France
Not driving but flying back to Europe
20 / Dec / 2010
At 4:30 the alarm woke us up, it was time to get ready to go to the airport in Nairobi for our flight back to Europe. The dogs of Jungle Junction, Pipa and Pumba, were lying in front of the door and were sad to see us leave. After having been in Kenya and spending a lot of time with the dogs at JJ, it was somehow difficult to say goodbye knowing we wouldn't see them for a long while this time. Every time we used come back to the campsite from a short trip around the country, they were always so happy to see us and us to see them, it was almost as they were our own dogs. As soon as we were at camp, the dogs used to settle down around our car, it felt like family!
The taxi was ready and we jumped in, without coffee in the morning as usual, 45 minutes later we are standing in line to get into the building to check in. Only after finally making it to the checkin desk we are told that we are in the wrong building and that after many people checking where we were flying to! Kenya, it is a beautiful country and well developed but sometimes you wonder why these situations are happening over and over again.
Landing at Schiphol Airport is like a breath of fresh air. Yes there is snow everywhere and it is cold but the airport itself is amazing. The signage is clear, it is spacious and all runs smooth, the people at the counters are very helpful, and despite the situation created by many flight cancellations and delays everybody seems to be in a good mood. To all people working at the airport, thank you for keeping the good mood!
When going through customs we met several Japanese travelers that either forgot their boarding card, passport or luggage when going through security. A short search and we found them making them smile when handing over the passports etc. A quick check with the rest of the group and they were on their way with all their belongings and necessary documents.
Holland wasn't Holland if it would not be flexible and customer oriented. Smoking in the airport has been forbidden for a few years already to the frustration of many smokers. It is the law in the Netherlands, as in many countries, that you are not allowed to smoke in public areas/buildings including the airports. Since many smokers kept smoking and created dangerous situations, designated smoking areas have been created. This way the smokers can have their last cigaret before flying or immediately after a long flight and the dangerous situations no longer exist: everybody happy.
Before jumping on our connecting flight to France we run into one of the tourist shops to buy a big piece of 'Old Amsterdam' - wonderful old Dutch cheese - we missed it so much on our trip. Once ready for boarding we find out that there is delay for our flight - quickly to the sportswear to have a drink, cheese sandwich (of course) and a last smoke!
The taxi was ready and we jumped in, without coffee in the morning as usual, 45 minutes later we are standing in line to get into the building to check in. Only after finally making it to the checkin desk we are told that we are in the wrong building and that after many people checking where we were flying to! Kenya, it is a beautiful country and well developed but sometimes you wonder why these situations are happening over and over again.
Landing at Schiphol Airport is like a breath of fresh air. Yes there is snow everywhere and it is cold but the airport itself is amazing. The signage is clear, it is spacious and all runs smooth, the people at the counters are very helpful, and despite the situation created by many flight cancellations and delays everybody seems to be in a good mood. To all people working at the airport, thank you for keeping the good mood!
When going through customs we met several Japanese travelers that either forgot their boarding card, passport or luggage when going through security. A short search and we found them making them smile when handing over the passports etc. A quick check with the rest of the group and they were on their way with all their belongings and necessary documents.
Holland wasn't Holland if it would not be flexible and customer oriented. Smoking in the airport has been forbidden for a few years already to the frustration of many smokers. It is the law in the Netherlands, as in many countries, that you are not allowed to smoke in public areas/buildings including the airports. Since many smokers kept smoking and created dangerous situations, designated smoking areas have been created. This way the smokers can have their last cigaret before flying or immediately after a long flight and the dangerous situations no longer exist: everybody happy.
Before jumping on our connecting flight to France we run into one of the tourist shops to buy a big piece of 'Old Amsterdam' - wonderful old Dutch cheese - we missed it so much on our trip. Once ready for boarding we find out that there is delay for our flight - quickly to the sportswear to have a drink, cheese sandwich (of course) and a last smoke!
France, on the road again
05 / Apr / 2010
We are back on the road again after being in France for about 4 weeks. Since we could not get into Libya while we were in Tunisia we went back to France to plan the route through the Middle East and to request visas. While being in France we found out that we could arrange the visa for Syria and the other countries at the borders - see the route page for our new itinerary.
Departure in 3 steps
16 / Feb / 2010
The day came that we left Holland but before packing our bags and starting the car to drive to France we, of course, went to say goodbye to my family. Mum arranged a nice farewell at her place and surprised us with a big cake having a picture on it of the 4x4 with us both. Together we spoke about the trip we had in mind, all the countries we were planning to visit and how long this trip was going to be. At the moment we are planning to reach Cape Town in September but have no clear idea yet when we would come back. Barry's brothers and sister came over with their kids and it was heart breaking to leave them all behind. If we would stay in Africa for a very long time, we promised each other to have them all coming over.
