Edmund Butler

I drove a 1986 110 Station Wagon to Nairobi in 1987. Sold it there after 12,000 African miles. The coolest part was crossing what was then Zaire. It took six weeks from Kinshasa to Goma (near Rwanda). I've been dining out on those tales ever since... stayed one night in a 5 house village with no roads, guided in by an old man in a grass skirt and a genuine leopard skin hat. At the time it was illegal for anyone other than President Mobutu to wear a leopard skin hat, but these folks were beyond the reach of Kinshasa's elite. As we left, his daughter appeared in her Sunday best. She expected us to give her a ride to Paris, without any previous discussion. There was a total language barrier between us all, so that was a tricky negotiation.

Another time we stopped at a slightly larger village. Only the Chief spoke french, as we did - everyone else communicated in sign language. After they served us a fresh and deliciously prepared chicken, we sat around the fire while some folks were drumming and dancing.
The Chief pointed at the moon. "We hear that men have been to the moon?" We nodded. "Why?", he asked, clearly perplexed. "I don't know", I said. He just smiled.

Now I have a 1989 110 HiCap after trashing my 1991 Toyota Landcruiser 4 door swb on black ice at 70mph. Lucky to be alive and stoked to be back in a Landie