gorilla visit which involved a boat trip from the camp plus a park fee of $25 each).

We had a great time swapping travel stories with Jose in the evening over a shared meal, hearing about his plans to start a motorcycle tourism company in his home country of Columbia. Then the next morning, off to see the gorillas. The Gorilla Project at this site was currently caring for three adult male and one adolescent orphan gorillas. The gorillas are kept in spacious island enclosures, visited by boat and gradually weaned off feeding and care until they are released by underground tunnel to a nearby national park which is home to over 50 free released gorillas.

Incredible experience looking into the eyes of these magnificent animals

Sitting in the boat with the caretakers watching the gorilla come in to be fed

We think we found the infamous Big Foot - far away from its California home

Third gorilla giving us his best pose

The orphan - from the wild, actually teaching the adult male it lives with (which was rescued from a zoo) how to find food
As Jose’s travel companion was dealing with a broken down motorcycle we headed into the capital, Brazzaville together and found a hotel.

Modest Brazzaville accommodations

Brazzaville sits right on the mighty Congo river, looking out at Kinshasha in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the other side.

We took care of business in Brazzaville (groceries, ATM, awesome bread), had a rare meal out and hit the road again. The city was a classic mix of roadside African market and contemporary restaurants. But as usual, big cities are not our thing so we soaked it up and left.

The huge loaded down trucks never cease to amaze us, but we are also always a little frightened for the intrepid passengers riding on top of the loads

But still plenty of hills

And once again we are finding solitary wild camping spots
The second biggest city in the Republic of Congo, Pointe-Noire was a pass through for us. Although we did detour up north to see the famous Diosso Gorge.

The red clay formations reminded us of Bryce Canyon in the US

Enjoying the view along the road

Camped on the grounds of a hotel. Tucked into the shade as much as we can.
Our last nights in the Republic of Congo we spent camped along the coast south of Pointe-Noire. We found a hotel that welcomed campers and used their grounds in exchange for agreeing to purchase dinner in their restaurant (it was excellent and ate early as we were the only customers and didn’t want them to wait for us). We are used to being the only overnighters at the facility, with just a few people stopping by for the beach and pool during the day.

An oasis of coolness

Although normally we could care less about a pool, we have found that dunking ourselves in tepid water repreatedly is a great antidote for overheating. We would always prefer to wild camp, but have used more hotel and restaurant grounds than normal recently. On the day we left we woke up early refreshed and both nervous about and interested in what the next couple of days would bring.

 

[FAW3]

Stunning report and photos...a true world class adventure. Thanks for sharing.

I can relate to having your "kids" joining up with you. Mine have done the same and the memories are something to truly treasure.

 

[tacototheworld]

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)

From the moment we started planning to drive West Africa, the DRC crossing surfaced as having the reputation of the riskiest undertaking for travelers. We read about people meeting at the border and “convoying up” to drive across quickly and with mutual support. After five months of driving around West Africa on our own we had learned to take these warnings with a grain of salt. But, similar to Nigeria, the years of media images and reports were still forefront in our minds and we felt strangely nervous.
The DRC is among the five poorest nations in the world. In 2022, nearly 62%, or 60 million people, lived on less than $2 per day. Although the country is rich in minerals and resources, most people in DRC have not benefited from this wealth. A recent history of conflict and political instability, have created an ongoing humanitarian crisis. The first and second Congo wars started in 1997 and 1998 and despite a peace treaty in 2003, violence continues. Estimates are that over 5 million people have died as a result of the wars and the accompanying disease and malnutrition. Millions more have been displaced.
In 62 years of independence, DRC did not experience its first peaceful transition of power until January 2019. Effectively this means only the past four years have been relatively peaceful. This country has seen a lot of tragedy.
So in the end we did another dash across. It did not feel like a place for tourists to linger. Elements of crossing the borders were stressful, in Matadi, we experienced the worst traffic we had ever been in and the requests for money were even more insistent than anywhere else. (In our hotel, the security guard said “give me money” everytime we saw him, clearly one of his few English phrases. To be fair, he smiled too but it was still unnerving.)

