CapeTowntoCairo

It was Saturday afternoon, the sun was out and I was driving along the N2, South Africa's second largest national highway. My radio wasn't working but I had the windows down and the air was nice.

I was going about 100km when suddenly the RPM's redlined and the truck took off as if the gas pedal was floored. I pumped the gas pedal - nothing. As the speed continued to increase white smoke started coming out from under the hood and a cloud of white smoke was coming from the tail pipe. It was a run away engine - a condition affecting worn in diesel engines in which gases blow by past the sides of the pistons and into the crankcase where they pick up engine oil mist which is vented into the air intake and burns similar to diesel fuel. This creates a vicious cycle where the engine is running off of the engine oil instead of the diesel and causes more engine oil to be sucked in and burnt until the engine either ceases or runs out of oil.

Remembering a mechanic mentioning this possibility to me a couple months ago I shifted out of gear and pulled over as the engine roared. Once I came to a stop on the side of the highway I held down the break, put it in gear and choked the engine out as the engine temperature gauge redlined as well. I jumped out and checked the oil after the smoke cleared, it barely registered on the dipstick - things weren't looking good for the engine.

The sprawling township of Khayelistsha,
home to 500,000

I wasn't in the nicest neighborhood so I jumped back in the truck, rolled up the windows, locked the doors and called a tow truck company. As I was sitting in the truck three guys came up and tried to open all of the doors. The windows are tinted dark but they could see I was in the truck and knew I could see them - we both knew what was going on. They started throwing rocks at the windows. Here I was, in the middle of the day, on the side of the second busiest highway in South Africa with 500 cars driving by - I was about to get jacked and there was nothing I could do about it. I was locked in my truck and they were coming in.

I turned around, grabbed by bag with my laptop in it and stuffed it under the back seat. I grabbed my camera bag and frantically started opening it - I had pepper spray and a knife inside. By this time one of the windows was smashed but still intact as they continued to pick up and throw rocks at it. I pulled out my knife and pepper spray and about two second later the front passenger window came in with three guys pushing their way into my truck demanding my money and phone. It all happened pretty quickly but I started spraying them with pepper spray as they began pillaging my possessions. I got one guy pretty good in the face, but he also got my camera bag with my 5D Mark II. After about 10 seconds the pepper began to run out, the three guys had backed off, and all of us were choking with burning eyes - although I gathered they were much more than I was.

The broken front passenger window
with police in the background

They retreated across the highway and began examining their booty. I think they liked what they saw - cash, a couple cameras, lenses, GPS units and a handful of other items. One of the guys headed off with the loot and the other two started heading back toward the truck. Although the odds were better with two on one, I didn't for a second think I was going to win this one - I think they had a little more fire in the belly. I moved some bulky junk into the foot well of the back seat in attempt to preserve my laptop bag and got out of the vehicle. I figured their interest was with the contents of the vehicle and not with me. I wanted to avoid getting attacked but I didn't want look as if I was abandoning my truck. I stood in front of the vehicle as they approached,clearly wielding my spent canister of pepper spray in one hand and knife in the other. I didn't want to have anything to do with these guys and if it came down to it I would have begrudgingly allowed them to pillage the remaining contents of my truck. Thankfully I think they took my getting out of the vehicle with the pepper spray and knife as an offensive gesture and they turned around and jogged off into the township.

This all happened, three guys smashing the windows of my truck, grabbing bags out of the vehicle, and me standing on the side of the highway aggressively attempting to flag down any one of the hundreds of passing vehicles (including at least two marked police vehicles) ...nothing, no one stopped.

A windows worth of glass sprayed
around the inside of the truck

I didn't know what do to and I think it was fair to say I was feeling slightly vulnerable; alone with an immobilized vehicle with broken windows and no friendly faces. I called the police and asked for them to come and help. I thought it was just a matter of time before another group of hungry township residents descended on my compromised domain and increased their lifetime earnings by a few thousand percent. I saw another police vehicle approaching and moved into the middle of the highway directing him to pull over. He swerved around me but pulled over and reversed. I quickly relayed the events to the two police officers. One said he wasn't from around here and suggested that we hook up a rope to tow my vehicle away from this area to a safer place. That was fine with me, there were now two armed guys standing next to me and I felt a little safer, although they seemed scared. As we were tying up the rope the squad car I had called arrived. These two officers were from the area and said they would wait with me for a towing truck.

