Google Navigation Challenge III: from Cape to Cape

[Klon]

Since I didn't find any hardware store with a website in the region, I will just request the assumption that a store named "bolts and nuts shop" also sells multitools as that fits the theme.

Time stamp: 2024-04-28 10:21:33

[tommykl]

April 16th

What a difference a good bed makes! The tension of the previous days had come dangerously close to reaching a head, with few large cities and even fewer hotels that had more than a bed and a shower. Neither Yulia nor Tom had expected comfort for much of the African continent, but they didn't expect the toll this would take on their resolve. Kigali was, in contrast, an opportunity to freshen up, recharge batteries and acquire more mid-trip distractions from local music and book stores in the neighbourhood.



It was also an occasion to pay respects. Just down the street from the hotel was a newly-opened memorial garden to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi people. Before getting back on the road, they took a moment to quietly take in the enormity of humans' capacity to harm each other, and the extremes to which this can be taken.



Resolving to make the most of the experience, our duo hit the road and made their way through the Kigali traffic unscathed. A short way north of the Rwandan capital, they hit the community of Cyiri, and feeling peckish, weren't able to resist the temptation of stopping for some produce and street food. They seemed like trustworthy folk! After a petrol stop at the next town, Rukomo, they were set for the rest of the day.



Now, one does not - under any circumstances - gotta hand it to the repressive regime of Paul Kagame, but the advantage of such a small country punching above its regional weight in the service industry meant the roads were of a fantastic quality. Throw in the fact that the forests in northern Rwanda looked remarkably temperate for a nation so close to the Equator, and a novice Geoguessr player might be forgiven for assuming they had been dropped somewhere in Europe!

The forests quickly gave way to more agricultural country, and less than 100km from the start, the Land Rover had run out of Rwandan tarmac to trace. Unwilling to stop at Katuna, they traded it for Ugandan tarmac. At Kabale, they swerved right and, somewhat frustratingly, had to accept that the fastest way north would, temporarily at least, be to go east.

The next large city was Mbarara. However, thankfully for their driving time (though not so much for their sanity), it was large enough that the national route bypassed the centre, instead given them a tour of resorts and hotels with fancy names like the Buffalo and the ambitiously-named Las Vegas. After this point, small towns along the way got more frequent, with some large gaps either side of river crossings, almost like they were protected environments by law. This was particularly evident when crossing the Kyoga.



After bypassing Masaka's own city centre, the road began to veer north towards the second capital city of the day, and for good reason. You see, it the way of an easterly direction, was the small matter of Lake Victoria.



They only got to see it briefly, between Kaziruand Buganga, but that was enough for them to call it: they had seen all three of Africa's great lakes with their own eyes, already validating their decision to partake in this unhinged event and giving them yet another anecdote with which they'd attempt to impress their increasingly irritated friends back home, like Howard from The Big Bang Theory on his return from the International Space Station.

The initially mysterious gaps around rivers quickly became evident as they approached Kampala: this was where rivers turned to swamps and swamps turned to lake. Prudently, rather than attempting to drain and pave over these areas like many short-sighted westerners had done with their own marshes, they'd left them alone. What they had done, though, was build yet another bypass road around a major city. Of course, if any Ugandan city warranted such, it was Kampala. The traffic was presumably bad enough without giving commuters and travellers no option but to crowd the streets with no option to avoid them.



A stop at a local café for refreshments allowed them to claim visiting two capitals in a day and, after a final stretch of the legs, start the final stretch of the leg. There were few things to report from this point on, the first semi-notable point being the incongruous St. John Paul II Technical Institute in Kakooge.



Quickly though, the mood switched to focusing on the impending task at hand: finding the best place to stay. Some rain along the way had cost 15 minutes at the swamp crossings near Lake Victoria, but their tools indicated a hotel in a small town a safe distance away. Sure enough, Migera appeared over the crest of a hill, and shortly after passing Ramad Cafe (home of delicious delicious meat dishes and slightly questionable pizza), they hit the Vilakazi Lounge with a few minutes to spare. They'd crossed the Equator that day. Not even halfway. How much longer?

Nobleza Hotel, Kigali (Rwanda) to Vilakazi Lounge, Migera (Uganda)

9h42 without traffic, plus 15 minutes penalty (83h47 total)
647km (6012km total)
259000 Ugandan shillings (£1278 total)

[Loadsamoney]

I have completely and utterly given up on doing logs but I am still a Jehovah’s Witness so uhhh good enough

[pasta_maldonado]

Leg 8

Timestamp: 20:28 BST
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Crown+L ... &entry=ttu

Leg 9

Timestamp: 20:28 BST
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ntende+ ... &entry=ttu

[Frogfoot9013]

Route resumption after hiatus due to IRL time constraints.

Stopping for 94 minutes at MLM HARDWARE, Mokambo, DRC, for car repairs.

Final stopping point: Agreste Homes, Kasama, Zambia

[DigitDan7]

Day 9

ROUTE



Start: HOTEL LOUESSE PALACE, 3P39+8F7, Mossendjo, Congo - Brazzaville
End: Hotel de la Lope, WH2W+88R, Boléko, Gabon
Distance: 563km
Time: 9h 18min

Stop 1: Restaurant mimosa, Unnamed Road, Moanda, Gabon (drinks)
Stop 2: Lastoursville Grand Marché, Lastoursville, Gabon (drinks)

[Nessafox]

Today we see our second retirement.

It's getting very crowded in Gabon today, on the East, there seem to be 2 approaches forming, with the Victoria Lake splitting everyone up.

