Thread: Lets See The Transport havn a Oops moment

The Wife looked at the post above and reminded me, sternly, that other than taking photos of me struggling, she was glassing the surrounds for the shifta bandits that roamed the desert looking for numpties just like us. She’s also reminded me of a couple of other minor issues on that part of the trip.

We had had to wait in Isiolo before making the journey north to Ethiopia, as civilians weren’t allowed to cross the desert alone, you could only travel with the military convoy. So we waited a couple of days, reported to the check point at dawn on the allotted day, and left with the convoy. Which took off at an insane speed we couldn’t possibly keep up with, soldiers grinning and waving at us in a cloud of dust as they disappeared into the distance. So we crossed the desert alone, hoping a lot.

On the return journey, which was also characterised by disappearing a convoy, a steel jerry can in the canopy actually managed to rattle the lid open - that’s the tried and tested rattle proof lid design on jerry cans since WW2 or whenever. We smelt the fuel (petrol 4Y Hilux) which had sloshed all over our gear in the back. Easily our biggest ever brown trousers moment in 20 years of overland travel, and it just about finished me off nerves wise, that was a tough trip the Chalbi Desert alone.

After we’d cleaned it up and decided the risk of explosion was acceptably low, we took off and drove into the dusk, chancing upon two desert cheetahs chasing down a small antelope and making the kill, which completely blew us away and to this day is one of our top 3 wildlife experiences anywhere in the world.

Well after dark that night, we were trucking along avoiding rocks and bandits, hoping to make the safety of an upcoming nomad settlement we’d driven through a couple of months earlier. Out of nowhere we stumbled upon a most welcome and highly unexpected sight - a British Army (BATUK) squad on desert exercise, camped up with their Bedfords and Land Rovers at the end of a long exercise and about to go on R&R, complete with a great many crates of chilled Fullers London Pride. They were as surprised to see us as we were them, a pom and his jaapie chick covered in dust, stinking of petrol and looking like they were 2 clicks away from a nervous breakdown. We joined the boys (all completely unhinged) in an unholy beer drinking session which resulted in a couple of other stories for another time, we got that shit faced well into the next morning that Captain Thompson gave everyone the morning off and we only left mid-afternoon the next day.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

The Wife looked at the post above and reminded me, sternly, that other than taking photos of me struggling, she was glassing the surrounds for the shifta bandits that roamed the desert looking for numpties just like us. She’s also reminded me of a couple of other minor issues on that part of the trip.

We had had to wait in Isiolo before making the journey north to Ethiopia, as civilians weren’t allowed to cross the desert alone, you could only travel with the military convoy. So we waited a couple of days, reported to the check point at dawn on the allotted day, and left with the convoy. Which took off at an insane speed we couldn’t possibly keep up with, soldiers grinning and waving at us in a cloud of dust as they disappeared into the distance. So we crossed the desert alone, hoping a lot.

On the return journey, which was also characterised by disappearing a convoy, a steel jerry can in the canopy actually managed to rattle the lid open - that’s the tried and tested rattle proof lid design on jerry cans since WW2 or whenever. We smelt the fuel (petrol 4Y Hilux) which had sloshed all over our gear in the back. Easily our biggest ever brown trousers moment in 20 years of overland travel, and it just about finished me off nerves wise, that was a tough trip the Chalbi Desert alone.

After we’d cleaned it up and decided the risk of explosion was acceptably low, we took off and drove into the dusk, chancing upon two desert cheetahs chasing down a small antelope and making the kill, which completely blew us away and to this day is one of our top 3 wildlife experiences anywhere in the world.

