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Mac Mackenney | 5th Nov 2010
I was sitting in Cape Town airport yesterday afternoon having arrived there 3 hours before the flight as instructed and decided to spend my last South African Rand on a meal before taking to the air. In-flight meals are never that special in terms of quality or quantity, so I hit a steak house.
Travelling by air just isn't real travel. There I was, cocooned in a sterile bubble manufactured by the airlines, I could have been in any airport on the planet. I was eating American style steak with French fries, drinking German lager and listening to British soul music. That's not travel. Had I been a normal tourist arriving in Africa, I would have then been whisked into a western style hotel where the staff are trained to make you feel as though you have never left home. After two days of looking at slightly different coloured beaches, slightly different shaped mountains and slightly different tat for sale in the street markets, you are bored out of your tiny mind. That really isn't travel and you can't say when you go home that you 'know' that country.
OK, so we raced through the countries in a car and had very little time to stop and meet people, but the short encounters we had with real Africans had more meaning and substance than a normal tourist would experience in a month of being there. Overland travel really is the only way to go. Get a vehicle, throw in a sleeping bag and a tent and hit the road. I guarantee it will be the most amazing 'journey' that you have ever made - both in terms of physical distance and finding out about yourself and those that live in the countries you are travelling through.
Me? Well, I'm stuck at Doha international airport for the next 5 hours before my second grueling flight home - another 8 hours of being cramped, cooped up and darn right bored!
HOMEPAGE :: London to Cape Town
Other London to Cape Town 2010 Blogs
28th Oct 2010 
Chris RawlingsWelcome to Cape Town
In the nav seat for the final countdown, through the mountains bordering the famous city with the sun in our faces.
28th Oct 2010 Chris RawlingsThe Final Frontier
29 messages
Sorry, I am a bit delirious at the moment. I woke from a deep, sweaty sleep. Wanting to put my head back down and drift off again.
28th Oct 2010 Steve MackenneyThe Lorry
7 messages
As we drove down the road at 0200hrs me and Chris were quite happily going along when "QUICK BRAKE!" was screamed.
Other blogs by Mac Mackenney
1st Jul 2011 Mac MackenneyAn apology to Tony in Nairobi.
I've finally completed the last article about our record-breaking drive from London to Cape Town.
24th Jun 2011 Mac MackenneyMac and his Big Banger!
A weekend off-road motorcycling in Devon makes the pages of Trail magazine.
9th Nov 2010 Mac MackenneyPiecing Together History
I'm keen to hear from anyone who knows about the previous London to Cape Town driving records.
8th Nov 2010 Mac MackenneyGossip on the internet!
I've had great fun reading all the gossip on the internet - apparently the vehicle fell apart and we 'dicked' around too much at the borders - really?!
3rd Nov 2010 Mac MackenneyThe Art of Travel
Some art I can get, others just don't do it for me, but the one piece that I really liked was a solid stone 'map' of Africa with a chess board built into it.
2nd Nov 2010 Mac MackenneyUnaccustomed as I am to Public Speaking....
2 messages
It's almost midnight and Chris and I have just come back from the McCarthy Land Rover dealership on the outskirts of Cape Town
1st Nov 2010 Mac MackenneyIt could have easily gone so wrong...
Now that the hectic planning for this trip is over, with time to relax and reflect on what we've achieved.
30th Oct 2010 Mac MackenneyMac's Blog - Cape Town Part 2
2 messages
The reception when we arrived was amazing and we didn't stop for the whole day, being ushered from one interview and reception to another.
28th Oct 2010 Mac MackenneyMac's Blog - Arrival in Cape Town
I can't believe that we are actually here, it still hasn't sunk in yet. Looking at a map of Africa makes it even more unbelievable.
26th Oct 2010 Mac MackenneyMac's blog - Zambian Border
10 messages
The youths following us closed in tighter as we marched passed everyone and towards a darkened door that seemed to lead down into a cellar.
25th Oct 2010 Mac MackenneyFrustration
2 messages
After dropping off our two Police guards yesterday morning in Isiolo, we made great progress driving to Nairobi.
