Perhaps it is the love for the outdoors.
Perhaps it is a form of existentialism.
(Descending into the Rift valley, Baringo, Kenya)
Maybe it’s one of the many extremes of travel, or it is about the connection between man and machine.
Perhaps it is nothing more than a mood, a passing whim - a personal spleen. (Hells Gate, Kenya)
For the commute to the office in Nairobi we acquired an old-time Jeep CJ6 to minimize the risk of car-jacking.
The Jeep was also well suited for off-road fun –
it handled rough terrain impressively, with excellent axle articulation…
.jpg)
.jpg)
This type of travel has its risks. A radiator clogged by grass-seeds must be repaired immediately.
.jpg)
Trying not to get stuck in the same old ruts...(Liwonde, Malawi)
Travelling is in our DNA. We made a point of not going the same journey twice, and to travel as many roads (or trails) that we could manage.
.jpg)
Children kept growing. We bought a 30-year-old Katrastophenschutz (disaster relief) all-wheel-drive truck in Germany, shipped it to South Africa, drove it to Malawi and turned it into an off-road concept expedition truck.
Before and After (1)
Before and after (2)
Rebuilding the truck in our garden in Lilongwe.
The concept was that it should take no longer than five minutes from switching off the engine to enjoying a cup of tea and a cold beer, and that the six beds should be ready for the night.
The Jeep also got a makeover.
And here we go, in in the Makgadikgadi salt pan, Botswana. (15 sec)
An oldtimer needs repairs, sometimes (15 sec)
Everything must be accessible from outside. (12 sec)
As you continue, turn the volume up and listen
to the World in Union by Ladysmith Black Mambazo
- for an authentic southern Africa feel
.jpg)
At the Blutkuppe in Namibia, the rooftent is up and ready for the night
.jpg)
.jpg)
... and from the Kunene River to the Okavango Delta, through the Kalahari Desert to the southernmost point of Africa:
The Trail Is the Treasure
*****
Other photo-stories by Detlef:
- Lunae Montes - a journey to the source of the Nile, in 1980
- Pirates, Penguins, Patagonia (Voyage around Cap Horn)
- Operation Lifeline Sudan, the first years in pictures
- Duruusta Soomaaliya - The Somali Experience
- Mud Volcanoes and Candy Cane Mountains (Azerbaijan)
- New York - A Walk on the Wild Side
- Into the Midnight Sun (Journey to the North Cape)
- The Door to Hell and the Path to Health (Turkmenistan)
- Magic South (Southern Africa)
- Azhdahak (from Germany to Armenia, by road)
- Top of Mexico
- East Coast - West Coast, across the USA
- At the edge of the bog - where we live
- Rudaki, a Wedding and Proto-Urban Sarazm (Tajikistan)
*****
More Insights from Outside the Bubble, by Detlef Palm
Detlef can be contacted via detlefpalm55@gmail.com
Thank you Detlef, with your subtle smile. Do read Sartre’s soliloqui ( 1945 ) « L’existentialisme est un humanisme « . Important, and rather unusual at that special moment in history . His words, after the end of the War, nevertheless, warn about the risks of the (in)capacity of Man to forgive, to transcend forms of violence inflicted by himself and by « the other « ( l’autre ). He was himself slightly uncomfortable with this thesis of hope, at a time when he had argued in his « Critique de la Raison Dialectique « that - ultimately - liberation was impossible without freeing oneself from ethical and spiritual, political and social compromise. Still, important to better understand today’s unconscionable moral injury,… our language emptied-from-within , by ourselves, and by the other,… [ in the end, Sartre’s hope was an expression of respect for Camus, with whom he debated the absurdity of « le Néant « . This unfinished discussion ended with Camus tragic car-accident. ] .
ReplyDeleteThis comment above is not « anonymous « . Ludo Welffens.
ReplyDeleteWe also got to enjoy your old Nissan Patrol - took it back and forth from Windhoek to Lilongwe a few time back in 2002-03. We did the Lilongwe to the Skeleton Coast and back run last year... there is a bridge over the Zambezi at Kazungula now and one stop borders...
ReplyDeleteLove this so much! What incredible adventures and daring drives!
ReplyDeleteExciting adventures, Detlef, and you had mechanical skills, which I lacked. We also loved the outdoors and went on camping trips, but in less sophisticated cars, like the PEUGEOT Familiale 501. Nice memories.
ReplyDeleteWow! How exciting and thanks for sharing ! Must say how daring and courageous for you & Gaby to take on such an adventure with children. Congratulations
ReplyDeleteSree
Sree's comment "to take on such an adventure with children" might need a check with the children concerned. Ask them if they were included to ensure that there was enough man-power to push Detlef when he got stuck. . . . .
ReplyDeleteKen, I went back to the photos and there is one where the children are smiling and waving! so let's say they also enjoyed the trips with their parents. r Detlef, you need to respond here. Sree
ReplyDelete