Google Navigation Challenge III: from Cape to Cape

[Frogfoot9013]

Start point: Mbozi Imperial Inn, Vwawa, Tanzania
Finish point: Nkondwe Waterfalls Tourist Camp, Tanzania

[Nessafox]

We see a bit of variation today. Shadaza's heading into the Coup belt, is it worh it? Aislabie on the other hand sticks to the coast. A smart move or just a coward? The rest of the pack seems to wait what these two will do before making their move. Also the bunch got involved in an MLM.

On the east, Girry and Nuppiz seem to take a slightly different approach, with a pack following them. Klon keeps zigzagging to visit as many countries as possible, and Frogfoot is actually moving. Can't really be said about Pasta, whose whereabouts are unknown. In the middle we see a lonely dot that is TommyKl who is suffering from South-Sudan being South-Sudan.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit? ... 310687&z=5

Lowest mileage:
3042 Rob Dylan
4827 Kinnikuniverse
5145 Ducktanian
5475 Frogfoot9013
6245 pasta_maldonado
6624 Pinkd56
6904 Nessafox
7108 Forti
7243 DigitDan7
7247 Klon
7316 NickyDustyOwl
7407 TommyKl
7543 Loadsamoney
7608 Girry
7612 Aislabie
7708 Shadaza
7802 Nuppiz

No huge movements here, those who are still in the race have more mileage than those who pulled out, that's only logical. Nobody reached the 8000 km mark yet as progress is very slow in this part.

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

Klon keeps dominating, but we'll see if Aislabie's planned move will even things out.

Stage points
Aislabie 644
Pinkd56 605
Loadsamoney 593
Frogfoot9013 578
DigitDan7 557
Shadaza 553
Nessafox 531
NickyDustyOwl 523
Forti 512
Klon 491

A win there for Aislabie, and some welcome points for pinkD and Frogfoot. Nuppiz' points streak finally ends. She managed 7 points finishes in a row, something only TommyKL and Loadsamoney managed to do. The latter can still add to that tally. Funny that the monstertruck has become one of the more safe bets.

Championship
122 Shadaza
120 Ducktanian
114 Aislabie
97 NickyDustyOwl
96 Loadsamoney
87 Girry
77 DigitDan7
76 Forti
72 Nuppiz
64 Nessafox
61 Pinkd56
58 TommyKl
42 Klon
33 Kinnikuniverse
32 Rob Dylan
32 pasta_maldonado
30 Frogfoot9013


Duck, who retired aready just got barely overtaken by favourite Shadaza. Aislabie is also starting a challenge here.


Miscellanious

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

Daily random object generator:
Lime
RNG: 4, It's Girry! It doesn't specify if it's the fruit or the stone.


Penalties
Aislabie: 35 minutes (7minutes over time)


Country RNG's

This is your favourite part of course!



DR Congo
Weather 0% east
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening)
General: 20-50%
82
Katanga 50-80%
25 individual rng

Congo
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 30°C
55
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
88

Tanzania
Weather (% rain) 70%, more than 30°C, possibly thunderstorms
12, you lose 15 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
40

Gabon
Weather (% rain) 30%, more than 30°C
88
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
40

Equatorial Guinea
Weather (% rain) 50%, more than 30°C
72
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
20

Rwanda
Weather (% rain) 40
45
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
64

Burundi
Weather (% rain) 70%
82
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
46

Uganda
Weather (% rain) 50%
24, you lose 30 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
71

Kenya
Weather (% rain) 90%
14, lose 15 mns
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
52, finally you're left alone

Somalia
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 30*C
3, no time lost, a good test to see if your windshield wipers still work
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
13, pirates attack you, you respond with 'arrrrrrrrrr', they take that as a signal to steal your right front tyre, get a new one

Cameroon
Weather (% rain) 40%
22, lost 15 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
91

Central African Republic
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 35*C
100, it could literally not be more dry
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
7, so is their response to you entering, you lose 15 mins at the border.

Ethiopia
Weather (% rain) 40%
44
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
100, very calm (before the storm?)

South Sudan
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 35°C
16, you lose 15 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
34. It was a matter of time. Some bullets fly your way. You're unharmed, but your car is not, get it checked up and lose 5 hours.
special rng for TommyKl who is in territory claimed by both Sudans.
1 he's affected 2 he's not affected. 2, the Land Rover remains in one piece. (not the anime)

Chad

Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 45¨C
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
61

Nigeria
Weather (% rain) 40%, more than 35*C
19 you lose 15 mins.
Political unrest (% of something happening)
South: 20-50%
92

North: 50-100%
44, you'll get shot at, a bullet just shaved past you. It scratched your head, you need some stitching. You won't die, but stay in the hospital for a full day.

***T-Minus bonus***


Sudan
Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 40*C
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening)
General 20-50%
26, The Northern Sudan isn't taking jokes either, you get shot at again. This time it is only all of your windows. But i recommend getting that fixed or else you'll suffer some lung issues. (you lose 2 hours at the car garage)
Darfur: 50-100%
44, It's not your car here. Spend 2 nights in a hospital.

Benin
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 35*C
2, no time lost
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
84

Togo
Weather (% rain) 10*, more than 30*C
29
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
60

Djibouti
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 30*C
72
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
74

Eritrea
Weather (% rain) 10%
10, you lose 5 minutes.
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
86

Niger
Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 45*C
No rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
22, they thourougly check you for the slightest hint of Frenchness. They found a picture of Esteban Ocon topless. They are seriously offended but they decided he's actually quite hot - no homo - and let you pass, after 2 hours that is. It is redacted what happened in these 2 hours. No homo.

Ghana
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 30*C
52
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
21, that was close. But they saw your T-Minus franchise and ridicule you, your social media takes a hit in popularity. That gig in Ibiza is maybe not happening.

Ivory Coast
Weather (% rain) 40%, more than 35*C
72
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
94

Burkina Faso
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 40*C
67, dry but it's hot.
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
49 Oh dear, just when you thought you avoided the worst countries... You get shot, you lose an eye.


Mali
Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 40°C
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
46, thankfully you had another eye. That is gone now as well.


Leg 13 is open. Deadline is thursday 16th of may (Lagwagon day, for those who are old enough to remember), 23:59 GMT+1

[Nessafox]

Leg 13:

So after a good night's sleep...

Now you are doing the narration or what?

Hold on, i got this!

