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Let’s bring Sauna into Africa

December 2019 - February 2021
South Africa to Germany – at least a try. Read more
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4x4, Camping, Friendship, Nature, Photography, Self discovery, Solo travel, Vacation, Wilderness, Wildlife
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  • Let’s bring Sauna into Africa

    1976

    June 27, 2020 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    On the way back to the coast we spend two relaxing days at Uwe's Paradise Eco Farm in Lushoto and say good bye to Gerd and Jutta with their huge MAN world travelling truck. One afternoon I get the opportunity to join Uwe on his way down and up the steep access path through muddy mountain slopes in his 1976 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 and I feel like Indiana Jones!Read more

  • Let’s bring Sauna into Africa

    Back to Bwaga-Moyo

    June 29, 2020 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Bwaga-Moyo means "where I put my heart down". It marks the end of one of the main former slave trade routes. We enjoy the calm spirit of this historic town, being empty of tourists, and explore the beach and many backyard roads yielding old ruins and pure friendliness of the local people. We leave, with smiling hearts.Read more

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  • Let’s bring Sauna into Africa

    Bla

    July 1, 2020 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    We enjoy our last delicious Tanzanian street foodi before I drop Philipp at the airport and continue to the city center in order to clean off my mobile home's patina which I worked so hard on during the past 5.5 months.
    Dar es Salaam is calmer than ever and feels very relaxing. Probably nothing changed since my last visit and it's rather interesting to observe how I adapted to this country. Once you become accustomed to the people, their habits, the every-day standard life, nothing can really knock you off any more. Situations which where stressing or uncomfortable before just don't arise and you start focussing your perception on all these many more tiny cultural details which satisfy your thirst. You finally arrived :-)

    Since Corona has been officially declared to be over a few weeks ago the people changed. They are warmer, friendlier, more open. I would call them "normal again". At least they seem to be happy and don't run away from big white guys any more :-D
    I usually avoid to talk about bullshitting politics but I cannot forbear to comment on this whole "situation" that maaaaybe this country's government - even though it has been criticized so thoroughly during the last months for it's scarce actions - is one of the few ones having reacted in the "right way". At least in the most reasonable way considering the country's economical and especially social structure. All the others just cry and throw curses because they are envious and cannot stand the truth. I know, this is pretty difficult to imagine and to realize for westerly-oriented paper pushers from their far and fancy thrones. But if you want to be capable of understanding, spend some time here.    Read more

  • Let’s bring Sauna into Africa

    Adiós!

    July 1, 2020 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Eckhard gives me a ride to the city center where we join Ibrahim for a quick lunch. I met Ibrahim at MamboViewPoint Lodge and he took my brake calipers to Dar a few weeks ago. His family is into Indian trading business, dealing with garments, Tanzanian-grown and locally-processed cashews and spices. He proudly showed me old photos of their shop and his family back in 1927! Wonderful people and a great place to return to :-)

    The plane is supposed to depart at 16:30. At 16:28 they call me out because of a security issue with my backpack. Hahahahaha :-D They did not like my colourful conglomerate and especially my Tanzanian black tea! Thanks to me we start 20 minutes delayed :-P    Read more

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  • Let’s bring Sauna into Africa

    Good morning fools

    July 3, 2020 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Finally I joined this well-hyped game of yours. Had to invest some thousand euros in the end but I am not yet sure if I will draw as much pleasure from it as you.

  • Let’s bring Sauna into Africa

    Germany, are you kidding me?

    July 3, 2020 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    I just flew in from probably the East-African epicenter of "Corona Corona Coronaaa" (in Tanzania it's officially over and everybody behaves as if nothing ever happened) and here nobody cares at all! I walked out of the airport and was greeted by the police with "welcome back", borded the train, the tram, my sofa. Nobody checked where I'm coming from, where I'm going to. The health ministry tells me on the phone that I have to isolate now and that I can escape isolation with a test which I have to pay 150 € for. But their call center is not reachable for 2 hours. What I observe here is the professional implementation of nonsense. Prost!Read more

  • Let’s bring Sauna into Africa

    Christmas approaching

    November 24, 2020 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 1 °C

    As Ethiopia's recent riots have introduced additional difficulties for northbound land border crossers, let's see what kind of round trip I can do within two months =)

  • Let’s bring Sauna into Africa

    Auf ins sonnige Gemätzel!

