One-Way Ticket: Colorado to South Sudan

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This story begins with a job offer three years ago. The job involved, among other things, working in remote areas of Africa. I would have a chance to be in Kenya (where I'd visited before), Tanzania (and Zanzibar), Sudan (and later, after July 2011, South Sudan), Uganda, Ethiopia, Somaliland, Oman, and the UAE. I'd also get to be in some of the border regions near Lake Albert that separate Congo from Uganda, which had been on my "visit list" for a long time.

I had about nine months between accepting the job and actually relocating (I ended up living near the Uganda - South Sudan border for the past year, but at the time it was unclear where I would be based). I used that time to buy an FJ Cruiser and outfit it for over a year in Africa.

It's important to understand that this thread, and this story, do not represent one continuous trip. Rather, they represent several journeys - first, from the United States to Kampala, Uganda and, later, from northern Uganda to other regions. I don't have the talent for prose needed to match others' explanations of their travels, but I consider myself a decent photographer, so I'll let pictures tell most of the story. That having been said, feel free to chime in with questions.

Since I know we're all interested in reliability and vehicles, I will offer this review of the FJ. I am glad I bought the FJ Cruiser for this series of adventures and I think it was the right choice. Twice, its common parts with the Landcruiser Prado (once near Lake Victoria and once in Gulu, Uganda) saved me from a parts availability standpoint. Still, I've already bought a 2012 Tacoma to build into the next vehicle for the next trip (that build is currently underway). It isn't that I didn't like the FJ or wouldn't recommend it to others. However, for what I have planned in the coming years, I believe the Tacoma is a better choice.

Finally, I know a lot of people on the forum have been interested in shipping vehicles abroad but haven't taken the leap yet. I'll start by explaining some (but not all) of the process, things to look out for, and what my experience has been, having shipped several vehicles internationally. This thread is not meant as a "how to" and is certainly not legal advice, but it will give you an idea of one person's attitudes and experiences in this area.

Well, here goes.

 

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No expeditions start next to the gorillas, the lions, or the checkpoints.

They start in the confines of the garage, where hard choices are made that people are punished for later.

I don't argue that I made the right choices. In fact, there are things I do very much regret. But I feel I planned well, given what I knew at the time. Most importantly, I learned what I'll do differently on the next trip, the next vehicle, the next border, the next whatever. And that learning process (and living to implement what you've learned) is what it's all about, right?

That's all you (or I or anyone) can do.

The truck began with some sketches.

 

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Next up was the build... there were a few hiccups along the way, but not as many as I'd feared.

 

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Finally, the finishing touches...

Some "finished product" shots:

Then, after some fun and a shakedown run from Chicago to Denver, we were satisfied that this thing was going to be OK on-road, off-road, at altitude, etc.

It was time to ship.

 

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What they don't tell you in the books is that when you arrive in Africa, the first thing you need is paperwork. You need your yellow card, but you also need insurance (covered by others on the forum, but I have to recommend that if you ship to Mombasa or Dar es Salaam the Chartis offices will give you decent coverage at an OK price. This will be enough to get past the insurance scam from traffic stops and checkpoints in the respective countries.

A beverage, a deep-fried fish, and some carbs. Pretty much the best meal on offer in this part of the world, and a good way to celebrate your arrival.

You don't need a thermometer. When you see this, it's hot:

The one on the left is saying, "Hey, that's that FJ Cruiser thing."

 

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So, at this point in the story, I should probably clarify what I'm doing here. I'm an economist and a lot of the work I do has to do with farming, risk management, agricultural insurance, and so forth. So a lot of my work involves actually talking to people, visiting farms, and figuring out what their lives (and financial lives) are like.

This means a lot of driving.

When you find a secure compound - whether it's a friend, an ex-pat, or even a restaurant, it's an opportunity to do the washing. It will dry quickly on a hot day.

Approaching Kampala from the east (with Kenya behind and Rwanda ahead), heavy vehicles are all over. Traffic is heavy and most trucks are in terrible condition. This break-down meant that I, and hundreds of other people, had to wait hours to move.

Once you're outside the city, electricity is rare. This mobile phone charging business uses car batteries to charge phones on 12v leads... this village is not far from the hydroelectric power of the Nile, but far from the reliability of southern Uganda's power grid.