After a long overnight drive of 1,400 km, we reached Perpignan, south of France. We arrived early in the morning which was a nice surprise for Val's mum. Because we only took a 2-hour nap in the car at a gas station, after arriving we quickly took our bags out of the car and slept a few hours. In Perpignan we worked on the 4x4 to get it completely ready for our trip. We had some bigger and smaller "repairs" to do, Val's dad was happy to help. Actually he did most of the work and we were watching and learning from him and where possible assisting with the jobs at hand. Among other "repairs", we worked on the following over a period of 2 weeks:
- Clean the radiator
- Replace side panels in the car and back door
- Remove the rust on the bull bar and repaint it
- Change the oil, diesel and air filters
- Replace the brake pads on the front tires and check the status on the rear tires
- Change all engine oil
- Install the aluminum cases for our luggage
- Greasing
- Replace the tire' valves
- Create plexiglas covers for the headlights (to protect them)
- Replace the lights on the bull bar (we burned the old ones when wrongly reconnecting the electric cables!)
- Prepare the tent to sleep in
- Repack the car so that everything would fit in (that was a job in itself but it fits)
- Wash the car the day before departing to Marseille
Now that all the work is done on the 4x4, it is Val's turn to leave her parents. She is still recovering at the moment and getting ready to wave her brother goodbye in Marseille. Although we both have said goodbye to family many times before, this time for some reason it feels different. Maybe it is because we will be traveling for so long, through so many countries, with so many unknowns, and no return date in mind. However our family and friends are fully supporting our initiative, happy for us that we go for our dream. Thank you to them for being there! We hope to see you all one day in Africa, wherever this will be. The sundowner will be on us.
After a long overnight drive of 1,400 km, we reached Perpignan, south of France. We arrived early in the morning which was a nice surprise for Val's mum. Because we only took a 2-hour nap in the car at a gas station, after arriving we quickly took our bags out of the car and slept a few hours. In Perpignan we worked on the 4x4 to get it completely ready for our trip. We had some bigger and smaller "repairs" to do, Val's dad was happy to help. Actually he did most of the work and we were watching and learning from him and where possible assisting with the jobs at hand. Among other "repairs", we worked on the following over a period of 2 weeks:
- Clean the radiator
- Replace side panels in the car and back door
- Remove the rust on the bull bar and repaint it
- Change the oil, diesel and air filters
- Replace the brake pads on the front tires and check the status on the rear tires
- Change all engine oil
- Install the aluminum cases for our luggage
- Greasing
- Replace the tire' valves
- Create plexiglas covers for the headlights (to protect them)
- Replace the lights on the bull bar (we burned the old ones when wrongly reconnecting the electric cables!)
- Prepare the tent to sleep in
- Repack the car so that everything would fit in (that was a job in itself but it fits)
- Wash the car the day before departing to Marseille
Now that all the work is done on the 4x4, it is Val's turn to leave her parents. She is still recovering at the moment and getting ready to wave her brother goodbye in Marseille. Although we both have said goodbye to family many times before, this time for some reason it feels different. Maybe it is because we will be traveling for so long, through so many countries, with so many unknowns, and no return date in mind. However our family and friends are fully supporting our initiative, happy for us that we go for our dream. Thank you to them for being there! We hope to see you all one day in Africa, wherever this will be. The sundowner will be on us.
Perpignan, France
01 / Sep / 2009
Once in Perpignan, first stop is the beach to relax and sleep in the sun. Then Visa pour l'Image starts and it is time to enjoy seeing old friends again, visiting photo exhibitions and joining the evening screening shows, before some late dinners in the small streets of Perpignan. The last week of our stay is dedicated to do some small fixes on the car with Val's father, Roger, who has a lot more experience and knowledge in mechanics than us. It is a quick mechanics' training! Roger and Val speak French together while Barry tries to make sense of it. We make up our own words and get to understand quickly what we mean. We add some lights to the roofrack, clean the car again and collect tools and spare parts. Back to Holland by mid September to continue the preparation for the trip to Africa.
Testdriving the Land Cruiser
26 / Aug / 2009
Our first long trip with the Land Cruiser is to South of France (1,400km). Is the car going to make it? We are a little bit nervous because we just finished the first big repair which is only 10 days old. The clutch will be tested driving through the volcano area in Auvergne, the viaduct of Millau, etc. The car did very well and so did we, reaching Perpignan after a 2-day drive. We are in love with our Land Cruiser, it is amazing to drive and especially the seats are outstanding. It felt like driving only for a few hours so we are not worried having to drive to Cape Town in "our truck" as some people describe it.
