Day 1

Collecting the cars from the warehouse is always exciting. Seeing them all lined up and ready to go after their long voyage is quite a moment. Sometimes, just not the moment you were expecting.  So it proved to be for car 9. 

Many cars have niggles to sort out; flat batteries etc.  The recalcitrant Ford has a starter motor issue.  The theory is that that damp from the humidity has caused it to seize and once it does start, all will be fine. The difficulty is that it's very hard to get at on this car.  As I write, perched in a wooden crate in the warehouse, the car is jacked up having the steering column moved to get at it.  There's one other car still with us, Xavier's lovely Chevy that he has not seen since it spectacularly broke down in Pheuntsholing in Bhutan. It's been fixed but now, after standing for so long, there is a fuel line problem.  Whilst the mechanics are working on it, Xavier and Ines are pulling things out of the boot saying "I don't remember this".

It's only three hours until the official start of the rally when we should be making our way to Mount Aso. I hope we make it.  

Later.

Our team of mechanics got us going again. Many cars have had teething problems after being coupled up in a container in very humid conditions for so long. We drove back to the hotel, put all our stuff in the car, had blessing from a Shinto priest, grabbed a spot of lunch and off we set.  

About 10 miles down the road, just as we entered a toll booth, the engine stopped. We managed to push it to a safe place with the aid of Paddy and Pete.  Adrian fiddled about but all to no avail.  The mechanics soon came across us and then the car miraculously started after doing precisely nothing to it. Off we set. 

All was well for about another 20kms when I realised that I had missed a turn and we were going in the wrong direction. No big deal as I could see how to right it.  Problem is ( not the change of tense) the engine has stopped again and we are waiting on the side of the road for help. We've been in touch with the mechanics,so, hopefully, they'll catch up with us sooner or later.  

In the meantime a very friendly Japanese lady who was passing by, stopped to chat and try out her little bit of English and then proceeded to entertain me by showing me all the photographs on her phone. She went off happily and then, a few minutes later, came back and insisted that I take a large bag of snacks and drinks that she had collected from her house. Such kindness. 

This car had better sort itself out or it's for the classifieds when we get home. 

So all in all a bit of a shit day.  More soon.

All fixed. Dirt in the fuel line. At the hotel now. Happy. Knackered. Goodnight.