Africa.
two months in Spain has been like going on vacation. It is a curious situation. My father's health improved after removing the stone, which has made the return to Africa has been much easier and less uncertain, at least in that aspect.
sixty days have been accurate in a bubble often surreal, friendships, work, climbing and drinking more than you put in a somewhat awkward situation, to begin to question what you really want one is back to the trip or stay a day enjoying these amenities with the charm after having been removed in some way, so much of them. Although on second thought, perhaps the warmth of your people what is most difficult to put aside. And I had always given me the solo! (And ham)
For the Lagrimillas retained in the lacrimal and throat pain that is often used as a wall to escape do not ever cry, my journey resumes with a pump fresh water, an oil filter and a full set of belts, south road again .., I'll fly, fly come.
Sofia
waiting for me in Frankfurt, where after two months without seeing each other do not we stand and we agree on anything. Time seems to have sparked a small storm of energy that must wait until the storm passes and the quiet put back in place. Rare.
After ten hours of flying and we're back in South Africa. There are no blues left behind but the excitement of stepping back to Africa. Great!! To continue the adventure fragonafricana!
decided to spend a few days in Jo'burg and also visit our Amos Jaye and friends of Cape Town which happen to be going the same dates in Pretoria with family, celebrating a curious and beautiful Jewish family gathering, during pregnancy Jaye. We started our arrival a very good footing and a friendly atmosphere.
In Johannesburg took the opportunity to make a cultural visit, returning to meet with the country's history and reintegrate into the South African reality so different. It is a visit to a little above the city, we dare not walk the streets of all our air by fear we have gotten into the body, so we spend most time at the Museum Africa, the Apartheid Museum and some national contemporary art exhibitions
But there are already looking forward to seeing our beloved J5 and get us off as soon as the dilemma of whether to run new water pump, or if you'll be floating on a mountain of bricks, take a plane (in South Africa The price of domestic flights are incredibly cheap) and move to East London. Here we host a family couchsurfers hallucinatory, Bob and Leslie, who live in a large house on the sea front in Gonubie, a suburb of East London, and for various reasons, our home will be longer than expected.
A couple of days later we will see is the van in the Bucaniers, the caming of Cintsa where we had done the favor of being able to park for two months without paying a dime. The first reaction is delight that there is such a mountain of bricks by replacing the wheels but remains firmly in place and the state as it was, just a bit overrun by vegetation, cobwebs, transformed into a full nest, and full of tiny animals that have occupied the van in a wild (to add a mouse we later discovered living at home engine). To our disappointment when you lift the bonnet we missing several pieces, (including some hoses, oil cap, the thermostat output, among others ..). No! Not the mouse! The mechanic has taken his personal vendetta (Lesson 1, never underestimate your mechanic!, Well better said, no mechanical) and picked up some stuff borrowed to make sure we returned and met with our agreement. Catch and hide us where it hurts. No comments.
Our intention was to use a more trusted mechanic to it, but to us the play of the pieces we have no choice but to call to say that we are in town and needed their services to repair car, making it as if we knew nothing of his exploits rash of thefts in vans outside. In response given will be in Jo'burg for at least a week and although we do not fully believe we are in your hands until this willingness to work in J5. If you already have little faith in it, now I have no words to describe what you would not see his face again. Do not touch other than wait.
So we rented a stroller to do some sightseeing around, and take to scale a little. We approached the small coastal village of Morgan Bay, about 40km from East London, and although we had to do some adventures to equip from above and where the roads were not very long, the place was incredibly beautiful and has been full of energy again.
As Dave, our charming mechanic, not just signs of coming back after a week later, we went to the village of Hogsback, about three hours away. Although we had been a few months ago, it seemed a good place to spend the weekend and climb a bit in a mountainous environment.
The anticyclone is perfect for the occasion and the first day is dedicated only to walk and to identify the access roads to the rock hard to find. The next day we direct and climbing areas in these latitudes are approximately an hour and a half from where you park the car and halfway across the field.
When we were about fifty yards from the wall, almost reaching the summit of what they call the Hog1, Sofia has been uploaded in a block of stone with such bad luck that had a loose piedrote, cayéndosele knocked to the ground and over. Such has been the blow that can not move and complains of severe pain in the groin. The thing looks serious and is not suitable to move. Go bad luck! So I have to go for help to the people. I let a little water and phone, leave a yellow shirt-hanging on a rock to mark the crash site and runs, runs toward the car. In an hour I'm at the hostel where we are staying and I speak of a volunteer rescue group. The call and see a guy who at least appear to be adequate size, and looking for a group of young volunteers and a stretcher.
