TransAfrica 4x4 Expedition Go EAST

We flew through the night with South African Airlines and landed around 11:00 AM at the second largest airport in South Africa, Cape Town International Airport (CTIA). The shuttle will take us to Table Bay on the northwestern edge of Cape Town. We pick up the vehicles at the depot of the shipping company that took care of their transport. We connect the batteries, stow luggage and equipment. We head to the nearest gas station, where we fill up our vehicles before driving the first kilometers to our overnight stop at the foot of Table Mountain. Welcome to the Cape, welcome to Mama Africa in the heart of Cape Town!

We fold the rooftop tents for the first time and drive to the bridge 50 kilometers away. Today there are 211 meters of free fall for breakfast. Alternatively, we can also hook you up to a cable car that will catapult you 30 meters high through the forest! Whoever is still hungry after that gets a dessert to go with the adrenaline breakfast. "On the road again": On asphalt, we roll through the scenery of the Garden Route.

Foggy mists rise the Thabana Ntlenyana, we follow along and pass through a continuous fog bank to the summit. It is cold and damp until we reach the next valley and the sun of Africa bathes the landscape of Lesotho in bright green. Breakfast in the highest bar in South Africa, before we escape Lesotho over the Sani Pass, which is the third steepest pass in the world, and reach the border post Mkhomazane at the foot of the Drakensberg into South Africa. After our third border crossing, we traverse the province of Kwa Zulu Natal and find ourselves by evening on the "Battlefields" in the former kingdom of the Zulu. The Zulu War of 1879 was an undeclared war between the Zulu and the wild tribe of tea drinkers. After the British Empire defeated the Zulu at the Battle of Ulundi with its superior weaponry, the kingdom of the Zulu ceased to exist as a sovereign state. Amidst these battlefields, this travel day comes to an end.

The last day of the old year begins relaxed: Sleeping in, cozy breakfast, on- and off-road through the forests of Swaziland to the border crossing of the province of Mpumalanga in South Africa. We arrive in Hazyview in the afternoon and fill ALL tanks for the new year! From here, the length of the daily stages will decrease for the rest of the tour, as we have "only" traveled so far to take more time for the "real" Africa. IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE - New Year’s Eve in Africa and "only" eleven countries and one continent ahead of us!

Welcome to Zimbabwe! The border crossing takes place by crossing the Limpopo River, depending on the water level and the crocodiles waiting. Once we have the off-road vehicles through customs, we can get going. The next destination is the Matobo National Park. On one of the main African routes, we reach Great Zimbabwe and immerse ourselves in a piece of African history. The Rhodes-Matobo National Park, established in 1926 and renamed Matobo National Park in 1953, is the oldest national park in Zimbabwe. In 2003, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It gained fame not only because Cecil Rhodes is buried here but also due to the impressive granite rock formations. Here, the Bantu are said to have left a rich heritage of rock paintings and rock structures like the impressive "Great Zimbabwe," which has been a World Heritage Site since 1986. The hills remain sacred sites of the Shona people to this day. Here we set up our camp.

And "groundhog day" after a short, deep sleep: meeting, coffee, let's go. Via the 200-meter long Railroad or also called Victoria Falls Bridge, we reach Zambia. This impressive border bridge between Zimbabwe and Zambia was commissioned by Cecil Rhodes in 1903. The bridge construction was carried out in England, the bridge was shipped to Africa by sea freight and inaugurated after just 14 months of manufacturing and installation time by George Howard Darwin, the son of Charles Darwin. After receiving the Zimbabwean exit stamp, we cross 200 meters of exciting history before we reach Zambia on the other bank of the Zambezi. Clearance at customs and then off on nondescript asphalt "race track" and a straight-off-road short cut towards the northeast. Zambia is named after the border river Zambezi, which flows between Zimbabwe and Zambia. The Railroad Bridge over the Zambezi is the only connection in the Victoria Falls region. By crossing the Zambezi, we enter Zambia, which ranks 141st out of 187 on the Human Development Index (2014). 99% of the black African population speaks about 72 Bantu languages. The land now before us is sparsely populated with about 19 inhabitants per m² and for us, Africa as we imagine it begins.

