So now, the end may be near, and so we may be facing the final curtain

Eventful trip so far!

Arrived in Bali to find we had only 1 working Rickshaw, but 4 almost working team members. Our second non-functioning Rickshaw (we had a choice of 2...either no electrics or steering mechanism, or a blown head gasket with no Spares outside Jakarta in Java) was to be trucked to Jakarta over the next 3 days and then repaired.

Tom and Chris from the Indostructibles (with Team Awesome) kindly offered to transport Scot to Jakarta as they were a man down. This arrangement worked well for their first 10 breakdowns....but when they stopped for lunch we decided to carry on down the same road with all 4 of us in our Rickshaw to see if it would be a viable option. The plan was to stop and wait for them if it was too uncomfortable.

After about 10K our Axle, Radiator, (and Brakes) failed and we coasted to a halt outside a welding shop! The snackbar opposite rang a mechanic who came to help fix everything and 2 hours later the Rickshaw was ready to roll again - but with a much lighter pay-load. During this time Team Indostructible hadn't driven by - due mainly to the fact that their Rickshaw was in even worse condition than ours (as I write this sat in Jakarta, they haven't even made it off Bali!) 

To avoid separating the team, we loaded the Rickshaw (only capable to carrying 2 people with the re-welded axle) into a truck to get to the Dock in West Bali...and limped our way to a hotel in East Java via ferry and cycle rickshaw.

Day 2 began with a "call to prayer" at 5am. Scot and Mark then arranged to travel to Surabaya by train whilst Nav and Simon drove the Rickshaw around the coast to the same destination. When Scot sent his first text to announce they had safely arrived on the train, the RIckshaw team replied they had safely broken down again (blown Radiator, melted Alternator, "Frozen" cylinder head). his little episode was not correctable by the side of the road, so once again our journey continued by truck.

On arrival in Surabaya, the Rickshaw was loaded on a train to Jakarta where the spare parts would hopefully be available. We boarded an overnight passanger train arriving in Jakarta the morning of day 3.

Managed to find a mechanic in Jakarta - (Henry, an American from San Francisco!), but the engine needs a total rebuild and parts aren't readily available. The second Rickshaw has apparently arrived (although we're not allowed to know where, and don't know when it will be ready to drive away)...it would also need to be fully serviced before departing Jakarta.

Due to the huge amount of uncertainty we are questioning our next options.

 

 

 

Route Planning

SUNDAY 31st MAY 2009

Nearly 2 months after signing up we've finally managed to get all 6 members of our convoy together in one place - drawn together by a common desire for consuming beer and half-cooked meat in sunny Berm-on-Sea.

The attraction was so great for Scot that he announced his arrival by crashing his car into the front of my house! Keen to exploit these visual-spacial skills we have now put Scot in charge of working out the distance we need to travel each day.

James was the next to arrive - and as he knows a girl who speaks spanish he's in charge of communications. He reassures us (or maybe I've just made this bit up?) that she'll be forgiving of the time difference when James phones her every mealtime up to check we're ordering Guinea Pig and not something vegetarian. 

Nick arrived and was surprised to find out we will be traveling from Lima to Ascuncion - mainly because Simon L couldn't be bothered to read the Adventurists Website and so had told Nick the route was between the first 2 South American cities he could think of (which happened not to be 4000km apart, separated by the Andes, Salt Flats, and Swamps)

Nav was the last to arrive - hindered by navigational and travel planning problems...ironic really considering his name, but at least it identified the perfect role for him.

 

 

 

We now have a plan that gets us as far as La Paz (Bolivia), after which it becomes a bit sketchy. But as it's unlikely we'll all survive that far it seems a bit pointless wasting everyone's time planning the next bit. 

The next thing on our agenda is to start shortlisting applicants for our vacant PAA posts (Professions Allied to Adventurism). If anyone knows the whereabouts of a decent butler, chai-wallah, wandering minstrel, rose petal bearers, and of course hand-maidens then please let us know.