Approaching the border crossing from Republic of Congo to Cabinda

So in two days and two nights we drove from the Republic of Congo into the area of Angola known as Cabinda (the geography here is very strange with strips of countries going inside and around each other to the coast), spent the night in Cabinda at a hotel, then woke up early to hopefully cross the DRC in one day. We should have known better.
The border crossings were tedious and slow - many officials to see and have our information laboriously recorded by hand into huge log books. By the time we exited Angola and entered DRC it was already mid day. So we set off to see how far we could go. The roads started as dirt but then became paved and clear. It was a welcome relief after some tough going in the Republic of Congo. But pot holes slowed us down, trucks moving at 5 km per hour up hills slowed us down . . . The only thing that we were expecting that did not slow us down was military and police check points, we were just waved or even saluted through with a smile.

The road immediately entering the DRC from Angola. Unfortunately garbage is an issue throughout most of West Africa. People burn or bury it but plastic seems to stick around

The roads still dry luckily

We were only half way across the DRC as late afternoon approached so planned to spend a night in Matadi. We picked a guest house that seemed reasonable and planned to check in around 4pm. As soon as we hit the outskirts of town traffic came to a screaming halt. We managed to go two kms in two hours. We reached the guest house at 6pm only to find it closed. It was one of our more stressful travel moments. We were tired, it was dark, people were crowded around the car gesturing to us to follow them but we didn’t speak the language and just wanted to hide. Very difficult in the biggest private vehicle on the street. We found option number two and drove another km in another hour (seriously the very worst traffic ever) and arrived. They had a room! Phew.

More of the yellow containers, the beginning of loading up

And eventually the loads typically look this, beautiful in their artistry

Crossing the Congo river in the DRC

Approaching Matadi, beautifully spread out across the hill but with the worst traffic on the planet

And then our final border crossing for a while, exiting the DRC to Angola

Some countries stand out in our minds and it is the ones we are able to do justice when the confluence of time, geography and connections with people come together. In West Africa to date, Morocco and Benin are highlights. Other countries like Cameroun, Gabon and the Congos we feel like we barely scratched the surface. We are happy to make it through this mental milestone though and are looking forward to some high mountain breezes in Angola. Thank you for reading!

 

[ghostdancer]

I follow a single girl YouTuber called “Itchy Boots” she is doing West Africa solo on a motorcycle. My wife and I watched her trip up from the tip of South America to Alaska. When she announced her plans for West Africa, the first thing I thought about was her crossing the DRC, pretty blond girl, all alone.

 

[tacototheworld]

I follow a single girl YouTuber called “Itchy Boots” she is doing West Africa solo on a motorcycle. My wife and I watched her trip up from the tip of South America to Alaska. When she announced her plans for West Africa, the first thing I thought about was her crossing the DRC, pretty blond girl, all alone.

That's amazing! I can't imagine doing it alone, as a woman. A motorcycle has the big benefit of blending in with the multitudes of local bikes but the 24 hour heat, for me, would be really tough.

 

[tacototheworld]

Angola - Part 1

Calandula Falls, second largest waterfall on the continent, after Victoria Falls.

Angola felt like a refreshing and invigorating mountain breeze cooling our travel weary bodies. After months of battling the heat, Angola’s mountainous and coastal regions offered welcome relief from the humidity we had been experiencing. The country quickly became a West Africa highlight for us with its geological diversity and expansive remote areas which made wild camping easy. We slowed down and spent three weeks exploring vast desert landscapes, remote rain forest roads and magical rock formations.

Our 2000 mile route through Angola

The recent civil war in Angola (1975-2002) devastated the social fabric for the people, destroyed basic infrastructure and decimated the economy. A common story in the West African region. A third of the poplaution - over four million people, were displaced. The country was riddled with live land mines and people lacked access to medical care and clean water.

All this to say the country is still in recovery mode. The MPLA won the most recent elections in 2022 with a slim margin of 51%. People are working to just get by and we are not surprised that they mostly left us alone. We are always very aware of our position as travelers in nations which are struggling. We are honored to explore what we can access and always try to respect peoples’ situations and needs and above all not cause any harm and try to do some good in small ways.

Our first night in Angola we met up with fellow overlanders 4x4 Electric, driving down the west coast from the Netherlands in an electric car

Our entry into the main part of Angola was uneventful - just another border crossing, working through the process. We had taken care of the visas and vehicle permit in Cabinda when we were crossing the Democratic Republic of Congo. We met up with some fellow overlanders for an evening at an informal beach camp and then made our way to Luanda, the biggest city in Angola.

At Kakuako Lodge, swapping stories with fellow travelers Alex and Sebastian from France, riding motorcycles and Renske and Maarten, 4x4 Electric, driving a electric car around the continent.

