Hi there, I have now had a few days to settle back at home. Clothes are washed and back in the cupboard, equipment stowed in the garage, the vehicle thoroughly washed and cleaned, and some quiet time to reflect on the adventure I have taken.
This was my first proper overlanding trip, 8 days in all (with my wife joining me for a holiday in between the first few days and the remainder of the trip). What came up for me may be obvious to more experienced overlanders. Nonetheless, I thought I should jot these down, in case they are of value to fellow travellers...
1) Every adventure has a purpose - mine began with a curious look at an old photo of the Dona Anna bridge. When it was built in the 1930's, it was the longest bridge in the Southern Hemisphere and I became curious as to how such a magnificent structure came to be built in such a far away corner of the earth, on the Zambezi river. As I travelled the back roads of Mozambique, I found more wondrous places (many of which are on iOverlander.com) and the trip took on more significance that just ticking off some items off my list. There are truly amazing places to find in every country, if we seek the adventure...
2) Planning and Preparations are key - As much as I thought I was prepared, after 3 months of research, planning, and endless shopping for accessories, there were things I just did not foresee or plan for - shocking road conditions and earlier sunsets as one travels more to the East (while the entire Southern African region is on the same time zone), just to name two. The trip became an on-going, sometimes humorous learning process...
3) Travel while there is plenty of light - I found that mornings were the best time for me to travel. With bad roads, unforeseen traffic and temperamental weather, a few hours delay to a day's trip were not uncommon. If I was on the road by 08h30 every morning, I could reach my night's accommodation by 14h00 and settle in. If things did not go to plan, I could still make it while there was still light (travelling at night can be rather dangerous in this part of the world). A Target Site and Plan B became the first thing to agree on before heading out...
4) Travel with the windows down - I found I could see, hear, feel much more of the places I visited with the window down. The exceptions were busy city roads (often being harassed by local traders and greedy local police / soldiers, for which the offer of a cool drink was normally enough)...
5) Your vehicle / rig / whatever you want to call your choice of transport is often far more capable than you are. One day, as I began to head back to South Africa, the rain began to pour and gravel roads became thick mud, the kind you see in the Camel Trophy videos. I was driving a stock standard Toyota Fortuner (Tacoma), but with proper A/T tyres - there was simply nothing this vehicle would not handle. The only time I ever had to engage the rear diff-lock was when crossing a river bed with sand fine as powder. All along the trip, the recovery gear sat patiently in the back of the vehicle. I'm glad I got it, but the vehicle just kept riding through anything nature threw at it. If I had to suggest the first modification on such a vehicle would be, I would say a good set of tyres. I could not believe how safe and reliable the vehicle was. Very impressed...
6) Safety in numbers - While there is room in overlanding for solo as well as group travel, I would feel safer and certainly enjoy the company of travelling such a route in convoy. I saw how quickly things could go wrong in such far away places where even basic services are nowhere to be found...
7) Overlanding anywhere in the world - while there is much more for me to explore in this area, I am beginning to look at international overlanding travel. There is something about exploring far away lands by vehicle and today it is easier to do than ever. I think I will give this one a try next...
Those were just some of my impressions. As they say, the bug has now bitten...
