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Over there after the bridge we can see Spanish territory.
Second day, Saturday morning, 9.00 o´clock. Our convoy is blocked.
It´s not only our ambulance facing technical problems
also our kitchen car has to be pulled by a towrope.
Matthias, whats the problem now?
I ve got no idea. Same problem, another car.
Our car technicans normally have enough ideas to solve problems like this.
The ambulance they get running again. But the kitchen car, a Nissan Terrano,
seems not to be repairable by ourselves -
here in the Spanish city of Irun, just after the border.
We ve found out, venting does not solve the Terrano’s problems.
We hope to get spare parts because clutch master or slave zylinder seems
to have being spoiled – and – well…
The next try – calling the automobile club in Germany.
We have got the car off the highway. The problem we have now is
to find a garage here where they are able to assist us rapidly.
A working garage in Spain - on a Saturday?
The German automobile club gives up.
In Spain all garages are closed?
Until now everything has went well, until here at the French-Spanish border..
Now we are here with two broken cars. The Brakes are out of function,
brake fluid is leaking. We have asked the German automobile club for help.
Actually we dont know: what to do?
Our next technical problem this morning, a can opener, we easily get a grip.
Thank God.
Bread from the northern part of Germany, hot coffee, we feel comfortable.
How to get the Terrano on the road again?
Our ferry to Morocco is already booked for tomorrow morning.
After a couple of hours and plenty of discussions our Spanish team member
Ricardo is able to supply us with needed spare parts.
And he also has found an open garage.
But after another three hours - the spanish mechanics give up also.
So we decide to leave the car in Spain.
Otherwise we would have to stay in Spain for another 3 or 4 more days.
We don t know what will come up to us in the Sahara desert. So we let the car
stay here to being picked up and brought back to Germany to sell it there
at a good prize. Now we have to repack properly.
All items from the kitchen car, all food, the luggage and the drivers
have to be divided onto the 7 other cars.
For the white Terrano the tour to The Gambia is ending here in Spain.
We are feeling a bit emotional about that. For weeks we ve put power, energy and
ideas in our kitchen car with its special cupboard for all our food supplies.
Now our convoy has to speed up, tomorrow morning at nine thirty
the ferry is scheduled to leave from Algeciras. And we still have to go
for 1.200 kilometers within 13 hours through the Spanish night.
Some doubts within the group come up, whether drivers and cars
can make it on time. We all are tired and stressed,
a second night driving through is coming up.