These Two Women and a Merc are heading overland across Africa
Two Women & A Merc sounds like a good name for a reality-based web series, but instead it’s the chosen title for the trip of a lifetime for two virtual strangers embarking on an overland African Adventure.
Her enthusiasm is contagious, and that’s just over the phone. Tanya Ritchie is excited and you can tell. The 62-year-old is an unlikely overlander, and after watching life pass her by for too long she wants to live out some of her dreams.
She explains: “In 1994 I drove from the UK to The Gambia in a Series III Landy. Since then the idea of a Jo’burg to Mombasa trip has been in my head.
“In fact, you won’t believe me, but I still have a Michelin fold-out map that I used for my 1994 trip. When I opened the section for this trip the route was already highlighted so this idea has been a long time coming.”
The idea for her adventure was reignited when she spotted an advert online “This all started when I saw this Mercedes advertised after a local rally called the Bull Run. I am not really a Mercedes fan but I saw this yellow W123 and fell for it.” The 1981 240D has since been christened Mustafa and has already accumulated quite a following online.
The car was already ‘rough-road’ equipped, but its previous owners insisted Tanya learn how to work on the W123 should anything go wrong on the trip so she gave it a complete once-over to ensure it was mechanically sound before heading off.
Tanya had the crazy idea to undertake this trip with a complete stranger. Over 75 women responded to an online advert for a prospective travel buddy. “I started to interview all the candidates through video calls. From the moment I spoke to Helen I just knew she was the one. She was keen on this adventure and full of enthusiasm.”
Helen Hahn, who is based in Oman, said. “I saw Tanya's video on Facebook. It just made me giggle at how fun and crazy it would be; such an unusual adventure. I instantly knew Tanya and I would get on.”
The pair will transverse multiple countries with no electronic maps. Tanya points out, “The route is not cast in stone. We are at the mercy of the elements. We will be asking people on Facebook for guidance about conditions and paths ahead.”
The pair left Johannesburg on March 3. They plan to drive through Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, across Tanzania to the Indian Ocean at Dar es Salaam and into Kenya. Highlights en route include the Makgadikgadi Pans, Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba, Lake Malawi and Arusha. They should cover about 5,000 km over the next few weeks.
You can follow their adventures on their Facebook page: Two Women & and a Merc.