About The Trip
A Bold Decision
The year was 1981. We were living in Hawaii in a beautiful, high rise condo overlooking the Pearl City Golf Course with a breathtaking view of Pearl Harbor. Pete was a Lieutenant in the Navy and Lillie was the warden for the State of Hawaii Women's Prison. We had no children. We did have one pet, Paco the parrot. Pete's commitment to Navy service would be complete within the next year. Lillie was afflicted with an incurable case of wanderlust and infected Pete. OK, so we were 28 at the time and, like many twenty-somethings, we had lofty dreams and aspirations. We were naive about risks and felt invincible. We boldly made the decision to leave our Aloha lifestyle, interrupt our careers, and go see the world. As we started to delve into the planning and logistics for the trip, reality quickly set in. The planet is much too large and has more wonders than one can fully experience in a year. Hence, we decided to limit our travels to Africa and Europe. The rest of our world exploration would have to wait. We would cross the continent of Africa with an adventure travel expedition group and then backpack through all of Europe. After the trip we would relocate somewhere in the Sun Belt on the mainland, find new jobs, buy a home, and start a family. We had no concept at that time just how ambitious even the scaled down itinerary would be. The Trans-Africa Adventure Travel Expedition We knew from the outset that a trip across Africa on our own would be extremely difficult in terms of political barriers, logistics, knowledge of local customs and laws, etc.. Our research led us to Guerba Expeditions, a British adventure travel group that specialized in trans-Africa guided trips for small groups. The company promised expert guides, a solid Bedford "M" truck (modified British troop carrier), and the experience of a lifetime. The specific route we choose would take 21 weeks. It would start in the East African country of Kenya. We would begin at the Equator on the coast of the Indian Ocean, visit the savanna land wild games parks, go west into the mountainous rain forests of Rwanda, through the deepest jungles of the Congo (Zaire), transit the semi-arid countries bordering the Sahara, and then head northwest across the Sahara Desert to Morocco and the Atlantic Ocean. Total cost for two people: $2,970. An amazing bargain even in 1982 dollars. Planning and Logistics We're glad we started planning the trip more than a year in advance. The more we researched how to make it happen, the higher and more daunting the mountain of tasks stacked up. The Navy had trained Pete well and developed his skills in planning, logistics, and budgeting. The trip preparation challenged all of his expertise. We had to sell our Hawaii condo and Pete's motorcycle. We had to ship our household goods and Camaro and place them in long term storage on the mainland. We had to take physicals, get shots and vaccinations, get dental checkups, eye exams, and procure spare glasses. We purchased medical and trip insurance and prepared our wills. We obtained passports. One of the more complicated tasks was to secure visas for nine African countries that would be valid in the timeframe we would transit them. We bought airline tickets and EurRail passes. Then there was the challenge of what to bring on a year long voyage that would take us through extremes of climate and terrain. To complicate those decisions was the maximum luggage allowance of only 44 pounds per person. We agonized over what back packs, clothing, toiletries, medicine, camping gear, camera gear and film to purchase. Too much was not an option. Too little could be life threatening in the middle of the jungle or the desert. With twenty-twenty hindsight, we're proud to say we got it right. The entire trip spanning two continents and 25 countries progressed with very few snags due to in great extent to detailed planning and logistics....... on time and on budget. |
Countries Visited:
Africa
Kenya Tanzania Rwanda Zaire (The Congo) Central African Republic Cameroon Nigeria Niger Algeria Morocco |
Europe
Spain France England Scotland Germany Denmark Sweden Norway Switzerland Austria The Netherlands Belgium Italy Greece Crete |