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News April 2015              (Nelspruit/South Africa, 5/1/2015)
 
Website statistics:   'Webalizer' has been shut down definitively in February 2013. 'Logaholic' is the current counter.
                        'Logaholic' shows now the following figures in April 2015: 20'085 visits / 91'439 pages
                                  'Google-Analytics' showed 28'044 pageviews during April. The visitors come from ~232 countries!
                    ('Logaholic' March = 22'588 visits / 94'427 pages; February = 23'260 visits / 82'107 pages)
                        ('Google-Analytics': March = 29'620 pageviews / February = 31'068 pageviews)
                                  Record day since 12/17/1998 = the birthday of our website: on 11/5/2007 = 13'407 visitors and 787'456 hits ('Webalizer')
 
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We issued our "News March" shortly before our departure to the Kingdom of Lesotho. Four days later we left South Africa at
Wepener and arrived soon afterwards in Mafeteng, the second biggest city of Lesotho. Immediately we felt transferred to the
"real black Africa" it's over with the orderly way of life of South Africa. It's pretty difficult to describe this briefly: Life generally
happens on the road. Moments later we were on our way to Malealea, the first destination for the day. It's a neat and beautifully
situated tourist resort probably a bit too commercially from where hiking, riding and 4x4 trips can be made into the hilly
surrounding. The following day we left this place already again and reached Roma, where also the University of Lesotho has its
faculties.
 
However we were eager to move on, and because the South Africans and Chinese built recently a new tar road towards the East
we followed this achievement. Via Rambanta we reached the village of Semonkong where a 610 ft. tall waterfall plunges into a
impressive gorge. The track there was a challenge (completely eroded), the fall itself however magnificent. Two days later we
started to climb up via the Mohale Dam to the Katse Dam, both very big "water reservoirs" for "thirsty" South Africa and
simultaneously power plants. The mostly paved mountain pass roads exceeded often 10'000 ft. we counted within almost 200
miles totally nine of such passes.
 
We departed from Lesotho after eight days (488 miles/550 pictures) and re-entered South Africa at Caledonspoort to continue
straightaway to the beautiful "Golden Gate National Park", where we experienced the following morning for the first time freeze.
The cold even more the icy wind forced us to continue the journey to Ladysmith, where we had to buy four new tires.
"Unfortunately" our choice had to be the Chinese brand 'Yatono', because we insisted to get steel belted radials with 14 plies.
Hopefully they won't disappoint us like those Chinese 'Boto' that we bought on July 3rd, 2010, in Jakarta. Although the wear of
the tread could be labelled as "very good", we had to throw away three of the purchased five tires in Indonesia due to fabrication
defects. We visited another three "Game Reserves" on the way to Swaziland: Ithala, Madaka and Phongolo, the first two lying
next to each other. Ithala and Phongolo are run by the province of KwaZulu-Natal (Madaka is privately owned) and offered
pretty much "small game": Numerous kinds of bucks, giraffes, zebras, wild hogs, etc.
On April 23rd, we entered at Lavumis the Kingdom of Swaziland for the second time the first time was 9/12/1992 as country
No. 55. Our target was the "Hlano National Park" in the Northeast, where there are also lions, elephants, rhinos and hippos. On
April 24th, at noon, we spotted 11 rhinos around the Ndlovu pool. Mlilwane Park near Lobamba in the Ezulwini Valley is
classified also as a National Park but resembles rather a amusement park where children are feeding nyalas and where the
warthogs romp about the tents in our view not anymore a "big game park"! However the Malolotja Nature Reserve along the
road to the North of Swaziland has been spared from the overflow of tourism. Beautifully situated on an altitude of about 5'000 ft.
it offers a big range of bird species.
 
Swaziland ended on April 28th, at Jeppe's Reef (228 miles/300 pictures) that lies a bit south of the South African Kruger National
Park. It was our 10th and probably final entry into South Africa. The country has currently two public holidays and simultaneously
school holidays, what makes that the world known wildlife park is hopelessly overcrowded. While searching in the area, we
coincidentally found a quiet campsite near Kaapmuiden along the old road from Nelspruit to Mozambique  away from the many
South Africans using this break time to "let off steam".
 
