On the way: from north to south through Africa

Posted on by admin

Table of contents

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

On the way: from north to south through Africa

On the way: from north to south through Africa

On the way: from north to south through Africa

On the way: from north to south through Africa

22nd pictures

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

1/22
Sudan: invitation to dinner with new friends in the Nubian desert.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

2/22
Local motorcycle ferry across the Rovuma River between Tanzania and Mozambique.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

3/22
The fruit seller in southern Tanzania compensates for all the exertions on the slopes with never-ending happiness.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

4/22
Toothless: drive pinion and chain scream for redemption.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

5/22
The steppes of Tanzania stretch endlessly to the Kilimanjaro massif.
The Maasai and animals such as antelopes, gazelles, wildebeests, lions and cheetahs live here.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

6/22
On the coast in eastern Tanzania: fishermen mending their nets every day.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

7/22
Botswana: Camping in the Makgadikgadi Pan in the northeast. It is one of the largest salt lakes in the world.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

8/22
Rock carvings in Twyfelfontein. It is believed that they originated in six periods from 300 BC to 1800.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

9/22
The permanent ride on sharp gravel takes its toll: flat tires under the scorching Namibian sun.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

10/22
Endless drive over the Makgadikgadi salt pan in Namibia.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

11/22
Tanzania: Encounter with young Maasai at Lake Natron.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

12/22
A portrait from a Polaroid camera is always a joy.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

13/22
Sand slopes, like here in Sudan, demand everything from the author and the loaded Transalp.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

14/22
Deep traces of life on the face: San woman in eastern Namibia.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

15/22
Egypt: Truckers who bring camels for sale in the markets allow themselves a tea break. Not all Egyptians encounter the motorcycle traveler in a relaxed manner.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

16/22
Eastern Sudan: Market in Atbara, the hub of the Sudanese railways.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

17/22
Nubian desert: violent sandstorms stop the Honda.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

18/22
Ethiopia: Divine service in the rock church Bet Giyorgis, Lalibela.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

19/22
Safe encounter in Omovalley in southern Ethiopia.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

20/22
A rare sight: holy scriptures in Amharic. Seen in Gondar, the capital of the Amhara region of Ethiopia .

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

21/22
First of several repairs to the heavily loaded luggage rack in northern Ethiopia.

On the way: from north to south through Africa
Obert

22/22
In the north of Namibia: The village scene could have looked exactly like this 2000 years ago.

to travel

On the way: from north to south through Africa

Traveling
From north to south through Africa

A great adventure: alone and on a tight budget on a Honda Transalp through the black continent with its fascinating diversity of cultures, flora and fauna that Europeans cannot understand.

Markus Biebricher

01/21/2010

Direction Basel on the A5. I see a slightly stressed, insecure-looking face in the motorcycle rearview mirror. Fear? I left because I want to cross Africa and get to know this continent. An inner necessity, there is nothing and nobody I want to swap with now. Still, I have respect for my own courage. A state that only subsides when I reach Ancona, Italy. From here the ferry takes me to Cesme, a small port in western Turkey, not far from Izmir.

Buy complete article

On the way: from north to south through Africa

Traveling
From north to south through Africa

12 pages) as PDF

€ 2.00

Buy now

To get east in Turkey, I choose the coastal road in the south, as it is already very cold in large parts of the country now, at the beginning of November. I reach the Syrian border quickly. During a short baggage inspection, the customs officers came across my extensive photo equipment including a tripod. The border official asks me with a piercing look whether there is a relationship with Israel or whether I want to continue traveling to Israel. After a detailed explanation of my plan, I get a strong handshake and hear a credible, deep voice “Welcome to Syria, Mister”. As a German you are often welcomed here. The attitude of the German government to the Iraq war left a positive impression on the people. I get told this over and over again.

In Jordan I drive through breathtaking canyons to the Dead Sea, which is 400 meters below normal sea level. Frequent police and passport controls are part of everyday life here, as was previously the case in Syria. In the south of Jordan, near the border with Saudi Arabia, I roll through dreamy desert areas. In Akaba, on the southern tip of the country, I take a ship to Nuveiba, a port on the Sinai Peninsula. At the border I have to take out vehicle insurance for two months and get an Egyptian driver’s license with an Arabic license plate. When the barrier lifts, a new continent spreads out in front of my bikes: Egypt is the first country I will visit in Africa. After a few days in Sinai, I am drawn to Cairo and Giza. The overwhelming outlines of the great pyramids above the sea of ​​houses are already visible from afar in the soft evening light.