Oh come on?

So anyway...

This gag is gettng old, man!

grgreihgremrjgiorehgragrhraegmgr

We'll be staying at a hotel near the Tana Lake, thank you.

Also what's up with these people waving Finnish flags? Guess some of the other participants are having the same idea.

You requested Sandstorm by Darude

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

9 minutes overtime = 45 mins penalty

[NickyDustyOwl]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/bsBFH3SYBDYVW2PBA



Timestamp: 7:26PM EST

[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 ()

Day Thirteen ,
Here is Peter and Hanse's route today:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/fjzGpEtjMoA29ZGK8

[Shadaza]

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

Got shot.

[Nuppiz]

Leg 13: Bahir Dar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia -> Teseney, Gash-Barka Region, Eritrea

517 km in 8 h 26 min without traffic

Stopped just outside Sudan because do you know how hard it is to get new windows for a 1972 Volvo 144 in the middle of nowhere?

[pasta_maldonado]

After fixing the bus (again) we're back on the road

Leg 13 (12 + 1)

Timestamp: 22:19 BST
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Miika+E ... &entry=ttu
[/quote]

[Klon]

Time stamp: 2024-05-16 19:06:47

[Nessafox]

RNg's for tomorrow already posted, you still got 95 mins to post todays route:




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

Congo
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 30°C
55
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
16

Tanzania
Weather (% rain) 70%, more than 30°C, possibly thunderstorms
12, you lose 15 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
41

Gabon
Weather (% rain) 30%, more than 30°C
88
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
46

Equatorial Guinea
Weather (% rain) 50%, more than 30°C
72
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
59

Rwanda
Weather (% rain) 40
45
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
13

Burundi
Weather (% rain) 70%
82
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
70

Uganda
Weather (% rain) 50%
24, you lose 30 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
41

Kenya
Weather (% rain) 90%
14, lose 15 mns
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
60

Somalia
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 30*C
3, no time lost, a good test to see if your windshield wipers still work
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
93

Cameroon
Weather (% rain) 40%
22, lost 15 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
56

Central African Republic
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 35*C
100, it could literally not be more dry
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
95

Ethiopia
Weather (% rain) 40%
44
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
37, indeed too calm before the storm. You get accused of witchcraft and get burned at the stake. Thankfully you are a witch so nothing serious happens. You lose 3 hours with the administrative shizzle.

South Sudan
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 35°C
16, you lose 15 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
95

Chad

Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 45¨C
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
3. They stopped being Chads for a while. They swarm you for water. Since you're that kind-hearted, you try to please all of them. You lose an hour.

Nigeria
Weather (% rain) 40%, more than 35*C
19 you lose 15 mins.
Political unrest (% of something happening)
South: 20-50%
83

North: 50-100%
100, that means you die.

***T-Minus bonus***


Sudan
Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 40*C
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening)
General 20-50%
26, The Northern Sudan isn't taking jokes either, you get shot at again. This time it is only all of your windows. But i recommend getting that fixed or else you'll suffer some lung issues. (you lose 2 hours at the car garage) (rolled exactly the same number)
Darfur: 50-100%
23, relatively peaceful for Darfur's standards. They stab the wrong person. You still need to testify in the police office, lose 2 hours.

Benin
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 35*C
2, no time lost
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
16 An agressive market seller sells you a shite ton of cabbages. You lose an hour trying to stack things in your truck, until a bald kid in a yellow robe destroys your cabbages. (you're getting really low on funds now)

Togo
Weather (% rain) 10*, more than 30*C
29
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
66

Djibouti
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 30*C
72
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
86

Eritrea
Weather (% rain) 10%
10, you lose 5 minutes.
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
48

Niger
Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 45*C
No rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
63n They're still thinking of Shirtless Esteban Ocon - no homo.

Ghana
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 30*C
52
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
15, you've been scammed, again. You lose money, you find a job at the nearest callcentre for 8 hours to replenish your funds.

Ivory Coast
Weather (% rain) 40%, more than 35*C
72
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
51

Burkina Faso
Weather (% rain) 20%, more than 40*C
67, dry but it's hot.
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
52 luck is on your side.


Mali
Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 40°C
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
49, not here no, indidivual rng when you get there



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

Daily random object generator:
Spool of thread
RNG: 4, Girry again.(leg 14)


Penalties leg 14
Nessafox: 45 mins (9 mins overtime)
Klon 25 minutes (4 minutes overtime)

Shadaza and Nickydustyowl have died. They'll be able to restart the contest under a new identity if they want, their respawn point gets rng'd.
Shadaza gets: Singapore.
NickyDustyOwl gets Marshall Islands.

[Pinkd56]

DAY THIRTEEN
The palatial setting of the Malte Hotel was a wonderful place to wake up. A quick breakfast saw me hit the road towards one of the more dangerous destinations - at least in terms of reputation - on the trip. It was a wet day today, which certainly slowed me up a little bit today as I headed to the border at Ekok.



Nigeria! A place I was slightly nervous about. I had 419 reasons to be nervous anyway. I'd received some spam emails from an unknown person when I connected to wifi at a drink stop at the Ikom Main Market. I returned to my car after picking up some supplies to find a case of "essential oils" and a note taped to my windscreen.

I felt it was wise to get rid of this as soon as I can. I set up a shopify store, as I have a bit of eCommerce experience (god, I'm a James Allen) and I immediately get an order from the Marshall Islands? I send that off once I get to the SPAR ENUGU, and I've only got four to get rid of.

I come to rest in the small town of Awka, just east of Onitsha. I decide to hug the coast the best I can, considering the risk of Boko Haram in the northern territories. I rest at the Billion suite hotel, a business hotel with a swimming pool. Cahama and Angola feel like another world.






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

FINISH: Billion Suite hotel Awka, Plot 13b Abuja estate, Ikenga layout, Awka 420102, Anambra, Nigeria

TIME ELAPSED (TODAY): 9h23m
TIME ELAPSED (TOTAL): 100h40m



DISTANCE (TODAY): 502km
DISTANCE (TOTAL): 6127km

COUNTRIES VISITED: 9



ESSENTIAL OILS PACKAGES SOLD: 1/5

[tommykl]

April 20th

Into the unknown it was. The UN folks in Abyei were very welcoming, as were the locals who were at the very least living away from active conflict. However, the reality on the ground north of the condominium was hazy and fast-moving, meaning there was little indication of what could happen. Frontlines would have to be crossed on the way north, it was a simple matter of whether or not the roads would be patrolled at the time. Tom and Yulia stocked up on books in the store down the road, were bid farewell by their MSF hosts and departed. The first stop was immediately north at Amiet, still in the shared zone, where they could refill their water and snack supplies for a while. As the desert approached, it would only get hotter.

