OVERLAND REPORT: SUDAN via EAST AFRICA, 2015/6. SLOW DONKEY.

[Wazungu Wawili]

You have been busy in lockdown, Stan!

Your scalpel must be a little blunted after that massive project, but good to know that your excellent reports are now easily accessible for those doing research for an overland trip.

Asante sana!

[OffTheHamsterWheel]

Thank you Stan. A fantastic account of an epic trip. We can only dream of such a trip.

[AlanW]

Thanks Stan, as you know we were planning to leave on our big trip in April and that is all on hold. The Landy looks very sad each time I walk past it, all dressed up but nowhere to go. As you say, hopefully next year we can pick up from where we left off.
Your reports have formed the basis for my planning so the updated version is much appreciated. Thank you.
Alan

[afrifaan]

Hi Stan,
thank you, have not read them all, YET, but will.

greetings from Windhoek
fanie

[Frans 90]

Stan

Thank you for taking the time to do this for us. Bet you relived that epic journey thoroughly. Massive task you accomplished.

[Stan Weakley]

Thank you to all my forum friends for touching base.

[Wazungu Wawili]

Ethiopia again as we explore it more thoroughly.

Stan.

I think it is important to emphasise that wild camping between Moyale and Marsabit is a risky thing to do. We were astounded and horrified that you wild camped south of Moyale in northern Kenya on your trip. To us Kenyans that is shifta country and, even in the current day with the new tarmac road, we would not wild camp between Moyale and Marsabit. With the new tarmac road, it is feasible to get to somewhere safe to camp - be it the Kenya Wildlife Services campsite at Moyale, at the border post, a police post, or preferably in Marsabit, Kenya (Henry’s Camp for example).

I don’t want to alarm people, but want them to be aware. The risks are, probably, the same as living in many urban areas in many cities all over the world. However, this area of northern Kenya is desert and not a million miles from Somalia and the no-go zones courtesy of Al Shabaab.

When we drove it both ways, we chose to camp at Marsabit, Kenya and then get to Yabelo, Ethiopia on our northbound trip: on our southbound trip, we wild camped about 150 kms north of Moyale in Ethiopia and then to Marsabit, Kenya in a day.

Our contacts in Ethiopia in 2017 said wild camping further north from Moyale in Ethiopia was a safer option. However, wild camping near border areas anywhere in Africa carries a degree of risk.

Asante sana, Stan.

[Stan Weakley]

Absolutely correct WW. Near that Ethiopian/Kenyan border at Moyale, even the the road construction workers on the Kenyan side were guarded by patrolling and heavily armed platoons of Kenyan soldiers, as they worked.

We'd had a skinful of Ethiopia at that stage and were desperate to cross into Kenya, especially after being given a hard time by the Ethiopian customs. It was already late in the day, too late to make it to Marsabit and logic went out the window. We moved into the campsite very quietly at dusk and kept a very low profile, being fully aware of the situation. Truly a situation of "doing as I say rather than as I do".

[Zapiture]

Stan, I’ve enjoyed every single post you have penned. Thanks so much for taking the time.

We too plan to make this sort of trip when we decide to retire in 6 years time and your report only serves to encourage us even further.

[Smithy]

Stan, what a pleasure to read and help us to prepare, thanks very much!

[Peter1949]

Hi Stan.
Glad to find you back online again.
As I said some few years back you should publish a book !!
Seems as though you're well on your way to that now.
Although there is zero chance that we will be able to a trip like that (not in this lifetime anyway), it is fantastic reading about your adventures and allows me to experience it vicariously at least.
I have not yet read your updated version but having followed you Slow Donkey Blog day by day at the time of your trip I can well imagine that it is even better if that is possible.
Your contributions to this forum are awesome (grandchildren speak).!

[Ian.McM]

Stan,

Great to see you up and about on the Forum again. I was very concerned that either your health was not good, or all the rather personal abuse directed at you had convinced you to walk away.

[Stan Weakley]

Thanks Forum friends. Always very good to get feedback.

Ian McM, "Sticks and stones......." .

[Ian.McM]

Thanks Forum friends. Always very good to get feedback.

Ian McM, "Sticks and stones......." .

Having seen on the landlubber's thread that you are an honorary sailor, I realise that you are made of sterner stuff!

[lekhubu943]

Thank you for this Stan, Slow Donkey was wonderful to follow and now we can relive that.

[1342]

Hi Stan

I have just finished reading your report, and have thoroughly enjoyed it!
( as well as having a good belly laugh at many of your understated descriptions)

Many thanks for taking the time to write this up, and share..
I have travelled,(on your journey,) despite not being allowed to, over this trying time

[Stan Weakley]

134too, glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for feedback.

[Tedx2]

Hi Stan, I had bookmarked your original post https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum...d-Stan-Weakley and will now replace that post with this one. I wasn't aware that you had reposted and stumbled across this one. I'm so looking forward to reliving that trip, I must be honest it will feel good being on the reading rather than the writing side of things for a change. Thanks so much for all the time and effort that I know will have gone into this report, greatly appreciated. Cheers John and Linda

[douglash]

Thanks Stan for sharing the information. I've downloaded these all for offline reading. Looking forward to it.

[gfogel]

Thank you for this great sharing of such a fount of knowledge and experience.