Overlander's Handbook
Trip Reports
Denmark to Benin - Tojo HJ60
| Who | mario t. ~ email ~ website |
| Profession | photographer - etc |
| Born 1965 | Nationality Argie - Italian |
| Previous travel experience | africa - south america - middle east - etc |
| This trip | copenhagen (DK) - Cotonou (Benin) |
| Departure date | nov. 2005 |
| Number in group | 2 |
| Trip duration | 3 months |
| Distance covered | 15000km |
| Cost of trip (not incl. vehicle) | less than what we would had used if we stayed at home |
| Best day | touching african soil in Tarifa |
| Worst/ hardest day | Rosso Border between Mauritania Senegal |
| Favourite place | Dogon Land |
| Biggest headache | trying to write/work in our room with 40°C without electricity in Ouidah (Benin) where we stayed for 3 weeks working for a Danish Aid Org. |
| Wish I hadn't | brought 5 oilfilters that weren't the right ones..! |
| Most pleasant surprise | absolutely no breakdowns whatsoever on the 23 years old TLC |
| Any illness | a bad giardia in Senegal (and Malaria in Morocco...!) |
| Other trips planned | same one in Nov2007 2008 but with 10 people in a truck |
| One overlanding tip | try to make physical contact with policeman if they stop you on the road (i.e. shake his hand and ask directions before he asks you) and never stop the engine |
| Type of Vehicle | Toyota HJ 60 |
| Age/ mileage on departure | 300.000 Km - 23 years |
| Modifications | double alternator - 4 batteries - OME - |
| Most useful accessory | Engel Fridge |
| Mods you wish you'd done | none |
| Tyres used | Michelin XZL - 0 punctures in 15000km in west africa - 0 punctures in 25000 in east africa |
| Number of punctures |
| Vehicle's weak point | no aircon - |
| Vehicle's strong point | reliability - you can just forget about repairs and concentrate on photography writing or just enjoy |
| Vehicle problems | none |
| Same vehicle again? | maybe a HJ61 instead otherwise no hesitation in choosing again a HJ60 |
| One driving tip | stay focused all the time when on the road and relax when you set camp in the eve - one second of distraction could mean the end of the trip |