Wings of Kilimanjaro: Through East Africa by Scrap Bus, Colonial Steamer and Slow Train

Exploding tyres on a fully-laden bus. Months without electricity on Zanzibar. Stuck for a week in the provincial back of beyond. Alex Tannen's travels through East Africa were a challenge for nerves, timetables, and his back. His adventures were not climbing Kilimanjaro or confronting wild beasts in the Serengeti, but rather the sheer job of getting from A to B. Some places he managed to reach, albeit painstakingly - others he had trouble leaving. It took three attempts to board the legendary German colonial steamship Liemba on Lake Tanganyika. Some tickets had no corresponding buses. If Plan B didn't work, surely Plan E would. Engine failures, overfilled cabins and delays which were not measured in hours were all factored in - as was the hard-earned Kilimanjaro beer on successful arrival. His conclusion after journeys in group taxis, on flat-bed trucks and in air-conditioned luxury buses: obscure airlines are statistically the safest local transport. A road movie in 16 chapters and 14 pictures.