Voetspore

Voetspore tours on the migration routes of the African Elephant.

Voetspore tours on the migration routes of the African Elephant.

Voetspore tours on the migration routes of the African Elephant.

Voetspore tours around the South African Coast and visits all the Light Towers along their way.

Voetspore tours around the South African Coast and visits all the Light Towers along their way.

Voetspore tours around the South African Coast and visits all the Light Towers along their way.

The episode is a summary of Johan and Stephan travelling the route in advance planning for the episodes to come.

The new series starts in the Kalahari. In the Dawid Kruiper Municipality they visit the towns of Rietfontein, Groot Mier and Philandersbron. After a visit to Hakskeenpan, they go hunting at Loch Broom and then observe the effect of the Kalahari pipeline on the region. The episode is concluded with a visit to old friends at Riemvasmaak.

The team departs from the Catholic Mission at Pella. Then they travel downstream with the Orange River to the community of Goodhouse. Thereafter it is a visit to the Richtersveld where Karel du Toit shows them the unique flora of the rock desert. This is a journey, on the beaten track, in the Northern Cape.

The journey begins in the northeastern corner of South Africa at the confluence of the Limpopo and Levuvhu rivers. After a visit to the Kruger National Park, the team heads for Makuya to do the Levuvhu 4x4 route. They then visit the Ivory Route camps at Baleni and Letaba Ranch.

Leydsdorp is a fascinating town that experienced a gold rush more than 130 years ago. After a visit to the ghost town, the team is entertained by the Vorsters of Letsitele – mega farmers of the Lowveld. Then a visit to an old favourite – the Wolkberge. The week is concluded with a visit to the Klaserie Nature Reserve.

This week starts on the escarpment at Mariepskop, continues for a few days in the beautiful Blyde River Canyon, visit the Echo Caves and then concludes with trout fishing at Dullstroom. It is winter and bitterly cold.

The second series in South America picks up where the previous one left off – in Uruguay. The team then travels north through Argentina, encountering dramatic new landscapes along the way. It's a long and treacherous journey that brings them to Tupiza, where they delve into the exploits of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The pursuit of their trail leads the team to San Vincente, the site where the notorious outlaws met their demise in a dramatic gunfight.

The team spends a few days on the Salar de Uyuni in the southwestern corner of Bolivia. These are the largest salt flats on Earth, visible from outer space. From the salt flats, the team travels to Potosi, where millions of lives were sacrificed in the quest for silver mining. Afterwards, they visit the beautiful city of Sucre. The week concludes at La Higuera, a small town in the Andes where guerrilla fighter Che Guevara was executed.

After a long journey through the Andes, the team reaches the highest city in the world – La Paz. The city is explored using a network of cable cars, revealing its beautiful landscape and impressive architecture. La Paz hosts one of the biggest street markets twice a week, covering approximately 200 street blocks. The city is also the home of the Fighting Cholitas – Bolivia’s version of Lucha Libre, performed by women. The team further explores the archaeological site of Tiwanaku and visits Lake Titicaca.

The team travels to Colombia to continue and complete the South American adventure of the past three years. The journey starts in Bogota, where a new vehicle is prepared after the disastrous accident at the end of the previous series. While the team waits for the documentation to be finalized, they visit the historic town of Villa de Leyva and relive the history of the South American continent. Eventuall,y they are cleared to leave Colombia and proceed to the border with Venezuela.

The border crossing to Venezuela is complicated as the team is interrogated regarding the purpose of their visit. This country is in the grip of serious economic challenges while a dictatorship rules Venezuela with an armed fist. However, the team gets the opportunity to engage with the friendly people of this beautiful country. The journey concludes at the City of Bolivar on the banks of the massive Orinoco River.

Guyana is a strange country. Although it is on the South American continent, it is much more a part of the Caribbean. The people speak English with a Caribbean accent, the national sport is cricket, and most are descendants of the black people who came to this part of the world as slaves from Africa. It is a country experiencing unprecedented economic growth and has some of the friendliest and most laid-back people in the world.