As some of you may remember, I've posted here previously about last summer's travel, from France to Mongolia and back by road, through all of Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Well, it's almost summer again, and it's time for my next trip. This year my choice is Africa. Unexplored lands, risk, and freedom. But this also comes with certain annoyances:
- Unable to drive my trusty old Land Rover (importation too risky, retrieval not guaranteed, and some countries refuse diesel and/or left-side driving wheel).
- The factor most travelers know as African Syndrome, which means that any timeline you may have planned and prepare is straight out of the window about two days after arriving in any trans-African travel.
Therefore I've chosen for a simpler (I hope) experience.
I'll be landing in Nouakchott, Mauritania, at which point I'll purchase a small 125cc motorcycle, along with a Mauritanian driver's licence and insurance (contacts in Nouakchott from a friend working in the mining industry).
Following this, I'll be traveling down the African coast, passing through most, if not all the western African countries (all fifteen of them...).
Once arrived in Cameroon, or potentially Gabon, I'll turn east to cross the continent, with the main direction being Kenya. I'll pass through the Central African Republic, as I have friends I'll be visiting in Bangui.
All told, I'm planning for a 4 month trip, but will be leaving without a return ticket. I want to take my time, enjoy the travel, and should I not be able to go all the way to Kenya, I'll just get back from the nearest airport.
Anyone want to come with me? :)
i'm in paris right now and would love to, but i'm pretty broke. good luck, man. sounds like a hell of a trip
just out of curiosity -- how much do you have saved for this?
>>1119485
Approx 5k euros, with hopes to come back with some left over.
I travel using basic, basic services. Sleep in tents more often than not (when not invited somewhere), or in the car, eat local food, or from my stockpile of energy/protein bars, that kind of stuff.
Luxury I'm buying for this trip is a folding camp bed (search "lit picot"), because sleeping on the ground in some areas is a definite no-no.
>>1119469
You're a fucking legend
>>1119469
>purchase a small 125cc motorcycle
>>1119486
>sleep.......in the car
I'm confused.
I'd think it would be a much easier and safer trip with at least one other person. Also, you'd better be good at fixing bikes, mechanical problems are likely, especially with a second-hand bike.
Most of the bike tours I've heard or read about involved the bike breaking down badly at least a few times.
>>1119469
I'd take you up on the offer because you're a legend, but I'm going into the military soon. Just so you know, you inspired me to save while in the military to travel from Europe to Mongolia. Any recommendations of what to do along the way? I have to stop by Lake Chagan in Kazakhstan and some Deer Stones in Mongolia, or visit Tuva. While going through eastern Europe or some of the sketchy central Asian mountains, what should I avoid OP? Will police be chill and have a drink, or are they always cunts?
>>1119469
Can I ask why you're ignoring security warnings about some of these countries?
Do you not just care and want to take a big risk?
I get that when someone, particularly a government says 'do not travel here', many of us have an inclination to do the exact opposite. But the CAR isn't exactly Southern Thailand or whatever.
Also, are you left or right on the political spectrum?
>>1119606
Last year's travels were in a 1988 Land Rover Defender. Built a rooftop platform on which I could throw down a tent. Taking the Defender into Africa is just not feasable, hence the motorcycle option.
I'm not against having another person, it's just not the type of trip that appeals to a lot of people... And the few that seem interested are mostly just dreamers that will never take that actual step.
I'm decent at fixing up shit age-old vehicles, as long as it's fairly basic (i.e. LR Defender). Plus, going with a shit-tier chinese bike will mean parts and know-how everywhere.
>>1119652
That's always the impossible question to answer... To each their own, everyone will find certain things more pleasing than others, and such a trip has enough to see that you could spend 25 years doing it, and still miss out on a lot. I'd say you are more "lucky" than me in the sense that you have more time to prepare it. For one thing, I'd assume you'd want to spend more time in Europe than I did.. Living here, and being lucky enough to travel all over the EU for work, I just sped to southeast Turkey in 4 days...
I am glad however, that you did get the will to undertake such a trip.. I won't play the life-changing pseudo-romantic card, but being out bare-ass alone in the middle of nowhere does teach you a couple of things.
Police will be police... Central Asia is different than the middle east, which is different than Europe. You will always find cunts, and always find that great individual. I've had cops invent one-way streets to try and steal a bribe out of me in Kyrgyzstan, and cops smoke a joint with me at a checkpoint in Afghanistan... The one thing I will say, is never get mad unless you can back it up (i.e. have the card from someone at your embassy to scare them or something). Pride is a big thing among cops worldwide, and they don't like backing down to civvies who become agressive. Comment too long, so I can go into more detail later if you wish.
>>1119663
More than half of your usual "travel warnings" are yet another byproduct of our "cover-my-ass" mentality. Government can't be blamed if they issued a travel warning, therefore they tend to very much err on the side of caution.
And to be honest, that's perfectly fine, as uninformed people have no place randomly hopping around potential danger zones. However, with a minimum of information, preplanning, communication with locals, and individualism, it's not hard to minimize the risk.
There are two factors in it, I guess, although I've never been one to complete my own psych auto-evaluation. For one thing, if there's one thing I despise, it's loud, obnoxious tourists. I avoid tourist zones like the plague.
Secondly, I don't travel to another country to have basically the same lifestyle I could at home. I enjoy having problems, and having to find a solution. My work at the moment very much revolves around theoretical problems and solutions, and I very much enjoy doing something concrete during my "off time".
Of course, I don't "not care". I'm not suicidal, I go around the worst areas, I take some precautionary measures, but if you never take a risk, you miss out on a lot of life.
CAR is a lot calmer than you can imagine to be honest... Depending on where you go. I was in Bangui in early December, around the time of the Pope's visit.
To sum it up, not so much a question of pseudo-rebellion, of doing what is forbidden, more a taste for risk, individual problem solving, and a lust for the unknown I guess.