After circumnavigating an oil field (although within the UN zone), they began to follow the directions given to them by the NGO workers towards Khartoum, studiously ignoring their pleas not to carry on further north. Yulia had seen conflict before, and Tom was simply too stubborn to consider turning around. Truth be told, so was Yulia. They followed the B38 dirt track north into Sudan proper until it ended. There, they turned south onto the B58, a counterintuitive manoeuvre when first shown to them on a map, but one that allowed them to fill up on water once more under the searing Sahelian heat. At least there was still just about enough vegetation to let wonderful friends roam the landscape and say hello.



Sudan is a much more densely-populated country than its southern counterpart, and villages came fairly frequently. However, given none of them could read Arabic, the reliance was on looking out for what shops were selling. They would never learn the names of the places the passed by or stopped in. The map and directions did the trick however, and soon enough they'd found the two left turns that spat them back north. A fair while later, still struggling on the poorly-maintained road, another required water stop in the small town of Kharasana. These days, it's notable for its refugee camps.



The grass began to grow a bit more, however, perhaps the Nile basin was approaching? A couple of larger towns appeared, and eventually at a small village, an unutterable luxury re-appeared for the first time in yonks: a paved road. With it, another shop for one last water refill for the day.

Now, a paved road in this case was inarguably better than the dirt tracks. However, it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. In fact it was, well, cracked. So full of potholes that a lot of care had to be taken not to hurt the car's undertray or tyres. Nonetheless, the first large town they'd seen in Sudan was fast approaching.



Dilling was announced first by the airport - a single grass strip of a runway, but an airport nonetheless - then its university. A medical centre, playgrounds, stores. About three hours were left in the day and this marked a checkpoint that confirmed the Land Rover was well on track to make it to El Obeid. With most signs still in Arabic, they stopped to check the map, which Yulia dropped onto the passenger seat's floor. They bent down to pick it up.

BangBangBang

The windows shattered.

Dilling was flagged in the morning as a potential flashpoint, the scene of fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the SPLM. They never knew who fired the shots, but they figured they were aimed at the local government building rather than them, given the shots stopped after this. Tom had never been shot at before and started having a minor (okay, major) panic attack. Yulia, who had seen friends get shot during the Maidan protests, took over. The only way forward was, well, forward. And they weren't going forward without a windscreen. Luckily, a kilometre or so down the road, they found a garage willing to refit the windows for a decent price, presumably taking pity on the white boy experiencing for the first time what they'd known for months, if not years or even decades.

As it became clear the repairs would take a while, they were told that the town was light on accommodation, but one guy had a guest room that was always open for business on the north side. Once the car was all patched up and the bill settled, they meekly rolled up to the place and stopped for the night. Would Sudan only be like this? They had to escape as quickly as possible. There wasn't much sleep to be had.

MSF Residential House, Abyei (Sudan/South Sudan) to Marhoum Abu Altaman, Dilling (Sudan) via four water stops and a repair shop

7h12 without traffic, plus 2 hours car repair (117h13 total)
447km (7856m total)
200000 Sudanese pounds (£1778 total)

[DigitDan7]

Day 13

ROUTE



Start: Cosy Hotel, 51 Abakaliki Exp. Road, Obinagu, Emene 400104, Enugu, Nigeria
End: Green brothers hotel, Sawonjao-Aiyetoro-Igbo Ora Road, Ayetoro 111109, Ogun State, Nigeria
Distance: 596km
Time: 9h 29min (+15 min delay)

Stop 1: Emma Mercury Mini Mart, Otuocha - Aguleri - Nteje Rd, Awkuzu 433102, Anambra, Nigeria
Stop 2: Freshmart supermarket, 158 Old Lagos -Asaba Rd, Boji Boji, Agbor 321251, Delta, Nigeria
Stop 3: Ore Central Market, Local Government, Central Market, Sabo Market, Ore 350101, Ondo, Nigeria

[Nessafox]

Frogfoot has issues with a train so here's the temporary standings until she's in. (That means standings can still change a bit)

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit? ... 019973&z=5

Lowest mileage
0 NickyDustyOwl 2
0 Shadaza 2
3042 Rob Dylan
4827 Kinnikuniverse
5145 Ducktanian
5475 Frogfoot9013
6786 pasta_maldonado
7126 Pinkd56
7362 Nessafox
7546 NickyDustyOwl
7716 Shadaza
7744 Forti
7795 Klon
7839 DigitDan7
7854 TommyKl
8054 Girry
8097 Aislabie
8201 Loadsamoney
8319 Nuppiz

OF the serious competitors, PinkD is the most ecologica

Most countries
14 Klon
12 TommyKl
11 Aislabie
9 Frogfoot9013
9 NickyDustyOwl
9 DigitDan7
8 Nessafox
8 Loadsamoney
8 Forti
8 Pinkd56
7 Shadaza
7 Nuppiz
6 pasta_maldonado
6 Girry
5 Kinnikuniverse
5 Ducktanian
3 Rob Dylan
0 Shadaza 2
0 NickyDustyOwl 2

Still boring German domination here.


Stage points

25 Loadsamoney 658
18 Forti 636
15 DigitDan7 596
12 Klon 548
10 pasta_maldonado 541
8 Nuppiz 517
6 Pinkd56 502
4 Aislabie 485
2 Nessafox 458
1 TommyKl 447

Good work for the monstertruck.

Championship

122 Shadaza
121 Loadsamoney
120 Ducktanian
118 Aislabie
97 NickyDustyOwl
94 Forti
92 DigitDan7
87 Girry
80 Nuppiz
67 Pinkd56
66 Nessafox
59 TommyKl
54 Klon
42 pasta_maldonado
33 Kinnikuniverse
32 Rob Dylan
30 Frogfoot9013
0 Shadaza 2
0 NickyDustyOwl 2

With Shadaza's death, this throws things more open. And it's actually the monstertruck driver who's pushing for the lead. Duck has retired 3 stages ago but is still in there.