On the way: from north to south through Africa


Obert

Sudan: invitation to dinner with new friends in the Nubian desert.

In Cairo I get visas for Sudan and Ethiopia, then I turn my back on this metropolis of millions, which is marked by stark contrasts. My encounters with people are contradictory: friendliness predominates, but there are also days when I feel cheated and excluded from morning to evening. The word “baksheesh” is an integral part of the Egyptian vocabulary. You have to trade and haggle about everything, which is not always easy to cope with.

From Aswan I leave Egypt with a completely overloaded passenger ferry in the direction of Sudan. In Wadi Halfa, the border and port city of Sudan, any kind of paved road is unknown. I spend two days there until my border and immigration formalities are completed. What is immediately noticeable: a large number of women here in the north of Sudan – in contrast to Egypt – are dressed in light, extremely colorful robes. The route along the Nile consists of the worst corrugated iron, gravel and sand passages. After 450 kilometers and three days I reach Dongola and for the first time enjoy a tar ribbon of around 40 kilometers in Sudan.

The landscape is breathtaking, and the people in the Nubian villages along the Nile are basically cordial, even if there are sometimes strange views: In Khartoum I share a room with three Sudanese and am told about the Holocaust lie that we have in Europe but is spread. The name Adolf Hitler is mentioned and I am told in all seriousness that he was a great politician. Let’s get out of here quickly. The temperatures are high, I try to find shady spots around lunchtime and take a break. More and more often, sandstorms force me off my motorcycle.


On the way: from north to south through Africa


Obert

Ethiopia: Divine service in the rock church Bet Giyorgis, Lalibela.

The hot temperatures push me into the mountains. With the aim of going to the Ethiopian highlands, I cross the border. With that I am not only leaving Sudan, but also the Islamic world. Most of the people in Ethiopia are of the Christian Orthodox faith. Ethiopia is also called that “Roof of Africa” referred to because 80 percent of the total land area is over 3000 meters above sea level here. Many of the mountains even tower over 4000 meters into the sky. Children and young people, sometimes only dressed in rags, stand in the street and scream “you you”, “hello money”, “give me, give me”, when i roll by Occasionally stones also fly in my direction.

The roads here in the north of Ethiopia are mostly rough, difficult-to-drive gravel roads. The landscape is spectacular. Trucks screw their way up the steep inclines with soot and top speed in first gear.

My luggage rack broke from the constant shaking. Driving without damaging the material is impossible, but I find a craftsman in Axum who can weld the broken area.

In Addis Ababa, as in most other areas in Ethiopia, it is difficult to find cheap hotels that do not also serve as brothels. The nights are loud, there is dancing and partying in the hotel bars, and people drinking as much as they can. In between there are street children running around as hawkers selling sweets and cigarettes.

On the way in Africa part 2


On the way: from north to south through Africa


Obert

Safe encounter in Omovalley in southern Ethiopia.

My next route leads me to the south of the country. The dominant color of the extremely hilly landscape is green, the asphalt sections are increasingly giving way to bone-breaking jogging tracks. I see large groups of monkeys, and again and again other wild animals. The climate is tropical and it rains almost every day. Here I also meet members of various indigenous peoples who live in round huts with thatched roofs. Lots of people walk around almost completely naked, but the type of body jewelry they use can be used to distinguish the different tribes from one another. Some men are armed with spears or carry Kalashnikovs on their shoulders.

My Honda is admired at the Kenyan border, the customs officers wish me good weather, a self-proclaimed meteorologist assures me that it won’t rain anytime soon. Then the police advised me to join a convoy, as armed robberies are common in the north of Kenya. the “convoy” This morning consists of a truck whose driver is pressed for time. After less than ten kilometers, I’m alone on the slopes because I can’t possibly keep the trucker’s speed. The piste stretches endlessly, it’s hot and dry, hour after hour slips away. The cattle have also suffered from the catastrophic drought: dead, decaying cattle lie by the wayside again and again.

