Africa 2009 - Caravan

[PeeWee]

Update on current events in Africa.

Civil unrest in Kenya. Post-election riots...possible Civil War.

Eboli erupts again in Central Africa.

And today...

"Plague, the disease that devastated medieval Europe, is re-emerging worldwide and poses a growing but overlooked threat, researchers warned on Tuesday.

While it has only killed some 100 to 200 people annually over the past 20 years, plague has appeared in new countries in recent decades and is now shifting into Africa, Michael Begon, an ecologist at the University of Liverpool and colleagues said." (By Michael Kahn,Reuters)

[munimula]

The 2008 Dakar Rally which was to begin earlier this month was cancelled. This was due to al-Qaeda related deaths in Mauritania in late 2007. It's worth noting this event takes place in western Africa and not near the proposed caravan route.

[clancy_boy]

Lets ease up on these guys some - I know from previous posts in the other C2C threads that I was one of the more vocal about the probability of trouble with this rally. I still feel that there are way to many issues for me to go, but these are smart, capable, well intentioned individuals that have put multiple years of thought into the planning for this event.

Posting here only drives them underground and prevents others with genuine interest in living through their planning and deployment from getting information. Many of the participants are suspicious of outsiders but they do provide a great newsletter that can be emailed to you upon request. There are a few things I feel (yep, my opinion blast away - not that I am going) they are letting fall through the cracks but alot they are doing right. I know that Andy has provided them private space, Rich L. is giving the ad space, Airstream is on board and I am sure many others have joined in to assist - so they have backing. Lets just wish them well and see them off on their way. It should be quite an adventure and alot of people only wish they could go along. I'm one of them.

PeeWee - I have the greatest admiration for you travel history - but posting disasterous events in their paths only makes information from them harder to obtain and just gives them more reason to act like Jim Jones.

[sigv]

Clancy,

I wish I could go on this trip and would if I could get the time off work. I think there are real challenges here but lets stay positive and encourage this 'Wally Like' attitude!

-Sig

[overlander63]

Several of the people planning to go on this trip I consider friends, and since I don't think we can talk them out of it, let's make sure we give them as much current info, both good and bad, that we can.

[JStanley]

What motivates some to discourage others from the C2C caravan?
What internal factors influenced the bias that pre judges this initiative?
Is it an altruistic reaction to protect others from themselves or are there business or personal reasons?
What is to be gained personally by discouraging others from trying to accomplish their ‘once in a lifetime’ goal?
Will a successful 2009-10 caravan take anything away from those who have completed the caravan in 1959?

Why would Airstream Inc and other for-profit companies, support this non-profit adventure? In the adventurous spirit and tradition of WB, the 50th anniversary caravan will generate long-term PR value, and opportunities to test and demonstrate the ruggedness of the tow vehicles, the trailers and various installed equipment and appliances.

Certainly there are risks. Several postings on this forum have identified and focused on a few. But every week there are organized groups and independent travelers on the East African roads between Cape Town and Cairo. Contrary to what some may believe, such trans-Africa travel is not that unique any more, it is very common. Today they have better roads, vehicles, trailers, medical knowledge and very reliable satellite communications.

For the most part the participants are experienced world travelers with disciplines in professional backgrounds. They know it will not be a self- indulgent trip like those marketed for the tourist crowd. The participants are developing into a competent group of team players with common goals.

Since the beginning people were encouraged to identify risks (and offer solutions) that they believe to be of a technical, organizational, environmental, economic, political or social nature for the success of this Caravan.

A systematic process is in place for risk identification, assessment and mitigation. The members evaluate and assess the probabilities, determine what risks are important to deal with, and implement strategies to deal with those risks. The results are documented as guidelines, policies and contingency plans.

They are going to Africa. What more can be done to ensure their safety and success of the caravan? Your beneficial suggestions will be welcomed.

[clancy_boy]

Originally Posted by JStanley

<SNIP> They are going to Africa. What more can be done to ensure their safety and success of the caravan? Your beneficial suggestions will be welcomed.