A typical site visit to a farm near the Uganda-Rwanda border:

 

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Then, it happened. Some idiot decided it would be fun, whilst I was parked in Uchumi supermarket in Kampala, to try to steal my fuel pump, presumably for spares. He did not succeed, but did manage to destroy the fuel pump in the incompetent thievery process.

This introduced me to one of the wonders of East Africa, the very good Toyota dealership near Jinja Road in Kampala. Highly recommended.

The UN uses a fleet of LC100's and LC200's, all of which get serviced here if they're too far west to go back to UN HQ in Nairobi.

No matter how brave you are, I recommend not driving in or out of Kampala at night.

The primary form of transport in East Africa is the bicycle. Cheap, crappy Chinese bicycles (primarily Phoenix brand) are prevalent, but the sought-after bicycles are English and were brought over by RAF officers during colonialism. They are wonders of British industry and are still better than anything that can be bought today.

I met with this woman, who is a farmer with three children, and discussed the need for agricultural insurance in her small village. She was surprisingly financially sophisticated and had comments on Museveni's monetary policy (and the recent inflation and volatility of the Ugandan shilling). It was one of the better conversations I had that week. She was also very understanding and made an effort to discuss whatever we could in Langi, though my language skills were not very good yet at this point.

 

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As you drive between the border regions of Uganda, Congo, and South Sudan, the price of things changes drastically. This interests me as an economist, and the explanation is massive smuggling. A criminal gang, humorously called the OPEC Boys (though their patterns of violence, rape, and intimidation are not funny at all), controls the smuggling of petrol from Kaya (South Sudan) across through Arua (Uganda) and the borderlands of Congo. This is about a metric ton of mahogany, illegally logged and smuggled out of the lush forests of northeastern Congo. It was for sale for about 300USD.

The soil of this area is amazing, fertile, and remarkably tolerant of local (primitive) farming practices.

At a village nearly on the equator. Note the satellite dish nearly pointing straight up.

A natural banana grove with a stand of eucalyptus to the right... clearly, this has been a fertile valley for many years.

One of the few movie theaters in the borderlands between Uganda and South Sudan. The DVDs outside will be played next, in order, from right to left.

Fish for sale at a market south of Juba (South Sudan).

Eating in an Ethiopian-owned compound by campfire, between Gulu and Arua (Uganda).

Africa is a maze of rural and urban settings, with very thin transitions. You pass many farms, many farms, thousands of farms, and suddenly you're in the city.

Yes, this is a truck carrying cows with people riding on top of the cows.

A typical roadside market.

An entrepreneur and hotelier decides to make a run at it.

 

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The price of everything is a moving target. Here, one of ten stores in the area tries to compete on price with its blackboard.

American culture is everywhere.

Beans and other foods that can be stored without refrigeration are extremely important in Africa. Here, beans are for sale on a road leading from Oyam (Uganda) to Sudan.

Chickens are normally bought and sold by salesmen on bicycles in Uganda and South Sudan. Here, my friend Robert negotiates for a chicken (he ended up insisting on paying less than 15,000 shillings, and the man said he could not sell for less than 17,000 - so no sale).

As you move farther away from the Nile, boreholes must be deeper to access the aquifers that make drinking water available. These girls will pump all morning to get enough water for their small villages. Note the yellow diesel NATO jerrycans left over from the Ugandan civil war - probably not safe to drink from, but dying tomorrow is better than dying today.

 

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A woman prepares Ogati (in Langi, called "Mugate" in Acholi), a type of fried bread made with cassava flour. It's delicious.

A man begins the process of making the Rolex, the national roadside dish of Uganda - it is sort of like an egg burrito.

Your author turning the earth after the first rains of the season:

Lettuce, a very rare thing anywhere outside the cities of Africa. This is from my garden.

The Ugandan agricultural census of 1991 estimates that there are 10,000 tractors in Uganda. I was asked what I thought of that figure at a panel of economists once and I laughed and replied, "There might be ten thousand, but I don't think five hundred work." Here is a tractor in very good condition by Ugandan standards:

Do not hit this:

I take my resupply trips to London seriously, and I bring back whatever I can as checked baggage. It's expensive, but it's the best way to move things.