25th Oct 2010 Mac MackenneyDarkest Africa
11 messages
Yesterday was filled with a variety of emotion - worry, elation and then frustration, all in just a few hours.
23rd Oct 2010 Mac MackenneyRoad Sense
20 messages
We're currently racing down a narrow and twisty road, packed with people, cars, trucks, goats and cows!
22nd Oct 2010 Mac MackenneyAfrica Hits Back
9 messages
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20th Oct 2010 Mac MackenneyMac Hits Africa
4 messages
The elation of entering Saudi Arabia soon turned to nervousness about our ferry passage to Sudan
19th Oct 2010 Mac MackenneyStiff Upper Lip Wobbles
17 messages
Ok, I'll admit it, I did have a little grizzle in the back of the land rover as we drove out of the Halat Ammar border crossing.
19th Oct 2010 Mac MackenneyThrough Syria and into Jordan
14 messages
Yes, it was only yesterday, but I'm having real trouble remembering what happened and which country I was in!
17th Oct 2010 Mac MackenneyWe seem to have settled down into a routine
7 messages
The whole key to our approach in order to try and beat this record is to just keep moving.
16th Oct 2010 Mac MackenneyFinally, we're on our way!
2 messages
So, this is it. 15 years thinking about it, 2 years planning it and we are finally on our way!
5th May 2010 Mac MackenneyInspirational Talk to Kids
Mac visited a Devon primary school to talk about his adventures
26th Apr 2010 Mac Mackenney...as long as he's not too scary!?
'Sergeant Major' Steve Holland to join Bus to Bollywood team on one condition!
8th Apr 2010 Mac MackenneyThe Elusive Left Hand Drive
1 message
Expedition progress is going well, but what we don't yet have is the elusive second left hand drive Land Rover!
6th Apr 2010 Mac MackenneyLand Rover World offer to Help
I had an email from the Editor of Land Rover World magazine today with an offer to help us .
26th Mar 2010 Mac MackenneyNew sponsors at the Outdoor Show?
The 'Sergeant Major' and I attended the Outdoor Show looking for new sponsors.
23rd Mar 2010 Mac MackenneyHow Strong?!
Loctite Glue - I have never seen glue as strong as this before, it was absolutely amazing.
8th Mar 2010 Mac MackenneyMax Adventure Patrons hurt
Both Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Sir Stirling Moss injured on the same day
26th Feb 2010 Mac MackenneyTime of My Life
1 message
Picking 8 songs that have real meaning in my life is harder than I thought!
19th Oct 2009 Mac MackenneyThe final leg of the 'Moss Marathon' is underway.
2 messages
At precisely 12:30 the P&O ferry 'Pride of Bilbao' smoothly steamed out of Bilbao port on its way to Portsmouth
18th Oct 2009 Mac MackenneyAm I dead?!
I come to. As I prise my weary eyes open I can see nothing, hear nothing and feel nothing.
14th Oct 2009 Mac MackenneyWhat a pratt!
1 message
Had I had more time to plan I would have remembered that Austria was to be visited after Liechtenstein.
13th Oct 2009 Mac MackenneyRain and roadworks
Our drive to Cape Town will be hard though and so if we are to succeed and more importantly keep it safe, we must start to train together.
11th Oct 2009 Mac MackenneyA cold night
1 message
I didn't sleep well last night, I couldn't be bothered to get out of bed and retrieve a second sleeping bag.
10th Oct 2009 Mac MackenneyFrom Reading to Oslo
The drive to Harwich for the ferry across to Holland was relaxing and uncomplicated.
9th Oct 2009 Mac MackenneyWe'refinally off!
It's not how I wanted it to be, all rushed, packing in disarray, unsure as to whether I had remembered everything and generally an air of chaos about the whole thing.
13th Jul 2009 Mac MackenneyTop Bloke
Will and I drove up to meet with Eric Jackson, the current record holder for the London to Cape Town run.
20th Jun 2009 Mac MackenneyWhat an Honour
I was outside, under the bonnet of one of my Land Rovers when the postman turned up with a smart looking letter. On the back were clearly marked the initials 'SM'.