Zambia Trip
Photos from my overland trip from the Atlantic Ocean (Luderitz) to Zanzibar via Livingstone, Lusaka and Dar es Salaam
50th Anniversary of Peace Corps
The 50th Anniversary of Peace Corps was March 1.
Instead of having a party at my house in honor of the thousands of Volunteers who have served and are currently serving I went to bed. I later found out I was coming down with a nasty infection. But after a few courses of antibiotics, everything is great. Happy belated Birthday Peace Corps
Nissan Hardbody Truck Rental
With a name that begs insults to be hurled at it, the Nissan Hardbody truck is one of the most common vehicles that rental companies loan out in Namibia. The other contender here is the Toyota Hilux. After taking a 4,000km trip in a double cab Nissan 2.4L 4x4 I thought I would offer some insight as to what your money is getting you.
The specifications of my rental included. Double Cab body. A 2.4L naturally aspirated (no-turbo) 4 cylinder petrol engine, 5 speed manual transmission, part time 4 wheel drive with 4L, automatic locking hubs, air conditioning, Dual Fuel tanks totaling 140L.
Extras that were attached to the truck: Steel bed cover, two Howling Moon Roof Tents, 25L fresh water tank, shovel, extra spare tire, fold up table, kitchen box, four fold up chairs, and Engel 40L fridge/freezer.
The truck rode and drove like a truck. This double cab truck is much smaller than the Hilux and with 4 people inside it was plenty full. Squishing 5 people inside would be fine for a short trip but nothing over a few hours.
Unlike the Hilux the fit and finish was not as high a quality. Everything worked but the drivers seat and controls were a little cramped.
Engine: This vehicle on any kind of grade cannot mantain 120km unless in 4th gear. The 2.4 L engine just couldn't handle all the weight and keep the vehicle moving on the highway. 5th gear resulted in gas consumption almost double of what it should have been. This is partly due to the air resistance of the roof tents, the weight of the loaded vehicle, and the pokey engine.
In 4x4 mode the 2.4L had enough get up to keep things moving in most situations. Though on a steep grade, moving from a stop in 4H the engine was taxed to its limit. I found myself engaging the 4L on multiple occasions to give myself a higher overall gear ratio to make it up some of the steeper passes and gravel hills. I personally would opt for the V6 version of this vehicle if available.
Having said that you will never get in trouble or feel out of control or overpowered by this car. It does lumber along, with mushy handling but that is on account of the cargo and roof top tents. Handling is on par with a 1990's model truck.
Rent one: Just don't expect anything other than a pokey slow ride.
Sargent Shriver 1915-2011
The man who spearheaded the creation of the Peace Corps under John F. Kennedy died earlier this week at the age of 95. I recently read his biography and was amazed at all he had accomplished. He built and ran many organizations and programs many famous for their successes while others, a good idea that didn't pan out. This is hardly an exhaustive list but impressive none the less Head Start, VISTA, Job Corps, Community Action, Upward Bound, Foster Grandparents, Special Olympics, the National Center on Poverty Law, Legal Services, and the Peace Corps. Visit his organization website to learn more about him. http://www.sargentshriver.org/
Happy 2011 and First Days of School
School is back in full swing! Grade 6 is going great and computer classes for grades 1 and 2 will begin shortly. Updates from my Southern Namibia trip will be coming soon. Happy New Year to Everyone!
Redirect: Brad Rollans now equals even more Brad Rollans
Seeing that my old website hardly ever gets updates I thought I would just redirect you to where all the (sometimes) action is. Now you can go to www.bradrollans.com and it will redirect you to this blog. Fear not, the old website still exists it's just resting for a while.
Diaz Primary School Computer classes
Here is a short video clip of the computer lab complete with grade 1 Learners.
http://bradrollans.com/africablog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/computerlab.flv