Bridging The Continents

Location: Canada Summary; May 24th, 2026 marks the final recording of my epic 8.5-month journey. On May 20th, the day after arriving back on Fashion Island, I turned right around and drove to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, Canada. I took the Black Ball Ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria and then drove up to Nanaimo for a very special event — an Encounter Overland reunion organized by Dennis Cornell...

Location: Kenya Summary: Today, May 12th, 2026, I started by dropping off my rental car at the airport with the help of Steve Mogul, who handled all the administrative details remotely — pretty impressive that it all worked without an office on-site. From there, I caught a 9 to 10-hour flight to Bangkok. With a 6-hour time difference from Nairobi, I ended up with about a 9-hour layover in Bangkok....

Location: Kenya Summary: Today was my last day in Kenya, and what a day it turned out to be. I started the morning at the Mabati house, a beautifully designed rental property where the walls literally open up so you become part of the surrounding landscape. I had met someone from the Swedish Embassy in Nairobi the night before, and we had great conversations. After breakfast, I packed up and began...

Location: Kenya Summary: I woke up in a tent at Sanctuary Farm near Lake Naivasha in Kenya. The farm has a fascinating history — it was originally connected to Sir Derek Erskine, a Brit who stayed in Kenya after independence. His son Francis bought the 450-acre farm in 1974, and now it's run by the third generation. Guy and his late wife Julie had three children: Jamie, who designed the rental hom...

Location: Kenya Summary: I woke up on May 9th, 2026 at the Kozhi Airport Hotel, which was a really well set up guest house with great coffee. It was a little tricky to get to, but since I was driving, the pothole-filled roads weren't a problem. I rented a car because I only have 3 days in Kenya and wanted to make a special stop at Lake Naivasha, which is about a 2-hour drive from Nairobi. With ext...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today, May 8th, 2026, I traveled from Malawi to Nairobi, Kenya. My flight with Malawi Airlines departed around quarter to 5 Malawi time, and with the one-hour time difference, I landed in Nairobi around 8 in the evening. Before leaving, I ran into the Swiss couple again who had quite the adventure exchanging money on the black market — they were whisked away in the back o...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today was my last full day in Lilongwe, Malawi, and I spent it wandering around the neighborhood to soak in more of the city. One thing that really stands out here is how properties are walled in — fancy ones and regular ones alike. Walls go up first, then security guards come with them. It gives an impression of safety, though you have to wonder why the walls are needed...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today, May 6th, I left the Hôpital Saint-Jean after my stay there. The hospital kindly organized my departure and arranged a ride for me into town. They had offered to take me all the way to the airport, but since I wasn't flying out today, I just needed a lift into Lilongwe. The driver was essentially a hospital taxi driver who makes regular trips to the city for patient...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today was the handoff day, and it was truly a rewarding experience. I did the last few things with the car I've been calling "Orange" – it never got a better name, but Orange says it all. I packed up, took out what I needed, and drove from Hope's Inn along the back roads to the hospital where I'd been in touch with the administrator. When I arrived, the administrator had...

Location: Malawi Sumary: Today was a really big day — one I had been waiting for. Stephen, one of the administrators at Nakoma Mission Hospital, and I drove together in my car to Lilongwe. The scenery along the way was amazing as always. We picked up a passenger along the route and dropped them off before heading to our first destination: the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA). The purpose was to get...