To be honest, I don't see how my political view is relevant, however what I will say is that I'm far from being an old hippy trailblazer. And I've always refused to create some fake-ass charity reason to beg donations for my trips. (Or raising "awareness" for something...) That's not necessarily a bad thing, just definitely not for me.
After CAR then what? South Sudan or DRC?
I think it's amazing that you have friends from these places.
I hope one day to have international friends as well when I start travelling more. (Never been out of the country.)
>>1119677
After CAR, it's off to DRC, as the end goal is to finish in Nairobi, through Uganda. In the end, these plans may vary, as this year I'll be opting for a "visa as you go" system, rather than getting all visas before departure. This allows for more flexibility, as I don't have a car to bring home this time around.
>>1119680
To be quite honest, I'm also a bit lucky that way. France still has a very strong presence in a very large part of Africa, and CAR still has a french military operation going on (albeit dwindling down).
Also during my student years, I worked for an NGO, which made me get quite a few contacts throughout Europe and the MENA region.
So your route will look something like this?
If I remember right, you're French. Do you hope to get by with just your English and French?
Do you plan on taking your bike the whole way? I'd think you would be ok driving down to Cameroon, but the overland part seems kind of risky. I thought there was a reason this is a bike in those parts.
If it wasn't for the bike and you want company I'd consider joining you for a leg. Any chance you would do more in East Africa?
>>1119690
>I thought there was a reason this is a bike in those parts.
Meant to post this.
Aren't you a little worried about needing parts, or just undrivable conditions?
Have you seen any on Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's motorcycle travels? In long way down they go through Africa, but stuck to the eastern part.
>>1119690
Somewhat, but I'm aiming to go through DRC instead of South Sudan (already been to Juba previously). The other reason is that eastern CAR is definitely kind of impracticable, both for security reasons and infrastructure wise. Shortly after Bangui, I'd head south into the DRC, to cross along the border towards Kampala and Lake Victoria. Heart of darkness type shit I'm hoping.
Also, of course, as I mentioned before, this is flexible, as I'll be grabbing visas as I go. This is due to personal freedom, but also rapidly evolving security issues in those regions.
I am French, and generally speaking, French and English are more than sufficient for such a trip. You will always find someone who speaks one or the other, even in the most remote places.
Yep, planning on driving the entire way, unless serious mechanical failure of course. Although at some points I'll have to put the bike on a ferry to go up the Congo, as there are no roads.
The only real issues are the fact that a 125-150cc might not be powerful enough to get out of certain areas.
The bike just gives a lot more freedom to do as you please. Such a trip wouldn't really be doable in my time frame without a personal vehicle.
To be quite frank, I don't even have my motorcycle licence, I'll be buying one outright on arrival in Mauritania. I've done trips such as this previously with no licence however, and was never asked for one.
I'd love to do more of East Africa, the problem is the timeline. I have to be back in France mid-September at the very latest, so I'm aiming for 3 months maximum. Given the ... relative reliability of African travel, I'm not even sure I'll be able to get all the way to Nairobi in that timeframe. If I have time, I will, if not, Eastern Africa will be for another time. (I do trips such as this yearly).
>>1119697
What do you plan to do about bandits though?
I'm seeing no possible route through central Africa that is bandit free really, there's no key highway that has enough security on it to be a safe trip. Even going down the Congo to Kisangani to miss central DRC (which i assume your doing) means you will have to travel through bandit territory on the roads to Kivu.
Surely it would be much easier to just go a bit further down and go through Angola and Zambia where they dont have as many problems with security?
>>1119691
If you stick to cheapo chinese bikes, or popular rice rockets like the Tenere or the Africa Twin (older models), parts are everywhere and can be obtained for little money.
As for undriveable... I've been to some pretty hairy roads on a motorbike before. The only hassle would be driving a 150cc which could lack a bit of power to get out of bad parts. But there's always way to get out of there.
I've heard about them yeah. I'm usually weary of well-mediatised pseudo-"adventurers", with whole camera crews to follow them, but some of it is quite fun.
>>1119700
Roadcutters exist, there's no denying that. Hence the importance of communication with locals. They will know the instant anything is happening in certain areas, and won't hesitate to warn you about it if you can talk to them. If it should happen, however, there's not much you can do... Either you're far enough away that you can drive like hell, or you just shit yourself and hand over what you have. Not many other options here.
Indeed, depending on the state of roads and local security concerns, I'll probably end up ferrying down the Congo. Eastern Congo, however, is much calmer in recent years. Activity still exists, but it's much less road-cutting than semi-organized plundering, which doesn't really affect travellers. In any case, there's always the option to tag along in a makeshit convoy with some locals traveling. Might have to wait a couple days before moving on, but it's worth it usually.
Angola has its fair share of security concerns as well to be quite honest. It's a matter of time/security ratio, but going through the DRC is still relatively doable. Of course there's always the possibility to head slightly further south in the DRC to Rwanda then Tanzania, should the northeast become too unstable. Or, if it really comes to that, simply stop there and fly out of Kisangani....
>>1119469
Hey, I was wondering where you'd got off to! I really enjoyed your previous thread about your trips through central Asia to Mongolia. Any chance you could repost some of those pics in this thread, or start another thread with some of them? Central Asia/ Mongolia is an area I've always wanted to go to, and I was dumb enough not to save the pics last time around. Thanks!
>>1119750
Been around ^^ Quite busy these past few months, so I could be able to lock off 2-3 months this summer for my usual travels. I also migrated to /pol/ for a bit for some daily laughter.
I just enjoy reading more than writing I guess.
Yeah, sure, most of them are back at home, but I have a few accessible ones.
Pic related, mountain roads of Tajikistan (early on, not that high up yet)
>>1119759
Awesome thread, OP. Also, do you have a link to your central Asia thread? I seem to have missed that one.
>>1119469
>Anyone want to come with me? :)
If I had a driver's license, I woudl've thrown all my other plans out of the window and joined you. Fuck. Got more than enough money saved, and I have the time too.
