Do you remenber?

Your preparations for a holiday or a long journey?

What to take?

What to leave behind?

In this book we follow a Dutch family on their journey from The Netherlands to the Ivory Coast. They (husband, wife, three children) travel by a well prepared Landrover. They have prepared their journey to the m,inute details. They have planned the number of days the journey is allowed to take. In this way they know how much food to take with them. In this way they also know how much of the faimily is allowed to eat everyday. Do not some more food, for then you will have a problem the next day. You will find the full list of food items in this book. There are more lists in this detailed book, written by the missus in the company. The children take place place at the back seat and also this space has been measured accurately, to include some luggage. At times I felt pity for the children packed in the backseat, mile after mile.

The travellers did not have their first experience in Africa. They had travelled before, inculding driving through the endless desert. Crossing a border is often on a journey like this one the most difficult part of the journey. Do I have the right papers? Do I have the right stamps? What about the money, how much are you allowed to take with you? How much do you have to leave behind?

The company of five took everything with them, a car (includingf spare parts), their family, their food, their tents for staying overnight. I a way they travelled in a capsule. They did not have much contact with the local population. And is not that an important part of travelling?

The book is well written and the maps are clear and give a good impression of the trails they followed.

Marjan Blüm – Vermaas – Mam, waar ligt Timboektoe? Van Amsterdam naar Abidjan, met landrover en gezin – 2001 – 272 pages