Portugal & Spain

Lisbon, Portugal

Shippers

The ship arrived on the 4th September and after 5 days of waiting we finally headed for the port. We arrived at the dock to wait for our cruiser to arrive in the container and clear customs. It was exciting watching them open the container and there was the cruiser. We hitched a ride to the shipper’s yard where it would be off loaded. After reattaching the roof top tent to the roof rack we were off but we first needed to get some gas.

Draining the diesel

Such is Life.

Tom doesn't swear much so I knew when I heard him mutter, mutter something was wrong. The fuel cap key had broken off inside the fuel cap. We both stood looking and poking at the end of the key in the fuel cap wondering how we are going to get that key out and open the fuel tank. With some more poking with a screwdriver we managed to get the broken key out and the fuel tank open, "Now just fill it up Tom!" I said.

100 Euros later we were back in the car and drove only several meters the cruiser lurched and struggled then PHOOWW and black smoke everywhere. The time Tom really muttered and even slammed the door. "I think I put diesel and not gasoline into the fuel tank" Our cruiser is gas and not diesel. The garage man confirmed our fears we had just filled the gas tank with diesel. It had to be drained. Fortunately we were still at the fuel station.

Mario and BibiDraining the diesel was messy, very messy. But once all the fuel was drained out we pushed the cruiser back to the gas pump and filled it with gasoline.

After 2 hours at the gas station we were finally on the road heading back to Lisbon where the task of packing and organizing the cruiser was to begin. What an arduous job, we have so much stuff. Fortunately we were staying with patient and generous friends, Mario and Bibi who without their help our start to the trip would be difficult.

Fly me to Africa.

Our first night on the road and settled into our tent for the night, we listened as the wind got stronger and a storm blew in. Our little tent struggled in the wind and we knew from experience that we had to take the tent down before it took off like with us inside and blew us all the way to Africa.

Trains, Planes and Automobiles.

The Cruiser

Our second night on the road and the campsite seemed idyllic situated in on the southern coast of Portugal. We pitched tent and it wasn't long before we realized we were within 50 meters of a railway line, under a direct flight path and surrounded by roads and during the night the sounds of sirens filling the air. In fact there were so many sirens we wondered what was happening; a reminder of our first visit to Portugal in 1974 when we got caught in the left wing military coup.

September 15, 2008

Tomorrow we head for Spain. We don't anticipate being in Spain long, and will be heading for Algeciras where we will take the ferry to Morocco.