Story and photos by Louise Orlando and Andrew Barbour
[15 years ago, Louise Orlando and Andrew Barbour, Cape Charles, VA, spent a year driving a 1960 Series II Land Rover from London to Cape Town. Their adventures formed the basis of Andrew’s writing the Fodor’s Guide to South Africa. Part I of their adventure ran in our last issue. Here’s Part II –ed.]
“Mines to the left. Mines to the right. Stick to the piste. Bonne chance!” With these encouraging words, our Moroccan military escort removed a length of chain that hung across the end of the paved highway and waved our convoy of 23 vehicles into the minefield separating Western Sahara and Mauritania. To reach safety, we would have to traverse 50 kilometers of desert sown with anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines. Oh, joy.
The convoy’s engines roared to life and, one by one, our vehicles rolled off the asphalt into the yellow sand that stretched to the horizon. (…)

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