Sofia
Luckily we have coverage and calling from time to time to reassure and warn that we are already on the road.
About three hours after the accident we happen to place and find a sharp pain in the groin but much more relaxed. From that moment the stalls and started a painful decline in cross country that will last perhaps another three hours to get to where we expected a 4x4. It really has been any proof of Resistance to Sofia and physically grueling for which we carried the heavy stretcher arrastrabamosy (70 kg) ...
Well, twelve hours after the accident, and with the collaboration of many people we got to the hospital St Dominique, in East London. It is curious that there is no ambulance in this sad corner of the planet and that the rescue was an act of will by a group of people who are responsible for doing projects with children orphans.
We had to move to Sofia in an old Toyota pickup, with the grace that half of the table went out the back of the box. The ransom was to pay the fuel tank of the old car.
In the hospital, to get us part of an eye and part of another just to get in and make an X-ray and an initial medical assessment, they find they have a double bill at the hip. No plays more to stay and wait for insurance the Master Card which has Sofia will cover all hospital expenses, it seems that this time if that will serve as something to keep safe. They give the forecast that the recovery will take at least 6 weeks.
the third day Sofia evolving considerably better than the van. Dave has returned to town and stayed with him in Cintsa but the results are not esperados.Tras have ridden all, including water pump repaired, the van is still overheating. He says that the same is the head gasket, and the feeling that the bad luck begins to join, I decide that came here and it makes me Dave offer to buy the van for an offensive and ridiculous amount of 300 euros (van and all that this brings in). This kind of deals do not help make decisions, what do you know that we are in contact but without promising anything. Sofia with the hip cracked and the van almost dead. Go plan, right?
Sofia is improving so that the sixth day they are discharged from the hospital. We welcome Bob and Leslie qualify by offering accommodation in Gonubie time necessary for recovery. Of course these things do not happen every day and we will be eternally grateful for their help and hospitality. In such cases who can talk about bad luck!
Sofia is very limited with crutches and early every little step is a big step. And so the days go by until it has been taking an amazing range for a month.
At this time Bob introduced us to the son of a friend who happens to be mechanical Peugeot East London, Kevin. What a coincidence. We were a Saturday morning to go look at the van Cintsa him. Amazingly the van after a couple of tweaks is not heated, is it possible?.
the start, it helps me with his 4x4 to remove weed in which it begins to live and in less than a rooster crows the van on the road rolling towards Gonubie. I felt that joy again contradictory to be behind the wheel, when only a few days ago and was written off and sold. It's joy and fear at the same time, because I have them all to be saved completely. Fe.
Sofia is recovering and the van is in recovery too. For five weeks after the accident and Sophie is beginning to move more quickly and feel more of a nuisance than the pain that had until recently, although still dependent on crutches as we near the day when the kick off. We assume that a maximum of two weeks and we need it but that does not mean an immediate return to a normal life, but a big step towards a perfect and fast recovery.
As for the van, we're at it and I hope your recovery was like Sofia, but between one thing and another repair that comes from new, we are doing with my friend Kevin.
This is the issue for connoisseurs. We just repaired a water leak that had the engine and we've got two broken springs in rear suspension (yep, that we put in Morocco). We have the problem that the temperature sensors work, but the temperature gauge always mark below 50. The worst part is that we have too much pressure in the cooling system, and Kevin told me it could be a problem of expansion tank cap, so tomorrow morning I'll buy a new one and pray that the problem comes from a nonsense as it is and not the head gasket. Please one Our Father together.
And so it goes, including physicians and mechanical travel has become something very peculiar. We think that at least two more weeks we'll stay at home the Clayton, depending on the state of Sofia, to begin to travel a bit, and of course, depending on how the van is after all the ropes we are giving intense. All this only time will tell. So everything is in the air, hoping that things are slowly improving or at least to clarify the possibilities that remain to be such a nuisance.
I send unconditional endless hugs and kisses to all, and many wishes of love, health and travel. I hope everything goes well we can explain a thousand new ventures in the next blog!
jordi and Sofia
