Desert signpost, Morocco
My whole life, I’ve wanted to take part in a motoring rally across Africa. From an early age, I remember seeing footage of the legendary Dakar Rally and marvelling at the sheer adventure and excitement of it.
The Dakar today is an incredible feat of endurance for bikers and motorists from all over the world – you only have to watch Charley Boorman’s excellent Race To Dakar documentary series to see that. But the Dakar is phenomenally expensive to take part in and the preparation for it takes months, if not years.
While I’m pretty sure I’ll never do the REAL Dakar (though I never say never…!), I’m still intent on doing something like it – and soon! Right now, I’m looking at The Dakar Challenge: http://www.dakarchallenge.co.uk/challenge/timbuktu+challenge/ which is billed as the “alternative Dakar” for those who want a tough challenge but also to have adventures along the way. And there are heaps of other Africa-based motoring events that have caught my eye. Which one to choose??
I’ll need to find a co-driver: a like-minded person (male or female) who buzzes at the thought of a challenging motoring adventure across the wilds of Africa. That’s assuming it’s a car rally, of course – now that I’m a fully-fledged biker, I can’t help wondering now if two wheels is the way to go…
So, watch this space. Life’s too short to put off dreams: and I fully intend to fulfill this one as soon as I can.
Taken part in a rally across Africa? Can you recommend a good one? I’d love to hear about it – just post a comment below!
Jeanie’s previous adventures on four wheels and two:
https://jeaniedavison.com/2011/02/11/lesotho-4wd-adventure/
https://jeaniedavison.com/2010/06/23/australian-desert-adventure/
Jeanie Davison 