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BUSHNOTE: ZEN OF TRAVEL

BUSHNOTE: ZEN OF TRAVEL

Author: Kingsley Holgate
Date: 2016-12-16
The Kingsley Holgate Foundation team as recently returned from A Journey to Chew Bahir Expedition - it's a story best told from the scribbles in Kingsley's expedition journal.

Back from the successful Land Rover and land yachting expedition to southern Ethiopia, it's time to reflect on this incredibly adventurous and colourful journey. Travel in Africa it seems, is about timing and opportunity - we call it the Zen of Travel.

I remember whilst on the 449-day journey to track the outline of Africa through 33 countries, how we were able to slip through war-torn Sierra Leone and Liberia and make it down the coast of Algeria under armed escort. Imagine trying to do Libya nowwe got through before the last days of Colonel Gadhafi. Tunisia and Egypt would have been an 'Arab Spring' nightmare - but there too, the Zen of Travel rode on our shoulder. Last year, we sneaked our Landies out of Congo-Brazzaville, amidst civil unrest and shooting on the streets of Pointe Noir.

It's often a game of chance. Now, shortly after leaving, we hear that Ethiopia has just flared up with widespread anti-government protests, attacks on foreign-owned business, 52 people killed in a stampede at a religious festival and thousands arrested.

A six-month state of emergency now bans the use of social media, watching broadcast stations deemed to be 'terrorist organisations', crossing your wrists above your head (a popular anti-government symbol), participating in protests and carrying guns near the capital or within 50Km of the country's borders. There is also a 6pm to 6am curfew and diplomats and foreigners are banned from travelling 40Km outside of the capital Addis Ababa.

Seems we got out just in time. I shudder to think what they would have thought of our eclectic bunch barreling across Chew Bahir on land yachts! Africa is all good and all bad all at the same time! Will keep you posted.