Well after dark that night, we were trucking along avoiding rocks and bandits, hoping to make the safety of an upcoming nomad settlement we’d driven through a couple of months earlier. Out of nowhere we stumbled upon a most welcome and highly unexpected sight - a British Army (BATUK) squad on desert exercise, camped up with their Bedfords and Land Rovers at the end of a long exercise and about to go on R&R, complete with a great many crates of chilled Fullers London Pride. They were as surprised to see us as we were them, a pom and his jaapie chick covered in dust, stinking of petrol and looking like they were 2 clicks away from a nervous breakdown. We joined the boys (all completely unhinged) in an unholy beer drinking session which resulted in a couple of other stories for another time, we got that shit faced well into the next morning that Captain Thompson gave everyone the morning off and we only left mid-afternoon the next day.

How, what, why were you even there? great stories and adventures but how did it all come about?

Originally Posted by Fawls

How, what, why were you even there? great stories and adventures but how did it all come about?

Only one way to get from Kenya to Ethiopia, and we really wanted to go to Ethiopia. That’s pretty much all there is to it! Ethiopia and Sudan were very different and quite challenging, culture wise, much more so than the rest of bantu Africa. Very rewarding, despite a dose of malaria and amebic dysentery along the way.

We got caught up in the Ethiopia - Eritrea border war which was a totally dumb thing to do but all it takes is one wrong turn. I blame the blind deaf non-English speaking amputee octogenarian we asked for directions. Got “rescued” (more like arrested) by the Ethiopian army and handed over with much amusement to the UN blue helmets who put us in lockdown in Adigrat. This resulted in us making friends with a Canadian Captain and a Swedish Lt-Col, friendships that we hold very dear to this day and have resulted in some fantastic trips in their home countries, and vice versa.

Rollover frame worked well,wouldn't have liked to ride it out but.Glad you are OK.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

The Wife looked at the post above and reminded me, sternly, that other than taking photos of me struggling, she was glassing the surrounds for the shifta bandits that roamed the desert looking for numpties just like us. She’s also reminded me of a couple of other minor issues on that part of the trip.

We had had to wait in Isiolo before making the journey north to Ethiopia, as civilians weren’t allowed to cross the desert alone, you could only travel with the military convoy. So we waited a couple of days, reported to the check point at dawn on the allotted day, and left with the convoy. Which took off at an insane speed we couldn’t possibly keep up with, soldiers grinning and waving at us in a cloud of dust as they disappeared into the distance. So we crossed the desert alone, hoping a lot.

On the return journey, which was also characterised by disappearing a convoy, a steel jerry can in the canopy actually managed to rattle the lid open - that’s the tried and tested rattle proof lid design on jerry cans since WW2 or whenever. We smelt the fuel (petrol 4Y Hilux) which had sloshed all over our gear in the back. Easily our biggest ever brown trousers moment in 20 years of overland travel, and it just about finished me off nerves wise, that was a tough trip the Chalbi Desert alone.

After we’d cleaned it up and decided the risk of explosion was acceptably low, we took off and drove into the dusk, chancing upon two desert cheetahs chasing down a small antelope and making the kill, which completely blew us away and to this day is one of our top 3 wildlife experiences anywhere in the world.

Well after dark that night, we were trucking along avoiding rocks and bandits, hoping to make the safety of an upcoming nomad settlement we’d driven through a couple of months earlier. Out of nowhere we stumbled upon a most welcome and highly unexpected sight - a British Army (BATUK) squad on desert exercise, camped up with their Bedfords and Land Rovers at the end of a long exercise and about to go on R&R, complete with a great many crates of chilled Fullers London Pride. They were as surprised to see us as we were them, a pom and his jaapie chick covered in dust, stinking of petrol and looking like they were 2 clicks away from a nervous breakdown. We joined the boys (all completely unhinged) in an unholy beer drinking session which resulted in a couple of other stories for another time, we got that shit faced well into the next morning that Captain Thompson gave everyone the morning off and we only left mid-afternoon the next day.

Had a similar story coming through the Caprivi Strip in northern Namibia. Convoy took off we could only get to around 75kmph head wind had us stuffed. Some guy waited said what’s the issue. I’m like this is as fast as she goes buddy. He’s like ok don’t run over any elephant shit that’s where they plant the mines. Place looked like a cow race im like thanks. but then that’s Africa Baby!