After two days and 500 kilometers of corrugated iron road including fist-sized stones, I finally reach Isiolo, the first major city in Kenya, completely shaken. The luggage rack broke again. I’m staying in an inexpensive hotel where some whores go about their business at night while soccer games are broadcast on a small black and white television in the courtyard. The next day I have my support system welded again. The workshop looks like a huge junkyard, but it has a reputation for being the best in town.


On the way: from north to south through Africa


Obert

Botswana: Camping in the Makgadikgadi Pan in the northeast. It is one of the largest salt lakes in the world.

Around six months after leaving Germany, I am crossing the equator. As soon as I arrive in Nairobi, it starts to rain and doesn’t stop. It’s damn fresh at night, because the Kenyan capital is at 1,800 meters. With a German who runs a campsite, I want to bridge the rainy season and spend more than two weeks there. Christoph owns a workshop with high quality tools and I am happy that I can do a general overhaul on my motorcycle.

The joy only lasts for a short time: In the south of Tanzania, a goat runs into my motorcycle at full speed. There is one hard hit, I lose control and I fall badly. Subsequent diagnosis: frame and fork are warped. My shoulder is bruised so badly that I can’t even raise my arm. Fortunately, I find a backyard workshop in Dar es Salaam where you can at least set up the frame and fork. After three weeks I’m so physically fit again that I can continue.

I reach Malawi and meet the mechanic John in a small mountain village. Lucky, because the chain, pinion and sprocket of the Transalp are worn out much faster than I calculated. I find it hard to screw because my shoulder still hurts like hell. John is happy to help with the exchange campaign. His numerous friends who are enthusiastic about screwing also accelerate the work.

Overview: trips of the MOTORRAD action team


On the way: from north to south through Africa


Obert

First of several repairs to the heavily loaded luggage rack in northern Ethiopia.

I only drive through Mozambique in transit so that I can enter Zimbabwe quickly. There the shock: all over the country the gas stations are empty. Gasoline is only available on the black market for US dollars. The inflation rate has reached astronomical values, the exchange rate for “Zimdollars” is four times higher than the official rate on the black market. Because the fuel supply is not improving, I leave Zimbabwe after two weeks and travel to Botswana.

There I treat myself to a few days in the Makgadi-Kgadi salt pans. Just look and listen to nothing. Blue, cloudless sky, an endless expanse spreads before me. The play of colors in the first hour of the morning and the last hour of the evening is terrific, stars shine so brightly at night at temperatures around freezing point that you could read the newspaper.

In Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, you feel more reminded of Germany than of Africa. There are country hunters with mustard, and you can buy sausages at the snack bar around the corner. Meteorologically, the country shows its full diversity: the greatest heat alternates with freezing temperatures, fog with sandstorms. When I finally reach South Africa, I spend the first two weeks with friends on a wine farm near Paarl, 50 kilometers from Cape Town. This is where I get my motorcycle in order and get the necessary wear parts. Almost a year after leaving Germany, I’m standing on Table Mountain and looking at Cape Town. Africa is behind me, but it won’t let go of me. Above all, the encounters with people and their stories will enrich my memory forever.

Info about Africa


On the way: from north to south through Africa


Obert

Duration of the trip: 367 days; Distance driven: 42,000 kilometers.

Africa:
States: 53 in the network
surface: 30,300,000 km²
resident: over 1 billion
Highest mountain: Kib, 5895 m
Largest lake: Lake Victoria

A journey through the whole of Africa requires time, flexibility, patience, calmness, tolerance and strong nerves. Our author traveled through 15 countries in one year. Because he was so close and exposed to land, people and life on his motorcycle, he experienced great interest and had enough experiences for a long novel.

General:
Africa is a melting pot of cultures, a hard-to-understand, seething continent in which there are permanent political and social changes. This continent cannot be generalized. Africa is a colorful spectrum of countries, people, customs, traditions, religions, of exotic flora and fauna. It is precisely in this colorful, sometimes explosive mixture, in the incomprehensibility, in this special chaos and the special order that is also present that Africa’s greatest fascination lies.