Lowest Mileage:
4399 Ducktanian
4488 Frogfoot9013
4921 Pinkd56
5378 Nessafox
5507 Forti
5552 DigitDan7
5697 NickyDustyOwl
5716 Loadsamoney
5739 pasta_maldonado
5769 Klon
5830 Aislabie
5914 Girry
5989 Shadaza
6010 TommyKl
6173 Nuppiz

No huge surprises there.

Most countries:
10 Klon
10 TommyKl
7 Frogfoot9013
7 Nessafox
6 Shadaza
6 Nuppiz
6 Loadsamoney
6 Aislabie
6 NickyDustyOwl
6 Forti
6 Pinkd56
6 DigitDan7
6 pasta_maldonado
5 Girry
4 Ducktanian


It's becoming obvious who is going for this classification


Stage points:
25 NickyDustyOwl
18 Aislabie
15 Loadsamoney
12 TommyKl
10 Nessafox
8 pasta_maldonado
6 Forti
4 Girry
2 Nuppiz
1 Klon


Championship

98 Shadaza
95 Ducktanian
87 NickyDustyOwl
75 Aislabie
62 Forti
56 Girry
56 Loadsamoney
53 DigitDan7
52 Nuppiz
50 TommyKl
41 Klon
40 Nessafox
33 Kinnikuniverse
32 Rob Dylan
32 pasta_maldonado
30 Pinkd56
18 Frogfoot9013

Maintenance
yet to be done:
#8 Pasta Maldonado time lost 65 mins

Penalties
NickyDustyOwl: 50 minutes (10 minutes overtime)
Nessafox: 230 minutes (46 minutes overtime)
PastaMaldonado: due to inability to follow instructions, will not be allowed to start on day 10


Daily random object generator: chair
RNG: 9, Klon again it seems, get a chair please.

LIve map:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit? ... 626847&z=6

Country RNG




DR Congo
Weather (% rain) 20% west, more than 30°C 0% east
44 west
80 east
Political unrest (% of something happening)
General: 20-50%
3 Nothing major, they'll do a dare on you to try some weird local food, you say yes but it takes you 10 minutes to get enough courage (10 mins lost)

Katanga 50-80%
33 individual rng

Congo
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 30°C
32
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
62

Tanzania
Weather (% rain) 70%, more than 30°C, possibly thunderstorms
30, light rain, you lose 30 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
57

Gabon
Weather (% rain) 30%, more than 30°C
100
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
98

Equatorial Guinea
Weather (% rain) 50%, more than 30°C
17, light rain, you lose 15 minutes
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
15

Rwanda
Weather (% rain) 40
96
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
30

Burundi
Weather (% rain) 70%
38, you lose 30 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
87

Uganda
Weather (% rain) 50%
31, you lose 30 minutes
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
55

Kenya
Weather (% rain) 90%
56, you lose an hour
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
21 someone makes a business proposal you can't refuse. You can't refuse because he's got a gun on his head. You trick him to eat at a fastfood chain, there you lose him. (some of your money is converted to crypto, and therefore probably gone)

Somalia
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 30*C
24
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
65

Cameroon
Weather (% rain) 40%
56
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
59

Central African Republic
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 35*C
62
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
32

Ethiopia
Weather (% rain) 40%
50
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
50, religious zealots approach you: you must find the holy grail

South Sudan
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 35°C
42
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
25, you better give them all your food, money and weapons (if you have them) or else.... (lose 30 mins)

Chad

Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 45¨C
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
37

Nigeria
Weather (% rain) 40%, more than 35*C
73
Political unrest (% of something happening)
South: 20-50%
76
North: 50-100%
12, they thouroughly investigate you, as you're passing trough , but you'll be fine today, lose 30 mins

***T-Minus bonus***





Leg 10 is open, deadline is thursday 2 april 2024 23:59 GMT+1

[Nessafox]

Yeah what a day that was. After the many mistakes of yesterday it would be a short ride today. Having come to my senses i start the day anew. The scene was pretty enough to distract me. First it was fairly open landscape, after a while there were some woods, we'd also run into some moderate mountains. Then it was back to a more open more agricultural landscape.

The backdrop of Mount Kenya was a stunning sight to behold.



After that, the landscape got really dry though. To make matters worse, some guy comes up to me and makes me a businnes proposal i can't refuse. The dude's holding a gun so i better do not do anything funny. I know i drive a police car but my gun isn't actually a real one.

Well eventualy i dropped him off at some ice-cream salon with a 3 star review. That takes care of that.

After a short day, we had to stop somewhere, so we stopped here... it ... looks suspicious.




https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lonjo ... &entry=ttu


this will get my 19 minutes over time (95 penalty minutes)

[Shadaza]

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/MM9H%2B ... &entry=ttu



A day where there are no setbacks, no drink stops required, the travel is smooth and there is life all along the route!

We've hit the West African hub of population, and if my calculations are right, Yaounde is the penultimate capital city I will travel through along the whole route!

[Ducktanian]

Day 10 - Leg 7

You could say that I'm phoning this update in due to other commitments but...
I dont know how to finish that sentence

[NickyDustyOwl]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/QNECHbfockkCMrt49



Timestampe: 6:24AM EST

[Klon]

The first two "stops" are merely to expand the distance driven, the second-to-last one is the store where I purchase the required chair.

Time stamp: 2024-05-02 17:42:08

[Nuppiz]

Leg 10: Laisamis, Marsabit County, Kenya -> Gedeb, Gedeo Zone, Ethiopia

689 km in 8 h 54 min without traffic (with traffic and no stops at 19:37 UTC+3: 681 km in 8 h 47 min)

First stop was to get rid of the very persuasive cryptobro.
Second stop was for groceries.
Third stop was for gas.
Fourth stop was the initial failed attempt to stop for the night, as the people of Gedeb insisted on us showing them a holy artifact.
Fifth stop was at an archaeological site where me bribed a guard so we could take one of the (small) holy rocks.
Sixth stop was for dinner and showing the holy rock to the locals.
Seventh stop was the successful entry at the hotel.

