Day 14 & 15 Through Ethiopia and on to Kenya.

Day 14 started with 2 gravel stages, where we set the fastest time, then after this a tarmac run to our overnight stay  after negotiating Addis Ababa, both challenging and traumatic.

Day 15 saw the day start with the leader board largely unchanged, the 911 guys are running very well, fast car, good team and very helpful to the rest of us. Andy in the lead car should also do well, having good ground clearance.  Tomorrow I think will be the toughest challenge we have yet faced and I predict there will be a massive shake-up in the leader board with time differences reaching into hours rather than minutes as we tackle what is reputed to be the roughest road in the world.

Ybello in Ethiopia 100km from Kenyan border 15th Jan. Lined up for start of competitive section.  

Moyale, Kenya 15th Jan

Just entered Kenya. Friendly soldier looking after us. 

Across Sudan and into Ethiopia - Day 12 and 13 Day 13

Thursday 12th was interesting. As I left off on my last entry, we were at Port Sudan and the clock was ticking. After paying a fee (we didn't really work out what for) of $80 each, we left about 3.30pm for the 700km drive to Gederef. And what a drive it was. 

Mostly on one road, it  this varied from decent tarmac to moon surface and switched from one to the other with no warning. The problem was that at night (which fell just 3 hours from departure), we couldn't see the rough stuff until too late - unless we were to drive at 30mph the whole way which clearly was not practical with a 7.30 start the next day from Gedaref. 

We hit one rough section being able to brake only to about 60 (remembering to come off the brakes just before hitting to allow some suspension travel) and we just bounced in the air from the pot holes - crash bang wallop. We were sure we must have damaged something but apart from some evidence of body flexing, we can't find anything. They build 'em tough at Langworth Motorsport in Lincoln. 

Eventually, we tucked behind the Datsun 240Z of Grant and Simon who were themselves tucked behind a pickup of the police who were looking after us along the route. He knew the road and would take us up to 90+ and suddenly put on his hazard lights and slow right down to negotiate some moonscape at no more than 10mph. Then it was off again at full pelt. 

We were truly knackered by the time we arrived at 12.30 but thought we had better fill up with fuel at the local station with a policeman minder in tow. This turned out to be right across from a Sudanese disco and the car was quickly surrounded by about 30 young lads who were boisterous but friendly (no alcohol in Sudan - at least that we found). Our policeman was a bit concerned though, as more poured out of the club, and called for back-up. They must have been nearby because 2 minutes later, a truckload of armed police screeched into the garage and the lads scarpered immediately. You obviously don't mess with these guys. To be fair to them, they looked after us well. 

The first 3 hours of the drive gave us a limited chance to see some of Sudan - the bit that we saw at first being a beautiful desert backdrop to a gorgeous sunset. The local inhabitants obviously have it tough. Some had made huts out of various corrugated iron sheets and whatever they could find and others lived in tents of various shapes and sizes. I remember the same feeling in India in 2004 on the London - Sydney Rally, seeing people who quite obviously have nothing eeking out whatever living they can on the edge of a desert, while we whizz by in our western cars  feels  wrong. Some might call it an outrageous liberty. This is one of the reasons I am trying to raise funds for African Revival and am carrying books to help set up a school library. If we can make a difference from our travels somewhere en route then we should.  

Some of the others had worse luck on the Gedaref drive.  One of the Toyotas hit a donkey in the dark - a common hazard apparently as they just wander about. Others were showing a few body cracks and creases on the cars from hitting deep hidden pot holes a bit too hard. 

Not much time to look at the car today (13th) and it was off early for the 100 mile drive to the Ethiopian border. As we travelled, the countryside began to get greener and this seemed to start in earnest at the border. The border process was efficiently handled and we were on our way in about 90 mins which rather caught the organisers by surprise. The reception we received wherever we travelled today was fantastic. School children had been given time off to cheer us through towns and villages on the route and seemingly most other villagers came to see what was happening. The main streets were lined with people clapping in a very civilized way for every car that came through and waving banners - Welcome to Ethiopia. We really couldn't have had a more friendly welcome. They were also very curious about the cars and us coming up when we stopped to have a chat. One was practicing his English on the rally plates. "Shouldn't it be From London to Cape Town Rally rather than The London to Cape Town Rally?", he asked. I referred him to Bob. 

Then off for a couple of competitive sections in the twisty mountain roads designed to test a loaded car's ability to drag itself up more then 2000 metres. Most managed this. Then, 3 hours to get to our night halt at Bahir Dar which backs onto a beautiful lake. 