>>1119765
Thanks bud. Not sure if the other thread is still around, it's like 7 months old by now...
>>1119770
TBQH, that's not really a barrier.... Last summer, I did the entire trip with a fake licence. This year I'll just be buying one outright in Nouakchott upon arrival... It's all a matter of preparation.
Not that I advise it, just that it's doable.
>>1119773
Was your previous trip the first time you traveled or did you have any other experience (backpacking, hitchiking, etc.)?
btw. The third picture you've posted in this thread is my new wallpaper. Awesome, man!
>>1119773
>TBQH, that's not really a barrier.... Last summer, I did the entire trip with a fake licence. This year I'll just be buying one outright in Nouakchott upon arrival... It's all a matter of preparation.
>Not that I advise it, just that it's doable.
Well, it's been ages since I last drove a motorbike, but if you're actually looking for company, I may very well be mad enough to join you if it doesn't conflict with my - already paid for - trip to Russia end of June/early July.
>>1119796
Nah, been travelling solo for quite a while... The first time I started off was at 15 years old, in India.
Of course it was all backpacking at the beginning. First time in a vehicle was a 3 month tour of Southeast Asia, Vietnam - Cambodia - Laos - Vietnam tour on a motorcycle. Was also the first time I ever climbed on one. Not hard at all to learn on a 125cc.
Appreciate it ^^ I'm by no means an expert photographer, to be honest my camera broke down about 2 weeks into the trip that time, and most pictures were either taken with an iphone, or with a friend's GoPro.
>>1119807
I'm always open to anything. I haven't climbed on a motorbike in about 3 years as well, that's also one of the reasons I'd rather stick to a 125cc instead of opting for a more powerful ride (that, and cost, of course). It's rather easy to pick up, especially since you can hardly drive fast anywhere.
Conflicting dates don't really matter, you don't have to start off at the same place, it's always possible to meet up wherever on the road. If you're genuinely interested, the only real thing would be to discuss it beforehand to see if our outlooks on travel match up a bit, so it's enjoyable for all.
Pic in Tajikistan, still before entering the "high mountains". (reposting, forgot to remove licence plate in original post - it's drunk time in France).
I'm very, very serious about doing this kind of thing in the next couple years. Can't this summer, I'm afraid. I was planning on starting out in morocco hitchhiking, and waiting to buy a bike until I got to the sub-Sahara just to avoid a bit of hassle and corrupt checkpoints.
my route will be morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina, then down through Togo and back along the coast to where I began.
I'd love to hear literally everything about your planning process and preparations. I'm particularly excited to see someone doing this with around the same budget as me, i.e. laughably small.
Do me a favor and don't just treat Mauritania as an obstacle en route to Senegal. It's a fantastic country.
You sound like my kind of travel buddy. If you ever need a partner in the autumn or winter, post here; I'll see it.
>>1119827
> 15 years old in India
How did that work?
>>1119903
Nothing too crazy. I was lucky enough to have parents that loved to travel, and were themselves lucky enough to have to travel for work on occasion. They'd bring me sometimes. That time I grew tired of waiting around the hotel for them to come back from a conference/meeting/talk/whatever, so packed a small bag, took a train, went down to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. (Based in Delhi).
>>1119899
Yeah, it solves a lot of problems if you wait a bit to buy your motorbike. Starting in Mauritania/Senegal, you start seeing plentiful "african detaxed" bikes, with customs already paid on them, and therefore less hassle at border crossings. Have no qualms though, corrupt border crossings will be absolutely everywhere you will go. Prepare "fiches", plastified copies of your documents so you never pull out the originals, that kind of stuff.
To be quite honest, the only real planing process and preparation I do on these kind of trips is the very basic:
Step 1: Verify the bureaucratic feasibility of the project. Are all the border crossings I want to take multinational or only bilateral? Are there specificities in the importation of a vehicle in that country? Can I get a visa in the previous country, or is it one of those (most annoying) places that require you to get a visa in your country of residence only? Petrol along the way? That kind of stuff.
Step 2: Once feasibility is established, line up practicality. Who do I know along the way? Who do I want to meet up with? Who can I let know of my general travel plans, should I end up driving off a mountain, or being cut up by machetes? Who knows the local countries better than I ever could in my short time? (Actually don't laugh, I very much use Tinder here, when in bigger cities... You never get to learn about a country faster than by being shown around by a proud local...)
(cont...)
>>1119899
Step 3: Embody your inner turtle-kin. Your backpack will become your entire life for the next few months, so you need to devote a minimum of preparation to it. Without becoming one of those min-maxing survivalist gurus that will saw off the handle of their toothbrush to gain 2 grams of weight, especially if you're motorized, you want to reduce weight, both to reduce strain on your vehicle (especially true if you stick to a cheapo smaller engined bike), and also to have a bag that you can just grab and run the fuck away with, should shit hit the fan somewhere. You need to preplan, pack accordingly, so everything is accessible without having to take out everything... Thing about what you need, don't need, that kind of stuff.
Once that's done... Well off you go. Some people are the types to plan this sort of overlanding journey for years before launching. That's fine for them, but it's just not for me. The more you wait, the more you will invent new things that you will need, new items you need to spend money on, new barriers that will prevent you from leaving, and in the end, your trip will remain a masturbatory fantasy for when you lie awake at night in your bed. Pack your shit, take a plane, and have the "balls" to sort shit out on the spot. - And I use "balls" in a totally ungendered way, of course :^)
My budget is usually indeed ininitesimal compared to other people... But I prefer that, since at least that means I can go every year. However more factors become apparent when you travel on the cheap: prepare your meds and vaccinations before going, as you'll be in precarious sanitary conditions, be weary of some food (don't refuse everything offered, but be logical and don't eat some mystery meat offered to you hundreds of kilometres inside the DRC for example...)