[tommykl]

April 17th

"How on earth did we get passed by the godforsaken Brexit Bus?!?!?" Tom cried. "For the bathplug's sake!" Yulia concurred. The cursing in three languages continued for a few minutes until a message from the organisers answered their irate questions: by cheating, that's how. The bus had been ignoring technical difficulties and driving past allocated hours in an attempt at re-igniting British patriotic fervour or something equally braindead, and thus had been parked for the next day. Crisis averted. They would need a win for the day ahead. After a quick stop a couple of villages out of their rest stop for petrol, then at the Kablega diner for a cheese omelette and fried chicken breast (37000 shillings), they continued their odyssey.



The increasingly large towns of Kigumba and Bweyale dotted the road to Gulu, a highway they'd been following since Kampala, but the first true beauty along the way was the Karuma Falls, just about 100km into their drive. For a second, they wondered where the river led, but quickly realised that from here on in, everything would be revolving around the Nile.



Gulu was the first large city of the drive, but as they were now expecting of such large cities in Uganda, the best way through was around. That was the last point of interest for a long time, and they'd barely seen it beyond slightly more houses than usual. Soon followed many dozens of road miles, with little to report beyond farmland, villages, schools, medical centres. Same as the previous thousands of miles, different flora and fauna. The rainforest was disappearing, even in the background, as they progressed north of the Equator, and they were noticing it today. It barely registered on their brain. They'd never have it this good again for a long time.



Almost everything.

Almost everything.

Thankfully, spooked by the reports of others being harassed, stabbed and scammed along the route, Yulia had taken to stashing a couple of bank cards and their phones and passports in a hard-to-spot compartment in the car. Shortly after the border crossing into South Sudan, this prudence had turned prophetic. A sudden ambush from a roaming detachment of a local warlord in search of money which had decided to target the obvious tourists. Money. Food in the trunk. They asked for weapons, but our non-violent protagonists had none to offer. While at gunpoint, Tom meekly allowed the crushingly sadly young soldiers to rummage through their bags for more valuables. Yulia, a veteran of Euromaidan, knew how to show enough defiance to avoid worse. When finally left alone, they took stock. They had been taken for almost everything.

Neither Belgium nor Ukraine have embassies in Juba, but the city would at least have places to restore their cash, snack and clothing reserves. Luckily, that was also their pit stop, and they would be able to do this in their own time. The drive there was silent most of the way. The road was slow, twisty. The kind of road that, in Malawi, would have prompted "weeeeeeee!"s of joy from Yulia. The mood was elsewhere today. A road incongruously named after Captain Cook was the first to elicit any kind of words. The conversational ice began to thaw.

Suddenly, in the middle of a bend in the road, a boarding school. Named after Juba. Surely, the capital was close?



In the distance, Mother Mary Mountain approached. Markets. Banks. And then, finally, the Juba Nile Bridge.



It's a cliché to call a city vibrant as a euphemism for not looking very nice, but they supposed it was cliché for a reason. The South Sudanese capital wasn't much to look at, but it was busy, lively. This time, no ring road to make them circumvent its heart. They drove straight through and out almost to the edge, turning off to the left on the outskirts to come to a halt at a small neighbourhood lodge with 45 minutes still on the clock. There was nothing else past Juba, and they had business to tend to. And, as they'd seen on the way in, people to meet.

Vilakazi Lounge, Migera (Uganda) to Hai Newdawn, Juba (South Sudan)

8h14 without traffic, plus 60 minutes penalty (93h01 total)
502km (6514km total)
37000 Ugandan shillings, 29000 South Sudanese pounds (£1326 total)

[DigitDan7]

Day 10

ROUTE



Start: Hotel de la Lope, WH2W+88R, Boléko, Gabon
End: Hotel Minkebe, JH3H+P3Q, Oyem, Gabon
Distance: 600km
Time: 9h 54min

Stop 1: Ndjolé market, RQ99+6XG, N2, Ndjole, Gabon (drinks)
Stop 2: Hôtel Bar Restaurant Le Bercail, 18057, Kango, Gabon (drinks)

[Aislabie]

PREVIOUSLY: DAY ZERO () | DAY ONE () | DAY TWO () | DAY THREE () | DAY FOUR () | DAY FIVE () | DAY SIX () | DAY SEVEN () | DAY EIGHT ()| DAY NINE ()

Day Nine ()

This is the route that I submitted to Nessa contemporaneously; however I can't remember whether I posted it to the forum at that time so I'm sharing the link to it now.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/f358Ekmdd9SUeHHw8

-----

Day Ten ()
And here is Peter and Hanse's route today:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1NSxFADhQvC7SNLo8

[Pinkd56]

DAY TEN
I'm facing a few days in Gabon, I think. Unlike South Africa and Namibia, Gabon is a bit of a squiggly wiggly country without major highways going north.

Setting off, it's another sweltering day. The reports of a month of overcast skies back in England seem like paradise. Arriving in Moanda, I take a short rest stop at a restaurant called Chez maker for a bowl of rice and roasted plaintain washed down with a gallon of chilled water.


Heading further north through the jungle, I end up in the town of Lastourville - where I take it easy in the Resturant lozo delice.

Lastourville is the epitome of remoteness, so far.

Once I cross the Ogooué river, I spend the rest of the day following it westwards.


After a number of hours following the river, my stop for the night is the Motel Kédyann, a modest but clean hotel in the forecourt of a Total fuel station. Compared to some of the dives I've been in so far, that sounds like The Ritz!



After a few days of little progress, it's great to be racking up the miles again!