So far, we have seen little evidence of the distress suffered in past years in Ethiopia - just lots of smiling faces and interest in the rally, the cars and curiosity about us (and we must look an odd bunch). But you can sense that the concern remains there under the surface. When it rains, as it did today, people are happier and they can manage for themselves; the land is basically very fertile and we saw evidence of that everywhere. When it doesn't, they don't have much to fall back on. 

Tomorrow it is back to the gravel with a long gravel competitive section and 750km total to our next halt still in Ethiopia. Another very long day but at least  in daylight. 

From Jeddah to Sudan by Ferry

The ferry is an old Egyptian Ro-Ro and pretty basic - we have a few little fellow passengers travelling with us of the insect kind. When the cleaner arrived he just sprayed air freshener around and left - our towels are like little serviettes and we had just 1 each. Still stuck at customs at  3.30pm and 700km to go today. Local authorities now asking for $80/car to let us go. Should just get to hotel at Gederef by the time we need to set off again to get to Ethiopian border tomorrow afternoon. 

The road is apparently pretty good so we'll see. Filling up with fuel might be a problem at night so we'll be filling our cans at the first opportunity. Taking care now with water and food and have started on the Malaria tablets. 

Arriving at the port, Sudan

Our 2 litre standard non-turbo powerhouse. Last time anyone worked on this was in Japan. See larger radiator. We keep being asked if it is an intercooler...

Day 11 - Onto Sudan

Just 300km today from Yanbu to Jeddah from where we catch the ferry to Port Sudan tonight. 200km on a straight 4 lane road with heavy traffic at either end. 

We managed to get to Jeddah with enough time to visit the local Subaru dealer and pick up some spare brake pads, having used our first set of spares. Also gave it an underneath spanner check on the ramp while there and they couldn't help enough once they saw the car and heard our story. This is despite us arriving just before prayers started at 1. Good job we did - they didn't open again till 4 which would have been too late for us. 

We then nipped into the McDonalds next door and were directed into the 'singles' entrance rather than the 'family' one. Considering it was inhabited only by men and had only a mens' toilet, it was pretty clear that single women would not be expected!

Then off to sit at the docks in Jeddah to await the ferry at which the missing Datsun reappeared having been air-freighted at great expense from Greece and looking the worse for wear with a bent shell. Just about still in the rally though. 

A lot of grumbling going on about the reduced penalties stemming from getting stuck in the sand in Egypt with almost everyone we have talked to referring to it as favouritism for some of the front runners. The penalties applied were more favourable than those applied earlier when cars got stuck in the mud in Greece and a lot of crews are not happy with it. One crew said, on the basis of the penalties awarded, it would have better for them had they not run through the final desert section at all - which was actually pretty punishing on the cars and made them late at the final control.   

The stuck cars missed 4 controls and were late at the last one which would usually carry a penalty of 30 mins for each or there and thereabouts. For the mud, it was reduced to half that as some got stuck simply because of the log-jam. In the desert section, when a similar thing happened, the penalties were reduced yet further to 40 mins max and many see that as inconsistent relative to earlier. 

Never easy to make these decisions though and I have some sympathy for the fwd guys as I've been there.

Still, only a handful of cars (us included) have completed every competitive section in every different set of conditions and level of difficulty set by the organisers which is what we built the car to achieve as per the published rules. 

Should arrive Sudan tomorrow morning for a long drive to Gederef - 8hrs on the road. Hope we can clear customs and immigration quickly. So far 3 hours is the average. 

Saudi - Day 10

Long road sections today and tomorrow. No competition as the 2 all-women crews can't drive their own cars in Saudi. Bit of a goodwill visit really. In Yanbu tonight and off to Jeddah tomorrow to pick up the evening ferry to Sudan. 

Long clear roads for most of today with some police escorts along the way. We were stopped after 50km and about 8 of us gathered together. 2 police cars up front in each lane of the dual carriageway and 1 behind and we were off in convoy for about 100 miles with police further along the route closing junctions and stopping traffic. On we flew at 90+ until suddenly they peeled off and left us to it - probably because we had passed through their patch. 

We stopped for petrol at a station slightly off the main road and the car soon attracted a group of about 10 young boys of about 10 or 11, most wearing either Chelsea of Man Utd shirts but who spoke little English. After filling up and visiting the facilities (a kind of open plan WC arrangement) we were pulling out when a small boy running alongside and smiling knocked on the window and shouted "f*** you, f*** you", smiling all the time and pretty clearly not having a clue what he was saying. Probably thought this was goodbye in English. When we got to the hotel, we could see that someone had had a go at trying to pull the rear rally plate off...

