Rezekne man drives 1980 Zhiguli to the edge of Africa and back

Ilvis Brokans, a resident of Rezekne in Latgale, eastern Latvia, has returned from a two-month journey toward Africa and back in a yellow Zhiguli, a Soviet-made car built in 1980. At the Gors Latgale embassy car park in Rezekne, he said he had driven more than 10,000 kilometres in total to test his limits of endurance and comfort.

The road to Gibraltar

The car is 46 years old, with four gears, three pedals and one steering wheel. Brokans keeps books and other home comforts by the rear window and has fixed a tent on the roof. He also carries a portable kitchen in an old suitcase, containing a gas burner, a small pot, a pan and a coffee pot.

The original idea was to reach the African continent by car. He fell about 20 kilometres and a few hundred euros short. He drove as far as Gibraltar, then left the car in Spain and crossed to another continent on foot with a backpack. The whole two-month trip cost around 3,000 euros, most of it spent on fuel.

He slept mostly in a tent on the car roof, spending one night in France with a family who took him in. In Spain the car keys broke, so he now starts the engine by connecting wires under the steering wheel. He walked to the nearest garage to ask for help. By his account, the language barrier was not a problem.

Earlier trip and conclusions

A few years ago Brokans had already driven across Europe to Athens, Greece, in the same car. He says that trip changed his outlook: in his view, limits exist only in the mind. He documented the journey on social media and says the group following him was large.

Brokans also encourages people to try smaller adventures in Latgale, such as spending a night in a tent with family and lighting a campfire. He says he often spends nights in his car beside a lake. His next adventure, he says, will be on foot with a backpack.