START: Hotel Masuku, Franceville, Gabon

FINISH: Motel Kédyann, Avant la Station Total, Ndjole, Gabon

TIME ELAPSED (TODAY): 8h28m
TIME ELAPSED (TOTAL): 72h6m



DISTANCE (TODAY): 521km
DISTANCE (TOTAL): 4443km

COUNTRIES VISITED: 6

[Nessafox]

Map





https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit? ... 613027&z=6

Lowest mileage

3042 Rob Dylan
4488 Frogfoot9013
4827 Kinnikuniverse
5442 Pinkd56
5145 Ducktanian
5739 pasta_maldonado
5749 Nessafox
6142 Forti
6152 DigitDan7
6259 NickyDustyOwl
6274 Klon
6341 Loadsamoney
6415 Aislabie
6512 TommyKl
6513 Girry
6646 Shadaza
6862 Nuppiz


Most countries

12 Klon
11 TommyKl
8 NickyDustyOwl
7 Frogfoot9013
7 Nessafox
7 Loadsamoney
7 Aislabie
7 DigitDan7
6 Shadaza
6 Nuppiz
6 Forti
6 Pinkd56
6 pasta_maldonado
6 Girry
5 Kinnikuniverse
4 Ducktanian
3 Rob Dylan

Stage points

25 Ducktanian 746
18 Nuppiz 689
15 Shadaza 657
12 Forti 635
10 Loadsamoney 625
8 DigitDan7 600
6 Girry 599
4 Aislabie 585
2 NickyDustyOwl 562
1 Pinkd56 521

Championship

120 Ducktanian
113 Shadaza
89 NickyDustyOwl
79 Aislabie
74 Forti
70 Nuppiz
66 Loadsamoney
62 Girry
61 DigitDan7
50 TommyKl
41 Klon
40 Nessafox
33 Kinnikuniverse
32 Rob Dylan
32 pasta_maldonado
31 Pinkd56
18 Frogfoot9013

Maintenance:
Pasta Maldonado failed to do maintenaince: % chance of something breaking 21%, 38, your bus is holding together.

Objects to be procured during the contest:
Girry needs to find a holy grail

Penalties:
Nessafox: 95 minutes (19 minutes overtime)
Ducktanian 100 minutes (20 minutes overtime)
Forti 125 minutes (25 minutes overtime)

Daily random object generator:
umbrella
RNG: 1, that's nessafox today

Dehydration:
TommyKl is dehydrated, let's see how many time he loses with a migraine: 43 minutes

Country rng




DR Congo
Weather 0% east 76
Political unrest (% of something happening)
General: 20-50%
66
Katanga 50-80%
36 individual rng

Congo
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 30°C
100
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
20

Tanzania
Weather (% rain) 70%, more than 30°C, possibly thunderstorms
61, you lose 1hour and 15 minutes
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
98

Gabon
Weather (% rain) 30%, more than 30°C
24, you lose half an hour
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
99

Equatorial Guinea
Weather (% rain) 50%, more than 30°C
77
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
74

Rwanda
Weather (% rain) 40
7, drizzle, you lose no time
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
3, minor inconvenience it's that person you know from your neighborhood pleading you to take them with you back, you don't lose time but you have an illegal passenger now.

Burundi
Weather (% rain) 70%
52, you lose an hour
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
65

Uganda
Weather (% rain) 50%
48, you lose 45 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
42

Kenya
Weather (% rain) 90%
11, you lose 15 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
7 Remember the guy from yesterday? Yeah he's back, find a restaurant or supermarket or something to get rid of him.

Somalia
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 30*C
94
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
82

Cameroon
Weather (% rain) 40%
63
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
39

Central African Republic
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 35*C
76
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
53

Ethiopia
Weather (% rain) 40%
23, you lose 15 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
71

South Sudan
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 35°C
93
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
61

Chad

Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 45¨C
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
41

Nigeria
Weather (% rain) 40%, more than 35*C
61
Political unrest (% of something happening)
South: 20-50%
13, , they thouroughly investigate you, as you're passing trough , but you'll be fine today, lose 30 mins

North: 50-100%
33, they thouroughly investigate you, as you're passing trough , but you'll be fine today, lose 2hours

***T-Minus bonus***


Next deadline: monday 6th of may 2024, 23:59 GMT+1

[Pinkd56]

DAY TEN
More Gabon today! Awaking in the forecourt of the petrol station, I take the N2 eastwards until I reach the town of Bifoun - where I opt to take breakfast at the rather charming Cafeteria Coupe-Coupe Chez Youssouf.


From Bifoun, I'm now on the N1 (one of Gabon's main roads) in the direction of the Crystal Mountain National Park. It's a truly stunning sight.


Through the park, I continue North-East before reaching a border!


I'm in Equatorial Guinea! Well, for about 25 minutes. It counts.


Back in Gabon! Now we're thundering along the N5 towards the Cameroon border. I don't think we'll make it today, but it means we'll have to spend less time there on the next leg. I make a brief pitstop in the city of Oyem for some Delicious Barbecue Beef And Chicken at a very imaginatively named restaurant.

I stop the clock at a small holiday park near the village of Melep - the Ewong-Essabeign park. It's a great place as we're only a stones throw from the Cameroon border. Gabon has been a bit of a challenge, but the lure of Cameroon is tantalising!






START: Motel Kédyann, Avant la Station Total, Ndjole, Gabon

FINISH: Ewong-Essabeign, 7F6H+HP3, Melep, Gabon

TIME ELAPSED (TODAY): 9h16m
TIME ELAPSED (TOTAL): 81h22m



DISTANCE (TODAY): 577km
DISTANCE (TOTAL): 5020km

COUNTRIES VISITED: 7

[Klon]

Time stamp: 2024-05-03 13:26:27

[Shadaza]

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/W23P%2B ... &entry=ttu



Into Nigeria!

