Panda-to-Istanbul the write up... by Alan D.

Panda arse eh, Ive only endured the UK version, doing 10 countries of it deserves special recognition... nice one!
Brill write up so far, really enjoying this.

Wanted to share our experiences & feelings on route Barry, we also wanted to share our feelings of Just how good the panda is. Glad you have enjoyed it.

Oh! and one tip. Never and I mean NEVER travel through 10 countries with anything in your back pocket, by the time you get there it needs surgically removed and you will know what panda arse is...

Men! Lol...


PS. Alan - I PM'ed you, did you get it?

Sorry missed it but replied now.

Part 8 the final chapter, The return home.

This should have been short as the run home was going to be as quick as possible. Yep we were planning to push the panda’s to their limit, Our route was planned as (Day 1) Istanbul to Sofia, (Day 2) Sofia to Budapest (Day 3) Budapest to Boulogne, (Day 4) home. It was maybe a bit optimistic but it was what we were planning for. Rob Nicol had a work meeting moved forward and scheduled for Sun night, Sarah Nicol was desperate to see her kids and Sarah Monk was desperate to get back to her animals

With Jim’s Partner Alan now in Istanbul he was going to make a holiday of his remaining time so Gina was now to try and fit in one of the two panda’s heading home. Ivor was also heading home but as per the route out we wouldn’t see him again till the ferry from Boulogne. Willie was therefore repacked to make the rear seats available. Not ideal but you work with what you have and do your best.

For the first time I had the opportunity to eat breakfast, the breakfast buffet was laid out for a feast but as I picked up a plate to feast the smell of the food for some reason made me feel nauseous? Was it the thought of the trip ahead? Was it the fact that we hadn’t eaten properly since we left the UK? I have no idea, but whatever it was I wouldn’t be having breakfast today either. Food would have to wait.

Once the car was packed again we headed off from the Holiday Inn waving goodbye to Jim, Alan & Sylvia, a few turns aside and passing the Holiday Inn yet again we were off to the motorway and heading out of Istanbul. The weather was hot meaning any delays were going to be very uncomfortable. If we got a clear run we would have been able to clear Bulgaria and cover a good part of Serbia before stopping but the Turkish border crossing was our first obstacle and would scupper that idea completely. 5 hours, YES 5 frigging hours in baking hot sun, it took to clear the Turkish Border crossing not only would we not clear Bulgaria but we would be lucky to make Sofia. The roads were relatively clear and the last thing we wanted to do was travel through the night in Bulgaria esp after what happened the last time. So the panda’s as expected were pushed to their limit although nearer the Mk1’s limit than Willies but pushed never the less. With thanks once again to the Panda’s Sofia was within reach just after it started to become black it was a long hard slog but at least the first point was reached. We were tired again and long journeys in a small car when tired usually means that someone is near breaking point, we were also now at a stage where the excitement was over, yes the race was won but that was yesterday and the only goal left was to reach the UK and home.

Once again we were at the Expo hotel in Sofia, only it wasn’t 05.30 and at least we had the time to feel the sheets on this occasion and still had time to order a meal, so for now life was good and we and the Panda’s had the chance to relax.

A goodnights sleep meant we were ready to give the day a good crack of the whip. We also again were in time for breakfast, the stomach was settled so this time it wasn’t missed and set me up for the day ahead, the Panda’s were also eager to set off but would soon need their fill up for the day. Willie was given a brief check and he required an aperitif of a ¼ of a litre of oil before heading for the road home. This was the first bit of oil he required but after such a hard slog yesterday it was no surprise. We headed for the Serbian Border only this time it was meant and we would be able to possibly reach the Hungarian/Austrain border if we could get a good run. Our first stop was to refuel near the border crossing of Serbia, as we pulled into the car park there was a little dog in front playing with a crab apple on the grass, you just knew that this little thing was going to be cute breaking the monotony of the long drive. Sarah Monk like most of us loves dogs but even more so, as she approached this little thing it was turning itself upside down for some attention. Not only had we to distract the dog away from Sarah to get on our way but we also had to distract Sarah from picking up the dog and taking it with us. For the next two days we had to constantly stop Sarah from turning round looking for the poor thing to add to her ménage of fluffy and feathered creatures. It didn’t appear long before we were through the Border of Serbia and Hungary and as darkness fell we were by-passing Budapest, today was a blur and country to country blended with little change. We were moving on so well that our plans were changing on the hoof it was to early to stop so continued to the Austrain border.

