FAQ - Africa Caravan
Travel either Northboumd or Southbound: Northbound, Cape Town to Cairo, September to December, 2009 Southbound, Cairo to Cape Town, February to May, 2010
With so many variables, the total cost changes daily. The price of fuel keeps going up, the South African Rand varies and new costs keep popping up. When the budget was developed three years ago, the cost was estimated between $15,000.00 to $20,000.00 for the four-month trip for two people. We are planning to stay within that budget, depending on support from sponsors. The budget is being revised for registered participants.
You might be saying, "We already know it's different! We're going to Africa: a lot farther from home and much more challenging!"
Yet, the 50th anniversary Airstreams Across Africa Caravan is different in so many ways. This is a life-changing opportunity! Participants have the chance to experience East Africa first-hand without the media filter that tends to skew our view of this amazingly diverse continent.
Our partners have made a strong commitment to supporting HIV/AIDS prevention education, and there are so many other humanitarian needs that we can fulfill for select humanitarian NGOs - from providing children's books to harnessing the power of first-hand experiences through the media. Choose your charity and learn how you can help, or jump on board with Jody Aufrichtig to support HIV/AIDS prevention and education - it's all GOOD!
The natural diversity of this trip is unbeatable! The socio-political diversity of this trip is unmatched! The challenge of this trip is unparalleled!
Wally Byam’s Africa Caravanners trundled their Airstreams and four-wheel towing vehicles onto ships and disembarked in South Africa along with massive amounts of vehicle parts, foodstuffs, and other requirements that were not available on the African continent. How will we accomplish these goals? Are we even up to the challenge that Wally Byam and his intrepid band accomplished almost fifty years ago?
Wally Byam’s Africa Caravanners picnicked through South and North Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe and Zambia). Is the Lion and Elephant Motel still there with its “delightfully ingratiating monkeys” focussed on separating “guests from their fountain pens, eye-glasses, handkerchiefs, and silver coins” (W. Byam, p. 255)?
Wally Byam’s Africa Caravanners, slogged through the Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of the Congo), requiring four days to recuperate at Elizabethtown instead of the planned three before continuing on to Albertville, painfully “pulling deeper and deeper into the heart of Africa” (W. Byam, p. 261). Sadly, our trip must take a different route to avoid the violence and genocide in the DRC by traveling on the eastern edge of the Great Rift. Yet, our eyes too will delight at the glory of Victoria Falls, “one of the greatest sights the eye can rest upon” (W. Byam, p. 256).
Will we also thrill at the experience of Uganda, with it’s clean, smooth roads, a boat trip along the Kazinga Channel, and the Mountains of the Moon?
Our visit through Kenya might be much more problematic than the original caravanners', who found “an agricultural wonderland” (W. Byam, p. 275).
Will our Caravanners be able to follow the original route through the “no man’s land” of northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia? For the 1959ers, this was the roughest, most challenging, most “foolhardy” part of the trip “to have attempted” (W. Byam, p. 279). Will the social and political circumstances of this region foil our efforts to retrace the steps and wheel ruts of the 1959ers and force us to ship our rigs to a North African port to avoid modern unrest?
If we can go by land, what will we find when we reach the deserts of the Sudan and Eqypt? Will we see camel caravans? Will our wheels sink into the sands and find us digging and pushing our way to the promised land of Cairo?
In the words of Wally Byam, intrepid adventurer and the first and best Airstream enthusiast, “Mountain tops, it seems to me, don’t just come naturally. You’ve got to climb your own, see for yourself. After everything is said and done, that’s what Caravanning is all about.”
In conclusion, this trip will offer most of its participants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to find out what modern Africa and her peoples hope and dream for themselves and their countries.
Please keep in mind that the structure of the not-for-profit organization that is planning this caravan, the Cape Town to Cairo to Cape Town Caravan Company, or 5C, is very distinct from what you might be used to. In the modern WBBCI tradition, caravans traveling in other countries hire an intermediary company to do much of the on-the-ground pre-planning and reservations as well as providing an accompanying guide. With regional and national WBCCI caravans in North America, seasoned caravan leaders do all of the planning according to WBCCI regulations, scout the route by personally driving it, make reservations for camp sites and events, plan out a day-by-day, practically hour-by-hour itinerary and give it to you, the participant.
This Africa Caravan has chosen a more hands-on approach, so we really need you, the participants, to step up and help us do a lot of the planning work, fund-raising, and humanitarian effort support. This isn't a sit-back-in-your-easy-chair opportunity. There is so much room for you to really get involved in every aspect of this trip.
An additional benefit for you is that if you are doing the planning, you will have much greater input into how and where the caravan goes. So please consider how you can help plan this caravan and become an active participant because WE NEED YOU.