A 30-minute hold-up at the border was the only trivial delay as we made our way across one of the more consistently populated parts of Africa. Making sure to enjoy many drinks breaks along the way. This is the calm before heading into the North of Nigeria and beyond!

[Nessafox]

That was not the greatest night, didn't feel super safe. The admin also let us know we needed an umbrella...

Wait i am the admin? Then who?

What Nessa didn't know was that she was a fictional character in an online roleplaying game

Did you just break the fourth wall?

Did not

Yes you did!

Did not

Well, no point wasting time arguing with the narrator.

I agree

Oh shut up!

Whoa there missy, i can easily ruin this for you! I have powers beyond your comprehension

Fine, here's your umbrella! Thankfully they had one in the back.




Anway, where was i? Right, in Kenya. Well the route today was more of the same, rather arid landscape with the occasional mountain. And after a while we needed to take a weird turn towards the border. Ethiopia was next. We'd like be spending quite a while in this country so i hope nothing goes wrong here. We ended our day in a hotel with 2,5 stars. When in Ethiopa that means it's not that great... but beggars can't be choosers i suppose.



https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Lonjori ... &entry=ttu

[Nuppiz]

Leg 11: Gedeb, Gedeo Zone, Ethiopia -> Muke Turi, Oromia, Ethiopia

523 km in 9 h 45 min without traffic

[pasta_maldonado]

Leg 10
Skipped, bus broke down

Leg 11 (10 + 1)

Timestamp: 22:11 BST
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ntende+ ... &entry=ttu

[NickyDustyOwl]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/WiuzarLtMLqV4kdy7



Timestamp: 5:51PM EST

[DigitDan7]

Day 11

I REALLY need to get caught up with the write-ups.

ROUTE



Start: Hotel Minkebe, JH3H+P3Q, Oyem, Gabon
End: Résidence ELONGBIL, 3JR5+JJW, Bonabéri, Cameroon
Distance: 534km
Time: 9h 12min (+30 min delay)

Stop 1: Marché De Bitam, Bitam, Gabon (drinks)

[Aislabie]

PREVIOUSLY: DAY ZERO () | DAY ONE () | DAY TWO () | DAY THREE () | DAY FOUR () | DAY FIVE () | DAY SIX () | DAY SEVEN () | DAY EIGHT ()| DAY NINE () | DAY TEN ()

Day Eleven
Here is Peter and Hanse's route today:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/rU38pLvtzvbMHGUm9

I am going to have an absolute time catching up on the write-ups, but that's a future me problem

[tommykl]

April18th

The new day brought new hopes. Juba had come through with some clothing and food, as well as some much-needed human encouragement. However, it also brought some mounting frustrations. Continuing to examine hotel options further north, it became evident that the teams who had opted for a route through Kenya and Ethiopia were on for an easier ride, especially once they reached Sudan.

Not only that, their attempts at reaching the destination of Juba the previous day without stopping had led to thumping headaches. The leg start came and went as they searched the city for painkillers, which they eventually thankfully got from a pharmacy. Even South Sudan has paracetamol! Lesson learned, they departed 43 minutes late and immediately made a first stop for water at the Lemon City Shop.



Stocked up for the first portion of the leg, they grabbed each others' hands and headed out west. A couple more shops, a car rental business, a church, then... nothing but road. Sure, some villages were still there, but sparser than before, fewer places of business, worship, gathering advertised from the single-track dirt trail that now passed for a main road. Still, it was relatively straight and allowed for travel at a fair clip, especially on those wonderful occasions where it widened to two, or even a blessed three lanes.

It was well over 100km before they spotted anything with an announced name: a small town called Lui, with a hospital and some larger houses. As quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Shortly, the rain made a painful twist south and past a United Nations post, a remnant of the country's recent civil war. This reminder of yet another bloody conflict was the last straw for Yulia, who needed to stop for a pause. Thankfully, the town of Mundri was just down the road and allowed for a petrol stop and refill of water at the town market.

After this though, even the villages began to dry up as the atmosphere began to feel even more humid than before. Aside from a narrow strip of grassland either side of the roads, the only surroundings were forests of varying density, removing even the slightest hint of a reference point for the non-British pair in the British car. After a few dozen kilometres they - too - disappeared, but it was a while before signs of human habitation reappeared. First farmland, then the huts of the owners of and tenders to said farmland. The small town of Yeri was a brief respite, reminder of their progression, but soon it was back to the solitude of the grind north, continuing to log in the miles on the dirt trail that obstinately refused to stop calling itself an A-road.

Mvolo was next, another small town with little of note except for what appeared to be an airstrip.



For a while, the dirt was rejuvenated. The road may have momentarily turned south once more, but it was wider, smoother, better-packed, better-marked. For a while. Then, the forest came back, and the dirt turned to mud. The going was slow for a while, but the Land Rover took on the challenge, exploring its intended element for the first time in its long existence. They made it out the other end, dirtier than before, but more resolved. Not only would they reach their destination, they were intent on not scoring a penalty. Right on cue, they reached the state capital of Rumbek. With 32 thousand inhabitants and a decent amount of shops and hotels, it would have made an ideal stop... had it been time.



Instead, their water reserves got them as far as the small town (large village?) of Cueibet, where the local market had enough bottled water to take them to the end of their leg. Villages once again began to eschew the road, preferring to stay well away from travellers. Instead it was once more back into the forest they went, and while the foliage was thinner than before, the trees came right up to the trail (which by now could at least be semi-comfortably referred to as a road again) rather than staying safely away from the road. For a while in the middle, the clearings outnumbered the trees, but the woods' body didn't relent until the river Tonj.