Luggage tags for checked baggage on a recent trip.

Note that if you are Silver or Gold status on British Airways, you can take a heavy bag for the same price as a normal bag. This is a huge benefit for those of us who are using these flights to resupply, as it means each bag is 32 kilos of supplies instead of 23.

 

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American cattle once looked like this, until the last 150 years of selective breeding killed these genes.

Churches are one of the few beautiful things in Africa architecturally.

Night markets that try to appeal to bus customers are the best. They are trying to appeal to relatively discerning locals who can afford bus tickets, so they try their best. The food is usually fresh and well-seasoned. If you are stuck in a town large enough to have a bus station, see if they have a night market, especially in South Sudan or Kenya.

The storms that move quickly from Sudan down into East Africa are legendary - and for good reason.

 

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There is, as many have written here, an unspoken rule that you do whatever you can when traveling. Here, Miles, a Bugandan, was driving a Hiace that a major overheating issue suddenly. I worked on it and it was able to limp to the next town to get help, many kilometers away. It still wasn't running cool, but it was running cooler. Blowing the head gasket is worth doing if it means you're not stuck in the bush. Especially on something like a Hiace, where the headwork parts are common.

Me, in a friend's Landcruiser 70 TX, carrying my purchase for slaughter.

Okay, back to Toyota stuff, since this is a vehicle and expedition forum and not a tourism forum, after all.

 

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There is something about going between nameless places, unfamliar places, that is a wonderful experience. Not just a "new place" or "something different" but the effect is more like you've arrived on a totally different planet. That was my reaction (and my girlfriend's) upon our first visit to Kidepo, the area that encloses the tripoint where Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda meet.

These ferries are common, particularly on the Nile and the lesser lakes of the Great Lakes region of Africa. They rarely capsize or have trouble, though the engines are always the weak point. Watch the ferry before you (preferably the day before), then show up for the first ferry of the next day.

Somewhere near the South Sudan - Congo border:

Near Lake Albert:

Further west, closer to Congo:

On the road back toward Arua, within the ambit of Murchison Falls National Park. These big wrecks are common. I was actually surprised more parts had not been salvaged off this truck, it must have been very fresh.

Sunset on the savannah, somewhere near a village with fewer than ten huts.

The little creatures and moments that are easy to miss while you're packing up the truck, or unpacking at the end of the day.

An effective roadblock.

Not atypical, as far as how much this truck is overloaded.

Waiting for the ferry (crossing the Albert Nile, Uganda - Congo borderlands):

Pedestrians:

 

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Best to heed these signs warning of landmines. This is near the Uganda - South Sudan border. Landmines are nasty things and they can endure for years and decades post-conflict. They are spread liberally throughout this region, though many have been cleared by cattle and (unfortunately) children. Volunteers and military training organizations have tried to help, but their efforts are a drop in the proverbial bucket when compared to the problem.

This group of four had Paris license plates and was crossing Africa. They had just reached Uganda from Congo. Note the wildlife on their roof. Heavily modified Hilux D4D's.

A curious cub:

FJC next to its big brother.

Container not for tourism.

The creek port (Dubai, UAE).

Another shot near Creek.

Heading back down through the horn of Africa and back toward Uganda.

More abandoned roadside hardware.

A family moment near the falls at Karuma.

Typical load-out for a 10 day trip.

What a luxury it is to have mobile 3G connectivity to the internet. I'd HIGHLY recommend a moble wifi router.

The USB modem plugs right in, and you're good to go. And Orange offers international plans across East Africa. MTN offers similar plans.

Interior, Pelican 1520 case to show legroom in the rear.

Another thing: You can't have enough USB ports to charge phones, GPS devices, etc.

Juba has a pretty simple city layout. It is only somewhat simplified on Garmin's map.

I'd say the same about Somaliland's cities.

A gathering of farmers on the Kenyan border.

A bicycle at maximum gross vehicle weight.

The infamous Nile corridor truckstops.

A more typical African tractor.

And another.

Moving fish. Note the South Sudanese number plate.

Be glad you had that part you needed in your luggage from London. Because this guy doesn't carry it.

 

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Absolutely mesmerizing! Thanks for posting your experiences.

Did you have trouble finding gasoline for sale during your travels? Is diesel in better supply?