We will be going through 10 countries: South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt. The U.S. has diplomatic relations with each of these countries. Most of the countries we visit will require a passport with a page stamped for the visa. There will be a fee. This will take time for all 10 countries, so you should get started now. Start by visiting your U.S. Senator's office to let them know you will need their help. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after you return to the U.S. Make sure that the dates work. We'll get more information to you on the best way to get visas as we get closer to departure
YES! Bring your children and your grandchildren. Note, however, that they will be missing about 4 months of school; therefore, you will need to make arrangements with each child's school. We have a special committee that is addressing the needs of children and teens on the Africa Caravan.
FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN (Please check this topic from time to time to look for changes and additions!)
We have a committee that is developing guidelines and planning activities for families with children. Subcommittees will be planning in areas that relate to the specific needs of children and teens. Janet and Fred Bourque will facilitate this committee. Janet is a former school administrator and Fred taught Jr. High and High School Phys.Ed.
In order to have a great experience for the children and teens on the Africa Caravan, we expect that all parents or grandparents bringing children will be active members of this committee, both during the planning stage and on the caravan. Caravanners, who are not bringing children, but would like to participate on this committee, are very welcome.
Topics that the committee will address include health issues, safety, caravanning orientation and rules, education, recreation, technology, and special activities. Committee members are encouraged to suggest additional topics.
Janet will work with the families to support them in developing the education plan for each school age participant. As the children will be missing at least 4 months of school, it is important that parents work with their school administration to address how this is to be handled. In addition, there will be many special opportunities and experiences for children on the caravan.
Janet would like to develop a plan for distance learning connections through technology that can keep our children and youth in periodic contact with their home schools. She is asking all caravanners to assist in identifying some technical resource people who can assist in setting this up. The resource people do not need to be caravanners, just willing to work with Janet to develop technology for the program.
As a starting point for our planning, the executive committee has validated the following rules:
- Families will be responsible for their own children or grandchildren at all times.
- Other members of the caravan should not be asked to look after children
- Families are responsible for arranging for their own child's education. There are no tutors on the caravan.
- Some venues require that participants be a minimum height. (For instance, during a tour of a wild game park, smaller children, who are the size of prey, may not be allowed to participate.)
- All families are strongly encouraged to have at least one family member certified in First Aid. Youth over 12 are encouraged to take a first aid course. Parents or grandparents must obtain information on malaria prevention, required inoculations, and any other medical questions relevant to their own children. The medical people going with us are not expected to handle any medical needs other than first aid.
- Grandparents and single parents will need to have a legal letter from the parent(s) and/or guardian(s) assuring that the child can travel with them and that they have full responsibility for the child both for health and legal concerns.
YES! 5C is incorporated as a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation. Your monetary or in-kind gift (you are responsible to provide us with the value of your donation, and we reserve the right to refuse donations) is entirely tax-deductible.
"What if" scenarios: For this caravan to be successful, we need to think of as many "what ifs" as possible so we will have a plan if they occur. For example, what if an emergency occurs with a family member at home while we are in Kenya? Illness, accidents, and emergency situations may occur, and each of us needs to have a plan of action. Many of us have parents, older children, and loved ones with home we should discuss what to do if an emergency occurs. We are still 12 months out, but start those discussions today.
- until March 15, 2008, participants who withdraw will receive a refund of $450 of the $500 deposit;
- from March 15, 2008, until January 1, 2009, participants who withdraw will receive a refund $250 of the $500 deposit; and
- from and after January 1, 2009, no refund of the deposits will be paid.
Approved 5C Board of Directors
YES! Several people are bringing their newer Airstreams, but be sure that they meet specs for this trip!
In l974, Airstream added a gray-water tank to the trailers. Some l974 models had a gray-water tank and some did not, but all 1975 and newer models have a gray-water tank.
The most important thing is that our trailers comply with South African standards. The 1975-1980 trailers are smaller, lighter, cheaper and generally available on the used A/S market.
Co-ownership of the caravan trailers saves participants money by purchasing, refurbishing, and shipping only one trailer per two couples participating in the caravan. The “partner couples” are not taking the trailer on the caravan at the same time, but are going in opposite directions from each other: one couple northbound and one couple southbound. These two couples are called “partner couples” because they will be partners in the ownership of one trailer. The “partner couples,” as co-owners of one trailer, are jointly responsible for:
- locating, as soon as possible, a trailer meeting the specifications for the caravan
- purchasing this trailer
- getting it ready to go
- paying for any repairs or updates needed
- sharing the sale price of the trailer when it is sold in Cape Town at the end of the southbound trip.
NOTE: if you have questions for Matchmaker Janet Bourque, e-mail her at brightstargrants2@yahoo.com .
