Progress including writing

Things are really starting to come together now. We have the final team all warming up in the locker room, and the ninth truck has arrived.

Actually this is our logo for the trip, and if you look closely you will see the Mudzimi sign.







 Far more importantly the eight trucks that were shipped are on land in Walvis Bay. They are in Mike's yard and I understand that he has been tuning them and making sure that  everything runs right.

The wine that was so carefully packed and shipped from Cape Town arrived yesterday and is safely locked in the tool sections of the trucks. Peter is already in Walvis and the rest of the gang leave over the next four days. Our New York detachment includes Goldie, Jackie, Sel Silver, Jarret Milligan, Henry Riveros, Richard Hodosh and me, with a possible mystery guest. Allan and Roy Chassay are coming in from LA and Sydney respectively, and from Zim we have Andrew Raft. I did some research and watched a few movies about the SAS and the LRDG recently to see if we could emulate them in some way, but I  must admit we have absolutely nothing in common besides a desert. Okay, bring on the sand!

Progress on all fronts except writing.

Okay, so I got into big trouble from my boss. He wants to know where the next post in the blog is, so I figured that if I want to see his smiling countenance in Namibia, I had better get writing ( or typing since writing is now akin to hieroglyphics or something found on the Rosetta Stone). He also threatened to cut of my supply of biltong from Namaqualand Meats which is really just a despicable thing to do. Even the threat is out of bounds.

Aaaaanyway. I will pick up the story in my art class.

Can you identify the artist.

From the Collection of the Metropolitan Museum

Okay, it isn't Miro, it isn't a Jasper Johns or even a Kandinsky. It is in fact the chart that is supposed to show where your particular ship of interest is.

I have no clue where ours was, but I can tell you its a terrific boat, much better looking than the old bucket of bolts that brought the last lot of trucks down to Walvis Bay. This is our new mode of transport, sleek, streamlined, environmentally correct. Okay, you caught me lying again.No ways could this have held nine fire engines, six maybe but not nine .






 Our new car carrier is this strange looking ship

Not very glamorous but she gets the job done, 

and in that giant distended belly are these, our gorgeous fleet of tomato red, ready for prime time trucks.









After weeks of waiting the fire engine company has just told us that they are going to be shipping us one short. Apparently there was a fire where one of the trucks was needed and so it was detoured away from the ship. Good authority has it that the truck will try to go overland to Namibia and get there in time for our trip.

From Genesis to Revelation

Okay boys and girls. All sitting round on your botties? Good. Then we will go to chapter 2.

As most of you remember the genesis of the whole firetruck adventure happened about two years ago when a group of intrepid young men ( not a soul over 65) led by Peter Lobel, their fearless leader, decided to deliver two firetrucks to Harare after picking them up in Walvis Bay, Namibia.  It was an amazing journey in many respects, and for those of you who haven't read it, there is a blog about it at http://zimfiretrucks.blogspot.com/. Everyone was very proud of their good work, and seems that the fire department put the equipment to good use.

The following year another truck was dispatched and safely delivered to Harare's bravest. Then in the spirit of no good deed going unpunished, some folks in Zim thought that they should encourage this group of stalwarts to make another run. Only problem is that this time it was to be 9 fire engines of various sizes and shapes. Not being lily livered chickens, of course the group ( or at least some of it) responded by saying "Hell yes". Given that it is really tough to drive this many trucks with only four people, another seven reckless fools were press ganged into joining the group. Not only that but in a ground breaking sign of the 21st century, one of them is female ( and Peter's daughter to boot). So with all of this now accomplished, the trip was planned.

Because things do change in Africa, and not always with the most logical of reasoning, we discovered that Botswana was not a viable route. I hate these people who begrudge our using their roads with big trucks, without paying taxes. Also, apparently they are very upset that last time we drove through, we scared some goats and chickens with the lights and sirens, so we are persona non-grata. Anyway we worked out a new route that will take us north to the Caprivi strip, then east to Zambia, past Victoria Falls, and then on to the border crossing into Zimbabwe over the Kariba dam wall. There will be a geography test on Tuesday to make sure you know where all of these places are.

The trail we will follow.