Intrepid for 10 Minutes: 2012

10 Feb 2012

A Final Beer in the sun

Turns out our decision to fly to Spain was right, with rain across most of europe the weather in southern Spain was superb and we had a few good walks and at long last did half of the Via Verde with Paul and Synova, our friends that run the Alioli, the bar at Estecion Jimera.

Flying back to the UK on Dec 22nd we drove up to Chris's parents for Christmas, did a couple opf good walks with Sarah, back to move the furniture back on the 30th and back to work on the 3rd Jan.

We are not quite ready to start planning the next trip yet, but the landcrusier is waiting patiently by the side opf the house, ready to set off any minute. Menawhile Sarah and I are hoping for snow and ice in the Lakes so we go stomping around with crampons and ice axe and I am planning a cycle camping trip round Cornwall in June.

Cycling the Via Verde, a 35 mile long section of railway that was never opened and has been converted into a cycle track withPaul & Synova

A visit to the Smurf village, painted blue to launch the Smurf movey (originally one of the famous white villages of Andalucia) the film company had comitted to repainting it white but the village decided to leave it blue as a tourist attraction.

A last walk in the sun before finally giving in to the British winter!

And a final Beer in the Sun

Intrepid for 10 Minutes

Married in 1980 we had both travelled before we met. Me overland to India. Chris overland from Singapore, after working in New Zealand for 18 months and finally been given 24 hours to leave after repeated attempts to extend her visa.

We both vowed to travel again, once we were able and whilst we have recently made short trips to Peru, Sri Lanka, Nepal(Mick) and Vietnam (Chris) this has simply fuelled our desire to travel (without having to rush round in 2 weeks).

In August 2007, returning from Slovenia with our caravan, we met Jeff & Jean who were in the first Landcruiser with roof tent that we had ever come across. Over a few beers they told us about their two trips to South Africa, down either side of the continent (see Gonewandering.co.uk) and their plans to ship the Landcruiser to the point of South America and drive to Alaska.

And that was it! by the time we had left we had given ourselves 4 years to be on the Road.

In October 2007, we made a quick trip to Morocco for a last attempt to get some sun before winter. Chris wanted to be intrepid and travel round by bus and Grand Taxi, but with thughts of waiting around for hours and trouble finding accommodation, I hired a car instead.

We stayed in the Hotel Panorama in Azrou (one of the few places we could get a beer during Ramadan) where we met Dave and Sue (over a beer). They had hired a guide for a walk the following day and invited us to join them. Before starting, Dave confirmed the rules to the guide - no walking on roads and back by 4pm.

It was an enjoyable walk until, at 4pm precisely, we arrived at a road, with a sign that said 'Azrou 4k'. After the toys had been firmly thrown from the pram Dave sat on the bank and said 'It's 4 o'clock, that's a road and I have finished'. As he said it, a Grand taxi stopped just down the road to drop someone off, our guide flagged it down and the driver promised to be back in 5 minutes.

So Chris got her trip in a Grand Taxi. During the short trip Sue recounted varous experiences in long bus journeys in stifling heat where dogs had died and numerous children had thrown up, and a 6 hour trip in a Grand Taxi, wedged between 3 large ladies in stifling heat so she could hardly move and after taking a sip from her water bottle, the large woman next to her took the bottle, drained it and threw it out of the window.

When we arrived in Azrou I said 'OK, are you satisfied now that you have been Intrepid for 10 minutes'

Intrepid for 10 Minutes

10 Feb 2012

A Final Beer in the sun

Americas Phase 3 and 5

Americas Phases 2 and 4

Americas Phase 1

Mick & Chris

Intrepid for 10 Minutes

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