Leg 14 is open, deadline monday 20th of may 23:59 GMT+1

[Nuppiz]

Leg 14: Teseney, Gash-Barka Region, Eritrea -> Atbara, River Nile State, Sudan

704 km in 8 h 45 min without traffic

45 minutes overtime -> 3 h 45 minutes penalty

Stops 1, 2, 4 and 5 are the required drink stops.
Stop 3 is for gas.
Stop 6 is for repairing the car.

[Shadaza]

> Go the Hospital you won't die.

>Goes to Hospital.

>Dies anyway.

What???

[Nessafox]

> Go the Hospital you won't die.

>Goes to Hospital.

>Dies anyway.

What???

You didn't die that day. i made no mistakes or empty promises.

[tommykl]

April 21st

Again?!?!?!?

It was bad enough getting shot at once the day before. It was much worse hearing the sad news that two competitors - the early leader in the beat-up Mercedes and the likeable Burundian chap - had been killed attempting to sneak through northern Nigeria. Waking up to their Land Rover's windows being smashed once more truly broke the proverbial camel's back. Gunfire could sometimes be heard out of town, but nothing in town. They suspected the garage staff of ensuring they would get a bit more clientele in the morning, but figured that was a small price to pay, and that they'd never be back there for any bad blood to carry over.

Another two hours of glass repairs later, Tom and Yulia stocked up on food and water in a nearby shop and headed north. With maps being unreliable at the best of times they weren't sure where they could get to, but it was very clear that the 8 hours remaining wouldn't be sufficient to get them to Khartoum. Creativity would have to enter the equation, but the first point of order was to get miles through the tyres. The roads may still be paved, but the going was still tough. Villages were still dotting the landscape regularly, despite the conditions turning more and more desertic by the half-hour. For a bit more safety, they stopped early for a second batch of water in one of the first large owns, which they gathered was called El Dibeibat.



To their dismay, the town was larger than they'd imagined and only 50 minutes out of Dilling, which would have given them a time penalty, but one that would have been amortised by the time gained. No use crying over it though, especially as it would have made zero difference to how quickly they would make it out of Sudan. The town's reputation as a transportation hub was well-earned, as the number of villages they'd see started to dwindle upon leaving it. It quickly picked up again though, as the kilometres counted down to El Obeid, the Kordorfan region's capital.



Despite the city's very recent history in the ongoing civil war, it still showed some of the amenities Tom and Yulia hadn't seen in a long time: stadiums, proper hotels, even an outdoor cinema which showed Bollywood films!




During a third water stop in the middle of the city, the opportunity was found to ask a local who happened to speak English if there was anywhere to stay between there and Khartoum. Tremendously, he replied in the affirmative. Tom and Yulia looked at each other with a knowing, smiling expression. They still had a few hours to reach the motel. This involved crossing multiple frontlines, and they knew this, but hoped to keep a low profile and be let be as it seemed rather obvious that they meant no harm.

This seemed to work. They went unmolested through the small city of Barah, controlled by the Rapid Support Forces as opposed to the Sudanese Army which held El Obeid. Perhaps they were just as busy admiring the rock formations as Yulia was.



The town of Gabra Sheikh, a couple of hours later, had seemingly embraced its position as the last town of significant size before hitting Khartoum (despite being several hours away) and had a small handful of guesthouses. Naturally, it was a good place to stop for a last water refill, but thankfully they also got confirmation that this wouldn't be the last stop of the day: beyond Barah and Gabra Sheikh lay a rest stop with a simple motel and a cafeteria.

Even the bushes were dwindling at this point. Once it became clear that vegetation would only ever appear near water sources, the Sahara had well and truly arrived. A good half-hour later at least, off to the right appeared the final stop for the night: a collection of shacks acting as a Sudanese version of the humble service station called Rihaid el-Nuba.

Marhoum Abu Altaman, Dilling (Sudan) to Rihaid el-Nuba (Sudan), via four water stops and a repair shop

7h30 without traffic, plus 2 hours car repair (124h43 total)
419km (8275m total)
200000 Sudanese pounds (£2040 total)

[Nessafox]

Narration later, i'll end the day here

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Alwaq+H ... &entry=ttu

[Klon]

So I was put on the stake and they tried to light it, but the lighter did not work. Instead they just made flame noises and kept me around on the stake for three hours at the border. That was a waste of time...



Time stamp: 2024-05-20 15:51:07

Link for the location: https://www.google.de/maps/place/%E1%8A ... ?entry=ttu

[Pinkd56]

Sorry, a bit of a vertigo attack for me today. I stopped twice - once in Oluku market, FH4W+53M, Uselu, Benin City 302117, Edo, Nigeria and another at Grand Square Supermarket and Stores, Plot Y, Mobolaji Johnson Ave, Alausa, Lagos, Nigeria.




START: Billion Suite hotel Awka, Plot 13b Abuja estate, Ikenga layout, Awka 420102, Anambra, Nigeria

FINISH: Hotel du Lac, Cotonou, Benin

TIME ELAPSED (TODAY): 9h38m
TIME ELAPSED (TOTAL): 110h18m



DISTANCE (TODAY): 614km
DISTANCE (TOTAL): 6741km

COUNTRIES VISITED: 10



ESSENTIAL OILS PACKAGES SOLD: 1/5

[DigitDan7]

Day 14

ROUTE



Start: Green brothers hotel, Sawonjao-Aiyetoro-Igbo Ora Road, Ayetoro 111109, Ogun State, Nigeria
End: Résidence TKB, Kandi, Benin
Distance: 504km
Time: 8h 26min (+1h 15min delay)

Stop 1: Iya Nasimo Food Canteen, Imeko-Idofa Rd, Imeko 111104, Ogun State, Nigeria
Stop 2: Bon amitié, 2FQW+X4X, Save, Benin
Stop 3: Marché ARZEKE, Parakou, Benin (this is where we encounter not-Cabbage Man & not-Aang)

[Frogfoot9013]

Double Leg Posting.

Leg 1:
Start: Nkondwe Waterfalls Tourist Camp, Tanzania
Finish: Ineza Hotel, Kirundo, Burundi


Leg 2:
Start: Ineza Hotel, Kirundo, Burundi
Finish: Katende Training Centre, Masaka, Kampala, Uganda

[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 () | DAY THIRTEEN ( )

Day Fourteen

In today's episode, Peter and Hanse get jobs!