We were welcomed at Kakuako Lodge, an overlanding camp on the outskirts of Luanda and had another great evening sharing travel adventures. We were all on a journey from Europe down to Cape Town and beyond.

One night and two days of errands was enough for us so we started down the coast, first stopping at the beautiful Miradouro da Lua - “viewpoint of the moon,” which lived up to it’s name. It was a gorgeous canyon with formations that reminded us of Bryce Canyon back home.

Requisite selfie at Miradouro da Lua

As usual we opted to use iOverlander in Angola to find camping spots. We always like the security of knowing that others have camped in a place trouble free and it is a great platform for sharing information among fellow travelers. Since COVID had shut down travel for a time period, there is a big gap in information - not many entries for a couple of years. Many times we would take a leap of faith and camp in a place that no one had used in three years. But we saw an entry for a nearby wild camping spot that someone had used in 2023 and loved and decided to go for it.

And then, wow, one of our favorite spots. On the bluff with the view of the red rock canyons

After our bluff top paradise, we decided to check out Angola’s renowned national park and try to see some animals. Information was hard to come by, and we were not sure what we would find. The park was established in 1957 but was affected by wide scale poaching during the civil war. An Angolan we spoke to said that “When people are starving and there is a free butchery in your backyard, what do you expect?”

Entrance to Quicama National Park

The entrance showed the disrepair that we would find. The guard told us we could drive through the park for the day but would have to leave by night. We paid a nominal fee and set off. It was a beautiful drive. Our animal sitings were limited to a few monkeys, a monitor lizard and some birds, but it was still an interesting adventure.

The roads were a little rough

And some not driveable, we turned back on this one

The lodge in the park was closed, tourist infrastructure slowly falling into disrepair

We hope that efforts to continue to revive the park will pay off. It seems like an important opportunity to bring some tourism dollars into the area and provide some employment. Along the way in Angola we did see some cottage industry tourism businesses springing up and were happy to support it,

Villages inside the park, homes of wood and clay

The beautiful valley of Quicama National Park

Scenic abandoned quarry site, great spot for the night

Approaching Pungo Andongo, monolithic black rock formations that rise majestically out of the surrounding savannah.

Parking on the rock at Pungo Andongo

The next stop was an example of successful tourism at work, but unfortunately we were the only ones there to enjoy it. Calandula Falls were so beautiful and we had the opportunity to camp on the grounds of the lodge across from the falls. It was extraordinary to sit on our own and watch the mesmerizing water, and to be camped with a view from our window. The lodge had a set price for camping there ($10) and the friendly staff helped us fill our fresh water tank.

Our private viewing of Calandula Falls.The earth has music for those who listen.

View from our camper in the parking area

With our water tank filled with fresh water, we said goodbye to the cool mist on our faces and set off across country again. A brief note on water, we have found it readily accessible across West Africa. Sometimes we fill the tank at a campground or gas station. We always purify it through our UV system just in case. This allows us to refill our Hydroflask water bottles daily with clean drinking water. We are happy to say that in six months in Africa we have never suffered any intestinal problems from bad food or water, but we have been careful. We treat our own water and mostly cook our own food.

Beautiful villages, always made of the local clay with thatch or tin rooves. Inland, the houses were red, next to the coast more grey.

Yup, another abandoned quarry site for an overnight

So green, the scenery out our truck windows was always varied

 

[tacototheworld]

Namibia - Part 1

Morning lion siting in Etosha National Park

After traveling in Africa for six months with very little wildlife viewing, we were hungry to see animals. Namibia definitely delivered. Etosha National Park was a corunucopia of wildlife.

But it was also a shock to our systems to all of a sudden be surrounded by tourists in rented trucks everywhere we went. The towns had a modern feel with restuarants, cafes, paved streets and street lights. Initially, access to huge, modern European style markets was exciting but soon the excitement was replaced with a sense of remorse. All of a sudden we missed the crazy chaos of the community markets in West Africa, the warmth the curiosity and the friendliness. The big air conditioned markets with their shrink wrapped products felt easy but they were missing life and character. A sad example of the grass is always greener.

We did appreciate the ease of traveling in Namibia as a visitor though. Tourist infrastructure was well developed, information was easy to find and there were plenty of camping facilities. We were also relieved to once again be able to speak English and be able to communicate easily.