Great post - I see you are going.

For those of us who have been there (Africa) and seen some if not much that you expect to see (the bad I hope you never will see) and MORE, the tight control on information and private listings only leads some to sense exclusivity on the participants side. Maybe that's not true, and I would be the first to say that there are a bunch (some by me) of negative posts on the subject that makes it easy to say "forget them". Maybe there is a behind the scene network of supporters and you only get info if your "in". I've noticed the two threads here have fallen silent unless there is a big new announcement to be made but very little day-to-day discussion on the subject. Look at the Can Opener Rally thread for an example - just a small rally in Florida, 35000 posts. A big caravan in Africa - not a peep.

Want support - loosen up on the info, want suggestions from some of us who have been there and do this for a living (prepare international travel for groups), tell us your plans. Take the criticisim and realize that we are not "out to get you".

Travel risk is something I deal with alot. I never take travel advice lightly. BTW, it's the commercial travel operators business to "TELL" you everything is fine along the route, "others" have traveled the route faster and with a lot less of a profile then you intend. Publicity only prepares the bad guys for your arrival. Move quick and you present a smaller target. There is my advice.

[clancy_boy]

Originally Posted by clancy_boy

Look at the Can Opener Rally thread for an example - just a small rally in Florida, 35000 posts. A big caravan in Africa - not a peep.

Should read:"35000 views, 1000+ posts"

[JimGolden]

How about you put a mid 60's Globetrotter shell on a Humvee chassis with a Ma Deuce on top and a couple thousand rounds. I think that would help a lot


Actually, I'm not so sure things were that stable when Wally did it back in '59. My hat is off to these guys on this trip. I only wish I could go.

Best of luck to the wayward travelers,

[Goin camping]

To many C2C is a dangerous undertaking. Well there's no guarantee of safty in life and if these folks have wieghed the risks and rewards and want to do it anyway. Have fun and good luck to all. I'm pulling for you.

[Andy R]

My girlfriend and I are leaving for a 2 month trip to Africa on January 29th. I arrive in Cape Town and plan to spend a month there working and ploting out our journey for the second month. I figured the best place to get information is from locals, so we will be doing lots of research on the ground. My goal is to learn about the issues facing this beautiful continent in hopes that a light bulb might go off and I will be able to contribute somehow. I have been in email communications with a couple of colleagues in Mozambique and Uganda who I hope to visit.

If the people planning the Cape Town to Cairo need any information from me while I am there, please send me a PM. I would be happy to help you out. (I already have info on 3G wireless internet in S Africa and Namibia, it's going to be pretty easy to connect and post updates).

[ArtStream]

Be safe Andy, and have a wonderful time!

Don't forget to visit Robben Island and take a cable ride up to Table Top mountain.

Enjoy,
Michael

[jacarape]

I would really love to go on this trip. I spent the past 4 years working in Lagos, Nigeria and Luanda, Angola with a 6 month stint in Cairo (my passport still has me a a resident legal to work in Egypt). While Angola or Nigeria is on the route as far as I know, I know that the trip will be as much of a challenge to plan as it will be navigate. If any advice is wanted, I have a lot of practical experience.

Where can I go to follow the trip?

[rideair]

Back in 1968 according to an issue of the "Caravanner" newspaper they thought about doing the same trip in 1969. But, because of concerns over saftey, it was decided not to go. So, instead, they thought about doing a caravan accross the land "Down Under" that never happened.

Because of this, I and another member are currently working on plans for that caravan in 2010. We are hoping to make it a VAC caravan being that most of the trailers that would go over would be over 25yrs old, but before we put any info in front of the WBCCI IBT, we want to have all our ducks in a row.

I hope the C2C caravan goes well and maybe we can use much of the info learned in the process. I wish you guys well.