Here is Peter and Hanse's route today:

To the call centre: https://maps.app.goo.gl/9p5smc58QHCRPkc29 (37 min)
Then, a four hour delay as confirmed by Nessa - Peter and Hanse work for four hours each (simultaneously), totalling eight hours of pay.

Then, a five-and-a-bit hour jaunt into Cote d'Ivoire https://maps.app.goo.gl/3evnxZwJJL3JdTbU9 (5 hr 20 min)

Total, 9 hr 57 min, including the four hours of cold calling folks. Total distance 313.7 km

[Nessafox]

Day 14 roundup.

Well where do we start? 2 guys were assumed dead as things got very bad in Northern Nigeria. Thankfully we heared they stayed in their hospitals another day and are still alive. 2 others didn't even attempt to start the leg.


We see quite a bit of tactical diversity today. We'll start at the east for a change.
Nuppiz seems to take on her role as favourite as the icewomen of Finland take charge. Tommy's different approach did only gain him PTSD, but not a significant advantage. And admin is at least a day behind with her and Girry not risking Entering Sudan after the witch trails of today.
Klons zigzagging works for the countries medal but on a map, it looks a bit more worrisome, as even Frogfoot is now within reach.
On the West, NickyDustyOwl and Shadaza are paying dearly for chosing the Northern Nigerian route. Aislabie is still profiting from an established lead, though they got held back a lot. DigitDan seems to be heading towards Niger or Mali and seems to be trying to cross the coup belt somewhere. He's probably fed up with the Scam belt. Forti and Pinkd are still chasing the pack at a position that gives them options.




https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit? ... 456175&z=5

Lowest mileage

3042 Rob Dylan (DNF)
4827 Kinnikuniverse (DNF)
5145 Ducktanian (DNF)
6585 Frogfoot9013
6786 pasta_maldonado
7546 NickyDustyOwl
7714 Nessafox
7716 Shadaza
7740 Pinkd56
7896 Forti
8411 Aislabie
8201 Loadsamoney
8264 TommyKl
8324 Klon
8343 DigitDan7
8426 Girry
9023 Nuppiz


Anyone can win this, arguably. Meanwhile Nuppiz' old Volvo is devouring km's like there's no tomorrow.


Most countries
15 Klon
12 TommyKl
12 Frogfoot9013
12 Aislabie
10 DigitDan7
9 NickyDustyOwl
9 Forti
9 Pinkd56
8 Nessafox
8 Loadsamoney
8 Nuppiz
7 Shadaza
7 Girry
6 pasta_maldonado
5 Kinnikuniverse (DNF)
5 Ducktanian (DNF)
3 Rob Dylan (DNF)

Klon also keeps devouring countries like there's no tomorrow, but some competitors are at least giving the illusion that it is still a contest.

Stage points


25 Nuppiz 704
18 Pinkd56 614
15 Frogfoot9013 576
12 Klon 529
10 DigitDan7 504
8 TommyKl 410
6 Girry 372
4 Nessafox 352
2 Aislabie 314
1 Forti 152

A good day for the girls as Nuppiz scores her first leg win and Frogfoot her first podium. Forti manages to score points with a meagre 152 km's, which shows you how much of a wreckage today was.


Championship

122 Shadaza
121 Loadsamoney
120 Ducktanian (DNF)
118 Aislabie
103 Nuppiz
102 DigitDan7
97 NickyDustyOwl
95 Forti
93 Girry
83 Pinkd56
69 Nessafox
66 TommyKl
66 Klon
53 Frogfoot9013
42 pasta_maldonado
33 Kinnikuniverse (DNF)
32 Rob Dylan (DNF)

None of the big hitters scored much today so Ducktanian, who started 3 days late and retired 5 legs ago, is still in frigging third! Admin is doing 69 apparently.


Daily random object generator:
Pasta Maldonado need to get a Sofa. Thankfully he's driving a bus.

Penalties leg 15
Nuppiz 225mins (45 mins overtime)
Girry 85 mins (17 mins over time)


Country RNG's




DR Congo
Weather 0% east, more than 30 °C
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening)
General: 20-50%
78
Katanga 50-80%
63 individual rng


Uganda
Weather (% rain) 12%
89
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
54

Kenya
Weather (% rain) 53%
78
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
15, your online love has a business proposal you can refuse, but you don't because you are stupid. You are now stuck with a shitload of Nessacoins.

Somalia
Weather (% rain) 3%, more than 30*C
48
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
47, the pirates are at it again

Cameroon
Weather (% rain) 50%
87
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
72

Central African Republic
Weather (% rain) 1%, more than 30*C
46
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
60

Ethiopia
Weather (% rain) 3%
7
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
23, they're still quite wary of you, police investigation makes you lose 1 hour extra.

South Sudan
Weather (% rain) 5%, more than 30°C
81
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
90

Chad
Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 45¨C
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
36

Nigeria
Weather (% rain) 13%, more than 30*C
36
Political unrest (% of something happening)
South: 20-50%
38, you nearly die after 100 km, go to the hospital to spend the night today

North: 50-100%
75, you nearly die again, after 200 kms of driving. Go to the hospital again and spend 3 days recovering.

Honestly what were you expecting with these kinds of odds?


Sudan
Weather (% rain) 1%, more than 40*C
27
Political unrest (% of something happening)
General 20-50%
6, you get shot by a toy arrow. It hurts, you lose 5 minutes.
Darfur: 50-100%
22, they try to shoot you again but their aim is terrible. Spend another hour testifying at the police office.

Benin
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 30*C
45
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
61

Togo
Weather (% rain) 4*, more than 30*C
3, barely noticeable, you lose no time
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
18, you get recruited to play for a Slovak Second division football club, do you sign the contract or not?

Djibouti
Weather (% rain) 1%, more than 30*C
71
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
63

Eritrea
Weather (% rain) 39%
1 Boop, it's one drop of rain. Lose no time.
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
76

Niger
Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 40*C
No rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
86

Ghana
Weather (% rain) 9%, more than 30*C
72
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
86

Ivory Coast
Weather (% rain) 12%, more than 30*C
83
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
78

Burkina Faso
Weather (% rain) 2%, more than 35*C
25
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
13, you get shot by a poison arrow, thankfully it's just love poison. You get infected with HIV however.


