Babs’ travels -The Peking to Paris Rally and other driving adventures.

Some pics from beautiful Antigua, Guatemala. Posted with the happy news that we live on.  The Ford will be going on to Flores today! It’s 2 in the morning and I’ve got to up at 5 as it is a punishing, very long drive today. Moore on the repair next time. I need more than the three hours sleep I’ve already had,

After our speedily repaired puncture, we sped on towards Copan, as I was anxious to get to the ruins. Well, I say sped, actually the going was very slow. The roads were full of enormous potholes, often hard to see until you were about to disappear into one. Also, there were vicious, unmarked speed bumps everywhere just waiting to send you airborne. We have a spinal surgeon among our group and I think we may be needing his services.  Serge, in the little blue Porsche, damaged a wheel badly.  His tyre was changed, but the wheel is in poor condition and as I write, John (our leader) has his secretary flying out with a replacement.  Our good friends, José and Maria, also had a breakdown, with gear trouble, but, fortuitously, just as José was getting his tools out along came the  fire brigade. Several strong men leapt out, grabbed the tools and got the car fixed in no time at all.  The d’Souza’s were invited to ...

It’s a funny old business, vintage endurance rallying.  It’s a roller coaster of emotions - often within the space of about half an hour.  Luckily, I’m a fairly even person, even though some might call me feisty. You become so attuned to every little change in noise of strange pongs, that your adrenal glands go into over drive. How dull it would be though if everything went smoothly all the time. Or not.  We got to the Nicaragua/Honduras border with ease in our little Toyota.  There wasn’t a car rental office at the border so we’d picked up an Alamo driver 100 kms before and he was taking the car back for us.  The Nicaraguan side was a collection of containers, all gaily painted.  It was reasonably efficient.  We completed our formalities and then the lorry containing our car, which was in Honduras, came back across the border to off load it. It was slightly complicated as the ramp didn’t go right down to the gro...

Adcap I visited Costa Rica in 1996 when we spent three weeks driving all over and I absolutely loved it. This time, we spent hardly any time in the country, just a quick wiz through but with a great day off near La Fortuna, home of Arenal volcano and a wonder of the world. According to me, anyway.   In 1996, the volcano was going through an active phase and, during the day, there were multiple eruptions of volcanic ash.  It was at night though that we really struck lucky. We were staying at the Observatory Lodge, just a bit over a mile from the volcano and in an elevated position, so the view was astounding.  I was awakened by the bed shaking, I woke the kids up and we rushed outside to see the show. What a sight! Molten lava was exploding out of the top and running in rivulets down the side. It was one of the most exciting spectacles of my life.  Alas, this time it was not to be as it has been in a quiet phase si...