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Published: October 17th 2009
Wednesday, October 14th
We had to wait till noon before we could withdraw the rest of the cash that we needed to buy our van. With the strange inconsistency of available funds in the last few days we were worried that we would not be able to get the amount we needed. Luckily our fears were unfounded and after getting the cash we set off to collect our van in Papakura.
Finally! We bought our own van! We had been waiting for this day for three weeks. We are now the proud owners of a black 1995 Nissan Caravan we named "Boesman". It has a 2.7L diesel engine with 190 000km on the odo. Talita had to drive it back while Ferdi drove Nicols car. Talita was off to a dubious start when she reversed with the handbrake on. Who can blame her? She had not driven a car in almost nine months. After adding some diesel we drove back to the North Shore, dropped of Nicols car and went to get some groceries for the house because weve been eating the Smit house empty.
With a van full of groceries we headed into Auckland city. It was time
to have Ferdis troublesome wisdom tooth removed. An accident on the bridge had us sitting in bumper to bumper traffic and did not do much for Ferdis stress level.
Once in the city we found parking and walked to the offices. Talita did not want to sit in on the surgery, but when Ferdi returned from X-Ray, Colin, the surgeon, had convinced her to sit in. Surgery started with three injections of local anesthetic, then Colin cut through the gums and membranes surrounding the tooth. A stray artery caused a bit of excitement when it started pumping surprising amounts of blood. With the artery cauterised Colin drilled through most of the tooth then split it in half. It went with a horrible cracking sound and he had to break the remaining part again. In the end the tooth was broken into four pieces. The hole was stitched closed, we paid the fee and Colin walked us back to our van.
It took us a while to get out of the parking lot cause traffic in the city was nuts at 5pm. When we finally got into the road we realized that we had forgotten the prescription and had
Post-surgeory Ferdi
note his swollen right cheek.to go back to the dental office. An hour later we were finally on the highway heading back home. It took so long to get out of the city that the anesthetic was starting to wear off and Ferdis pain pills were still at home. Back in Browns Bay we tried to get the script filled but all the pharmacies were closed so we just went home. By this time Ferdi was in quite a bit of pain, but he managed to eat a little of the delicious mash and pumpkin dish that Mel had prepared.
Todays highlights:
1. Getting the "Boesman".
Thursday, October 15th
We started our day by cleaning the van. It was unbelievably filthy and smelly. The cleaning operation took all morning and after lunch we went shopping. We got new wipers, seat covers, hubcaps, and lots of other things we needed to set us up. We then went to register the van in our name and pay the road user charges. At the end of the day wed spent almost $1000, but we are 90%!s(MISSING)et up.
Back home we took out the seats, cleaned some more of the filth we discovered, fitted
the seat covers and hubcaps, and installed some LED lights. After a delicious pasta dinner we had a chat with Konrad, mom Sonja, Dewald and Deirdre. Kind Team Smit lent Talita their home phone and she spoke to her mom for the first time in almost nine months. It was awesome to hear and see our peeps. We really miss you guys and gals! Later Mel helped Talita make curtains for our van. It is awesome to have some direction again, something to work towards. Near midnight we hit the hay. It has been a hectic day.
Todays highlights:
1. Cleaning and kitting out the Boesman.
Friday, October 16th
We had a very busy day. Talita and Mel continued making curtains while Ferdi did more work on the van. Mel gave us their old cutlery, curtains and bedding which saved us heaps of cash. Making the curtains was taking a lot of time, so after an early lunch Ferdi set off by himself to go scavenge for parts at a salvage yard. He spent a few hours scowering the place to find the items, such as a cover for the steering column, a left hand mirror fitting, and
a few other small items. In the end he managed to get about 90% of the things he was looking for and it cost next to nothing.
With that done he drove back to the north shore where he visited a hardware store. Here he got some more things we needed, amongst others, a camping lead, a piece of new carpet for the van and a weed-eater. The last was a gift for Team Smit. They needed one and we did not know how else to express our immense gratitude for their patience and kindness. They opened their home and resources to us. They fed us and gave us a roof over our heads while we battled through the limbo. They are like family now and we ar e sure to miss them once we leave.
Back home Talita hung the curtains while Ferdi fitted the "new" parts. We spent a good while fitting the new carpet and cutting it to shape. With the curtains fitted and the new carpet mostly installed, the Boesman was starting to look real good.
We got fish, sausages and chips for dinner, then continued to work on the van. We packed
Early morning snuggles
Yes, that is Talitas toothbrush in Keiras mouth, but best friends share everything! most of our gear in preparation for our imminent departure then went in for a few celebratory beers.
Todays highlights:
1. Finding almost all the parts we needed.
2. The Boesman starting to look real good!
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Leon
non-member comment
Pimp your ride
Hey julle ouens, nice job met die van, hy lyk nogals heel oulik. Moet asb net nie flames verf buite op nie, en gaan rustig met interior neon lights. Hoop julle het baie happy travels met die Boesman.