Mali
Weather (% rain) 2%, more than 40°C
89
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
38 Get shot again with a stray bulet, thankfully it's only your gas tank. This is incovenient. Get your car towed to the nearest car garage and have it fixed. You lose 2 hours with being towed on bad roads.

Liberia
Weather (% rain) 1%
96
Political unrest (% of something happen ing) 0-5%
10

Leg 15 is open, deadline is thursday 23rd of may, 2024, 23:59 GMT+1

[Nessafox]

Narration follows later, here's my leg 15


https://www.google.com/maps/dir/X543%2B ... &entry=ttu


Edit: i seem to have forgotten something, that means i'm 64 mins overtime.

[Nuppiz]

Leg 15: Atbara, River Nile State, Sudan -> Dongola, Northern State, Sudan

490 km in 5 h 58 min without traffic

Stop 1: Grocery store for drinks.
Stop 2: Gas.
Stops 3 & 4: Grocery store for drinks, as well as lunch at a restaurant.
Stop 5: More gas so were ready to (hopefully) run off into Egypt tomorrow.
Stop 6: Grocery store for drinks.

Finally, cosy accommodation for tonight:

[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 () | DAY THIRTEEN () | DAY FOURTEEN ()

Day Fifteen

Absolutely zero frills today, just a nice trundle across Côte d'Ivoire.

Here is Peter and Hanse's route today:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mtW8ABNwnZTzdBBS7 (9 hr 52 min, 714 km)

[NickyDustyOwl]

Not even gonna bother screenshotting the route this time lol

https://maps.app.goo.gl/NoTR3NPc9LkTswPN8

Timestamp: 4:32PM EST

[Klon]

So not only are they trying to burn me, now I get stopped at every opportunity. Racist nig...el Mansell fanboys keeping a German brother down.


Time stamp: 2024-05-23 22:31:58

[DigitDan7]

Day 14

ROUTE



Start: Résidence TKB, Kandi, Benin
End: HOTEL TARKA, V7MX+F7R, Niger
Distance: 675km
Time: 9h 22min

Stop 1: FECODAS, Bénin, Malanville, Benin
Stop 2: Grand Marché de Dosso, Dosso, Niger
Stop 3: RESTAURANT DADIN-KOWA, J2JM+HF6, Dogondoutchi, Niger
Stop 4: Comerce Generale CNF, Q7R3+R4J, Birnin Konni, Niger

[Pinkd56]

DAY FIFTEEN

To recap, I travelled through the south of Nigeria on the previous day, and woke up in the beautiful lakeside Hotel du Lac in Benin's capital, Cotonou.


Buoyed by a full day of seaside highway driving, I set off towards the coastal RNIE1 route towards the border with Togo - which snakes along a tributary of Lake Togo.



After getting across the border at the Hillacondji frontier, I stop for some refreshment at another seaside establishment. Some Might Say that Hôtel Restaurant Oasis in Aneho is one of the finest establishments on this coast. Although The Masterplan of other racers might be to charge along the this coast at Supersonic speed, it's nice to kick back in a Rockin' Chair with some Cigarettes And Alcohol (not for me, I'm only stopping for some soup, you get a Roll With It) and Slide Away in a place like this.


Anyway, whilst I'm sat in this bar - a porkie pie I told when I was back in Angola seems to have caught up with me. An agent had heard that a European-looking lad had been sniffing around Recreativo de Caála. He started to talk to me about my career with Rot-Weiss Essen, Hannover 96 and Fortuna Düsseldorf and I think he thinks I'm former Germany U21 player André Hoffmann. I deny, but I hear him out. Turns out the guy is from MŠK Púchov in the Slovak second division, and he's desperate for a player on his scouting mission. I say I can't help him, but he insists I sign for him. I remember I have a pal in the area, so I fob him off with his Czech telephone number - and I scribble a (fake) signature.

I insist on him taking two boxes of essential oils, and he obliges as he (thinks) he's got his man. I ask him to deliver the other box to the address in Czechia when he gets back. Good prank.


My time in Togo was mainly spent eating and pissing about Slovakian football scouts. I'm now in Ghana. I stop at Indian Salt And Pepper Restaurant, Tema on the outskirts of Accra, simply because it offered a last view of the sea before I head north later in the day.
I head north to the Rojo Hotel in the small town of Nkawkaw, a colourful little cottage across the road from the under construction Nkawkaw Stadium.


I feel slightly bad for tricking the blind scout, but if you can't have a laugh, what's the point?





START: Hotel du Lac, Cotonou, Benin

FINISH: Rojo Hotel, H63V+V5H, Nkawkaw, Ghana

TIME ELAPSED (TODAY): 9h49m
TIME ELAPSED (TOTAL): 120h7m



DISTANCE (TODAY): 501km
DISTANCE (TOTAL): 7242km

COUNTRIES VISITED: 12

ESSENTIAL OILS PACKAGES SOLD: 3/5

[tommykl]

April 22nd

Tom and Yulia had started to forget how nice it was not to get shot at. When morning arose on the rest stop in Rihaid El-Nuba, they knew perfectly well that the day's drive could only take them in one direction: towards Khartoum, unsurprisingly one of the most violent zones in the conflict. The hope was that they'd arrive during a less heated moment. The latest news were that the Sudanese government had taken back much of Omdurman, but the Rapid Support Forces held the ground until then.

Ever resourceful, Yulia decided to plan ahead. Banking on a period of no active fire, they would answer questions from the RSF as though they were Russian intelligence - to her eternal regret, Yulia was fluent in Russian - then switch to their regular identities once safely past the front.

This turned out to be unnecessary as the forces must have been focusing elsewhere that day. The desert was quiet, peaceful, empty and allowed for uninterrupted driving. Farms, multi-shop complexes and other roads began to appear, and soon they had hit Omdurman.



The second-largest city of Sudan was also the scene of a notable 1898 battle where the British racistly took control of the country. Finally, they could see the greenery that the banks of the Nile afforded the otherwise arid landscape. It was also an opportunity to fill up on water for the first time of the day, and a very important time too. They only passed through the outskirts of the city before surging straight back out towards the northwest, right into the Sahara.

The northwestern outskirts of Omdurman were mostly poultry farms, but eventually the Nile's sediment ran out, and then the irrigation channels, and the farms, chemical plants and petrol stations vanished one by one. They were shortcutting across the Great Bend of the Nile, an endeavour lasting more than four hours. The books they'd acquired back in Abyei had proven very useful to pass the time, it would turn out.