Spare parts supply:
A supply of spare parts on site is almost impossible in the northern part of Africa. The most important wearing and spare parts should be taken with you. From Botswana onwards, the supply of spare parts for common motorcycle models works better, in the larger cities of South Africa it is no longer a problem. The local mechanics’ talent for improvisation, screwing and welding skills is often pronounced, one should not rely on them blindly.

Documents, money:
In addition to a passport, national and international driver’s license and vehicle license, a Carnet de Passage is required, which the ADAC issues against a deposit. Since it is almost impossible to organize all visas from home and not all of them are available at the border, it is best to get them on the way in the larger cities of the respective neighboring countries. There are several variants of means of payment: travelers checks, cash in euros and dollars, and credit cards. The most common are Visa and Mastercard.

Security:
Since the security situation can change very quickly in some countries, current information should always be obtained from newspapers or the Internet not only before but also during the trip. It helps to consciously assess risks, because a trip to Africa is generally not without risk. The greatest source of danger, however, is not wars, riots, robberies, kidnappings or freak weather, but the chaotic and ruthless traffic in the metropolitan areas. Information about the political situation and special dangers is available at www.auswaertiges-amt.de. For further information or testimonials from other travelers, it is best to use internet forums such as www.horizonsunlimited.com

Health, nutrition, accommodation:
There are no compulsory vaccinations, but hepatitis A / B, typhus, diphtheria, tetanus and polio are recommended. As malaria areas are crossed, an effective medication should be carried with you. You can eat tasty but not particularly hygienic in fast food restaurants or street food stalls. There are inexpensive overnight accommodations almost everywhere, and the author would not do without a tent and stove. A good address for camping is Chris in Nairobi, who also has a clean place where you can maintain your motorcycle. C_handschuh_68@yahoo.com, GPS: S01´17,325´ / E036´45,635´

Literature:
To find out more about the respective countries before traveling, it makes sense to take one guide with you for each country less. In Cairo, Nairobi, Windhoek and South Africa there are opportunities to get travel literature and maps. Friday & Berndt and Michelin already offer usable maps that are available at home.

  • Trans Africa: The long way from Germany to South Africa

    Gerner-Haudum 27 pictures Gerner-Haudum 1/27 A holy book in a Jordanian monastery. Gerner-Haudum 2/27 Botswana: Pachyderms with young animals in the…

  • Motorcycle tour Peru – from south to north

    Markus Biebricher 15th pictures Markus Biebricher 1/15 In Peru, one of the most diverse countries on earth, you can commute between the extremes. More…

  • South Africa

    to travel South Africa South Africa From the monkey valley to hell In the western and eastern Cape provinces of South Africa there are some almost…

  • South and Central Asia

    Photos: Obert to travel South and Central Asia South and Central Asia Around the roof of the world It’s hard to believe, but the idea came spontaneously…

  • On the move: Spain from north to south

    Deleker 15th pictures Deleker 1/15 With the motorcycle across Spain, a trip with many highlights. Deleker 2/15 Ready for a movie: Spain’s castles are…

  • Motorcycle tour – on the road in Lesotho – South Africa

    Jorg Lohse 26th pictures Jorg Lohse 1/26 On dusty slopes through Lesotho’s breathtaking nature. Jorg Lohse 2/26 Out and about in Lesotho. Jorg Lohse 3/26…

  • Motorcycle tour – the north of Chile

    Markus Biebricher 14th pictures Markus Biebricher 1/14 Communicative: break at the trucker bar in the middle of nowhere Markus Biebricher 2/14 Evening…

  • South America, part 1

    Pichler to travel South America, part 1 South America, part 1 Call of the Andes Adventure South America: Venezuela, Colombia, Equador, Peru and Bolivia…

  • Motorcycle tour through East Africa: Tanzania and Lake Victoria

    Brings to travel Motorcycle tour through East Africa: Tanzania and Lake Victoria Tanzania and Lake Victoria (with GPS track) Motorcycle tour through East…

  • South America

    to travel South America South America Patagonia Express Patagonia. Vastness. Huge glaciers. Bizarre mountains. And dusty slopes on which hardly anyone is…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *