My African Conquest, Julia Albu
My African Conquest, Julia Albu
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My African Conquest
Cape to Cairo at 80

Author: Julia Albu

Narrator: Adrienne Pearce

Unabridged: 5 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/10/2024


Synopsis

‘Next year I’m going to be 80 years old. My car will be 20 years old. Together we’ll be 100. We’re going to drive to Cairo.’ ‘And what route are you going to take?’ ‘I have no idea. I think I’ll keep to the right.’ When 80-year-old Julia Albu calls in to her favourite radio show with a zany, half-baked idea, she has no idea that it will lead her to the adventure of a lifetime.
From helping push a 30-year-old Toyota bakkie up a precipitous mountain pass in Malawi to being ‘adopted’ by the riotous ex-pat South African community in Dar es Salaam and being fed mildly hallucinogenic ‘herbs’ by her Ethiopian driver-guide, nothing deterred 80-year-old Julia Albu from her quest to drive through Africa from the Cape to Cairo. She and her 20-year-old Toyota Conquest, Tracy – a personality in her own right – travelled through 10 African countries, from South Africa to Egypt (and beyond). Julia was accompanied by a series of companions who added texture to her travels: three of her four grown-up children, her son-in-law, and at least one person who began as a complete stranger and ended up as a friend for life. Reminiscing about her long and interesting life along the way, and maintaining a bright and upbeat outlook regardless of the circumstances, Julia proves that you’re never too old to tackle that bucket list.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Marion on January 23, 2020

You never know what you are capable of until you have tried. You are also never too old to try. Julia is such a loving, caring, interested and trusting lady you just have to love going on this African adventure with her. Brilliant.......more

Goodreads review by Colleen on January 12, 2020

A charming travelogue of Julia Albu’s journey from the Cape to Cairo (and on to Alexandria) in her 20 year old Toyota Conquest when she was 80, passing though eleven countries on her journey. She describes marvellous sights, quirky, interesting people, along with good, bad and indifferent food and l......more

Goodreads review by John on August 26, 2020

A courageous lady and adventurer. She managed to capture the highlights in a charming, easy read. For someone like myself who has lived and worked all over real Africa most of my life, I thoroughly appreciated her personal discoveries on her journey. Her interaction with locals and her love and resp......more

Goodreads review by Colleen on August 06, 2020

I read this after finishing The Olive Farm by Carol Drinkwater so I fell into the trap of comparing the two. The latter is written by a screenwriter, who has an accomplished style. Julia Albu is a more of a novice but she has a great sense of humour & what a spunky lady to tackle the hardships of an......more

Goodreads review by CHRISTINE on March 07, 2020

I am not sure what inspired me more: Julia or the Toyota. Her unfailingly positive attitude takes the rumoured horrors out of the African continent. The Bingo she mentions is the brother of a friend of mine and his parents were family friends, which gives the book a small piece of personal interest.......more