On the other side of the small bridge across it was its namesake town. A noted Amazing Race megafan, it took everything in Tom's power not to call it, out loud, "the pitstop for this leg of the race". The last team to check in here would not be eliminated. Instead, the only team to check in would be rewarded with what they hoped was a freshly-cleaned bed. They would settle for any sort of bed. At least they could guarantee security at the Lakan Hotel, where they stopped with no minutes to spare.



Hai Newdawn, Juba (South Sudan) to Lakan Hotel, Tonj (South Sudan) via three water stops

9h17 without traffic, plus 43 minutes health break (102h18 total)
538km (7052m total)
30000 South Sudanese pounds (£1366 total)

[Frogfoot9013]

First stop: Mpemba Songwe in Mpemba, Tanzania.
Second stop: Shiuya Filling Station, Oswe, Tanzania
Final stop: Mbozi Imperial Inn, Vwawa, Tanzania

[Nessafox]

As we yet have to hear from Frogfoot, we don't even know if she's still in the race or not at this point, we go to our roundup of leg 11.
We see another retirment as points leaded Ducktanian decides to Markus Winkelhock and retire on a high note.
Tactically, the West stays fairly packed as they're heading towards the inevitable Nigeria. On the east theres a split between those going the Ethiopian route and those going the South-Sudanese route. Mostly a question of which tribuary of the Nile you choose.
We can generally consider Shadaza, Aislabie, TommyKL and Nuppiz as leaders, but the differences aren't insanely huge. Most people tend to be withing a day and a half of each other. Except Frogfoot's shenanigans. Ah right she's still in the race. Awesome.





Live map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit? ... 090669&z=6
Old live map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit? ... 709172&z=4

Lowest mileage

3042 Rob Dylan
4827 Kinnikuniverse
4897 Frogfoot9013
5145 Ducktanian
6019 Pinkd56
6245 pasta_maldonado
6373 Nessafox
6596 Forti
6686 DigitDan7
6756 Klon
6793 NickyDustyOwl
6950 Loadsamoney
6968 Aislabie
7050 TommyKl
7145 Girry
7155 Shadaza
7385 Nuppiz

PinkD is leading here in the group of those who are still in the race/trying to race

Most counties

13 Klon
11 TommyKl
9 Frogfoot9013
8 NickyDustyOwl
8 Nessafox
8 Loadsamoney
8 Aislabie
8 DigitDan7
7 Shadaza
7 Forti
7 Pinkd56
6 Nuppiz
6 pasta_maldonado
6 Girry
5 Kinnikuniverse
5 Ducktanian
3 Rob Dylan

Look at that German go. With the rest of the podium consisting of a Belgian and an Irish.

Stage Points

25 Girry
18 Nessafox
15 Loadsamoney
12 Pinkd56
10 Aislabie
8 TommyKl
6 DigitDan7
4 NickyDustyOwl
2 Nuppiz
1 Shadaza

A second stage win for Girry, and admin finally scores a podium. Nuppiz' consistency keeps going.

Championship

120 Ducktanian
114 Shadaza
93 NickyDustyOwl
89 Aislabie
87 Girry
81 Loadsamoney
74 Forti
72 Nuppiz
67 DigitDan7
58 TommyKl
58 Nessafox
43 Pinkd56
41 Klon
33 Kinnikuniverse
32 Rob Dylan
32 pasta_maldonado
18 Frogfoot9013

As our leader retired and Shadaza only scored one point today, it's mostly a midfield battle today. It has taken the Brexit bus 7 legs to equal Old Nige who is still lost in Mozambique.

Miscellanious

Objects to be procured during the contest:
Girry needs to find a holy grail

Daily random object generator:
postage stamp
RNG: 5, Nuppiz, you apparently are planning to send a letter home.

T-Minus Bonus (Nigeria) :
You meet a person who claims to be Prince Malik Ado Ibrahim. He want's to re-launch the T-Minus brand. You accept, because you're in the middle of Nigeria and honestly you're to scared to refuse. He convinces you to buy a big stock of useless essential oils.
You must find 5 unique server /forum members to roleplay as your customers to get rid of the stuff. (if you choose to roleplay as a customer, but are also in this contest, congrats: you are now part of the most idiotic pyramid scheme ever done on this server/forum and the same contitions apply to you. If you're not part of this contest, you don't need to do anything.


Penalties

Penalties leg 12
Girry:45 mins (9 minutes over time).


Country rng

Political rng's are the same as last day due to lack of time, weather is updated.


DR Congo
Weather 0% east
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening)
General: 20-50%
66
Katanga 50-80%
36 individual rng

Congo
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 30°C
83
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
20

Tanzania
Weather (% rain) 70%, more than 30°C, possibly thunderstorms
95
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
98

Gabon
Weather (% rain) 30%, more than 30°C
14, you lose 15 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
99

Equatorial Guinea
Weather (% rain) 50%, more than 30°C
69
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
74

Rwanda
Weather (% rain) 40
19, you lose 15 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
3, minor inconvenience it's that person you know from your neighborhood pleading you to take them with you back, you don't lose time but you have an illegal passenger now.

Burundi
Weather (% rain) 70%
54, you lose an hour
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
65

Uganda
Weather (% rain) 50%
25, you lose 30 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
42

Kenya
Weather (% rain) 90%
7, no time lost
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
7 Remember the guy from yesterday? Yeah he's back, find a restaurant or supermarket or something to get rid of him.