(running out of pics, so now you get some of me... Sorry)
>>1119899
Hell no. Mauritania is absolutely beautiful. I have a contact who's been living there for a little bit. I'm planning on treating as as a base of operations. Stay there roughly a week, get the bike sorted out, checked out, geared a bit (add a rack for the bags, possibly a jerrycan, set up a small spare parts list, make sure i have embassy contacts along the way, that kind of stuff.
I'll probably head up to Nouadhibou, that road is pretty sweet. Inland is riskier, but there are a couple of nice places you can bike to if you're a fan of generally empty deserts, which I am.
Heh, I'm not that difficult as a travel guy I guess. To each their own, do whatever you please, and as long as we are in line in a general sense, then we can share kilometres. The only things that truly piss me off are either arrogance and ignorance of local customs, or just general incapacity to deal with the inevitable problems that come up. I like independant people.
Sorry for the long posts, morning coffee was too hot, so was in a mood to type :)
>>1119666
I'm interested in hearing more of your thoughts about police.
>>1119966
I'm not sure what I can add to be perfectly honest. Policemen are first and foremost individuals, so you'll have as many different types as you can imagine...
While it's true that certain areas are more prone to police corruption or bribe requests, it's not a generality either.
I've heard countless horror stories of people traveling central asia and being stopped every kilometer for a bribe, but then when I went, the only bribe I ever paid in cash was one single time, when I was actually in the wrong (speeding).
Of course, always keep a "treasure box" of cool shit. Foreign cigarettes that they can show off to their friends, cheapo sunglasses, that kind of cool stuff. But never, ever give cash.
Of course, this isn't so much valid in other areas of the world, for example deep in Africa it's happened that people have been confronted to "bribe or vehicle impound" situations, where unless you're saved by a third party, there's not much you can do...
In short, it's impossible to generalize about police.
Rules of thumbs are:
- Never show anger or annoyance unless you can back up a credible threat (say you'll call your embassy by flashing a semi-official looking document, or business card, something stamped). Police worldwide have their ego and don't like to back down.
- Always take it with humour. If cops thing you find the situation funny, they will be more likely to let you go, as after all, they don't lose face if it was all a big practical joke played on the tourist
- Never ever give out cash readily, unless exhausted all other options. Cops communicate between each other, and if you start handing out cash, expect every cop in the fucking country to stop you along your way to get their share.
- Never give out originals of your docs, ransoming your ID's or documents is far from uncommon
- Play it cool, don't get aggressive, but always act confident, like you have nothing to fear from them.
Basically it
>>1119970
Seems like you know your shit. This is why I'm half-tempted to just hitchhike the whole way. In the maghreb at least, cops really look after you if you're hitching; they'll find you a lift or let you camp behind the patrol station; I've even had them buy me lunch (at least I hope they paid the guy)
>never give out originals of your docs
I can't see them being satisfied by just seeing a laminated copy of my passport. In Mauritania my fiche had a photocopy of my passport ID page and all the info typed below, but the checkpoint cops would generally ask me for my passport anyway.
>>1120002
Ehhh, it's hit or miss to be honest. Always produce the copy first, and yeah, if they truly insist upon seeing an original, then you may have no other choice. But always try to argue against it.
A good excuse I've often used to not produce my original passport is that it was at an embassy for a visa request, and that I only had my copy on me.
Also, for central Asia for example, I had Russian-translated copies of all docs, signed by official court translator. Of course, these were official copies of fake documents for the driving licence and so on, but that's pretty irrelevant. Most cops like stamps, and if they see them, they'll aknowledge the document.
Unless of cours it's a real checkpoint where they know their shit and have strict rules, but in those cases you don't have much to fear, as they'll be pretty professional.
>>1119697
I don't think a 125-150cc would be powerful enough to travel such a large distance as you hope OP... I'm not a motorcycle expert though, I only use one to commute around town.
>>1120005
Similar trips have been done before on 125-150cc's so it's definitely "doable", the question is more whether it would solve more problems that it would cause...
But factoring in ease of drive, ease of repairs, less petrol consumption and so on on 125's, i think i'll go for that...
Plus it's about 4 times cheaper.
>>1119469
Yes OP, good idea. French man solo travel through area of the world with insurgency and local hatred of the French.
Future kidnapping victim right here. I wonder if the French govt will pay your ransom?
>>1120008
Thanks bud. Although it always makes me cringe to re-read myself like that.
>>1120010
Are you talking about CAR? Only place where there used to be a somewhat dislike of the French due ton Sangaris operation. That's been way toned down since 2014. I was myself in Bangui only a few months ago, and tensions towards the French forces were almost inexistant.
Sounds incredible. If you make it back alive give us a run-down of what happened
>>1119469
You are going to cross countries involved in the most destructive war since WW2.
Good luck
>>1119827
>I'm always open to anything. I haven't climbed on a motorbike in about 3 years as well, that's also one of the reasons I'd rather stick to a 125cc instead of opting for a more powerful ride (that, and cost, of course). It's rather easy to pick up, especially since you can hardly drive fast anywhere.
>Conflicting dates don't really matter, you don't have to start off at the same place, it's always possible to meet up wherever on the road. If you're genuinely interested, the only real thing would be to discuss it beforehand to see if our outlooks on travel match up a bit, so it's enjoyable for all.
It's been 15 years for me, but I could probably handle it in fairly short order. Got any contact info? Conflicting dates can be worked around indeed, as long as the fake license can get sorted out. If our outlook on travel is similar enough, I do consider joining you for at least a month or so.
>>1119666
Most advice I've read would reccomend taking an actual vechile through africa, even if you have to buy it there. Sleeping wild can be very risy due to wildlife, and have some (metal box) protection is better than none.
Other than that seems like a solid plan, with the exception of Some of the nothern parts of certain west african countries?
You're not interested in visiting the Sahara? Im not sure of the country, but in one of them it's common/easy to hitch a ride in the back of a mine car and travel through the desert on a giant coal train. Would be one hell of an experience.
>>1120061
Yeah, sure, we can discuss this a bit more in depth. Skype: african.biking
DESU, buying a licence in any shithole is a matter of an afternoon.
