| Life List #227-231 |
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©iStockphoto.com/marknoak
Getting There Unless you’re able to find a suitable vehicle in Tangier, there’s no way to avoid shipping your Land Rover. So it makes the best sense to buy one in England, where Land Rovers were invented, and drive it south to the ferry point in Algeciras, Spain. Crossing to Africa with the car will cost roughly $250, depending on the model and when you want to set sail (check directferries.co.uk for a schedule and rates). It will take considerable planning to figure out a reasonable route—and equally considerable wrapping of your brain around all the rules, regulations, and visas necessary to make such a trek. To help you along, pick up a serious guidebook such as Africa Overland, by Bob Gibbons and Sian Pritchard-Jones, to be released in mid-2009 (Bradt, fifth edition), or Sahara Overland, 2nd: A Route and Planning Guide, by Chris Scott (Trailblazer). Fish in Senegal The Sine-Saloum Delta is your destination. This lush landscape, north of the Gambia, encompasses the Parc National du Delta du Saloum and is rich in such wildlife as monkeys, flamingos, and pelicans. Stay in one of the Hotel Keur Saloum's new luxury suites, where you can relax on your private balcony with views of the mangroves, then take a canoe or skiff into the delta’s islets to surf for barracuda. From $73 per night; keursaloum.com Journey’s End After a few months on the road, arriving in Cape Town, South Africa, will likely be one of the most accomplished moments of your life. Live it up with absolute decadence. Stay in the Cape Grace on Cape Town’s waterfront. Book the penthouse suite with three terraces (one of which has a private Jacuzzi), jaw-dropping views, and personalized meals prepared by the hotel’s executive chef. The tranquility will finally give you a chance to clean up and figure out what to do with your vehicle (sell it, or ship it home?). Penthouse suite from $1,400 per night; www.capegrace.com 228Set your own world record.  It’s not quite the same as winning the Collier Trophy—awarded yearly for the greatest achievement in American aeronautics. But setting a record for Speed Over a Recognized Course is far more achievable: You establish a route that can be monitored, and then fly it fastest in a specific category of airplane (like the Flight Design CT, pictured).My Cessna 152 is a two-seat, single-engine trainer that can make 100 knots. Not exactly a speed machine. But while looking for breakable records in my backyard, I discovered that none existed for the fastest flight across North Dakota. After a few phone calls to the National Aeronautic Association, it was clear: I could set a world speed record in an airplane slower than some cars below. My route was from Williston, near the northwest corner of the state, to Fargo, on the eastern state line, with a fuel stop in Bismarck: 337 miles over badlands and prairie, Lake Sakakawea and the Red River Valley. The space shuttle could cover this distance in 67 seconds. But at 5:45 p.m., the tower personnel in Fargo saw me touch down: four hours and 19 minutes through clear sky. A certified world aviation speed record, on the books. naa.aero |
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