The cars are all parked outside the hotel with the police in attendance. There are about 100 teenage lads, some in the tarted up cars zooming up and down. Any crew that leaves the hotel is inundated by the lads for photos and to point to their cars and pose with them. There are also a number of dads with their sons showing them round the cars. One told us it was 25 years since he saw rally cars like this in Saudi and he wanted to show his son as his father had taken him to see the cars then. Everyone says "Welcome to Saudi Arabia" and is very friendly. 

Jeddah tomorrow night and then off to Sudan and Africa proper for a 700km day on Thu. Car all checked over and running well. Van tyres somehow seem better suited to this climate and the 28 degrees C it was today. 

Egypt - Day 9 in the Desert.

3 desert stages lined up for today so it was another early start from Aie Sokha for a 200km drive to a cafe holding control near the desert section. Here we witnessed a bad accident just 100m from the cafe which involved serious injuries. Fortunately, there were lots of police in attendance. 

The first section was 28km of mixed desert; soft sand, rocky tracks and wadis with dried river beds (which are always extra soft). It was the latter that caused yet another traffic jam of stuck cars. Cars were to leave at 2 min intervals due to dust and we were to catch quite a lot. 

We saw Owen Turner start off in his fwd MG and he struggled to get traction from the outset. We've driven desert stages before some years before on a fwd Peugeot. I could tell he was going to struggle as he moved off the line scrabbling for grip. It was perhaps a mistake to use his gravel tyres. They tend to bite into sand and therefore dig in. Ordinary tyres are more likely to float across the top of the sand if you can gather sufficient momentum and keep it up. 

Navigation was very tricky with tracks in all directions but the satnav helped, giving an arrow to the next point to compare to the roadbook. We arrived in a dry river bed canyon section and we saw the crew of second place Andy in the distance quickly jumping back in their car after sportingly trying to tow Owen out of deep soft sand in which he was firmly stuck. Owen immediately got stuck again and others subsequently were to stack up behind him. We managed to get through and were off after Andy who was slightly off route to our left. Our track didn't quite allow us to head him off and when he rejoined our track, we were in his dust and had to back off. We tried moving off to the right but we couldn't quite match him and get past so followed him into the control. 

The next section was cancelled so we shot off to the third section start where it was clear by the absence of cars as the minutes passed that not many had got through the first section. The 911 had rocketed through though - not surprising from a driver who has done the Paris-Dakar 7 times. 

The next and final competitive section for the day was a 7km loop starting with a long bumpy straight with hidden dips and crests. Our front lower shield took several big impacts in the dips which bent it slightly back into shape after hitting a big rock in Greece. Our time matched Andy's. 

The end result was a change in the leader board with yet another approach to penalties being adopted for failures of those stuck to get to controls. Previously, penalties have been halved from those in the regs when sections have been blocked and time lost. Today, less than half published penalties were applied no doubt to maintain some competitive interest. Most lost 40 mins rather than 2 hours. 

The changes meant we rose one place to 2nd but what happened today could easily happen to us, with more than half of the event still to go. I only hope we will get similar treatment relative to the rules when it happens. 

We now move onto a part of the rally which focuses on road sections through Saudi and Sudan with 500km tomorrow before catching another ferry into Sudan (the best and safest route into Sudan apparently). 

Bored on ferry..

.. so thought I would jot down a few notes. 

Well, a week gone on the London to Cape Town Rally or 25% as we enter Egypt early tomorrow morning (Sun 8th Jan). What have I learnt so far?

Firstly (though this might change when we experience northern Africa), van tyres might not have been the best choice. While we are the highest placed car using them, we have consistently been beaten only by cars using more grippy rally tyres. The difference on dry tarmac is less and on the wet, it is more. When muddy, it is very marked indeed. If we had used gravel tyres in Europe, we would have done better. 

Secondly, it is important to do well early and get up the seeding. We have missed most of the pile-ups hitting those further back by being up at the front. 

Thirdly, this is primarily a navigator's rally. You need to be in the right place at the right time. This means juggling the detailed road book with the trip meter and the satnav to get the right junctions and turnings and all while bouncing down bumpy roads at speed. The reason we did well so early was down to Bob in the lanes of Kent. When the crews of some very serious cars got lost and gave up to go to the ferry, Bob got us round and in a good position. There will be the odd mistake sure, but we've made less than most of the others. 