The desert crossed, they arrived back in the vicinity of the Nile in Abu Dawm, and from here, the hotels would be plentiful. Sudan's tourism industry wasn't quite in full swing due to the small matter of the civil war, but the northern regions were largely free of violence and welcomed custom where necessary. However, there were still many hours in the day yet.



It became clear how powerful the Nile's effect was on the surroundings. The road itself was surrounded by desert, but within view, less than a kilometre away, the vegetation was lush and bountiful. Whether their hotel was by the river or not, they'd quickly decided that they'd take some time in the evening to go and dip their feet in the waters. They'd earned it.

More towns passed, with Al Goled providing the opportunity for a third water stop. Urbi, Altite, Sortot. Dongola was by far the biggest, including an airport, a bridge across the Nile and a final rest stop for the crew.



It was another few dozne kilometres before they finally stopped in a cabin near the top of a mountain overlooking the river island of Akkad. The walk down to the river was as cathartic an experience as they'd had in a very, very long time.

Rihaid el-Nuba (Sudan) to Fragile Mountain, Dongola (Sudan), via four water stops

9h53 without traffic, plus 5 minutes penalty (134h41 total)
699km (8974m total)
20000 Sudanese pounds (£2066 total)

[Nessafox]

Day 15

As Nigeria keeps claiming victims, nothing is really progressing there. Digitdan got around it trough Niger, somehow. Meanwhile Aislabie is leading a westcoast pack.

Tommy and Nuppiz are super close. With Girry and admin not too far behind, but admin made a stupid calculation mistake. Klon and Frogfoot are trundling around in the back, meanwhile we havent heared from 2 people in 2 days. We're probably going to have some ragequitters.




https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit? ... 121961&z=5


Least mileage covered

3042 Rob Dylan (DNF)
4827 Kinnikuniverse (DNF)
5145 Ducktanian (DNF)
6786 pasta_maldonado
7049 Frogfoot9013
7716 Shadaza
7752 NickyDustyOwl
8201 Loadsamoney
8241 Pinkd56
8269 Nessafox
8405 Forti
8885 Klon
8963 TommyKl
9018 DigitDan7
9022 Girry
9125 Aislabie
9513 Nuppiz

Really hard to have a good view here with all the potential DNF's.

Most countries
15 Klon
13 Aislabie
13 Frogfoot9013
12 TommyKl
11 Forti
11 DigitDan7
11 Pinkd56
9 NickyDustyOwl
9 Nessafox
8 Loadsamoney
8 Nuppiz
8 Girry
7 Shadaza
6 pasta_maldonado
5 Kinnikuniverse (DNF)
5 Ducktanian (DNF)
3 Rob Dylan (DNF)

This is a bit more clear. Finally there's some pressure on Klon.

Stage points
25 Aislabie 714
18 TommyKl 699
15 DigitDan7 675
12 Girry 596
10 Klon 561
8 Nessafox 555
6 Forti 509
4 Pinkd56 501
2 Nuppiz 490
1 Frogfoot9013 464

With people dropping out left right and centre, all you need to do to score points is have a more or less normal day. Aisy's starting his force tour, Tommy scored his first podium since leg 1, and Dan is finding a momentum.

Championship

143 Aislabie
122 Shadaza
121 Loadsamoney
120 Ducktanian (DNF)
117 DigitDan7
105 Nuppiz
105 Girry
101 Forti
97 NickyDustyOwl
87 Pinkd56
84 TommyKl
77 Nessafox
76 Klon
54 Frogfoot9013
42 pasta_maldonado
33 Kinnikuniverse (DNF)
32 Rob Dylan (DNF)

Aisy had enough of it and is leading the championship now. With Duck retired and Shadaza and Loadsamoney also rumoured to retire soon, this gives a rather weird championship.


Daily random object generator:
Pasta Maldonado need to get a Sofa. Thankfully he's driving a bus.
Aislabie needs to get a coffee pot


Penalties leg 15
Nessafox 320 (64 overtime)


Country rng's


Uganda
Weather (% rain) 12%
35
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
49

Kenya
Weather (% rain) 53%
44, you lose 45 mins
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
67

Somalia
Weather (% rain) 3%, more than 30*C
40
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
31, re: the pirates are at it again


Central African Republic
Weather (% rain) 1%, more than 30*C
70
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
92

Ethiopia
Weather (% rain) 3%
78
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
78

South Sudan
Weather (% rain) 5%, more than 30°C
12
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
28, bullets are flying, tyres are getting deflated, get that checked

Chad

Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 45¨C
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
71

Nigeria
Weather (% rain) 13%, more than 30*C
92
Political unrest (% of something happening)
South: 20-50%
40, you nearly die after 100 km, go to the hospital to spend the night today

North: 50-100%
50, it's only your car that needs a hospital today, lose half a day



Sudan
Weather (% rain) 1%, more than 40*C
91
Political unrest (% of something happening)
General 20-50%
5, you lose 5 minutes arguing over colonialism
Darfur: 50-100%
83, you get shot after 200 km,spend 3 nights in a hospital

Benin
Weather (% rain) 10%, more than 30*C
90
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
88

Togo
Weather (% rain) 4*, more than 30*C
63
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
55

Djibouti
Weather (% rain) 1%, more than 30*C
67
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
42

Eritrea
Weather (% rain) 39%
2. Lose no time.
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
67

Niger
Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 40*C
No rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
97

Ghana
Weather (% rain) 9%, more than 30*C
58
Political unrest (% of something happening) 10-20%
8 scam belt stuff again, this time you invest in a ponzi scheme, you lose another chunk of money and you find nowhere to change your nessacoins into normal money.

Ivory Coast
Weather (% rain) 12%, more than 30*C
70
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
17

Burkina Faso
Weather (% rain) 2%, more than 35*C
5
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
84


Mali
Weather (% rain) 2%, more than 40°C
24
Political unrest (% of something happening) 20-50%
72

Liberia
Weather (% rain) 1%
90
Political unrest (% of something happen ing) 0-5%
72

Sierra Leone
Weather (% rain) 53%, more than 30*C
83
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
44

Guinee
Weather (% rain) 9%, more than 30*C
28
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
70

Guinee-Bissau
Weather (% rain) 0%, more than 35*C
no rng needed
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
27

Senegal
Weather (% rain) 1%
99
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
87

Gambia
Weather (% rain) 1% more than 30*C
54
Political unrest (% of something happening) 0-5%
22

Mauretania
Weather (% rain) 1% more than 30*C
87
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
88

Egypt
Weather (% rain) 2%, more than 40%
91
Political unrest (% of something happening) 5-10%
43


Deadline is monday night in my timezone, as usual.

