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Showing posts from February 15, 2009

The Great African Balloon Adventure - Diff disintegrated!!

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s just We've wrecked the rear diff on our trusty Iveco. The noise was terrifying - and it was a fascinating exercise in progressively identifying sounds and symptoms. Put the clutch in - rear wheels lock up. Is that graunching sound coming from the gearbox? the transfer box? or travelling along the propshaft from the rear differential? Once we'd agreed it was the last we turned back to the nearest town (UIS) and got here by engaging front wheel drive which worked well provided we ignored the painful grinding of teeth in the back axle. The palava getting beds in one place, dinner in another in UIS would have been comical were it not for difficulty in keeping our eyes open. Yesterday morning Adam detached the propshaft - thus isolating the offending axle and she behaved beautifully all the way to ..... wherever we are now. So we are now safely at our final destination and jolly luxurious it is too!! The owner has just taken us on a recce of the area for our final balloon flights

The Great African Balloon Adventure - Crew.

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Frank is our director, and a jolly good job he's doing! It's a gruelling task keeping control of the schedule with so many things that scupper his plans - not the least of which is the weather! We see him here preparing for a landing amongst a herd of Buffalo and you can see his calm demeanor reassuring his fellow balloon passengers that all will be well. Standing beside Frank is Becca from the production team looking positively excited at the prospect at landing amongst Buffalo - thus demonstrating her skill at not being phased by occasional dramas and generally spreading good cheer all around and keeping control of the rest of us. Will is usually seen with a video camera bolted to his shoulder, but is seen here singing 'Jailhouse Rock' into his air microphone whilst Becca is reassuring him that the this new covered basket with seats will protect him from Buffalo on all future balloon landings. The air mike is made from sugar cane and is simply delicious, and simil

The Great Africa Balloon Adventure - ATLANTIC OCEAN!

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We have at last arrived at the Atlantic Ocean after a not uneventful drive from Windhoek! And since we arrived at sunset Adam drove straight to the TUG bar on the beach and ordered drinks. The town is Swakopmund and offers further architectural surprises, and a simply magnificent opportunity to clean up, listen to the Atlantic breakers and ponder over why the brakes failed in the middle of a dramatic bit of rocky terrain where the road meandered alarmingly. After watching the brake fluid slowly emerge from the reservoir with the engine running, and then retreat when the engine was switched off, we applied our minds to the brake servo. That didn't get us anywhere, so we closed the bonnet, and set off gingerly only to feel the brakes reappear shortly afterwards. The other episode which livened up our departure from Windhoek was when we stopped for diesel on the outskirts of town. Adam monitored the man pouring in the precious fluid and Jess went off to buy supplies in the servi