Africa on Four Toilet Rolls

Africa on Four Toilet Rolls Encounter Overland "Africa A-Z" October 1989 - March 1990 Ian Richards Note: This is an edited version of the original manuscript with some personal stories and comments removed. Only first names of people are used throughout. Photographs have been added, mostly of campsites, the truck and the group. PROLOGUE First, let me explain the title of this little epistle. I did, in fact, make it all the way through Africa, 22 weeks, without having to buy any extra rolls of toilet paper. The four excellent quality ones that I brought with me from Australia did me well. I'm not claiming any kind of record or anything like that, but I did notice other people going through seemingly masses of the stuff. Also, in fairness, I did always take advantage of places which supplied the stuff, like good hotels and restaurants in Niamey, Kampala and Harare, and even camping grounds in Botswana. But on the other hand, I did drop about a third of a roll down the pit toilet at Epulu in Zaire and I still had a third of a roll left over when I left the continent. So I think my claim to four rolls is reasonable. Besides, it's a catchy title for a book and an obvious dig at "Africa on a Shoestring", that wonderful travellers handbook full of many useful facts and a good deal of fiction as well. So, having set the appropriate tone for my account of my 22 week African expedition, let me begin back at the beginning. The desire to travel to Africa had been in me for many years before I seriously planned this trip. I can recall perusing brochures from Encounter Overland at least 2 years earlier but a 5 month expedition incorporating such diverse places as the Sahara, Kilimanjaro and Victoria Falls seemed at best a remote possibility. I was caught up in the business of working, building houses and all the usual stuff that goes with a yuppie lifestyle. The turmoil that I went through during mid 1989 changed all that and by late August I just had to have a holiday. I initially tried to book a shorter 6 week Safari South but available dates didn't fit and I was eager to get going as soon as possible. When Christine at Sundowners travel suggested the 22 week “Africa A to Z”, I was stunned. Was this a serious possibility? Why couldn't I do this? It was time to stop wishing I could do things and to actually do them. I booked the trip on September 2nd, just 5 weeks from "blast off" from London, and only 4 weeks from my departure from Australia. Most people who are going on a 22 week holiday would plan it for months ahead, if not years! But I was committed and the feverish preparations began. First I had to get a new passport, the old one not having quite enough pages for the numerous countries (17 actually) that I would be visiting. Eight countries would require full page visas and other countries not only stamp your passport at the entrance and exit, but also at major towns along the way. A French Visa had to be obtained in Melbourne so all this required time. While getting passport photos, I of course also obtained about 30 extras for use along the way in obtaining the various visas. Lots of things needed to be bought. While I had done plenty of camping in my early days, I was still basically unequipped for such an adventure. I needed to get a good sleeping bag, daypack, boots and warm gear for Kilimanjaro and a variety of other odds and ends. A big cheap but hopefully durable bag was obtained - it gradually fell apart in the last six or so weeks of the trip and "just" made it home with the help of string and chewing gum. I also decided it was time to invest in a really good camera and chose a Nikon F-801 SLR with both 35-70mm and 70-210mm zoom lenses. This, together with a carry bag and a bundle of film, was purchased duty free. I also got the best possible maps (Michelin 1:4,000,000) and the good old “Africa on a Shoestring”, a new edition of which had just been released. Next were vaccinations and medical supplies. Comments from friends who had been to Africa combined with the comments in the health section of “Africa on a Shoestring” made me very cautious and conservative with regard to health matters. The Travellers Vaccination Clinic in 1 Melbourne was excellent both in administering the relevant vaccinations (Tetanus, Typhoid, Meningitis, Hepatitis A, Polio, Cholera - stamp only, the vaccine didn't work back then) and supplying a variety of medications. Fortunately I never needed to use any of these. I had already obtained a few other supplies from a Doctor friend - some syringes (if anyone wants to give you a vaccination, to avoid AIDS or Hepatitis B, always use your own) and Gatrolyte, the wonderful sachets of salt and glucose which when dissolved in water are so effective at keeping you alive when you get "the runs". Yellow Fever vaccination was via the Department of Health. And while malaria pills are supplied on the trip, I also took my own as the "once a week" Lariam were recommended over the "once a day" Paludrine and "twice a week" Chloroquine. In the end, I took the supplied ones until the end of 1989 and used the Lariam thereafter, since some authorities claim you shouldn't take Lariam for more than 3 months. So after a busy four weeks, including nearly a week away in Sydney, I was organised and ready to leave. The British Airways flight to London was only the second or third to use the new Boeing 747-400 and thus non-stop Singapore to London, overflying Moscow. Through some local contacts, I secured a window seat upstairs, unquestionably the best place on the aircraft - good view, no wings in the way, lots of leg room and close to the cockpit for the odd visit! I arrived at Heathrow at 6.30 on Monday morning, 5 days before the trip began. By 7.45 I was on the Underground heading for Earls Court where the station is handy to the accommodation that was booked for me and to the Encounter Overland office where the pre-departure meeting would be held and from where the trip would depart. After checking in at Hunter Lodge, I also checked in at the Encounter Overland office and got the form for an Algerian visa. I walked to the Algerian Embassy, depositing form and passport then basically did a walking tour taking in Harrods, Hyde Park, "the" Palace, St James Park, Trafalgar Square, Downing Street, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus, eventually taking the Underground back to Earls Court by late afternoon. Understandably, I was awake bright and early on Tuesday morning and partook of the rather dubious breakfast available at Hunter Lodge. After visiting Encounter Overland again to finalise checking of passport, vaccination certificate, insurance etc., I was off again into the city using the Underground to Covent Gardens. This day's walking tour took in Covent Gardens, the National Portrait Gallery, Cabinet War Rooms and the Tate Gallery. The weather hadn't improved either, but at least it wasn't raining. Dinner was at a local cafe. Wednesday began similarly then I walked to the Algerian Embassy for their 9.30 opening time but the man hadn't signed the visa and wasn't there so they suggested I come back the next day. With my sights on eastern London I took the Underground from Gloucester Road to Tower Hill and then walked around the Tower Bridge and back to St Paul's Cathedral where I climbed to the very top - great view! I had previously been to the Tower of London so gave that a miss. In the afternoon I took the Underground to Baker Street and went to Madame Tuasauds and the Planetarium before Undergrounding it again back to South Kensington and over 2 hours at the Science Museum which closed at 6 pm. The busy day was finished off by the 30 minute walk back to Earls Court, the purchasing of some fish and chips and bed by 9 pm. On Thursday I met two quiet girls at breakfast, obviously Kiwis (strong South Island accents) and we soon started asking all those traveller type questions: Where are you from? Where are you going? We soon figured out that we were all going on the same EO trip. Of course I was to meet the majority of the group later that day but it was nevertheless interesting to make contact with some of these strangers who I'd be "living with" for the next fifteen weeks. After breakfast I went to get my Passport from the Algerian Embassy then went into Westminster on the Underground 2 to go for a boat ride up the Thames to Kew Gardens. I spent about three hours walking around the gardens, which are really lovely. After scones and tea, I returned back to Westminster on the boat, during which time the weather turned really awful - drizzle and wind and cold. I got to Westminster just after five o'clock and proceeded straight to Earls Court and to the EO office for the pre-departure meeting, scheduled for six o'clock. I thought the group was rather quiet, the atmosphere a little tense, but I guess people were just going to take time to get to know one another.

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