Somalia
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 30*C
87
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
82

Cameroon
Weather (% rain) 40%
42
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
39

Central African Republic
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 35*C
45
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
53

Ethiopia
Weather (% rain) 40%
13, you lose 15 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
71

South Sudan
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 35°C
16, you lose 15 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
61

Chad

Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 45¨C
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
41

Nigeria
Weather (% rain) 40%, more than 35*C
62
Political unrest (% of something happening)
South: 20-50%
13, , they thouroughly investigate you, as you're passing trough , but you'll be fine today, lose 30 mins

North: 50-100%
33, they thouroughly investigate you, as you're passing trough , but you'll be fine today, lose 2hours

***T-Minus bonus*** see at misc.

Sudan
Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 40*C
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening)
General 20-50%
96
Darfur: 50-100%
7, you're alive, barely, but you're held under 'house arrest' for today.

Benin
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 35*C
17, light rain, you lose 15 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
68

Togo
Weather (% rain) 10*, more than 30*C
5, light drizzle, you lose no time
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
15, in the quue on the border, some people in front of you are getting arrested, you lose (rng) 66 mins

Djibouti
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 30*C
35
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
18

Eritrea
Weather (% rain) 10%
56
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
73

Niger
Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 45*C
No rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
42 You join the rebellion. which is very noble of you, but you nearly got killed. Spend 2 days in the nearest hospital.


Next deadline: monday 13th of may 2024, 23:59 GMT+1

We'll get a week extra time as admin insists on watching Eurovision week. In the Ethiopian middle of nowhere. That will go well with the locals.

[Nessafox]

Leg 12:

As we continue our journey

Are you going to take over my job now?

Got an issue with that?

Do you want to drive in my stead?

No thanks, i'm fine.

So anyway...
Today the scenery was a lot more green. Some mountains broke the landscape as they did before, still pretty, though none of them as impressive as the Kilimanjaro was.

So in the town of Gerba we saw this sign for a Teakwondo club, it wasn't a bad idea, since i've felt unsafe for a few moments, it would come in useful.

You can't win against me, you idiot!

Dude, i'm not even fighting you!

Bold of you to assume my gender...

Look, i'm sorry! My mistake, can i please get on with it?

Yes, get on with it!

So the route was very rural, towards the end some woodlands as well. Some minor towns along the route. Not spread out too far from each other. At Least for Ethiopian standards.
The road gets more straight as we go on.

Well that's one thing that is straight!

Look my orientation is none of your business!

Yeah but it is ours!

Come on, some privacy please?

So in the last stretch before we reached Addis Abeba, there were a bunch of lakes. Nice change of scenery there.

Why don't you take a dip in it!

Well i'd rather not see that.

Not sure which offends me the most.

Anyway time to look for a hotel. The Tobiya Resort was right where we needed it and, damn, it was a massive improvement over the previous days.






https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tobiy ... &entry=ttu

[Aislabie]

PREVIOUSLY: DAY ZERO () | DAY ONE () | DAY TWO () | DAY THREE () | DAY FOUR () | DAY FIVE () | DAY SIX () | DAY SEVEN () | DAY EIGHT ()| DAY NINE () | DAY TEN () | DAY ELEVEN ()

Day Twelve
For some reason, Peter and Hanse's route was glitching today, so I had to split it into a few different legs.

• Firstly, a quick supermarket run: https://maps.app.goo.gl/g8QDkvVHBAYcqLL2A (12 min, 8.3 km)
• Secondly, a long stint before stopping off at a burger joint for lunch: https://maps.app.goo.gl/gSse2hkfETV8eoUN9 (4 hr 56 min, 343 km)
• Thirdly, a stop at a farm to pick fruit and squeeze fresh juice before getting back on the road https://maps.app.goo.gl/EmU2zdjN57Pg8gEF8 (1 hr 48 min, 148 km)
• And finally, a mad dash across Lagos and over the Benin border: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HibipZMevqyyfHoa7 (2 hr 41 min, 144 km)

The four legs total 9 hr 37 min, and a distance of 644km.

That certainly was more of a faff than usual.

[Shadaza]

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/QHP7%2B ... &entry=ttu

The Chicken Crusade.

3 stops, 3 Chicken Republics.


Chicken Republic Lafia

Chicken Republic Abuja

Chicken Republic Zaria


I had planned on pushing on all the way to Kano, but was held up by police for 2 hours. Which means I'm staying in Zaria. A colourful city.

[Forti]

For the price of only 1 Nigerian Naira (<1 US cent), you can have a box of official Team Bert Anzungolst-branded oils that... make you feel good inside or something like that! Send a forum DM if you are an interested customer.

[Nuppiz]

Leg 12: Muke Turi, Oromia, Ethiopia -> Bahir Dar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

417 km in 9 h 39 min without traffic
First stop was for fuel just in case.
Second stop was a late lunch break.
Third stop was to acquire a postage stamp and send a card home.
Fourth stop was for fuel to make sure we can drive as much as possible on the next leg.
Fifth stop was for groceries.
Sixth stop is our accomodation for the night.

[tommykl]

April 19th



South Sudan was always going to be difficult for many reasons. It's a pretty sparse country, most of which is small villages. It's young and just came out of a civil war, so saying its tourism infrastructure is lacking would be a massive understatement. The roads themselves are the worst they've ever been in the first days of this challenge. Well, they hadn't reached the Sahara yet.

Tonj had been good to Tom and Yulia. Home to multiple schools and a hospital, it was a quiet town with people willing to help. After all, being in the relative middle of nowhere didn't mean being nowhere at all. As a regional centre, Tonj had some internet, and folks had heard of the challenge off the back of Russ Cook's on-foot crossing of the continent. The organisers themselves weren't spending huge resources on the endeavour's publicity, but the South African rappers had been taking a leaf out of the Englishman's book and posting vlogs, blogs and, crucially, map updates every day.