>>1120062
It's two completely different worlds. You cannot go in the same areas with a car than with a bike. You can sleep wild, usually the best bet is to find the local mission and set up your tent in their area.
Yeah, avoiding the northern parts of theose countries in general. Sticking somewhat close to the coast. Free showers in the water.
I've already been to North Africa quite a bit, the problem is that crossing the Sahara nowadays is pretty hard, due to islamist groups operating there. Southern Algeria is closed off for example.
Yeah, that's Mauritania. You can hop on an iron ore convoy, one of the longest trains in the world (2km worth of wagons if i remember right).
>>1120069
>iron ore convoy
have you done the iron ore train? Are you planning on doing it this time around?
>>1119469
>Anyone want to come with me? :)
Not even trolling, I do.
could you post some info on how to get a fake license in Morocco/Mauritania and SEA? I'm interested n doing motorcycle travel in the near future, and that knowledge would be pretty useful. Thanks!
>>1119469
OP, one more question about your trip to Mongolia. If I plan on doing this, I want to continue through Altai to Tuva and Kyzyl, then down to Mongolia from the north. But from what I've seen online, northern Mongolia might be completely impossible to pass through. Crazy glaciers and mountains. Would you say it's worth it to try and possibly waste a few days backtracking, or no?
>>1120143
Nope never, not planning it particularly, but it's there, and if I'm around, I will do it, sure... But not going to wait around an extra week just to be able to hop on it ;)
>>1120146
So...? :)
>>1120150
Not hard... As far as Africa go, hop into a shabby looking driving school, with at least one or two scooters in front, tell them you have no time, or an urgent travel, or whatever little "excuse" you can think of, and they'll be the ones offering you some kind of "sped up package" that involves some kind of little gift to the instructor. You may or may not climb on a bike for 15 minutes, and leave with a shiny little new licence.
As far as SEA, I never even bothered, noone ever checked or asked me for anything apart from passports and visas. Africa, I just don't want to give anyone an extra excuse to be able to "fine" me or "confiscate" my vehicle, that's why I'm going the extra mile.
>>1120163
Any particular reason?
If not, I'll leave you with the research I had done previously: the newish border russia/mongolia border crossing at Tashanta/Tsagaannuur is apparently fairly straightforward (4WD necessary however), and at least you arrive far in the west, so you have the whole country ahead of you.
On departure, I had planned an exit through Khyagt, also open to foreigners at the time, in order to hop north, see Lake Baikal, and stop in Irkutsk for some "big city" comforts after Mongolia.
Of course check on updated news, but these passages are more than doable usually.
>>1120264
>particular reason
Tuva to me just seems interesting for its history. It's been ruled by Russia, China and Mongolia, but in the 20s it declared independence as a Soviet satellite state, before its leaders actually went full independent against Stalin. The mix of shamanism and Buddhism is just really interesting.
I think I'll just revise my plans and probably ask Steppe Riders if they could arrange something; I've heard a lot of good things about them, and I'm sure a guided tour after all the driving would be nice.
>4WD necessary
How necessary? I've seen Mongol Rally guys do it pretty easily, and I might plan on leaving my car in Mongolia anyway if i go the Rally route.
>>1119702
>with whole camera crews to follow them
They had one cameraman who is just a part of the friendship as the main 2 in fairness. Fantastic shows, watch if you get the chance, probably some things you can relate to from your previous trip too given they went similar places.
>>1119469
On your previous trip how easy did you find it to ask locals about the safety of places? Africa makes more sense since if you have English and French you're pretty much totally covered but it must have been much harder in the middle east.
>>1120008
Thanks, I will.
What does OP even do about car insurance from France to Mongolia? Just the basic stuff that covers you in Europe, and buy some at the borders of the countries once you leave? The things that worry me most are paperwork.
Op here, sorry for the belated reply, busy weekend over here.
>>1120267
Yeah, I definitely get that. Cool history, beautiful sights, and thought-provoking settings. My kind of vacations.
Beware of the "all included" tour operators. Often very expensive, and very superficial.
Mongol Rally is different. It's basically point A to point B, with a shit car that you'll just abandon. Mongol authorities are actually cracking down on it, because most retards just treat Mongolia as their own personal car disposal, and the country is filling up with shitty abandoned vehicles. I've never been a fan of them.
>>1120291
Fair enough. I guess I judged a bit too quickly. I'll check them out. Thanks for the tip :)
>>1120294
Fairly easy. You know how they say people in rural areas help each other out because it's a necessity, and people are just generally more open and relaxed? Same deal applies here. Security is a concern for all, and information sharing is a basic necessity. In those areas, expect to be invited for one (or three) glasses of strong tea, and have a conversation about the state of the roads, the security concerns, and where you're from.
In the middle east, well.. I have (very) basic Turkish, so we hung around trucker routes until Iraq for info, then it was basically trying to decipher stuff.
>>1120499
My insurance covered all of EU and Turkey, after that you're on your own. Most (if not all) countries will force you to purchase third party insurance on border crossing, but this is paper-only insurance, just a way to levy a tax from you. Expect absolutely no kind of help or assistance should you get in shit.
That's why it's risky business, should you have to abandon your vehicle...
>>1119469
Which Land Rover is that and how did it hold up? How good are you at fixing stuff on it on your own?
Would love to do something like this, major props
>>1120909
1989 Land Rover Defender chassis, with a 200 TDI engine base.
It held up surprisingly well. Old Defenders are straight up tanks, will go anywhere, and be repaired with anything. Newer ones are more delicate, with electronics and such.
I'm not crazy good at fixing things, everything I know I learned by doing when shit happens. But with WD40, duct tape, and a little ingenuity, you can fix anything.
I fixed a blown radiator hose with a sawed-off piece of exhaust pipe from another car that had roughly the same curved shape, and cut-off pieces of another hose, all held together by screw-tightened circlets and duct tape. Held for 15.000km. On water, since we had no more cooling liquid.
A beastly tank.