Earlier I mentioned that long journeys in a little car when tired brings people to breaking point, well for the first time it was my turn. As we passed the Austrian border it bagan to rain hard, and as a result the Mk1 was playing up. It had gone from hot to humid to cold in a very short period and the distributor had started to condensate. As Rob had driven over the border we pulled in to buy the viganette only the Mk1 had enough and stopped on the main road, he tried to start but just wouldn’t, I reversed Willie close with the hazards on and put on a reflective jacket. Between the cars was a side road that appeared empty but as I walked to the Mk1 a van was driving towards us, nether car was in the way and there was plenty of space to get out so I continued to walk when all of a sudden the van horn sounded. The van continued near and the drivers hand was firmly planted on the horn button as it approached with no respite. I was getting angry and the closer it got the angrier I got till I finally snapped and at the top of my voice with all I had available shouted two words, Foxtrot Oscar may give you an idea. I was raging and became even angrier when the driver or passenger turned on the internal light illuminating the uniforms of two Austrian police officers. I couldn’t believe that they were so ignorant and had no conception that one of the cars had broken down, so when they rolled down the window to shout back, they picked the wrong person on the wrong day at the wrong time who had had just about enough. Well just as we were starting to get into it maybe they realised they were in the wrong which is why they all of a sudden took off at speed, or maybe it was something else, but in reflection I was probably never so close to visiting the back of a police van as I was then. Anyway the Mk1 started and carried on briefly before requiring more personal attention. The problem was quickly found and after drying out the distributor it was back to life again and heading for Vienna for the night. On making up our mind on a hotel picked via Sat-nav we were passed by an Austrian family who stopped and asked if every thing was alright. They were immaculate, I had never seen such a clean cut family who all spoke English perfectly. They were also lovely and on appearing so genuinely willing to help, asked if they knew any decent hotels in the area. They did and that night were shown to the Beethoven hotel for another relaxing stay. Don’t get me wrong the pace was probably too much and yet again tiredness had brought us to snap, but everyone was still together and getting on with the job in hand as they had from day 1, we needed sleep and this was the perfect place for us to get it.

Like clockwork the sun was yet again rising and another full day’s driving was ahead, but thankfully we were once again refreshed and ready for another breakfast to help cope with the slog ahead. Today we would pass through Austria, Germany, Holland, Belgium and finally into France. We knew once again that it was going to be a tiring run and that we would be driving day and night to reach our stopping point but we also knew that no matter what we would cope and that the transport we were using would without doubt get us there. Country to country as before blended into each other with no significant change even the road signs seemed the same. There was something we learned however that Belgium has virtually no services and when fuel was at it’s lowest we struggled to find somewhere to fill, but tomtom would eventually help and after refuelling we were off again.

By the time we reached Boulogne we were again knackered only this time there was no room at the inn, every hotel was full so had no choice but to sleep in the panda. It wasn’t what we needed and I think everyone was seriously fed up but other than sleeping in the street there was nothing we could do. 3 in a Panda is ok when travelling but it’s bleeding useless for sleeping. Of all the day’s and nights we had driven & slept since leaving the UK this was the pits. There was nothing to make this feel better, all of the goals had been achieved long ago in some distant past or at this time that’s exactly how it felt. By morning a night in a panda made everything ache and it was all you could do to just get on and get home. The ferry would soon be boarding and at least our own beds were within a few hours reach.

We parked in the ferry que and Sarah left to get some duty free and gifts for friends & family when by far the lowest blow of the trip struck, her purse was missing, someone had stolen her purse and was the better off to the region of £80 and 300 euros, it was sickening and knowing how lovely a person Sarah is if the culprit had shown themselves there and then I think we would have torn them apart. We did the usual search whatever could be searched but it was obvious before we even started that there was no chance in finding it. We later found that my genuine ray ban’s and a computer hard drive of Rob’s had also vanished, but in comparison with Sarah’s purse it was nothing. We were to board the ferry tired, aching, angry and frustrated. Once on board when grabbing a cup of something hot we also again bumped into Ivor’s crew that again we hadn’t seen since Istanbul, only this time our spirits were broken and our contempt and anger for the missing team was probably more than obvious and probably the reason for not seeing them since.

As a team we supported each other and the days events although probably through tiredness harder to bear we pulled through and on arrival in the UK set off once again for home. Rob allowed me to sleep in Willie as he headed for Leicester knowing that 4 hrs of driving was still ahead for me on arrival.

It wasn’t long before we arrived and the trip was just about over.

During this trip, I found that good friends are now great friends, and a little known friend is now a lifelong friend of which I will always have great fondness of the time we shared together. It has stretched the emotions from one extreme to another. There are memories never to be forgotten and times I hope can never be repeated. It seemed from the outset that we would have the trip of a lifetime and that is about as close a description as I can put in words. But through it all, the up’s, the downs, the elation and the tears, there is one little car that did it all in it’s stride, for me it was Willie, for the Sarah’s it was the mk1, for Jim it was Sylvia, even for the other crew it was Ivor. If anything deserves the full respect and admiration of the achievements of this trip it belongs to the Panda.

I hope that this write up has given you a flavour of all that we have achieved from the highest points to the lowest ebb.

But also please remember that all of this was in aid of charity, you know where and how to donate, if you haven’t done so please do, if you have I’d like to thank you in your own way to adding to the experience.

This is me signing out.

What an amazing story!

Great write up, I have enjoyed reading it.

Sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Yes Alan - Excellent account of the trip...

Can I suggest that someone combines Parts 1 to 8 into a single thread and makes a sticky of it? This is a busy section on the forum and all the parts will quickly get separated as new posts are added, and I think that this story is certainly worthy of being kept to the fore.

Funny you should say that, been thinking about it at work today!

All now merged, will leave here and sticky it in a couple of days, in case peeps lose where it is!

Fantastic write up, but for the sake of 20 mins at the end, i dont understand why you didnt drive to calais to find a hotel and then drive back to boulogne in the morning?

Wouldve beaten a night in the panda

That sort of logic only works when your well rested not at the end of a loooooonnnngggggg day

Got to the stage where everyone just wanted to stop and go no further, we had driven since Vienna and that was long enough.

http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk/unk...5&imageindex=0

Sorry Jim I forgot to send you that paper will arrange a copy soon.