[Nessafox]

Leg 16

My miscalculation cost me dearly, and i'm 9 minutes overtime again.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/FM86%2B ... &entry=ttu

[Klon]

This Ethopia gambit has failed in every aspect. At this point I doubt I will finish within the required seven days unless something goes wrong out front or I risk it all.



Time stamp: 2024-05-24 01:28:28

[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 () | DAY THIRTEEN () | DAY FOURTEEN ()DAY FIFTEEN ()

Day Sixteen

Here is Peter and Hanse's route today:

First, a quick run for food at "Le Toit Rouge", then they cross into Liberia and head all the way to Monrovia before stopping at "Monoprix Supermarket". They then another stop just 2.1 km down the road - "Harbel Supermarket" has better reviews than Monoprix and is more likely to have a proper copper coffee pot. Finally they cross into Sierra Leone and barrel on to the "J&M Motel".
https://maps.app.goo.gl/bcpLfsatHKNirCXMA

In total, that means our time is 10 hr 32 min for 670 km.

This means Peter and Hanse will have a devastating penalty of 2 hr 40 min (160 min) on Day Seventeen.

[Nuppiz]

Leg 16: Dongola, Northern State, Sudan -> Tingar, Aswan Governorate, Egypt

691 km in 9 h 55 min without traffic

Stop 1: Cafe for drinks.
Stop 2: Restaurant for drinks.
Stop 3: Gas.
Stop 4: Restaurant for drinks.
Stop 5: Grocery store for drinks.

[Pinkd56]

DAY SIXTEEN
I woke up with an idea to get rid of these essential oils. I decided to spam a forum of gullible people, and thankfully they were willing to take it straight away. With those out of my hands, and a local lad paid off to take them to the Nkawkaw post office, I set off West.
Craving the comforts of home, and not entirely trusting the local market foods - I stopped in Kumasi at a KFC at a Shell Garage.

There was something quite comforting about getting a bucket of the Colonel's finest - despite feeling slightly uneasy at lining the pockets of a multi-national when the local restaurants could have used the cash. I continued from Kumasi and reached the Cote d'Ivoire border crossing at Gonokrom. Border crossings are set to be a key part of the next week or so. Hopefully gone are the days of being stuck in countries for multiple days on end, like I had in Angola and one of the Congos.

Border crossing at Gonokrom.


We return to a Francophone country once again - Cote d'Ivoire. A country that could have easily been torn apart by war, if it were not for the pleas of Didier Drogba brokering a peace. The French influence is high here, as I stop in a Boulangerie Pâtissière in the small town of Appronpronou. I could almost be in Paris.

I drop anchor for the night at the Complexe Hôtelier Oasis du Moronou, near the town of Bouadikro. It's perhaps not the most glamorous of lodgings, but it at least feels relatively secure.




START: Rojo Hotel, H63V+V5H, Nkawkaw, Ghana

FINISH: Complexe Hôtelier Oasis du Moronou, 25, 25 BP 2248 Abidjan, Bongouanou, Côte d’Ivoire

TIME ELAPSED (TODAY): 9h53m
TIME ELAPSED (TOTAL): 130h



DISTANCE (TODAY): 537km
DISTANCE (TOTAL): 7779km

COUNTRIES VISITED: 13

ESSENTIAL OILS PACKAGES SOLD: 5/5!

[tommykl]

April 23rd

Finally, not just the end of the beginning, but confirmation of such. No issues with the Land Rover despite the searing heat and sand, no hassle from belligerent rebel forces. Only solid tarmac on the road north, and a few blessed days of easy driving ahead. The roads would be well-marked from here, but there wasn't much need for signs for the time being. The Nile on their right was all they needed.

The satellite update from the organisers revealed that the Finnish team had merged back into Sudan, and while they had initially seemed to be in the lead, what must have been border hiccups left them a few dozen kilometres behind Tom and Yulia. A potential lead, then, but not a comfortable one. They'd still need to ensure no mistakes or lapses in judgment from here on in, especially given some of the countries still remaining. In the morning, they came down the mountain, turned left, stopped for a first petrol and water refill, and soldiered on north.

The early pitstop was required as the road carried on through the Sahara while the Nile twisted east for a while. 60 kilometres later, the two met again at Soleb, home to a temple built 3400 years ago by Amenhotep III.



A short while later, a roadside restaurant provided a chance for a second stop prior to the next stint, next to Sai island downstream from one of the Nile's major cataracts. For the next 200km, it was all desert. The Nile was still off to the right, but as it meandered, the settlements remained on the right bank. Conversation was very little, mostly confined to discussing water rations. The beating sun was getting the best of the 20-year-old car's air conditioning, and remaining focused took far more energy than it used to. At Argeen, they finally left Sudan and entered Egypt. The crossing had taken three-and-a-half days.

Another while later, Lake Nasser's unseen presence to the east was making itself nonetheless felt. Intensive crop farming could be seen on both sides of the road, with companies taking full advantage of the irrigation made possible by the Aswan dam down the road. Finally, a third rest stop cropped up at the next crossroads, where a right turn would - were they so inclined - take them all the way to the temples at Abu Simbel.




From this point on, the farms also dissolved into the landscape. The road diverged away from Lake Nasser for another couple hundred kilometres, leaving the enormity of the Sahara on both sides of it. If it wasn't for some natural bends in the road, falling asleep was a real danger. Yulia attempted to nap, but the heat was unrelenting.

What seemed like an eternity later, the road - by now headed due east - returned to human signs of life. The city of Aswan, by the side of the dam, was a very welcome sight: vegetation, hotels for international tourists, an airport. However, there was time left on the clock yet, and they knew most towns downriver would also have hotels.



One final stop in the town of Bimban was much required to top up on water and temper the signs of oncoming heat stroke. The hotel was right down the street.

Fragile Mountain, Dongola (Sudan) to Muhammad Abul Naga lodging, Bimban (Egypt), via four water stops

9h48 without traffic, plus 5 minutes admin delay (144h34 total)
691km (9665m total)
1810 Egyptian pounds (£2096 total)