Off-roading in South Africa

The breathtaking vistas of South Africa's Drakensburg Mountains were my intended destination, but I found myself bouncing down the side of a goat path to nowhere instead. And lest you too find yourself looking at the backside of a goat instead of a mountain peak, let me share with you the secrets of a South African survival skill--the sport of "overtaking."

The morning began with such promise. Spurred on by dreams of high-altitude exploration, my travel companion and I enthusiastically took off in our little rental car--an old turquoise Corsica that looked and handled like a bucket with a stick-shift.

Hours disappeared in a series of attempts to dodge livestock, hitchhikers and liberated vegetable crates. But as I discovered it is not enough to simply avoid these obstacles. In order to escape the belching exhaust of sluggish vehicles ahead and cover more than a few kilometers per day, you must master the skill of overtaking.

Overtaking. The closest equivalent in the United States is “passing.” In the U.S. there are rules for passing involving signs and dotted lines. But in South Africa, the term overtaking has very different connotations--thrilling, Wild West connotations.

To overtake is to propel yourself forward at any time on any stretch of road you deem acceptable to maneuver around vehicles slower and clumsier than your own. To overtake is to veer to the right of an ancient Toyota truck with passengers piled in its bed while deftly avoiding a rusty little Citi Golf flying toward you around the bend. All this while praying that when you make your move you will not encounter a stray bull sauntering across your path.

My advice to adventurers in South Africa is this: Prepare to see the road ahead through South African eyes and overtake like a local! And don't get flustered or you may find yourself dodging an oncoming vehicle, taking a wrong turn and sitting sheepishly at the bottom of a goat path, much to the amusement of the locals.