From Cape to Cape 1998

The Crew

Maybe you wonder how we end up travelling all together. The answer is not so simple, so get your mind ready and read this :
At the beginning were Jacques and Gael enjoying a swim in a pool under the stars of the Kalahari Gemsbok park in South Africa.
"What's about going travelling for a couple of months ?" Gael suggested. Then, the idea made his way through their mind and, after a couple of weeks of hard brainstorming, the decision was made, and the objective was decided : North Cape would be the target. A commitment was made to leave at the beginning of January.
After a couple of emails from Gael, Patrick joined the team. They had no need to see each other to speak about it, Internet was enough to exchange the ideas, the dreams and the suggestions. It would be like this until the departure. Gael had only seen Patrick once after they met in Netherlands, where they studied business together in '95. Let's say that they had a good fit together.
A couple of weeks later, after a sleepless night following Jacques' crazy proposal, Herve decided to join the group as well.
Last but not least to join was Vero. She already knew Jacques for having lived 15 months with him (not the same room !) and currently was living with Gael (not the same room as well) at the time of preparation. Watching Gael preparing the 4x4, planning the route was too much for her, she decided to come with the guys, whatever the means.

For the five of us, leaving meant a lot of things : leaving a job without knowing what we would find once back, leaving the family and the friends, and a big financial investment. All that, shows enough our motivation and commitment to make a personal success of this adventure.

Gaël Brisson

26 years old
From: Nantes in France
Educational background : Production engineer
Experiences :
L'ORÉAL South Africa (2 years) : business controller
PHILIPS France (6 months) : Junior project manager
RCI Spain (2 months) : Salesman in time share
SONAMIA (1 month) : Export mission in Poland

Gaël is "Mister Landie", mothering her at all time. After 4 months of work on the old lady, he has become a mechanical expert and a good diesel drinker. Sailor by passion he should be able to locate the north cape for us (at least we hope !)
E-mail: Gaël Brisson

Patrick Fredriksson

27 years old
From: Skövde / Stockholm in Sweden
Educational background : Production engineer
Experiences :
VOLVO AB Sweden (2 years) : Maintainance Engineer
CYKLOP AB Sweden (2 years) : Project manager

Have been working short periods in Austria and Germany. Together with Gael, he studied
business and marketing in Leeuwarden, Holland.
His objective: To travel with three French guys and a girl for eight months: This is a challenge on its own!

Patrick is our beloved "Swedish Gentleman", as good on the pc as on the car, a very experienced motorbike driver. Surprisingly, he copes quite well with the team "franglais" and might speak a weird French as he reaches the North Cape. He good on everything beside choosing a wine !
E-mail: Patrick Fredriksson

Jacques Lainé

26 years old
From: Thourie, Bretagne, France
Educational background : Agricultural engineer
Experiences :
FRENCH EMBASSY OF S.A. (15 months) : Agricultural representative
AGRICULTURAL CHAMBER: Business Consultant
Everything is always cool for our darling-pig boy! With all his funny comments he's a very gentle landie driver who handles her with lots of TLC. Although he calls himself "basic" and says he can survive on rice for breakfast, lunch and supper, he nevertheless doesn't mind good foods and wines. Jacques is the diplomate of the team and will surely keep the team together till the end of the trip and later.
E-mail: Jacques Lainé

Hervé Crespel

27 years old
From: Bordeaux in France Educational background :Business, Economics
Experiences :
on strike!!!!!! Banque Populaire, Bordeaux (3 years)
Hervé loves travelling and spend his last vacation in Spain, riding mountain in the desert.
Although he is the " Mister Securité" of the trip, he is probably the biggest kid of the crew (not only in size) and one of the motorbike driver. He is a very keen photograph and cameraman (you would be surprise to see what he takes pictures of...) and a good noise producer (never heard a better pig).

Veronique Peltzer

From: Paris but have lived in Johannesburg for three years.
Educational background: Food technology degree and Business School specialised in the food industry
Experiences: Sodexho Southern Africa (3 years) : Operational Marketing Manager Hediard (5 months) : Export assistant La vie Claire (4 months) : Food technologist
Our Femme Fatale, the biker chick that makes the police worried and who makes great lost breads in the mornings. Only Vero could get the idea of going from Cape to Cape on a big and heavy motorbike and she will do it. Miss stubborn is also our big sunshine when we other have a bad day.
E-mail: Veronique Peltzer

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