                                                                     Lesotho: On the 8'638 ft. high Blue Mountain Pass with Lesothan shepherd
 
 
Coming May 4th, the bustle will be over  once more. The Kruger National Park will have space again, and the life on the
campsites will be quiet. That's the time when we intend to have one look more into some of the animal parks, before we have
definitively to leave the Republic of South Africa on May 15th, 2015 (instead of April 22nd). The new immigration laws prevent
car tourists from remaining more than three months in the country (tit-for-tat response to Schengen?). However there are
fortunately still more beautiful countries in the region that welcome car tourists too!
 

New Reports/Pictures
 
                                                                                           mouse over picture shows comments
                                                                                                              click a picture to see details
 
South Africa
1 Report
 
(Jan.-April 2015)
 
 
3rd Major Repair
of our LandCruiser (due to two broken side shafts)
 
South Africa/Clanwilliam: Once more a broken side shaft
Angola
2 Picture Galleries
1 Report
 
(Sept.-Oct. 2014)
Angola/Leba Pass: 6'053 ft. high pass between Lubango and Namibe
 
Part 1: September 26th to October 4th, 2014
 
Part 2: October 4th to 22nd, 2014
 
30th Anniversary of being on the road
Namibia
2 Picture Galleries
 
(July-Sept. 2014)
(Oct. 2014-Jan. 2015)
 
Namibia Part 1: from Walvis Bay to Windhoek
 
Namibia Part 2: :from Windhoek to the Angolan border, back again and on to South Africa
Namibia/Walvis Bay: Dune No. 7
Cape Verde
1 Picture Report
6 Picture Galleries
 
(Nov. 2013-May 2014)
Cape Verde: Girl from Praia
Island of Santiago (Report)
Island of Fogo
Island of Brava
Island of São Nicolau
Island of São Vicente
Island of Santo Antão Part 1 Eastern Side
Island of Santo Antão Part 2 Western side
Transnistria
Picture Gallery
 
(Aug. 22 - Sept. 1, 2013)
 
Transnistria: Lenin in front of the parliament building
Moldova
Picture Gallery
 
(Aug. 21/22, 2013)
(Sept. 1 - 4, 2013)
Moldova: Trebujeni - a typical Moldovan village near Orheiul Vechi
 
Ukraine
Picture Gallery
 
(Aug. 17 - 21, 2013)
(Sept. 4 - 22, 2013)
 
Ukraine: Roksolany along Dniestr-Liman: The churches with its 'golden' domes can be seen everywhere
Abkhazia
Picture Gallery
 
(Aug. 5 - 13, 2013)
Abkhazia: Pebble beach of Sukhumi
 
Nagorno-Karabakh
Picture Gallery
 
(July 9 - 17, 2013)
 
Nagorno-Karabakh/Stepanakert: The Monument 'Tatik u Papik'
Armenia
2 Picture Galleries
 
(July 2 - 9, 2013)
(July 17 - 22, 2013)
Armenia: Haghpat Monastery near Alaverdi in the North
Armenia part 1
(from the Georgia border at Bagratashen
to the Nagorno-Karabakh border near Goris)
 
Armenia part 2
(from the Nagorno-Karabakh border near Goris
to the Georgia border near Gyumri)
Azerbaijan
Picture Gallery
 
(June 13 - 24, 2013)
Azerbaijan: Baku: Flame Towers
Georgia
3 Picture Galleries
 
(June 4 - 13, 2013)
(June 24 - July 2, 2013)
(July 22 - Aug. 5, 2013)
(Aug. 13 - 15, 2013)
Georgia: Mtskheta and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
Georgia part 1
(from the Turkish border at Sarpi
to the Azerbaijani border near Lagodekhi)
Georgia part 2
(Tbilisi + from the Armenian border at Ninotsminda
via Kazbegi, Kutaisi to Zugdidi before Svaneti)
Georgia part 3
(Svaneti + Ferry to the Ukraine)
Turkey
Picture Gallery
 
(May 28, - June 4, 2013)
(Esendere-Hakkari-Van-
Dogubayazit-Kars-Ardahan-Hopa)
Turkey/Southeast-Anatolia: Kurdish Village Soguksu with Volcano Tendürek
Iran
3 Picture Galleries
 
(May 2013)
Iran: Picture of Ayatollah Khomeini in the Nasir-al-Molk Mosque in Shiraz
Iran part 1
(Ferry Port Bandar Abbas-Shiraz-Persepolis-Pasargad)
Iran part 2
(Pasargad (excl.)-Yazd-Esfahan)
Iran part 3
(Esfahan (excl.)-Chelgerd-Hamadan-Sanandaj-Orumiyeh)
Oman
5 Picture Galleries
 