Our two week route through Namibia

A new nation, Namibia obtained independence in 1989 after decades of armed struggle, first with German occupiers then with South African control. The country was established with a constitution establishing a multi party system and a comprehensive Bill of Rights. Leadership under the first elected president, Sam Nujoma who had lead the fight for independence was focused on reconciliation from the years of war and on reconstruction.

Compared to many of it’s neighbors, Namibia is politically stable and economically prosperous. It struggles with issues of wealth disparity, but the growth in the diamond, uranium and tourism sectors are providing jobs. One out of five people works in the tourism industry. The country has one of the lowest population densities in Africa and is the people are young - with over 60% being under 25 years old.

We crossed into Namibia from Angola at a small border crossing and our first experience was being unable to pay the required road tax as power was out, no credit card processing, and we had no Namibian cash. No problem, we were allowed to go with a promise we would return and pay the next day. The regional power outage meant no access to gas (we were almost empty), cash or sim cards for phone service but we found a place to camp and wait it out. The Kunene River region was a great transition to what was coming at Etosha, as we were re-rentering civilization after days in the Namibe desert. Women in traditional Himba dress (hair designed and coated in red ochre with natural clothing made from animal skins, typically bare on top with beautifully designed jewelry) walked the dusty village streets alongside women in European fashions.

Eventually the power came on, we were able to access cash, buy gas, groceries and sim cards and we were on our way. We had booked campsites in advance in Etosha. Not cheap at $42 for a site for two people, but the location was worth the cost. It was a little unnerving though, campgrounds closed access from sunset to sunrise with campers enclosed in an electrified compound with a gate. We understood why when we listened to the lions roraring and hunting all night, but we did miss the sense of adventure. We remembered being in Botswana national parks and running the risk of encountering an elephant on the way to the restroom in the evening. Even though we could not explore at night, all of the campgrounds had large water holes at with viewing areas at the edge of the camp so that you could still view evening wildlife activity.

We spent four nights in the park, working our way from east to west. At each camp, we would wake up early, head out at sunrise as soon as the campground gates opened, (Dawn with coffee in hand) and make our way to a watering hole and sit and watch the comings and goings. Then back to the campground to relax, take showers then set off on a late afternoon drive to watch the evening parade. It never got old, the elephants bathing with their babies, the grumpy zebras snapping at each other and the majestic lions ambling slowly in to drink before or after a night of hunting.

Namutoni Camp, Etosha National Park

Our first camp, Namutoni ended up being our favorite. More low key in terms of facilities, the sites were spread out on the grass with trees for shade. It was the closest to really active watering holes and during the time we were there we saw several lion prides. It also had amazing water pressure in the shower facilities! The only drawback was that it’s onsite watering hole was small and did not seem to attract much when we were there (May).

So thrilled to find rhinos on our very first drive in Etosha

There is just something so exciting about the first time you see an elephant pop out of the bush

The poor giraffes - so awkward for them to drink

One morning we were sitting at an empty watering hole as the solitary watchers, waiting to see if anything would happen and a leopard slunk out of the bushes to drink. All of a sudden it jumped up and ran off, right in front of our truck. We wondered what made it take off so abruptly.

And then the lions arrived and we realized why.

Our second camp was Halali. Bigger than Namutoni, but still smaller than Okaukuejo, it had an awesome nighttime watering hole. We were getting into the rhythm with the morning and evening drives and relaxing into sitting by a hole just to see what would appear.

Zebra and impalas

Zebra fight - a common occurrence

Oryx

Spent a delightful hour watching elephant moms and babies bathing

Sun goes down on the Halali Watering Hole

And here come the rhinos! Hyenas too - our first sighting, but the pictures of them did not turn out

Our last camp was Okaukuejo, definitely the most developed with a large pool and restaurant and tourist shops. Buses came and went and the camping area was more densely populated (with only one toilet building). It had a large active evening watering hole - more rhinos!

Sun goes down on the Okaukuejo Watering Hole

Feeling satiated with animal sitings (only one hold out we have not been able to check off so far - a cheetah) we left Etosha to seek out some cultural experiences. Next stop, rock carvings at Twyfelfontein.

Most famous carving at Twyfelfontein,

An example of tourism done well, visitors are greeted at a simple museum site and gathered into small groups for a 45 minute guided walk. The site has been inhabited for 6,000 years, used as a site of worship first by hunter-gatherers and later by Khoikhoi herders. It is estimated that there are over 2,500 rock carvings, one of the largest concentrations of rock petroglyphs in Africa.