How do you keep passports safe? Also how do you carry currency?
>>1120934
In the Defender, I soldered a small commercial safe to the bottom of the back area, near the back seats. Discreet enough to store a decent chunk of cash, all 100 USD bills. For passports, I always just keep mine on me. It probably soaked up a liter of my sweat by now.
In Africa, probably keep a small amount of local currency in a disposable wallet, the rest in some kind of inside money belt. The discreet kind, not the touristy embarassing ones.
Should I get robbed, I can just throw my disposable wallet with a bit of local cash in it, and still keep foreign currency in a separate, safe place.
awesome thread OP. be safe, have fun.
R8, how similar was this to you, OP?
>>1120978
Thanks bud
>>1121210
Not at all.
This is a Mongol Rally type deal I'm guessing, with yet another trash car being abandoned in Mongolia at the end. We had to circle around, and the car came back to France in the end, as we had to do a Carnet for the passage through Iran.
Close enough until Sofia in Bulgaria, but then we turned south, crossed Istanbul and all of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, up through Turkmenistan, then all the stans. Last leg to Ulaan is similar. Then we drove all the way back however.
Why do you ask?
>>1120912
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>>1121228
You said you drove from France to Mongolia, I've been trying to get more info from other people who've driven far routes like that. I'm afraid some towns and roads exist on maps but not in reality. Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and much of the rest of the middle east seems like it'd be too hairy for me to do, although I want to.
Have any pics of Turkmenistan? Would love to see the capital one day.
Also I'd find a scrap yard or donate it to a tour company, I care about the environment desu
>>1121230
No, usually roads and towns on the maps are really there in reality, just not what you'd expect... A sizeable dot on a map might end up being a dozen huts grouped together, as it's the biggest hovel in the area.
Sure, lots of pics of Turkmenistan. By the way, the country is massively safe, and clean. Dictatorships have some good sides I guess.
Still, scrap yards aren't like you imagine them.. Your car would end up rotting on some open pit somewhere. The Mongol government is trying to reduce old car importation as far as I know.
Here's one example of random stuff in the capital, when all the rest of the country is desert, sand and stone. Sorry for the pic qualities, as we were on a transit visa for Turkmenistan (tourist visas require a guide with you at all times), and we had just exited Afghanistan, we were pretty much drunk for the 2 days.
>>1121234
What is a transit visa? Does it basically mean you enter Turkemenistan to travel through it to a different country? How many days was it valid? What embassy did you apply at for it? Did you have to have a guide with you? Turkmenistan seems like an interesting place hence why I want to visit. Were the women cute?
>>1121240
Correct. You MUST show the visas for the countries before and after, and your passage through Turkmenistan must make sense. They issue you with a roadpass, drawing the shortest line between points a and b.
It's valid for a maximum of 3 (5) days (one or the other, I don't remember offhand), but MUST be applied for in your home country, and you MUST know the exact dates.
As we were already like 2 days behind schedule at that time, we had to rush through Turkmenistan, driving all night on shit desert roads and such.
We applied for it in Paris, it needs tons of documents, which we forged half of them, and received email confirmation when we were around Iran.... Before that, we had no clue if we'd be able to get in (and thus out of Afghanistan). Showed the confirmation at the border, paid a little gift to the customs official so he'd draw a small detour on our authorized travel plans so we could visit the capital, and off we went.
Nope, no guide. Hence the transit visa.
It depends on what you call interesting... I mean it's a closed dictatorship, where the old dictator was insane. Closed down all hospitals outside of the capital, renamed days of the week for members of his family, outlawed smoking, or makeup on TV presenters... Just insane... But very interesting.
Had a beer with a Turkmen dude in the capital who spoke english (had worked overseas), who explained how he felt... Literally "It worth losing a bit of individual liberty, because the government provides all for us... Free housing, free gas, free heating, free electricity,....". Of course this guy came from a privileged background, and wasn't one of the poor souls living out in the Turkmen desert...
bumpz
>>1121247
Ahhhhh... GURPGORT!
Incredible threads. I've only been to first world countries and even then I go for easymode countries where my phone does all the work and I don't have to speak to anyone
Getting me inspired to do a roadtrip. OP has serious skills doing all this, knowing other languages, long and full responses and having such huge balls to even consider these countries to begin with. Serious respect
>>1119469
You've made signing that guest book go on my bucket list
>>1119469
Africa is easily the most exciting continent to travel nowadays, plus all the travellers you meet there are insanely awesome.
>>1123387
Thanks man :) I appreciate the feedback.
To be honest, it's a different pleasure. I also enjoy touring around Europe, stopping at local breweries, and drinking myself under thetable with cold beer accompanied with tasty meat without wondering if I'll get Ebola. But from time to time, I also enjoy trips that are a bit more "wild". And for that, communicating with others is a necessity, not a luxury.
I don't know about skills, I'd call it more "experience" (what little I have). My first trip was done with little to no knowledge, and any I may have now was acquired through trial and error.
>>1123854
Seriously, I still perfectly remember that guy. Imagine discussing current geopolitical issues with the Imam of the Erbil citadel mosque in Iraq...
>>1123890
Glad to hear that. I'm not one to hang around the traveler's areas too much, and this trip will be done with some serious budget cuts (lots of tent/hammock nights), but if the other travellers are not as annoying as European our Southeast Asian ones, then I'm all for it.
Dang I hate my life
>>1119469
Shit, OP, you are a hell of a traveler. I did a trip to Mongolia and China last year and I would be fucking glad to keep you company if not for a fact that I travel only by hitchhiking. I would love to know more people like you (you mentioned somewhere that most of people thinking of such trips are but dreamers. Well, thats exactly mine experience as well.).
Best of luck on your ways, man!
>>1124146
Means of transportation is also a big question. To be perfectly honest, I have no qualms about traveling by hitchhiking in most parts of the world, but my "summer" trips are usually longer in distance, and somewhat time-sensitive due to visa issues. For those I need to be able to rely on my own means of transport, adapted to the local context. But I definitely do get the love for hitchhiking!
