Friday Friday 28 December 2007

A large send off party waved goodbye to the convoy from a rainy HQ during the afternoon. From there the destination was the Channel coast to catch a ferry across to St Malo in northern France.

Saturday 29 December 2007

Driving through the pouring rain all day, the group reached the Spanish border at 8pm on Saturday night. The drivers pressed on for another three hours before pulling over at a motorway service area some 200km north of Madrid.

Sunday 30 December 2007

Sunday saw 14 hours of driving through glorious sunshine in Spain. As the convoy headed further south the flat terrain gave way to the Sierra Nevada mountains and their stunning views. There the group watched as the sun set over the snow capped peaks, before pressing onto Malaga where they spent the night in a hotel.

During the evening the drivers met up with several other teams taking part in the Plymouth - Banjul rally and swapped stories of their journeys so far.

Monday 31 December 2007

After a good night sleep the team then headed for Tarifa to catch the lunchtime ferry to Tangiers in Morocco, north Africa.

After the short sailing the group arrived at 1pm on New Year's Eve, but there the trip ground to a halt. When the teams reached customs they were told they didn't have the documentation to leave the port.

Three hours of being sent from office to office to collect stamps came to nothing and eventually the convoy were resigned to their fate. The paperwork they needed could only come from the British Consulate which would not reopen until January 2.

With the ambulances and minibuses impounded the group saw in the New Year in the car park of Tangiers port. Spirits however remained high thanks to sing-song, story telling and a bit of British stiff upper lip.

Tuesday 1 January 2008

On New Year's Day some of the drivers left their vehicles in the port to explore a rainy Tangiers. Hopes remained high that their paperchase would be completed by Wednesday allowing them to press on.

Wednesday 2 January 2008

Wednesday however held more disappointment in store. The drivers spent the day with the British Consul, but despite efforts the team continued to be frustrated that the right piece of paper was not yet available. With another night in Tangiers in the offing the group accepted unexpected invitation to attend a drinks reception at the home of the Consul. As none had brought formal wear for their adventure through the desert their 'best sweaters' were broken out for the occasion.

A night in a local hotel followed with hopes high that on Thursday morning they may finally be able to continue their journey.

So damaging has been the delay that there is now a real chance the team won't be able to complete the trip. Three extra days had been built into the itinerary, all of which will be used if the group aren't able to get on the road by Friday. On Thursday morning the team were keeping their fingers crossed that whole trip wouldn't be wrecked by bureaucratic wrangling.

Thursday 3 January 2008

The team's hopes of finally leaving Tangiers port were once gain scuppered today as the exchange of papers between British and Morrocan authorities continued with no let up.

At one stage they hoped the end was in sight when they were at last given a piece of paper with a four digit number to show at an office. However when they presented it to the official and asked "Finished?" the answer came "No this is where the work begins."

Friday 4 January 2008

Today the port was filled with sports cars, trucks and motorbikes taking part in the cancelled Paris - Dakar Rally. But at last, after five days in Tangiers port there was light at the end of the tunnel. An exchange of currency and a thorough trip through one final Customs shed marked the end of the ordeal and the team we're finally on the road by the late afternoon. All roads now lead to The Gambia.

Monday 7 January 2008

The last few days have involved driving and sleeping as the team desperately try to catch up on the days lost in Tangiers port. Now driving down through Morocco the team are south of the country approaching the Western Sahara border. On Sunday they chose to take a mountain path through Tizi n Test, 2,100 metres above sea level. Here they saw snow at the top and as they headed downwards the landscape started to change from mountains to coastal. Now the team are getting closer to the desert the scenery is becoming flatter and the sun is proving to be very strong. The team are feeling tired due to the long driving hours, and despite their efforts, they are still two days behind schedule. A small mishap did not really help when this morning they got a flat tyre. Whilst they were fixing the wheel all of a sudden they were surrounded by local children, who wanted to speak English with them. They proved to be very friendly and the team happily dished out sweets and biscuits to the kids. This lifted the team's spirits as they headed towards the desert.

Wednesday 9 January 2008

Now approaching the border between Western Sahara and Mauritania, the weather has become very hot, with not a cloud in the sky. Today the team hired their guide to help them through the desert. They will be discussing whether to take the rough road through Mauritania or take their own route through as part of the adventure. The team have now stocked up on fuel, food and water for the long journey, as there will be very few signs of life as they cross the desert. They need to be fully self-sufficient for the next few days. The next part of the trip is likely to be very interesting with just sand dunes, the odd camel and maybe a bedouin tent or too to see.

Friday 11 January 2008

Having decided to opt for the main road through the desert and to do a bit of off-road driving from time to time, the team are now well on their way. Driving through the desert has proved tough at times, as the ambulance is not really suited to these conditions. Along the way they have met many peole, including a cyclist who was riding all the way to Senegal. Their guide's sister invited them to spend last night at her bedouin camp. Before going to bed they were invited to take part in a tea ceremony where the bitter drink was mixed with plenty of sugar then poured into glasses, poured back into the pot and then poured from a height into the glasses once again - without spilling a drop! When they woke the next morning to look out of the tent, they were greeted by the sight of sand, a few trees, camels and not much more. The guide's sister was milking the camels for breakfast. Everyone has been very welcoming to the team and they have been very humbled by the hospitality they have been shown. They have managed to make up some of the time they lost in Tangiers port and predict they could be arriving in Banjul in around six days time, providing the trip to the Senegal border goes smoothly.

Monday 14 January 2008

On Friday night the team made it to Noukachott in Mauritania where they stopped for the night at a hostel. The stopover provided a good opportunity to carry out running repairs to the vehicles' wheels and tyres, with the convey down to just two spare tyres between them. On Saturday the group set off again for the southern tip of Mauritania along a dusty track. During the three hour drive the team was treated to a stunning aray of west African wildlife with boar, flamingo, pelicans and monkeys among the sights along the route through the wetlands.

On Saturday night the convoy arrived at the Zebra Bar camp site in northern Senegal. Numerous other teams on the Plymouth - Banjul rally have also stopped at the site in order to get some much needed rest. Thanks to hard work and relentless driving the convoy decided to spend Saturday, Sunday and Monday night at the camp to rest up, having caught up much of the time lost at ill fated start of their journey. Tomorrow the team sets off south again with high hopes of still reaching Banjul a day ahead of schedule.

Tuesday 15 January 2008

After a relaxing few days spent recharging the batteries, the convoy set off during the early morning with a goal of covering much of Senegal during the day. During the drive they generally encountered good quality roads, although did have to negotiate the odd pot hole and speed bump along the way.

By midday the vehicles had made it Mbaka in the middle of Senegal where they stopped at a bustling souk for some much needed lunch.

Their next goal was to make it to Senegal's southern border by Wednesday morning and Banjul in The Gambia by Thursday.

Friday 18 January 2008

After a restful overnight stop at a hotel the convey set off for The Gambian border just before 8am on Wednesday. Navigating the remainder of southern Senegal the team made it to the border crossing at around lunchtime.

There they were met by representatives of the Gambian Fire and Ambulance Service who would escort them for the remainder of the trip to Banjul.

The convoy travelled on to Barra Fire Station, before catching a ferry onwards to Banjul which they reached by the evening.

Thursday was spent taking part with an auction of vehicles taking part in the Plymouth - Banjul rally. Come Friday and it was time to finally say farewell to the two ambulances and one minibus that had served them so well on the drive.

The AssistantCchief of The Gambian Fire and Ambulance Service was on hand to formally accpet the keys to the three vehicles that had come so far.

The occasion marked a fitting end to what had been a dramatic trip, with ups and downs, but ultimately success.