Onwards to Africa - 14th January 2009

Our first rest day with no driving began with a shocking head ache, and a well deserved late wake up. Approximately 2000 miles into the trip now, and our last day in Europe before heading across the Gibraltar straights into the African unknown. We decided to repack the car just to establish whether there was any last minute fixes or purchases we needed to quickly make. As we watched other teams scramble under the bonnet, and do shuttle runs to Carrefour for bits and bobs, Boxy But Good remained relaxed and confident that everything had been thought of in advance.

Late in the day our first problem arised: the power died. No problem with regards to starting the car, but it meant no onboard kettle, camping light, and most importantly, no music. As the other teams were now finishing up and heading to the bar off we went in search of the necessary spare parts in a very wintery Spanish thunderstorm. No dramas, but a minor dent to the budget, the replacement parts were found and everything was fixed. The battered but beautiful Volvo was ready for her African adventure.