Fourthly, our fellow competitors are an interesting bunch, from all wakes of life. There are several crews driving MGs and as these naturally have something in common they help each other. When the all-girl crew in car 24, hit a roundabout due to a diesel spillage in fog in Italy, they all rallied round and helped to get the car fixed and on the ferry for Egypt. 

A particular mention in despatches here for Owen and Matt in the current leading car, another MG. Matt is even courting a thick ear and stitches after falling off a step ladder while trying to take remove a bend in the girl's car sump guard by dropping a garage car hoist onto it weighted with their car. The hoist then got stuck with Owen's car at max height. While trying to fix it, Matt fell off. They were nearly out of the rally because of a broken Greek garage hoist. 

Then there are the classics guys. These are devotees of the highest order of particular classic marques like Peugeot, Volvo, Mercedes, Datsun and Ford (though strangely only one Escort on this rally). They could talk for days about camshaft shim variations  dating from 1973. They form one of the strongest bonds with their fellow class crews because they spend so much time mending their cars and helping each other out of some crisis or other. Most seem to relish adversity. "Our cylinder head needs rebuilding again - means another late night for us!" they exclaim with barely disguised joy before setting to the task with others bringing them tea and snacks through the evening And into the night. A central part of the enjoyment on an event like this for these guys is keeping a 30 year old car going against the odds. A breakdown is not a cause of despair, it's another excuse to get the tools out and 'get stuck in'. 

Then there are the professionals. With an almost unlimited budget and a beautiful hand-built car worth well into 6 figures, they have matching jackets and are often found huddled together discussing tactics, tyre choices and various pieces of intelligence gathered on the next day's events. Individually, they are perfectly pleasant but they are men on a mission. They have another competitor vehicle acting as their service barge  (which is legal - you just have to buy 2 entries) to carry spare everything so they want for nothing. Accordingly, they are the ones to watch.

Looking at the other 'valiant and keen' amateurs in the field, they are a real mixed bunch. There are adventurers in a mixture of big mostly modern 4x4's; some not having been on a rally before and enjoying it all the more. This group even includes a couple of husband and wife crews. 

One 911 has what looks like a mattress on the roof - really a cover for spare tyres and tools. There's a classic 240Z carrying just about everything they and the car might need for at least a year and another Datsun which seems to be carrying only 2 small holdalls. This one hit a local car in Greece and missed the ferry. They are air freighting it to Jedda to pick up the route. The Morgan V8 expired in Greece too so the crew have left the car and will be hiring a 4x4 here in an attempt to keep going and follow the rally. 

All the crews seem to have one thing in common; they take this very seriously and are fiercely competitive against those around them in the daily results. Very serious during the day and good natured at night in the bar re-living the day's events, dramas and controversies of which there are usually quite a few. The deputy clerk of the course Peter regularly has in tow a couple of competitors querying something or other about their times. In the last days of stuck cars, he has been a busy man. 

Then there is the organising team. About 10 in total including volunteers to man the controls, a doctor (Norwegian Army special forces) and the backroom team crunching the times and compiling daily results tables. The general approach is relaxed and friendly. 

Postscript

We landed in Alexandria earlier today (Sun) and went straight out in City traffic. Blimey, what a drive it is down the 200 or so miles to and around Cairo. Anything goes on these roads. When there are lane markings (which is rare), no one takes notice of them anyway. Every man for himself and nearly all cars carry the scars of Egyptian roads. People just stop in the middle of the road to speak to someone, buy oranges, change a wheel or even just have a pee. We finished in the dark and perhaps only half the cars showed any lights. Makes it all pretty stressful.

One surreal moment occurred when we heard a police siren approaching from behind in a busy 4 lane highway. We pulled over to let him through. But he pulled alongside and inside sat 3 para-military policemen smiling and gesticulating to us to go faster. Not wanting to disappoint, we speeded up and they followed still waving. They still had their siren on and lights flashing so cars moved aside and we must have gone 20 miles weaving through the traffic - from lane 1 to 4 sometimes with them in front and sometimes behind at about 95mph. We passed several other rally cars. Some must have thought we were being chased and others simply looked puzzled to watch us whizzing by behind a police car with flashing lights and siren and with the occupants laughing and waving out of the window. Wonder if it will catch on in UK. 

Tomorrow, we are off to do some desert stages before catching the ferry to Saudi.