    December 14, 2020 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    Perfect time to flee from crazy-turning Germany. Tomorrow they start a new lockdown period. Without me, muhahahahahahaaaarr! :-P
    At FFM I grab a Covid test even though I don't need any for Tanzania. But it's better to have one than to need one.
    Most food shops are closed. Luckily I discover a nice Currywurst-Pommes booth around the train station after the testing. They offer 8 different grades of hotness and nuber 3 "Habanero" turns out to be pretty potent already! Hell yeah! Good to having found this place _after_ testing because the test center would have turned me away if I had shown typical Habanero symptoms.
    The airport is totally deserted and my plane to Addis filled to 1/3 approx. Tschüssi! =)    Read more

  • Let’s bring Sauna into Africa

    Oh this compressor ...

    December 15, 2020 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    With me I'm carrying a 50 L electric workshop air compressor for Eckhard. I was already happy that I could check it in at FFM as regular bagage with its 24 kg. While changing flight in Addis they pull me out some 30 minutes before departure and want me to open the compressor package. I have to argue that it is not inflamable and that it will not explode. Hmm, but it already travelled from FFM to Addis with me, why not further?

    On arrival in Dar they make some hassle about tax payments for the compressor. Lol. Just because it's a huge package? Its value is just around 5-10 % of all the computer and camera hardware I carry with me but OK, here we go. Luckily I prepared a nice story and am allowed to exit with a grin :-)

    Eckhard picks me up with my Toyota and on the same evening I get most things organised in order to continue my journey.    Read more

  • Let’s bring Sauna into Africa

    "Supranatural qualities"?

    December 18, 2020 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    "Supernatural?"
    "No, supra-natural. That's like a whole other level above super."
    (Jack Black and Ben Stiller in The Pick of Destiny, 2006)

    Easily transferable to the overlanding business. Whenever you ask "Which car should I choose for my overlanding trip?" they will answer "Toyota!".
    "Why?"
    "It's the best, it will never break!"

    So, actually, my dear hard-rockin' amigos, I can confirm that this is a myth. Attentive readers will notice that I already had some pretty ugly problems with my 2006 Prado during the first stage of my trip. Here I go with another one. I initially wanted to leave Dar and head north yesterday. But two days ago I discovered a freshly broken drive shaft boot on the front which was leaking grease/oil. Supra-uncool! On 20th I have to be at a border to stamp-in my new Carnet de Passages. Hmmpf. At least I am at Eckhard’s place which is probably the best-equipped truck workshop in Dar. This week Eckhard is busy with another customer’s “problem car” and so I started to disassemble my front left suspension assembly yesterday. From time to time Eckhard or his “fundi” (colloquial for expert/mechanic/skilled individual) threw a glance and a helpful comment. Never thought to be able to untighten these heavy bolts and nuts with my own force. The biggest lesson I learnt: A huge hammer is your most valuable tool! A year ago in Germany, Mario and Andrejs – the guys who assisted me with the Prado – told me the very same. Oh, they were so right about it :-p
    By 6 p.m. we had everything in single parts and thus some desired samples in order to find fitting spares. Another downthrow: also the left steering knuckle oil seal “existed past its designed lifespan”. At 7.30 p.m. both spares arrived via piki piki (motorcycle taxi delivery). And this is where Toyota and Tanzania turn most shit into gold! The fact that around South/East Africa (especially here) these SUVs – in similar age or newer – are pretty common makes every corner shop to sell spare parts.

    Today the fundi continues re-assembling my drive shaft and I assist while Eckhard is throwing curses at the neighbouring Mercedes Benz G’s diesel pump. Apart from G Class he is specialised on Volkswagen Transporters and does not have any specific tool for fitting my huge, flat, filigree Toyota oil seal. A few minutes later he returns from his backyard with the rusty metal cap of a big gas bottle which is having – by incidence – the same diameter like the seal’s fitting nut (97 mm). Wtf?! Quickly the heavy cap is shortened, looses its round head and gets reborn as “special tool for pressing the seal into its bed”. Invaluable, sovereign, supranatural awesomeness! I should better quit my job and do an internship here at Eckhard’s :-P
    In the late afternoon I have everything ready and also manage to rebuild a ripped-off “front fender apron” (the official Toyota part name) from a piece of Cordura cloth which I carry around in the car for a year already. What a great day of improvising and brain using. I reward myself with a calamari platter.    Read more

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