(Jan. 28, - March 29, 2013)
Part 2: Sohar-Muskat-Rustaq-Nizwa
Part 3: Sur-East Coast-Isl.of Masirah-Dhofar
Part 4: South: Salalah & Srndg. (Dhofar)-Nizwa
Part 5: Western Hajar Mountains
Oman/Musandam: View to the bay Khor an-Najd, southeast of Khasab
2nd Rejuvenation
Picture Gallery
 
(Bodywork: Aug.-Oct. 2012)

Miri/Sarawak/Malaysia: Dismantling the roof rack on the occasion of the second "rejuvenation"

 
Report of the second overhaul of 
our LandCruiser in Miri/Sarawak
- the East Malaysian province
on the island of Borneo
Réunion
3 Picture Galleries
 
(Dec. 2011 - May 2012)
(Saint-Denis & surroundings-West Coast-Salazie-
La Paix-North Coast-Takamaka-Dos d'Âne)
Réunion part 2
(Les Makes-La Fenêtre-Saint Louis-East Coast-
The Volcano-Grande Anse)
Réunion part 3
Cilaos-Grande Anse-Le Maïdo-Saint Pierre
Réunion: View from Cap Noir/Dos d'Âne (near La Possession) into the Cirque de Mafate
Madagascar
4 Picture Reports
 
(Sept.  - Dec. 2011)
Madagascar/Morondava: 27 years 'on the road', here in the 'Allée des Baobabs'
Madagascar part 1
(Tamatave-Andasibe-Antananarivo-Miandrivazo)
Madagascar part 2
(Miandrivazo-Morondava-Antsirabe-Fianar-Ambalavao)
Madagascar part 3
(Ambalavao-Isalo N.P.-Tuléar-Ranomafana)
Madagascar part 4
(Antananarivo-Ankadibe-Manambato-Foulpointe-Tamatave)
Mauritius
3 Picture Reports
 
(July - Sept. 2011)
Mauritius 1             (with car)
 
Mauritius 2                (with car)
 
Rodrigues Island    (without car)
Mauritius: Typical steep mountains rising from the sugar cane fields
Sri Lanka
3 Picture Reports
 
(March - May 2011)
Sri Lanka/Dambulla: Buddha in the Golden Temple resp. Cave Temple
Sri Lank part 1
Sri Lank part 2
Sri Lank part 3
United Arab Emirates
3 Picture Galleries:  (with car)
(Nov. 20th, 2012 to Apr. 29th 2013)
1 Picture Gallery:  (w/o car)
(Feb. 19th, to 27th, 2011)
1 Picture Report  (with car)
(February - May 1999)
UAE: 3rd Visit part 3   (with car)
UAE: 3rd Visit part 2   (with car)
UAE: 3rd Visit part 1   (with car)
UAE: 2nd Visit (Dubai-Sharjah) (without car)
UAE: 1st Visit   (with car)
United Arab Emirates: Souk of Sharjah
Yemen
3 Picture Reports (w/o car)
(Feb. 9th, to 19th, 2011)
 
1 Picture Galleriy  (with car)
(May-June 1996)
Dicksam Plateau/Socotra Island/Yemen: Forest of Dragon Blood Trees
Island of Socotra East      (w/o car)
Island of Socotra South    (w/o car)
Island of Socotra West     (w/o car)
 
Pictures from Yemen Trip (with car)
Papua New Guinea
5 Picture Reports
 
(Aug.  - Oct. 2010)
1) Milne Bay - (Port Moresby)
                - Mt. Hagen - Lae
2) Mt.Hagen Cultural Show 8/13-15/2010
3) Lae – Madang – Goroka
4) Goroka Cultural Show 9/17-19/2010
5) Goroka - Mt. Hagen - Kumul Pass
                - Mt. Hagen - Goroka - Lae
Mount Hagen/Papua New Guinea: Huli Wigman from the Southern Highlands at the Mount Hagen Cultural Show 2010
Indonesia 2010
3 Picture Reports
 
(March  - June 2010)
Medan/Sumatra/Indonesia: Indonesian Serenity
 
North Sumatra  Report  (March-April 2010)
West-Sumatra  Report    (May-June 2010)
Southern Sumatra  Report    (June 2010)
 
Tonga
Picture Report
 
(Nov. 2009 - Jan. 2010)
Tongatapu Island Nuku'alofa/Tongatapu/Tonga: Royal Palace
French Polynesia
3 Picture Reports
 