Likewise :) Best of luck, and as always, stay safe!
>>1124154
Yeah, I imagine that in Africa time might be of essence...
In this case, have my email.
[email protected]
And feel encouraged to contact me, should you ever need a hitchhiking companion. Especially in the winter there seem to be little people wanting to go somewhere... (I'm polish, 23 yo. But I don't think this might be an issue whatsoever).
If you mail me, send an unposted pic of your car in Mongolia as a confirmation.
Cheers!
>>1124137
>I also enjoy trips that are a bit more "wild". And for that, communicating with others is a necessity, not a luxury.
How do you communicate in all of these countries? The imam you pictured, for instance. You said you had a discussion? In what language?
>>1124167
Time, and the use of it. Traveling without a personal means of transportation can, and will at some point, involve waiting around indefinitely for buses that never arrive, or having to pay your way to hitchhike, with no guarantees.
Will definitely take down your email! Last trip I actually picked up a Polish guy around your age heading towards Georgia if I remember right. Dropped him off in central Turkey.
>>1124168
I speak both French and English, with basics in Russian, Arabic and Farsi.
That Imam, however, spoke fluent English. It should be remembered that up until not so long ago, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, and other middle eastern countries were actually quite well developped, with an education system that had nothing to envy western countries.
>>1124137
>not as annoying as European our Southeast Asian ones
Think for a second here, what type of person would consider visiting Africa? A low IQ dude bro that wants to fuck and drink the night away or an intelligent open minded person that wants to explore the world? Even the Aussies there are cool as fuck, and I have never met a non trash Aussie outside of Africa. Africa only attracts the coolest people.
>>1124565
Good points... I may try to be a bit more sociable on this trip than my usual self ;)
Anyone else wants to join us? I recruited someone already ;)
>>1124177
>iraq had education
those meme pictures make you seem very enlightened on fb, but that doesn't mean their institutions functioned as intended
>>1124565
or they could be overbearing condescending cunts who are looking for the chance to appear enlightened.
my best friend grew up in africa. it's a complete shithole. there's nothing to learn. if your mind is too open, you let in junk.
everyone is nice to you in africa because they want money. a really nice person is someone who is nice to you without having ulterior motives. not sure how some people here graduated from elementary school without learning this.
>>1125006
How about you leave your basement and travel the continent yourself? Fat fucking weeb.
>>1125002
>I may try to be a bit more sociable
Well, when you haven't seen a single white person in some 24 odd days, the chance that you will talk to one when you come across one are very, very high. "Yo, wtf are you doing here". That's how it works in Africa, you will be all by yourself most of the time until you get to East and South Africa, but even there fellow travellers are not seen often on the road, you will have to go out to traveller haunts to meet them.
>>1125058
smart africans have all left. you think you're smarter than them. you think you know more about their own countries than they do.
your arrogance is telling.
>>1125006
>if your mind is too open, you let in junk
If your mind is too closed, you don't let anything in.
You sound like you've never been to any of those countries. Unless it was to shoot people.
>>1125140
right. because anyone who disagrees with you obviously is a racist who wants to shoot people.
you're the one with the closed mind. you're going to go to africa x times and what knowledge will you come away with? cure cancer? stop violence?
africa is bad because people like you are arrogant and think you're smarter than your pay grade. if there are good ideas in africa, they won't be found by people like you, because people like you are the people who go to africa, and have failed for 70 years straight to actually produce anything other than "invisible children" and other self aggrandizing bullshit.
a generation raised on reality tv thiks if they can make africa about their own personal growth, viewed from social media, self aggrandizing "open minded" lens, can suddenly reach enlightenment through a road trip.
utter, utter idiocy.
have fun with that. you're exactly like the people that came before you. you're not special.
>>1125140
Ignore the troll
>>1119469
While traveling did you get mounted by a raven haired Mongolian girl with thick shapely calves and big puffy nips?
OP here. Was staying out of this but...
>>1125006
I'm honestly not sure you know what you're talking about. Once upon a time those countries had a more western approach to religion, where each person's faith was their own. Yes, Iraq had education, and yes institutions functionned very well.
To be perfectly honest, I've never stated that these trips were for anything else than selfish reasons. I'm not one of those people who invents a pretend-charity aspect to a fun travel plan to beg for donations. I won't bring pencils to children, I just want to cross Africa, on my own dime. Yes it's selfish, and I honestly don't care.
The simple fact that you can say "Africa is a complete shithole" proves to me you have no clue. "Africa" cannot be generalized. Yes there are shitholes, and 50 metres down the street you can find a world class 5 star hotel. There's luxury and horror intermingled in one. Some countries are still corrupt kleptocracies, others are calm democracies. There's everything, and yes indeed, plenty to learn.
>>1125065
Actually you'd be surprised at the amount of idealistic smart Africans that stay to try and change things.
Sure, plenty have left, because it's much easier to succeed elsewhere. Others remain, or come back, because they see a future in their country.
Noone is pretending to be "smarter" than them. Noone here would be that condescending. However traveling through a country is not living in it for the rest of my life, and even with all their problems, there is plenty to see. Selfish reasons once again, and I'm perfectly happy owning up to that.
>>1125157
Same deal.
>>1125299
No, unfortunately not. At that point I smelled and looked so bad I probably couldn't even have mounted a goat.
>>1125723
so what did you learn?
something other than vague feel good overtones would be nice.
do you know more about pareto equilibriums in war between tribes? do you know more about economics and how to develop their countries? do you know a program that can teach them to read? what did you actually learn? please enlighten, because for 70 years straight, everyone who has "learned" from africa somehow managed to learn life lessons that manage to make africa WORSE with every passing year.
"I learned so much" is so often these day's an idiot's excuse. we graduate people from high school who can't do arithmetic. they claim they learned too, and people claim to have taught them.
go ahead. no feel good stuff about the human spirit please.
