Last July, Dennis Howse (51) and his wife Sue (52) left Bloemfontein to go and live in England. Their mode of transport was unusual for such a long trip, about 20 000 kms - a 31-year-old Mercedes 230.4. The couple planned on driving from Bloemfontein, across Africa in three months, so that they could meet up with their son Jonathan in England in time for the release of his CD, Nine High. The Mercedes, with 300 000 kms on the clock, was decorated with the South African flag and their only weapon was pepper spray. Fishing rods and a home-built portable toilet were also packed. The plan was to go from Bloemfontein to Kimberley and then Augrabies, Etosha Pan, Victoria waterfalls, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. From there they would take a boat across the Red Sea to Saudi-Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Greece, Italy, France and eventually England. They plan to write a book about the trip.
Dennis grew up in Bloemfontein. In 1979 he moved to England where he met and married Sue. They have three sons - Ian, Jonathan and Mathew - who live in the UK. Dennis was back in South Africa on a company transfer but the couple decided to return to England.
The couple made it to Kimberley and after that the old Mercedes started acting up and got worse as they progressed. The spark plugs had to be replaced just outside Kimberley. After visiting the Big Hole, they discovered that the right front tyre was flat. After jacking the car up, they found that they had the incorrect wheel spanner, so one was borrowed. Further along the South African part of the route, they starter gave up and had to be reconnected. Just outside Upington their windscreen was cracked by a passing truck throwing up a stone. That was day one! The rest of the journey through Namibia, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania went well.
In Kenya they had to apply to the Ethiopian Embassy for visas to pass through Djibouti. They were told that it is very risky to go any further due to border disputes and civil wars in neighbouring states, and to avoid the Middle East at all costs.
The couple decided to drive back to Bloemfontein and replan. They drove back via Botswana. After discussing their situation, they decided it would be safer to fly to England. The old Mercedes was sold and they took a bus to Johannesburg, flying out two days later. Dennis' advice to others contemplating the same idea - forward plan your trip by telephoning embassies regularly to ensure your route is safe!