Location: Malawi Summary: These past few days, from April 29th through May 1st, I've been taking things a bit slower in Malawi while recovering from a cold and sorting out logistics. On Wednesday the 29th, I finally caught up with the North Carolina group I'd been trying to meet. Persistence paid off, and they invited me to share dinner with them. We had a great exchange of stories — Frank, one of...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today, April 28th, I found out about an International Potluck Tuesday being organized at Hope's Inn. I was invited and felt great about it, though I had also committed to meeting with a North Carolina group at the Bella restaurant. I tried going to the restaurant the night before, but it was closed on Mondays. When I went back before the scheduled meeting time, there was...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today, April 27th, I had someone from the hospital come to get a first look at the Land Cruiser project. I've been making lists of everything that will be included with the vehicle and noting the few things that need fixing. Happy Megawi came by, and I couldn't think of a better person to help see this through. He took the Land Cruiser for a test drive around the surround...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today is April 26th, a Sunday, and I spent the day exploring Nakoma on foot. I forgot to mention that last night I had dinner at the Bella restaurant — just a quarter chicken, but it was really delicious. The night before, I had run into John and Beth Murphy from North Carolina, who are part of a church group visiting Nakoma for two weeks. Their Presbyterian church back h...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today is April 25th, a Saturday, and I wanted to share a fun experience from yesterday. While driving back from Lilongwe to Nakoma Mission Hospital, we encountered a traffic jam at a gas station where people were lining up in anticipation of a fuel tanker arriving. During that traffic jam, Stephen spotted Dr. Moyo in a truck next to us. Dr. Moyo lowered his window and sai...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today, April 24th, I started the day leaving my hotel and immediately noticed the long lines at gas stations. People were just waiting, hoping a tanker truck would arrive. The fuel prices here are absolutely insane — diesel costs 6,687 kwacha per liter, which works out to almost $15 US per gallon. Apparently only Hong Kong is more expensive. This is an extreme case though...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today on April 23rd, I drove 350 kilometers back to Lilongwe along the same road I had traveled before, just in the opposite direction. Much of the road was still under construction, requiring slow detours around bridges being built, but the hillsides and mountains remained fascinating even on a second viewing. I found a place to stay near the direction I need to head tom...

Location: Malawi Summary: I decided to stay an extra night at the Umuuntu Guesthouse in Mzuzu, Malawi, and I'm glad I did. The place has a wonderful atmosphere, and I really enjoyed talking with Caitlin, a Dutch woman who came to Malawi in 2006 from the Netherlands. She and her husband originally settled at a spot on Lake Malawi where they ran a camp for overland trucks for about five years. Tragi...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today, April 21st, I intended to head south in Malawi but the day took quite a different turn. Before leaving, I gave away a lot of my camping gear — frying pans, technical equipment, and other supplies I hadn't been using since I switched from wild camping to staying in lodges. I left things with Blessing and Rachel, the housekeepers who had been so kind to me, and with...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today, April 20th, I stayed another night at Kande Beach Resort while Bruce Cowley on his yellow motorbike headed out despite his hurt ankle. A local guy who goes by the name Mel Gibson helped Bruce find a less sandy route so he wouldn't have to drop the bike as many times. I later heard that it worked out well for him. We also got word about a bridge that's out about 50...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today on April 19th, I had another wonderful day at Kandy Beach Resort in Malawi. I caught up again with Dave Barton, who has been running this place for 33 years. He first discovered the location while camping and started building it in 1993 — remarkably, the first 10 years were without electricity, relying only on an occasional generator for power tools. Over the decade...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today, April 18th, I finally made it to Kande Beach Resort on Lake Malawi — a destination that has been my end goal since I started this journey back on September 26th. It felt truly amazing to arrive after all this time. Before I get into today, I want to share a bit more about yesterday. I took a walk in Nkhata Bay after dark with no electricity around, which made for a...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today I left the Mushroom Farm Eco Lodge, where I had met some fascinating fellow travelers, including a Swiss couple on a year-long sabbatical touring Africa by public transport. I headed down a very steep hill toward Kondowe on Lake Malawi — it reminded me of Sani Pass. The descent was full of rocks, ruts, and hairpin turns, and I took it very slowly in my Land Cruiser....

Location: Malawi Summary: Waking up at the mushroom farm in Malawi was an exciting experience. The cabin sits on a steep drop with barely any fencing, and one wall of the restroom building is essentially open, offering a stunning panoramic view all the way to Lake Malawi. The accommodation is a cozy Kopp house with room for four, though I had it all to myself. They use composting toilets and have...

Location: Malawi Summary: Today on April 15th, I left Mzuzu heading for the Mushroom Farm Eco Lodge, a ride of about 130 kilometers. The scenery along the way was even more beautiful than what I had seen on the road into Mzuzu. The roads were a mixed bag with plenty of potholes to watch out for. Along the route, I noticed tobacco fields and drying facilities, a reminder that tobacco farming is sti...