Like every morning: meeting to discuss the day's stage over coffee and cookies and starting the engines with the first rays of sunshine… it shouldn't feel like we are a self-help group here, but the discussions really make it easier to continue our journey. We reach the border to Malawi via the asphalt stage. Today's travel day is only interrupted by the waiting time at the border post. We use this time to have breakfast, refuel, brush our teeth (yes, that is also not neglected, because even if the underwear is only changed once, the teeth must not suffer), and write postcards. With a lot of luck, we quickly move to the front of the line and thus around the postcard writing (although the moms at home might be a bit curious and miss us already). After completing the Malawian border formalities, we begin the crossing of Malawi! We drive on relatively well-developed roads to Lake Malawi, off the road and along the lake off-road until we reach the lodge. Jump into the water, lick our wounds and eat delicious crocodile - with a view of the fellow species in the lake.

Tanzania, with a fertility rate of 5.3% and an average age of 15 years, is one of the youngest countries in Africa, with as many as 43 inhabitants per m². After the exhausting day yesterday, we will start today with a cozy breakfast and calmly enjoy freshly brewed coffee directly from the plantation. We traverse the endless expanses of Tanzania, following the more or less well-developed roads/trails along the famous Ruaha National Park to the north, until we reach our campsite "in the 1000-star hotel" Tanzania. Here in Tanzania, a few friendly mechanics will be waiting for us for a "pit stop"! The next day, all oils will be drained, and all wear parts that we had to order on the way will now be replaced. A break until the sun rises again the next day. We have a leisurely breakfast, discuss the day, and set off again on the trail with the goal of Kenya.

The barrier to Ethiopia rises and we set off for Addis Ababa. The barren landscape becomes greener and more lush, an area with high populations of lions, hyenas, giraffes, and elephants, along with sometimes catastrophic tracks and roads. On the Human Development Index, Ethiopia ranks 173rd (out of a total of 187) and is among the poorest countries in the world. Half of the Ethiopian population is undernourished and mostly lives on subsistence farming. Tourism is a drop in the bucket. This journey may bring us the realization of the luxury in which we live and how important Fair Trade is. Regardless of whether it's about the milk from the farmer at our doorstep or the coffee that food corporations procure as cheaply as possible at the expense of the poorest. For photographers, this country will likely be the highlight, even if we are on tour for ten hours a day; we will allow ourselves stops for photos and national parks, such as the Abidjatta-Shalla National Park... as long as we are "in time"! We cross kilometer after kilometer of African landscape, from horizon to horizon, always heading north, always moving toward the shower and the urban jungle of Addis Ababa. The nightly conferences of the city dogs over the rooftops of Addis, through the courtyards and streets of the city, usually do not end before dawn. WELL - This is Africa. But here the dogs do it, and for us, the politicians... another topic!

The slopes of Ethiopia and the last night will still weigh heavily on us. Today's drive will be rather long and monotonous from the Sudanese border to Khartoum. We will cross the south of Sudan in a day on asphalt to the capital, where we will arrive just before sunset.

Inshallah the ferry will greet us in the morning hours. After clearing customs in Wadi Halfa, we can bring the off-road vehicles on board and enjoy the (old school) crossing on the pontoon or barge (depending on which one is operational). This will be our key date on the Trans-Africa tour. The border situation between Egypt and Sudan drives every tour operator to the brink! Perhaps that's the reason why no one offers it?! We leave Lake Nubia, which becomes Lake Nasser upon crossing into Egypt. Ahead of us is the port city of Abu Simbel and a marathon of bureaucracies. With our new Egyptian license plates, we can then head to Abu Simbel for the long-awaited shower.

We leave the green Nile belt and dive into the Egyptian desert/Sahara in the early morning hours. We cross the desert tongue of Quena, as long as the trail conditions and our fitness allow. Along the Nile, we continue our journey to our major destination: Cairo. The roads are getting busier, and you can almost feel the metropolis announcing itself with the crowds on the streets. To the west of the Nile, we can already see the Pyramids of Giza from afar. A great goal has been achieved. We stand before the Sphinx and the Pyramids; the stage destination Africa has been reached after about 12,000 kilometers, and we have crossed the "black" continent in its length! Time for a good, cold beer.