Some South Sudanese fans had noticed a team popping up in Juba, and knowing that the route directly north was completely off-limits for anyone who enjoyed being alive, they figured Tonj would be the natural stop. It's not difficult to spot the only two white people in town, so a couple of fans found the pair and, over a free dinner, gave them valuable info: the southern part of Sudan, aside from being a warzone right now, had virtually no suitable places to stop within ten hours. There was one exception: the condominium area on the border, where Médecins Sans Frontières had set up a lodge for the very few travellers. Some progress being better than no progress at all and a damn sight better than several hours of penalties, Yulia thanked the locals, Tom bought a round for all involved, and in the morning, they made a first stop for water, gave a generous donation to the local primary school, and soldiered on west.

Immediately, it was clear the going would only get tougher over the day. The ambitiously-named A43 road was a strip of dirt only distinguishable from the surrounding dirt by the removal of brush. A few dozen kms in though, the roadside got greener again. They were convinced they'd reached the Sahel and that things would only get sandier for days, but the grassland and tree cover only grew for a bit.



The large village of Kuajena was the first sign of human habitation, 60km into the drive, and it was followed by more wilderness. The grass was once again growing yellower and yellower, and the dirt road was degrading. However, the road soon reached the river Jur, which then brought a welcome sight: the city of Wau, its universities, airport, stadium, and sordid history related to the Sudanese and South Sudanese civil wars.



A stop at the Hajar Market on the outskirts of the city of 300 thousand people provided much-needed refreshments before continuing due north into the uncertainty of conflict. The boundary of what was considered the road was getting vaguer, and while small villages dotted the landscape, there was very little to prompt a stop for anything other than relief. Several hours into the drive, another larger city cropped up: Kuajok, announced by the state house of Warrap State.



They continued north from there, and about 35km later a new town presented itself, smaller than Kuajok, but slightly more interesting. For one thing, Gogrial was (probably) the birthplace of NBA legend Manute Bol. Other than that, its small airstrip was the site of the downing of a Sudanese Air Force Antonov in 1997 during the civil war. It has remained there, surrounded by houses, ever since.



A small village outside of Gogrial, Ngap-Athian, provided an opportunity to refill on water for one last time. The road carried on north, growing more desertic as the kilometres crawled past. Crossing the Lol river, the recent history of conflict and humanitarian strife only got more evident. The town of Wunrok had some local monuments, but most present are food relief organisations, including the UN's World Food Programme.



From this point on, no more distractions until the... well, is it a border really? There was one checkpoint just before the bridge across the Bahr al-Arab, but it was unclear whether this checkpoint constituted a national boundary. A few kilometres down the road, a United Nations Interim Security Force compound on the left announced the final destination of Abiyei, a city caught in between the two Sudans, still waiting for a referendum to decide which side of the border it will end up on in the future. The UN presence has brought with it some amenities that one might not expect: dedicated women's and youth centres, a basketball court and a couple of restaurants. Only one place to stay though: the previously mentioned lodge run by MSF, more accurately described as a hostel. It wasn't much, given the NGO's chronically underfunded nature, but it would be the safest place in the whole region. The next day, it would be Sudan proper.

At least, if anyone could help navigate the zone of active conflict, it would be the United Nations. Right?

Lakan Hotel, Tonj (South Sudan) to MSF Residential House, Abyei (Sudan/South Sudan) via three water stops

7h28 without traffic, plus 15 minutes rain delay (110h01 total)
357km (7409m total)
113000 South Sudanese pounds (£1516 total)

[Klon]

Time stamp: 2024-05-13 20:18:55

[NickyDustyOwl]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/GFPKQ5uMKtqxd4NR8



Timestamp: 3:35PM EST

[Pinkd56]

DAY TWELVE
Another morning waking up in Gabon, but we're only here for 10 minutes.



Cameroon! We're still deep in Francophone belt, but at least we're firmly in the Northern Hemisphere now. The N2 takes us north to the city of Ebolowa, the capital of the country's South Region. I stop for a short break at The Essen Restauration and drink - which as far as I know has nothing to do with Essen in Nordrhein-Westfalen. I once spoke to a taxi driver in Essen who described the city as "very dangerous... lots of murderers... lots of gangsters..." I don't hang around Ebolowa long enough to find out.



Foreseeing a bit of a bottleneck on the coast, I head through Yoaundé and its traffic before stopping at Café Restaurant Le Darius in Bafia.

My stopping point for the day is the Malte Hotel in Dschang - a somewhat palatial residence in the former German colonial outpost.



I settle down for the evening with a beer, and for some reason the WhatsApp group chat is being bombarded by my fellow competitors selling some form of essential oil... I'm not sure what is happening. I check my email a few hours later.

RE: KINDLY SEE EXCITING OPPERTUNITY!


START: Ewong-Essabeign, 7F6H+HP3, Melep, Gabon

FINISH: Malte Hotel, F327+J2R, Quartier Administratif, Dschang, Cameroon

TIME ELAPSED (TODAY): 9h55m
TIME ELAPSED (TOTAL): 91h17m



DISTANCE (TODAY): 605km
DISTANCE (TOTAL): 5625km

COUNTRIES VISITED: 8

[DigitDan7]

Day 12

I guess I have some T-Minus stuff now.

ROUTE



Start: Résidence ELONGBIL, 3JR5+JJW, Bonabéri, Cameroon
End: Cosy Hotel, 51 Abakaliki Exp. Road, Obinagu, Emene 400104, Enugu, Nigeria
Distance: 557km
Time: 9h 30min (+30 min delay)

Stop 1: Kumba Main Market, N16, Kumba, Cameroon
Stop 2: Ikom Main Market, 13 Oche-Dore St, Ikom 562261, Cross River, Nigeria
Stop 3: Rolantek Supermarket, Chief Emerike Orji C. Plaza Opposite EBBC, Nkaliki Rd, Nkaliki, Abakaliki 481001, Ebonyi, Nigeria