Features / From Unst to Africa – Henderson celebrates 30th birthday with a twist
ADVENTURER Tom Henderson celebrated his 30th birthday in his own unique style – by driving a converted ambulance from Unst to Africa.
Instead of a big party or a meal with friends, Henderson and girlfriend Kiara Casafranca started his third decade by trekking from the northernmost point of Shetland to Morocco.
The pair are seasoned travellers, with Lerwick man Henderson having now visited 90 countries over the last 10 years.
Their companion on their adventures is their “camp-bulance” Kevin – a former ambulance refitted to include a bed, induction cooker and mini fridge.
Having explored Asia, South America and Europe over the last decade, Henderson said Africa had emerged as the ideal destination to celebrate his 30th birthday.
“I used to stare at the map when I was younger and think of Africa as this mysterious place,” he said.
“It’s always a place I’ve wanted to adventure around.
“So I thought, I might as well start from the top of Unst and go.”
Henderson and Casafranca arrived in Morocco – their first destination on their African odyssey – the day before he turned 30 in late August, having driven the length of Shetland, the UK and through Europe to get there.
And they made an instant impression on the locals – with 20 people having to help rescue trusty sidekick Kevin from deep sand.
Kevin joined the pair on their travels last year after they bought him from two purported paramedics in Poland.
“I never asked where they got it from,” Henderson added.
It has since been transformed to become their home away from home, complete with solar panel on the roof to power their cooker, fridge and – importantly in the Moroccan heat – a fan.
Casafranca and Henderson met in a “happy accident” in Peru, the pair both volunteering in a hostel while locked down in the country during the Covid pandemic.
Henderson said they were just at the “tip of the iceberg” of their African adventure, with the eventual plan to make it all the way down to South Africa.
Despite having explored 90 countries already, he said he was “stepping out of my comfort zone” in tackling an entire continent on four wheels.
He said his journeys have been “99 per cent good times” so far – with some notably tense exceptions.
“I came across corrupt police in Bosnia, was charged by a hippo in Botswana and ended up in hospital in Peru after crashing in to a tree in my glider,” he said.
“In Bangladesh, I thought it would be okay to go speak to someone I knew in a refugee camp.
“We jumped on the back of a UN truck and got all the way through, past military checkpoints and everything.
“Then they stopped us and told me they suspected I was a spy for the Myanmar government.
“They questioned us for about three hours.”
Henderson said he “tried to see the funny side” of that episode, because he was confident the Bangladeshi officials would realise the truth and release them.
And he said the only time he was robbed on his travels was in…Glasgow.
“I had my bike stolen in broad daylight,” he added.
“Of all the 90 countries I’ve been to, that was the most crime I’ve experienced.”
He said he had plenty of stories that he did not tell his family “until I get home again”.
“I think they’re pretty used to it by now,” he added.
Henderson spoke passionately about travelling, and he wants more Shetlanders to follow in his footsteps.
“I decided when I was younger that we’ve only got a limited time on this planet, and I wanted to look back and think I’ve done everything that I could have.
“You can work when you’re there if you need the money – it doesn’t have to be something that furthers your career, it just has to be an experience.
“We experienced the Alps in Switzerland last year sitting in our van eating Lidl pasta.”
He said he and Casafranca had no set time limit for reaching the south of Africa, but estimated it could take them between six and 12 months.
And with the century of countries now in sight, he said they might look to take Kevin back up the east coast of Africa and over on a cargo ship to India to continue their adventures.
“Anything could happen,” he added.
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