Sue and Ken Slater are from Melbourne, Australia. The MGs Beijing to London along the Silk Road, 2010 presented a great opportunity to travel in a convoy of six MG classic cars with like minded adventurers. Ken is a retired secondary school principal who spends his time with his sons, building and renovating houses and classic cars. His other passion is the Collingwood football team. Sue works as an educational consultant and enjoys life, family and friends.
May 28, 2010
4:22 am
4:22 am
#52 Some snippets: it’s not all Euphoria
- Simon’s wallet was pick pocketed at the Kyrgyz border. We believe it was a group of young guys Simon chatted with and was showing his iPod to. Anyway a nuisance
- Ian B drove out of the service station in Bishkek and failed to look left. He hit an oncoming car; a very minor bingle. The driver of the other car made a quick phone call to determine the damage done to his bumper bar and a price of $150 US settled the matter. Handshakes all around. Ian B thinks it was the best $150 he’s ever spent. No damage to the rubber nose. So all ends well.
- Dave’ s car is oil hungry and over two days, about 600kms, he has topped it up with eight litres of oil. We have workshopped ways that he could design and oil feeder which Dan could hold and monitor from the front passengers seat.
- When entering the city of Osh, Kyrgyzstan the convoy was pulled over by the police. A huge, 100 plus kilogram policeman slowly walked around Peter and Kerith’s car and then bounced on the front mud guard to check the suspension, maybe. Anyway lucky the suspension was good and he enjoyed his bounce giving Peter and Kerith a big smile of approval and the thumbs up.
- In the main towns of Kyrgyzstan the local police are a real presence. Every 500 metres they wait for motorists in order to collect the assigned number of daily fines. A Stan’s road hazard.
- In our hotel in Almaty, Kazakhstan a female floor warden mans each floor. She checks who is entering rooms with an expression of great severity. I asked about internet connection in the room and got a real dressing down, I think, in Russian. A real Svetlana, not at all helpful but given she is stationed at the desk over night, maybe it is understandable. The hotel was like something from the 1950s and it was easy to conjure up scenes from The Thin Man and the intrigue behind the iron curtain.
- Ian M and Simon’s parts have been delivered to Tashkent and Blue car’s front suspension dampers have been replaced
- Sadly Dave’s MGA’s parts ordered at the same time are still in transit.
- Red car, our car over heated on the way into Tashkent due to a poor connection on the cooling fans.
- Wherever you go kids are the same. Open faced, trusting and communicative. While waiting at the border Simon played his mouth organ to a gang of young kids who peered into our cars. He was surrounded by the kids who were having a great time hanging out around an old car with a Simon entertaining them.
- Reg, who is or own Dick Tracey can still spot the undercover guys at the borders, on the roads and he has a detailed dossier on what cars have tailed us.He was quick to identify the sniffer dogs at the border.
On ya Reg !! Thats me father !!!! Always one for detail ! Reading “Mother of Mohammed at present, might be of interest to you intrepid travellers! Enjoying the commentary. Continue your wonderful trip with safety and humour! Cheers.