(Aug. -Oct.  2009)
Tahiti/French Polynesia: One type of Tahiti's main flower with many names - Frangipani, Plumeria, Tiare
Tahiti 1st part  Picture Report  (Aug.-Sept. 2009)
Tahiti 2nd part Picture Report  (Oct. 2009)
Moorea Picture Report   (Sept. 2009)
Cook Islands (without car)
Picture Gallery
 
(Aug. 2009)
Rarotonga Island Cook Islands/Rarotonga: Beauty from the South Pacific
American Samoa
Picture Gallery
 
(July 2009)
American Samoa: View from Pago Pago towards the 1'718ft. high Rainmaker Mountain (Pioa Mountain)
Samoa
4 Picture Reports:
 
(April-June 2009)
Island of Upolu: 1st part
Island of Upolu: 2nd part
Independence Day  June 1st, 2009
Island of Savaii
Apia/Samoa: Coat of Arms of Samoa in front of the Government Office Building
Fiji
3 Picture Galleries:
 
(Jan.-March 2009)
Suva/Fiji: Guard at the Parliament House
1st part: Island of Viti Levu (Jan.+Febr. 2009)
2nd part: Island of Vanua Levu (March 2009)
3rd part: Island of Taveuni (March 2009)
Vanuatu
2 Picture Galleries:
 
(1st visit: July 2008)
(2nd visit: Dec. 2008-Jan. 2009)
Vanuatu 1st visit (without car)
 
Vanuatu 2nd visit (with car)
Vanuatu: Boeing 737-800 of Air Vanuatu at the airport of Port Vila
New Caledonia
3 Picture Galleries:
 
(Aug.-Oct. 2008)
New Caledonia: Nouméa and the St. Joseph Cathedral
1st part: Grand Terre: Nouméa + South (Aug.2008)
2nd part: Grand Terre: North #1 (Aug.+Sept. 2008)
3rd part: Grand Terre: North #2 (Sept.+Oct. 2008)
New Zealand
6 Picture Galleries:
 
(South Island: Febr.-May 2008)
(North Island: May-July 2008)
1st part: South Island (Febr.+March 2008)
2nd part: South Island (March 2008)
3rd part: South Island (April 2008)
4th part: South to North Island (May 2008)
5th part: North Island (May+June 2008)
6th part: North Island (June+July 2008)
New Zealand: South Island - typically
Philippines
1 Picture Gallery:
3 Picture Reports:
(1st visit: Febr. 2008)
(2nd visit: Nov. 2010-Jan. 2011)

Philippines: Ricefields near Sagada/Mountain Province/Northern Luzon

Philippines 1st visit (without car Febr. 2008)
 
Philippines 2nd visit (with car):
Luzon (South)-Mindoro-Panay  (Nov.-Dec. 2010)
Negros-Cebu  (Dec. 2010-Jan. 2011)
Bohol-Luzon (South)  (Jan. 2011)
Taiwan
3 Picture Reports:
 
(Oct.- Nov. 2007)
 
1st part: Kaohsiung-Kenting-Taitung
2nd part: Taitung-Southern Cross-
Island Hwy-Siraya NSA (Zengwun Reservoir)-Alishan-Sun Moon Lake -Taroko-Suao-
Hualien Hwy-Taipei
3rd part: Taipei-Taitung-Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung/Taiwan: God of War at Lotus Pond
Timor-Leste (East Timor)
2 Picture Reports:
 
(May 2007)

Oecussi/Timor-Leste: Landscape East of Oecussi-'Town'

 
 
Exclave of Oecussi
 
Mainland
Indonesia 2006/07
1 Report + 6 Picture Galleries:
(Sumatra-Java: Sept.-Dec. 2006)
(Bali: Jan.-March 2007)
(Lombok, Sumabawa, Flores: April 2007)
(Sumba, West Timor: May+June 2007)
(Sulawesi:June+July 2007)
(Tana Toraja (-Land): June+July 2007)
(Kalimantan: July 2007)
 
Sumatra-Java    (= Report)
Bali
Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores
Sumba, West Timor
Sulawesi
Tana Toraja (Toraja-Land)
Kalimantan
Ke'te Kesu near Rantepao/Sulawesi/Indonesia: Traditional Toraja village
Brunei
Picture Report
 
