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Cocoon overland, a jammed back door and vodka soup........

9/16/2013

8 Comments

 
Sunday 15th September and Monday 16th September

On Sunday we traveled 225 miles from Torsedillas to Merida. The weather is beautiful and the roads very quiet and we arrived at the campsite, Camping Merida, around 2.30pm.We pitched our roof tent,and relaxed for the afternoon.

All seemed fairly normal until a mobile overland hotel arrived which could carry 42 people in miniscule rooms in a trailer, stacked 4 on top of each other!They were from Germany and of a certain age. It really was like overland cocoon! Everything was so well organized, they piled off the coach and set up the outdoor seating, repacked their stuff, cooked etc.They were really friendly and kept coming across to chat and share travel stories. In the morning the driver invited us to share breakfast with them before they left like clockwork at 8.30am.

Picture
The morning after the night before, about 7.30am!

Set up on first night
Jen using a French stick as a cricket bat
Our excellent packing system, with wolf boxes and a pull out drawer at the bottom with 4 gomo boxes
Jen and rooftent
Gav and rooftent!
Wolf box packing system-we have 8 large ones of these
The German overland hotel being maneuvered in
All the little rooms
Gav was having 40 winks when the overland truck arrived and he had the best view!
The overlanders setting up camp
Jen on the naughty step
Gav doing the vehicle checks whilst Jen supervises
So following breakfast  on Monday with the German overlanders, we packed and set off for a 203 mile trip to Camping Los Gazules about 37 miles North of Algeciras. It is a beautiful camp site set in a national park and fairly empty even though it must be around 30 degrees.

All seemed well until I shut the back door after we had put up the roof tent. When I tried to open it again I thought that Gavin had locked it but he hadn’t, I had somehow managed to jam it shut! Well we tried and tried to open it to no avail and it looked like plan B was to dismantle the load guard at the back to approach the door from inside. Absolutely everything we have was in the back with the load guard for security but it was keeping us out! I went to the handyman on the camp site to borrow some tools, as they were also locked in the back and drew a spanner on the ground to show him what I meant. Thankfully just as we got back to Gav, he had managed to get the door open, it had dropped a bit and jammed. So we have sprayed the lock and hinges with WD40 which is the cure for everything!

So, I settled down to relax whilst Gav did all the checks (!) and I decided to make some instant soup. I filled the jetboil with water, boiled it, added the tomato soup mix and DISASTER! Gav spotted the small 2 litre jerry can on the table which I  had decanted my vodka into at home, which looks exactly the same as the small water jerry can! I did this a) to avoid carrying a glass bottle and b ) to sneak it into Morocco which is a dry country. Instead of water I had boiled around a quart of vodka. The soup tasted disgusting and the jetboil needed a good wash!

Later on this evening we met Lorraine, Glenn and Dudley(the dog) who are travelling in a campervan,they are fab and Dudley is a dead ringer for  Harvey,the dog off that brilliant advert with Harvey and rabbit!

OK, enough for now. Tomorrow we set sail for Morocco.

Gav and Jen

8 Comments
Dale
9/16/2013 01:33:01 pm

All very amusing as always Jenny, Glad to hear your both safe and sound what a good idea to have a diary of your trip love to you both mum xxx

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Gavin
9/16/2013 03:09:05 pm

Been a long day just plucking up courage for the loo then off to bed before crossing over

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Bob link
9/16/2013 02:40:44 pm

I wonder what the flash point of vodka is. You must have been pretty close. X

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Gavin
9/16/2013 03:08:02 pm

You and me both Bob it was the Jet-boil or Jen, either will have set off to the moon if we hadn't noticed

Wait till you hear about the meeting with the wild toads of Spain!!!!!!!

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Lesley
9/16/2013 03:35:02 pm

A hot Bloody Mary! Sounds revolting so I can imagine the taste :-(

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Jen
9/17/2013 12:08:09 am

It was revolting! What a waste too...!

Reply
Lucy link
9/18/2013 05:55:05 am

Well hello there you two. It sounds fab already. See how much I am missing you, have done the technology thing to be able to keep in touch.
Jenny - how you dealing with no Xfactor ??? I know you will be pleased to be missing it Gav !!!!!
What ever the circumstances I say more vodka and keep enjoying yourselves !!!!
Much Love, Lucy

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Jen
9/21/2013 10:06:13 am

Woohoo, Lucy is blogging! Miss you Luce, you would love it here,we are having such a great time and people are brilliant and love my basic Arabic! Will catch up with months worth of x factor when I return although that feels like ages away yet!

Stay in touch Jen and Gav xxx

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