What business does a 60-year-old woman with no experience of overlanding have driving through West Africa, all on her own, in a two-wheel-drive van? My answer? A woman’s place is wherever she wants it to be!
I was born in Zimbabwe and moved to South Africa in my early twenties. I lived there from 1981 to 1997, when I left for the United Kingdom. My ex-husband’s work meant that I later moved to Portugal, then Luxembourg, and finally to Spain for the last 18 months of my time in Europe.
At 58, I set out to start my life anew. My first task was to leave an increasingly unhappy 22-year marriage. Afterwards, I had an opportunity to decide what I wanted from this new chapter.
I had been away from home for 36 years and I was missing Africa. I had road-tripped through North America, Europe and southern Africa before, so why not drive all the way back to Zim? I believed that such an undertaking would help me rediscover my purpose in life.
So, I started planning.
My home on wheels
First, I had to find a vehicle fit for my purpose. I wanted a right-hand drive so that I could eventually import it into Zimbabwe.
In early 2017 I went to England and bought a blue 1998 Ford Transit van, which had been used as an ambulance. Although it wasn’t a 4x4, it had a relatively simple engine, which meant that any “bush mechanic” would be able to fix it. It ran on diesel, which is more forgiving on engines considering the variable standards of fuel I might encounter, it had decent ground clearance, and it was big enough for me to live in. I also figured that if I found myself in any danger at night, I could easily jump from the back into the front and drive away.
I named the van BlueBelle. From England, I