>>1125731
OP here. I thought my previous reply made it clear I wasn't too keen on the "feel good" stuff. Apparently not.
You want concrete? Sure.
Sticking to selfish reasons, I learned basic living skills that are long forgotten in our society. I learned how to be able to survive when you have none of the comforts of home. How to hunt, how to make a fire, the kind of basic shit unknown to me previously, having almost always lived in cities.
I learned to shut my mouth. I learned that most times you're better off being the spectator of other's interactions.
Having been a poli-sci student, I learned about civil wars, about history, about violent uprisings and dictatorial oppression. I learned how not to run a country, how very easily a system can devolve into a corrupt kleptocracy. I learned about the signs and symptoms.
Did I bring them anything? Of course not. Did I change anyone's life? Absolutely not. But that was never the goal, and I've never been an idealist.
Life is harder, as a general rule. That doesn't make the entire continent a "shithole" as you so elegantly put it.
>>1125742
>I learned about civil wars, about history, about violent uprisings and dictatorial oppression. I learned how not to run a country, how very easily a system can devolve into a corrupt kleptocracy. I learned about the signs and symptoms.
ah, here's the meat. so you saw people in poverty and shooting each other and that means you learned? no, wait, you talked to them in THEIR languages, and ganed new insights... no wait... you talked to high level diplomats and economists in the region. no wait... you saw arbitration in the process? no wait...
here's a hint: it's very easy to THINK you've learned something. can you do anything with it? no? well what do you think that HINTS at?
>>1125749
Now I'm convinced you really do not know what you're talking about. Most of those answers are yes.
An example? I was, at some point, in a meeting with the speaker of the palestinian parliament and the (at the time) Fatah leadership.
I'll stop feeding you now.
>>1125753
>backpacker meeting parliament members
kek
>>1125758
Because I backpack all year round, and don't actually have a job in my "normal" life that makes me travel and hold meetings.
Kek.
>>1125758
>>1125770
Forgot pic.
Meeting with Shabiba, youth movement of Fatah.
>>1125773
What a scumbag. Convening with terrorists? Kill yourself.
>>1125731
>do you know more about economics and how to develop their countries
What the fuck do you know about economics and geopolitics, ignoramus?
Africa is trapped by petro-dollar hegemony. World trade is now a game in which the US produces dollars and the rest of the world produces things that dollars can buy. The world's interlinked economies no longer trade to capture a comparative advantage; they compete in exports to capture needed dollars to service dollar-denominated foreign debts and to accumulate dollar reserves to sustain the exchange value of their domestic currencies. To prevent speculative and manipulative attacks on their currencies, the world's central banks must acquire and hold dollar reserves in corresponding amounts to their currencies in circulation. The higher the market pressure to devalue a particular currency, the more dollar reserves its central bank must hold. This creates a built-in support for a strong dollar that in turn forces the world's central banks to acquire and hold more dollar reserves, making it stronger. This phenomenon is known as dollar hegemony, which is created by the geopolitically constructed peculiarity that critical commodities, most notably oil, are denominated in dollars. Everyone accepts dollars because dollars can buy oil. The recycling of petro-dollars is the price the US has extracted from oil-producing countries for US tolerance of the oil-exporting cartel since 1973.
>>1126138
Or in layman's terms: whitey has trapped all third world nations using sophisticated economic trickery to keep them poor forever.
>>1119469
Hi OP, i have a question concerning central asia
I'm gonna be riding a 4wd across tajik and kyrgyz including the pamir highway, is it safe to drive alone? or do i need to get a guide with me? (i'm talking directions wise)
Are you the guy who pisses on his motor engine?
>>1125935
Hi schlomo
>>1126111
Haha, well I already hooked up with a Belgian dude here that will meet me in Dakar. Why not, we can see what gives. Add me on skype: african.biking
>>1126195
As far as directions go, you won't get lost. Not many roads in the Pamirs. Honestly if you have a smartphone, just pre-download the maps on the maps.me application, and it will use your phone's GPS to locate you and guide you, even with no reception. That's what we used for the entire trip, and it went perfectly fine. Maps.me maps are surprisingly accurate. And it's all free.
As far as safety, it's as safe as it can get in that area. Don't be an idiot and speed on muddy cliff-hanging mountain roads (you'll see lots of makeshit tombstones on the side of the road, with the car wheel on them, signalling places where people drove off the cliff), pack right (it gets fucking cold on the pamir highway, even in the middle of summer... You're high up), and learn a bit about local customs.
Apart from that, the odds of driving across some runaway Taliban, or Uzbek fundies going into Afghanistan are very slim.
Central Asian people have some very, very coded values, and it would be extremely surprising if someone tried to rob you, especially in that kind of remote area. People will help you, because helping each other is a necessity there. The only gouging going on will be when you need to haggle for prices in the bazaars.
Don't get a guide unless you're rich, and can get a private dude to bring you everywhere YOU want with no annoying tourist in tow. And even then, you'd be missing out on half the fun - driving the Pamir yourself.
Yes, I'm the guy who pisses on his engine.
>>1126138
so you learned white people be the devils? its da white manz fault i killed tyrone with mah glock.
>>1119469
sometimes i'm jealous of you Europeans... You all can get a shit load of time off.
but then i remember you all pay a ass load in taxes.
>>1126242
It's okay because what we pay in taxes results in cheap education, functional public transport, healthcare and whatnot. If you're in debt before 30, it most likely means you're either an idiot or a home owner, as opposed to being in debt to obtain a degree.
And then there's the assloads of free time coupled with working 40 hours a week. I'm not going to complain.
>>1126221
Ive skyped. Waitinf for reply
>>1126272
how cogent
Leaving in precisely 8 days now :)
If this thread is still up, I'll keep you guys updated on how I fare, when internet allows.
>>1128021
Pls make new threads and keep us updated; I need to live vicariously through somebody.
C'est absolument dingue ces photos du Land Rover en Mongolie! Il t'avait coûté combien? Tu l'as toujours?
