I'd do it again in a heartbeat! In fact, I wanted to drive home from RSA since I felt that I hadn't "had my fill". Unfortunatly my wifes "year of absence" from work was running out and thus, she had to go home. We made a deal that if I could get a friend down to go along with me, then that was OK, but not alone... Fair enough. But, the one friend I felt was up to the challenge of driving back via my planned route; Angola, DRC, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger and finally Algeria was was unfortuntly unavailable, as he was in Afganistan at the time.

The thing is that I didn't want to take "just any friend" along, because it is important how you handle yourself in strained and at times dangerous situations. Dealing with corruption and sometimes very aggresive and hostile militia, police and military personell is no time to lose ones cool or get angry. It is also important to not be intimidated, as they smell any weakness a kilometer away and will give you more hassle...

My hope is to do this route at a later time. Until then, a shorter trip or 2 into north africa; a round trip through Tunisia, Libya, Niger and up via Algeria would be nice.
First of all though, we are expecting our first child in July, so I'll be grounded for a little while. My wife and I have agreed however that travel with children is possible, although we wouldn't take a kid on any extreme route. We'll just have to wait and see!

Hunting of course is another matter and can be done regardless of children!

Erik D.

www.dunia.no