[Melody Ranch]

JACARAPE,
Your the first person here that I have seen, in this discussion, to have even been to Africa as it is today.....Countries in turmoil. I too lived in Angola for a few years (Huambo and Luena) and worked the surrounding countries. Try to explain that South Africa is atypical to the supporters of this project....... Its useless. You will get major nasty opposition, mostly from those here with a financial involvement or an unrealistic Walter Mitty lock in.

[Stefrobrts]

I listen to BBC new regularly, and I have to say I don't think most of the news coming out of Africa is good. I mean, look at that british schoolteacher last month who was charged with naming the class teddybear Muhammed. There were mobs calling for her to be executed! That was in Sudan, where the caravan will be travelling. In the past week we've seen Kenya decend into chaos, and it was considered one of the more stable countries.

The people there are not particularly fond of Westerners right now, and some of them have some pretty crazy ideas. And here a bunch of rich westerners in their shiny aluminum trailers are going to come parading through the country, flaunting their wealth. I would not set foot in Africa that way. And I don't think there's anything wrong with saying so.

I know some of the secrecy in their plans is for security reasons. To me that is just another sign that this trip is a higher risk than I would want to take. To each his own, but it seems to me like countries in Africa are becoming more unstable everyday, and it's a higher risk than I would want to take just to say 'I did it in an Airstream'.

[jacarape]

Hi Melody, depending on when you were there, it was for guns, minerals or religion, telecom came later which was my reason. I was medi-vac'd out June of last year without a passport, turns out the big D caught up to me.

Angola is much better then it was in 2003, most of the refugee camps outsite of Luanda are emptying, there are less one legged land mine victim beggars in the streets, people have enough of war and really want peace. "A Ilha" is a better place to get a pizza, though I'm not sure I'd swim there yet, plenty of people do. If you don't speak Portuguese, you're fresh meat. Luanda Sul is great, I also went fishing/camping for a weekend and had an awesome time, great big fish, dolphins good food and lot's of booze. I never went off shore in the protected life of oil workers, no fence sitter here! I have a lot of pictures, but Angola is EXTREMELY averse to photography. Plenty of adventures, many more good ones than bad ones.

The caravan won't go to Nigeria, I have deleted the pictures of charred people, watched police "interrogations", actually, they were having fun with some people before they killed them, watched a group of woman throw stones at a guy after they caught him robbing, wired a tire around his neck, hands behind his back and waited till the taunts were over to light the gasoline filled tire. Some of our Muslim contractors watched "christians" machete the occupants in car in front of them.

Would I go back? I'm stuck in a rainy 25' Safari at the moment, I'd rather be drinking there with some friends in Luanda.

I think the caravan could be ok, my unsolicited advice would be:

1. Corporate Sponsorship, maybe an African beer company.

2. Be prepared to be robbed, it would be better to accept it up front then at a border, that will take some intense planning.

3. Be prepared for a medi-vac or two.

4. Accept that some will get amoebic dysentery, typhoid and malaria. Take a supply of the correct drugs. I had malaria once in Honduras, it's not bad compared to dengue they say. The forms of malaria in Africa are much worse then S. America.

5. Have a doctor on the caravan with clean instruments and devices.

Did I mention that you have to accept before hand you will be robbed? It will be either bandits, a government, or both. A corporate sponsorship would help with governments.

6. Nigeria and Angola have 3G CDMA networks, I built them.

In over 4 years, I never saw a lion. The Fort in Luanda is still nice, the food in Lagos is much better then 2002. Ok, these countries are not on the caravan list, but from my limited experience (over 4 years on the continent), there are 3 types of Africans, Military with and want more money, Industrialists that have want money, poor people that have no money and want it. This IS NOT to say they are all bad people, there are some that will always be very special to me and I hope will be friends for life.

If the caravan is not run in it's entirety before the main group goes, I'd be cautious.

[PeeWee]

Volence Escalates
In Troubled Kenya


The Peace Corps said Tuesday it would evacuate all its remaining workers from Kenya. More than 1,000 people have been killed in violence that degenerated into inter-ethnic clashes since the Dec. 27, 2007, presidential election, which observers say was rigged.