Co-ownership makes handing over the trailer to the partner couple in Cairo cheaper and final sale in Cape Town easier, because changing ownership means paying new sales and registration taxes and causes legal complications. However, co-ownership requires negotiation on things such as agreeing on what to take in the trailer.
It would be possible for northbound couples to ship their personal supplies over in the trailer, but southbound couples will not have that advantage, so it might not be fair to give the northbounders that cost break without some reciprocal break for the southbounders. Also, if anyone going south anticipates shipping any of their supplies over in the trailer, it would not be fair to expect the northbounders to carry that extra weight and have it underfoot for the entire length of Africa. You need to talk this over with your partner couple and come to some arrangement that is fair and agreeable to both.
Also open for discussion between you and your partner couple is what equipment to ship in the trailer that both couples will need and use, such as dishes, eating and cooking utensils, cooking pans, sheets and towels, mosquito nets, outdoor chairs, etc. A list of required equipment will be sent out later, but there will probably be many items that are not required but may be very nice to have along. Some of these items will be too heavy or too bulky to take over with you on your flight to Africa, so collaborate with your partner couple as to what you both need to ship in your trailer, or what you are each willing to carry over as baggage, to make life in the trailer comfortable in both directions. Keep in mind that some items may take considerable wear over four months of constant use and uncertain washing, such as bedding and bath towels, and may need to be replaced before going south.
More food for discussion between partner couples is how good is good enough? In terms of the trailer itself, are the curtains serviceable or should you pay for new ones that look better or that you like better? If they are serviceable as is and one couple thinks they’re OK, but their partner couple wants new ones, then if the second couple wants new ones badly enough, maybe they could pay for them themselves. In terms of pots and pans, talk over whether a used thrift store pot ($1.00) is good enough or whether you are willing to pay $20-$30 for a comparable quality pot that is new.
CAUTION: you must consider the weight of what you bring with you, both in terms of bringing it over and in terms of the tow vehicle pulling extra weight over very bad roads. Less is probably better!
Every adult on the caravan needs to be able to:
- drive the rig forward AND backward
- hitch up the trailer
- unhitch the trailer (you don't want to have to take your Airstream to the hospital if you have an emergency)
- lift and carry heavy items (such as the ball mount, water, black water tank, etc.)
- have an International Driver's License from AAA
This trip will be a very strenuous caravan with lots of endurance and physical strength needed. It is imperative that all participants have on file certification from their physician that they are physically fit for this trip. Please download the "AfricaCaravanPhysical.pdf" by clicking on the correct form title at this page on this website. Print out this form and have your physician fill it out at your next physical. Send one completed form for each member of your party to:
Bert Kalet
3132 Gladstone Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27104
This document is as important as your registration fee.
Please call 1-800-872-8633 to receive your free Travel Medicine, Inc. catalog. There are lots of other things in the catalog you might find interesting. It’s a good company.
In general, you will want to wear cotton that covers most of your body in the sun, especially your head and neck. You will need sunglasses. There may be some visits with high dignitaries so bring along formal attire.
Two reasons - shipping expense and power sources. The shipping charges are figured using the measurement of the outside of the trailer in square meters. This measurement is taken on the part that is the widest, longest and deepest. Taking off the A/C will reduce the freight bill tremendously. Also, there is no l20-volt electricity, only 220-volt, in South Africa. In place of the A/C we will install a Fantastic Fan.tm The A/C unit can be removed for shipment and reinstalled. It is easy to convert them for 220V 50 Hz service so you could reinstall the air conditioner for the trip, but you would need a generator to run it. Then there is the issue of noise pollution.
With double axles, if you get a flat (which will happen from road debris), you can continue until you find a safe place to pull off. A single axle must stop immediately or you will ruin the tire. All tires will be tubeless, however, we will take inner tubes to put into the tire if the tire can be still used. The roads, tires and tire repair kits are much better today then they were in 1959, but we will be prepared for flat tires and breakdowns.
I suggest each of you contact RV Solar Electric P.O. Box 253l3, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, l-800-999-8520, to request their free booklet “Solar Electric Catalog and Design Planner.”
The caravan uses CapeTowntoCairo.com discussion "groups" for talking about various aspects of the caravan. Some of the discussions so far have included: hitches, tow vehicles, itinerary, etc., so if you lose a group post from your e-mail, you can find it again in one of the discussion "groups". The "groups" feature is invaluable for us to stay in touch from all around the country and in Canada, scattered as we are.
To read or join "group" discussions, you must become a member of CapeTowntoCairo.com... It's FREE! (although you may donate something toward the maintenance of the site if you wish). Please sign up and start participating in "groups".