A photo I took of two kids playing in the
township about a month earlier

As we stood around waiting for the tow truck one of the new officers explained the predicament in which I had landed. "You couldn't have stopped at a worse place - this is the worst you can get. I promise you that. If you stop here you are in a load of cock - this is where you can get killed for doing nothing. One kilometer back or two kilometers up you would have been in a much better spot."

I had a few small cuts from glass and while I was physically unharmed I was somewhat mentally bruised for the next few hours.

The tow truck came, pulled my vehicle onto the flatbed and the police took off. The tow truck driver dropped me off in town, I humbly gathered my remaining valuables from my truck and transferred them to a rental car. It wasn't a pleasant experience but there wasn't any permanent damage so I tried not to feel too sore about it. The majority of what the guys made off with was covered by insurance (I am hoping) and I felt lucky to have not been stabbed or shot.

I wish I could have taken better photos of the event but it all happened fairly fast and when it was over all of my cameras were gone. The photos on this post were taken with my cell phone - after the police arrived.

UPDATE: Monday morning I called the towing truck company and asked them to take the truck to a mechanic shop. I arrived at the mechanic shop about five minutes after the tow truck left, as the mechanics were pushing the truck into the shop. We discussed the work to be done. My plan is to continue running around in a rental car so I went into the truck to get a few more things out so that I could continue my trip only to find that all of the rest of my possessions in the truck had been rummaged through and thrown around with bags and boxes left open. The tow truck guys took my whisky, gin, wine, truck tools, kitchen knives, ect, and left what had remained in my center console dumped into the footwell along with the broken glass.

But I can honestly say that I am still not jaded. South Africa is a beautiful country - even with its substantial problems. And I am going to make it a point to go back into the townships next week and enjoy a night out on the town(ship).

6 Comments

By Chris Cannon on May 17, 2010 8:40 PM

Your immensely proud uncle James has been keeping me updated on your travels, but this is the first time I have actually checked out your website. It makes me want to join you.

I am very impressed with your security modifications to the Defender. That is a feat of engineering that would make your uncle proud and is truly in the spirit of a great adventurers everywhere. Just don’t be like Earnest Shacklelton and leave the booze for years. Make sure you enjoy it with the locals. (Just consider it a tip for the tow truck boys)

In regard to your recent encounter with some of the locals, your posting seems to get it right. It can be terrifying and disconcerting to be accosted by people after your things. But with luck, it won’t be a life changing event. Just try to remember that your things are far less valuable than you, and the loss of your material possessions is sometimes one of the payments we have to make toward the price of an adventure.

While I love the title: Inauguration into South Africa's National Involuntary Wealth Redistribution System, I trust it is ironic and you have not been listening to Rush on your adventure.

Have fun.

By john

on June 16, 2010 3:27 PM

Hello Chris,
I couldn’t agree with you more. I think your comment that “the loss of your material possessions is sometimes one of the payments we have to make toward the price of an adventure” puts it in the right perspective.
While in the end nothing related to this incident was covered by insurance, it has made me much more comfortable with the concept of losing my possessions and I hope to be less fazed the next time I involuntarily part with my gear (although some of that increased comfortableness is due to a new insurance policy).
My beverage bar is slightly smaller that what Ernest Shackleton took on his adventures, but certainly better to be enjoyed by someone than no one at all.
Looking forward to catching up with you stateside sometime.
-John

By Gordon Booth on June 2, 2010 9:57 PM

Accidentaly came across your site tonight. I have just had a brief look around and getting a grasp of what you are doing. I must say I'm envious! Very interesting to read your blog and look at your pics and videos. Looking forward to more of your interesting travels. Be safe!

By Julie Binder on June 16, 2010 4:19 AM

John, just saw this post. Glad you are safe!! That sounds like a terrifying experience. It's amazing -- and awesome -- that you haven't let this kind of incident diminish your appetite for adventure.

Stay safe!

Cheers,
Jules

By Baseem on June 18, 2010 4:45 AM

Hello, I just came across this site in search of Cape Town to Cairo. What a scary moment, I grew up in South Africa and in all that time the most i dealt with was coming home to see someone had come to make their monthly withdrawal of our electronics and jewelry. All in part of the 'involuntary Wealth redistribution system'. I look forward to more posts.

By Baseem on June 18, 2010 4:50 AM

I see your still South of KZN, try to check out Howick Falls, in Howick, KZN. Beautiful falls, cute small town. As well as two major townships near by - Kwamavana, and Mpopopho.

have you tried coeksisters yet? in the townships they sell these small bags of red chips, try them out - for a spicy kick. certified MSG filled :)