Well, we are off again, but this time it is a bit different! Our new adventure in 2008 is on a new continent and will take us up the eastern countries of Africa from South Africa to Ethiopia and back again. There will be no luxury of the last 2 years that we enjoyed in our motorhome Noddy. Instead we will be camping on the roof of our 4x4, which has yet to be named!
We will be accompanying our friends Kaz, Rich, and their 5 year old daughter Rebecca for the 1st part of the journey up to the Ethiopian / Sudanese border, before they continue on all the way to the UK and we turn back and head south again. Our trip will last about 7 months, leaving at the start of May and returning before the end of November. We will be aiming to visit Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Ethiopia. However, with this being Africa things can and probably will change en-route.
Our new vehicle is a 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-up, a 79 series. Yes we did go through the Land Rover or Land Cruiser debate, as everyone else does. Apart from the ‘which is more reliable?’ question, there was the ’which is cheaper?’ question. The Land Rover wins ‘the cheaper’ and the Cruiser ‘the more reliable’. After a near miss on an old 1995 Land Rover Discovery that we considered, the man from the AA test centre said ‘DO NOT BUY!’ we made the decision to hunt down and buy a Cruiser, not a cheap option, but an exciting prospect!
The 79 series is as basic as basic can be, not surprising consider that the design goes back to the early 80’s. It has no modern electric management components to the engine, or any luxuries in the cab, not even air-con, but we do have a radio and a 4-speed fan! The engine is a 6 cylinder 4.2 litre diesel, big, rough and noisy, but reliable. We are currently in the process of equipping the vehicle for the trip ahead, and if you thought buying a vehicle was costly you should see the bill for bolting on all the things you need!
Anyway, please follow our progress both before and after we depart and enjoy our adventure with us!
1 comment:
Dear Matt & Sue,
What a trip! We hear you are still alive so you must have survived.
We are temporarily at a place with internet so we can peek at some of your blog. You are very thorough.
We are in Munich, our camper's barn, getting ready to head back to the US for a break.
Keep on truckin'.
Ted and Joyce Eve
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