0 Incident summary

DRIVING AROUND THE WORLD

Jan and Leoné Vorster are driving around the world in a Land Rover Forward Control Series 2B. Up to October 2019, they have crossed 6 continents, through 111 countries, for 365 000 km in 10.5 years actually on the road (excluding home visits). That is the short version. For the full story, read the rest of this site.

Their experiences include: overturned in Tanzania & British Columbia; ambushed by Somali bandits in Kenya; detained, for 3 days, by Ethiopian border guards, also by Russian soldiers on the Mongolian border; escorted by armed guards in Kenya, Yemen & Egypt; attacked by thugs in Poland; vehicle held for ransom by Mongolian border guards; stopped more than 70 times by correct Russian police & several times by corrupt Kazakh police; arrested & detained by police in Nepal; stopped & questioned, as terrorist suspects, by the FBI in Washington DC; reached highs by driving at over 4600m in Tajikistan & in Bolivia (on “The most dangerous road in the world”); and lows, below sea level, at the Dead Sea (visited by Jordanian soldiers at 2 a.m.) & Death Valley, California; drove large detours to visit the Geographic centres of 5 continents; reached the Southernmost point on earth, by wheels, at Moat in Tierra del Fuego, but was prevented by armed oil field guards to drive the last few km to the Arctic ocean at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska; intercepted by Colombian soldiers, guarding a massacred village, on a remote bush track in Guajira, but allowed to proceed to Punta Gallinas, the Northernmost point of South America; marooned on a sand bar by incoming tide after driving down a river to the Southernmost point of North America in Azuero, Panama; appreciated the archeology in the Middle East, Cambodia, Peru & Mexico; marveled at US technology; invited by friendly Americans; enjoyed the food in Sakartvelo (Georgia), Armenia & Iran;

Who says being retired must be boring!

The photos below relate to the above.

Overturned in Tanzania

and British Columbia

Breakdown in Shifta bandit territory, Kenia

Sat phone causes detention on Ethiopia border.

In Russian army holding cell on Mongolian border.

Guarded by Yemeni Militia

and Egyptian Police

Aftermath of attack in Lublin, Poland

Saved by Oleocapsicum.

Questioned by the FBI in Washington DC, as suspected terrorists, due to the propane cylinders on the back of Dipli and his, to Americans, very unusual appearance. We were also visited on other occasions by local police cruisers, after citizens had reported "a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot"!

Highs:

Over 4600m between Kyrgyzstan & Tajikistan

On the "most dangerous road in the world", Bolivia.

Lows:

Leoné floating on the Dead Sea, Jordan.n

Jan in Death Valley, California

Centres:

Centre of Europe, North of Vilnius, Lithuania.

Centre of Asia in Kyzil, Republic of Tuva.

Centre of Australia (in the middle of nowhere).

Centre of South America, Cuiaba, Brazil.

Centre of North America, Rugby, North Dakota.

Extremities:

Southernmost by wheels, Moat, Tierra del Fuego.

Oil field guards prevent access to Arctic Ocean, Alaska.

Punta Gallinas, Guajira peninsula, Colombia.

Northernmost point of South America.

Azuero peninsula, Panama.

Southernmost point of North America.

Archeology:

Leoné & Jan at Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Can you spot Leoné at all that remains of the largest Roman temple ever built?

Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek, Lebanon

Aerial view of lines in desert at Nazca, Peru

Inca gold

Maya pyramid at Chichén Itzá, Yucatan, Mexico

Maya Jade mask

US Technology:

'Very Large Array' radio telescope, New Mexico

"Fat man" (A-bomb used on Nagasaki)

Friendly Americans

Tim, Dianne and Ari, New Mexico

Mike and Janice, Virginia and many others!

Food:

Leoné had to wear a Chador in Iran

Armenian food!

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