(Sept. 2006)
Brunei (Borneo): ’The 'Ali Saifuddien'-Mosque at sunset in Bandar Seri Begawan
 
Borneo
3 Picture Reports:
(Sarawak: 1st visit: June-Aug. 2006)
(Sabah: Oct. 2006)
(Sarawak: 2nd visit: Nov. 2006)
Picture Gallery:
(Borneo-Trip: Sept.-Nov. 2006)
 
Sarawak part 1 Northeast (Miri)
Sabah
Sarawak part 2 South (Kuching)
Borneo (Sabah, Brunei, Sarawak, Kalimantan)
Sepilok near Sandakan/Sabah/East-Malaysia (Borneo): Orang Utan Rehabilitation Center
1st Rejuvenation
Picture Report
 
(Engine/Body: June-Aug. 2006)
(Transmission: Sept. 2007)

Miri/Sarawak/East-Malaysia (Borneo): Overhaul of our LandCruiser in 'Full Swing'

 
Report of the first overhaul of 
our LandCruiser in Miri/Sarawak
- the East Malaysian province
on the island of Borneo
Myanmar (South) (without car)
Picture Report
 
(May 2006)
 
Myanmar: Waiting for customers in Kawthoung
 
Thailand
2 Picture Galleries:
 
(1st visit: Nov. 1993 - Jan. 1994)
(2nd visit: Nov. - Dec. 2005)
(3rd visit: Febr. - April 2006)
Thailand: Ho Phra I-Suan Temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat
Temples, Pagodas, Shrines

People, Beaches, Nature

Laos
Picture Report
 
(February 2006)

Laos: The ’Patuxai’, the Laotian replica of the French ’Arc de Triomphe’ in Paris

Vietnam
Picture Report
 
(January 2006)
Vietnam: Two women cultivating a rice field
Cambodia
Picture Report
 
(December 2005)

Cambodia: The main temple of Angkor Wat with its five towers viewed from the hill of the ’Phnom Bakheng’ - Temple

Malaysia (West)
Picture Report
 
(Oct. - Nov. 2005)
(May 2006)
Malaysia: The four minarets of the ’Sultan Salahuddin’ State Mosque in Shah Alam are visible already from far
Singapore
Picture Gallery
 
(September 2005)

Singapore: Merlion - the Land- and Trademark of the Lion City

Macao   (without car)
Picture Gallery
 
(September 2005)

Macao: The ’St. Paul’ ruin is an inspiring sight also at night

 
 
 
 
Hong Kong
2 Picture Galleries:
 
(1st visit: September 2005)
(2nd visit: Dec. 2007-Jan. 2008)

 

 
 
Hong Kong 1st visit (without car)
 
Hong Kong 2nd visit (with car)
Hong Kong: From ’Hong Kong Peak’ we get an excellent view of the ’skyscraper jungle’
The visit of 6 countries with and 1 island without our LandCruiser Middle East
The visit of 10 countries with and 1 without our LandCruiser Southeast Asia
The visit of 4 countries with and 1 islandl without our LandCruiser Indian Ocean
The visit of 4 countries with and 1 without our LandCruiser Far East
The visit of 14 Pacific Islands with and 1 without our LandCruiser

Pacific (Febr. 2008-Jan. 2010 + Aug.-Sept. 2010)

The visit of 13 Caribbean Islands with our LandCruiser

Caribbean (June 2003-Dec. 2004)

+ added from the United Arab Emirates:

Fairytale Wedding in Dubai   (March 1999)

+ added from a earlier visit to the USA:

Las Vegas  (Millennium change)

+ added from our Arabian Peninsula round trip:

Pictures from Yemen (May-June 1996)

+ Flashbacks of our Worldrecordtour:

Pictures from "all the continents" (Oct. 1984 - April 1997)

+ Follow-ups about Toyota-Experiences:
Encounters resp. "Ups + Downs" with
Toyota Companies since 1982
On July 7th, 2005, we were able to celebrate after a journey through 150 countries the car's
600'000th Kilometer - very prosaic in front of the post office in Cayenne/French Guiana.
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On June 10th, 2009, we were able to celebrate after a journey through 163 countries the car's
400'000th Mile - in a beautiful landscape in the West of the island of Savaii/Samoa.
Are you interested into the LandCruiser History, prepared by Toyota Motor Sales USA and taken over by
Toyota Motor United Kingdom? (after some loading-time please klick "IN LEGEND" and afterwards "HAIR TO MAGELLAN"

 

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