Malaria Dreams: An African Adventure

Accompanied by a former fashion model, Ann, Stevens went to the Central African Republic to retrieve a friend's Land Rover and drive it to Europe. He found that the vehicle had been appropriated by the Minister of Mines, and his friend was under suspicion as a spy/diamond smuggler. Still committed to the overland journey, Stevens and Ann bought a battered diesel-powered Toyota Land Cruiser and set off on a tortuous route through former French territories--Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Mali and Algeria, an area that is mostly terra incognita to Americans, with paved roads nonexistent and amenities of civilization rare. Stevens gives a vivid picture of the heavily guarded American embassies in these remote capitals; he observes the evidence of international aid agencies and voices his appreciation of Catholic missions (for showers). Each segment of the trip was an adventure that culminated in a search for the local auto parts store and a hasty repair to their vehicle. At times, the pair measured distance in military roadblocks instead of miles. Stevens is the author of Night Train to Turkestan ; his off-beat African odys sey is a rollicking successor. (Aug.)