Room With A View

So here we are in Cape Town having spent a night with the Langebaan Sunset team who drove to their new home a year or so ago all the way from the UK. Nick and Vicki looked after us very well in their marvellous home and we, as usual drank way too much ! Luckily they both sort of work from home so all was well in the morning although Nick did have to do some real work from his office. Vicki is starting a new job soon so was tasked with looking after us. We swapped stories of their travels and also inspected each others Landies. Nick is getting our old tyres when we replace them this week. (I’ll let you know where they are Nick so you can pick them up). His BFG’s are VERY bald having come all the way from the UK so ours will keep them going for many months. Ours need replacing before we go to South America so they can benefit from the left over tread.Leaving the lovely Langebaan we went again through fields of flowers in the National Park and a short drive to Des and Hennie’s place. We met Des and Hennie in Zambia months ago and we’d planned the visit via Email and Phone. The visit is mostly for car maintenance and removal of the Transfer Box. Des and Hennie have a new house with a purpose built Land Rover height garage for me to drop out the transfer box. Its not quite the workshop that Kobus and Alett have but a perfectly flat surface under cover is great. Kobus, can you send me your lovely engine jack please….It would be so much easier. My transfer box needs the centre differential stripping so its a pretty big job. I hope its OK and only needs the new thrust washers mentioned in an earlier post. I’ve spent the last few days replacing the bearing in the rear hub, the one that keeps coming loose and also changed the timing belt. The timing belt didn’t need doing really but at 70,000 km in dusty conditions I thought it wise. So thats all done. Whilst I was doing it I checked the valve clearances and noticed a valve stem cap missing. Luckily I bought some of those in Jordan all those months ago when Michiel & Jeldau had their troubles. I did pay $8 each for them !!!! They are pennies each in the UK. I have 8 of them so do the maths ! We’ve noted that Henning has updated his blog. We were getting worried. When I say updated his blog I mean he’s just abused us verbally for a few paragraphs. Hurry up you slow, bacon loving, coffee drinking mainlander. If you want to read all about his journey and Nick and Vicki then follow these links.Hennings SiteNick and Vicki’s SiteWe’re also waiting at Des and Hennie’s for our sleeping bags to be washed at the First Ascent factory. We dropeed them off the other day and It can take five days so we may be here till Friday. First Ascent charge 195rand for the washing. Contact them if you want one cleaning and follow the link to their website if you want to see the gea they sell.