Sunday, July 1, 2012

Diary : Choice of Vehicle....





"O mankind! Lo! We have created you from male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware."
Pichtal's translation of The Holy Quran, 49 : verse 13





“Home is where the heart is, and my heart is wherever I am at the moment.” — 
Lily Leung


4am, 15th June
Subang Jaya

Tentatively , at our second meeting, Peng,Bab and myself, we have agreed that our transland journey would encompass 4 to 5 phases , stretched over 3 years.

Why 3 years ? We are still'young' and could easily do it all in 6 months ! Wisdom, my friend, wisdom....

Individually, we still have careers even  at this relative 'young age of 60'[ we were classmates together at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar.]. Peng, a professor emeritus, is still active lecturing and consulting in  the rarefied field of paediatrics oncology  at University Malaya Medical campus. An ex-cancer patient himself some 10 years back, it is his way of saying, " Masahallah, Thank you " to HIM. 


Bab, an ex MD CEO of one of important Petronas subsidiary, Pet-Chem, if I am not mistaken, still feels himself vital, and is a wealth of information and wisdom on anything 'Gas' and 'business'...{.but Malaysia being Malaysia, even Canocco, the 4th largest Oil and gas business in the world know 'our discard' is still worth electing to the board...I think you guys know who I am alluding to.. ]

As for myself, I am still happy 'plumbing away' ,day and night, at Sime Darby Medical Centre, and until they have decided that this old chap is no longer able to 'plumb away safely', At present they  think I can still 'pee straight'.
I would continue to do what I know best. Admittedly, we plumbers  do mellow with age. Masahaallah !

Secondly of course we do have families and other interests and 'community responsibilities', so it would be more  interesting  and 'practical to do it  in phases.
'Absence makes the heart grow fonder', they say. 
Intermittent 'absense ' I would add, invigorated by new sights, sounds and experience, make us better parents, fathers and husbands.


The beast, 1960's Toyota FJ 40
click here :
http://expeditiongallery.blogspot.com/2011/06/toyota-land-cruiser.html


Phase 1
Kuala Lumpur London via Burma [ hopefully they open up their border by August 2013], India , Nepal, Pakistan [ a fast one thru Pakistan insayaallah !],,,thru to cross Kyber Pass to part of Southern China, on to Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia, Germany, Switzerland, France, Holland...and London.
We will go at pedestrian pace and probably 2 months would be enough.....[ Peng, you to check out on the National Geographic, on sights and views that are to be visited along the way]. Then garaged our vehicle somewhere in France.


Land Rovers: The later production , according to enthusiast have too much electronics, unlike the Series 2 Land Rovers and the 1980's with Tdi engine.
Current Dfenders are powered by 2.4 turbo diesel puma Duratorq engine. A computer failure in Gobi Desert would be the end of your transport !
click here:
http://expeditiongallery.blogspot.com/2011/06/commercial-land-rover-defender.html

Phase 2
[probably late 2013 or early 2014]
We do the Muslim Conquest route in the reverse order,
Andalusian Cordoba and Serville, cross over to Morocco, Tunisia, Libya [ Nato insyaallah would be  out of Libya by then and some semblance of peace prevail insyaallh after they have finished with the Libyans !], Algeria, Egypt, Syria [ same expectation ], and finally Turkey, ending in Istanbul.

Phase 3
[sometime in mid 2014]
From Turkey, we go to the Stan's, backtrack to Moscow and do the trans-Siberian across Russia up to Vladisvostok, Beijing, Hanoi Vientiane, Bangkok and finally KL.

Phase 4
Crossover by ferry to Medan, Sumatera and drive northward to Bandar Acheh and from there southward to Jakarta, Bali, Timor, and crossover to Darwin by ferry . Drive via Alice Spring down to Adelaide, Tasmania, crossover to Auckland, Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, right down to Invercargill.

What have I missed ?
Africa from Cape Town to Egypt !
We need some armoury training with some Ak45....
If we are still around, yes Africa, why not.

...and the Americas. That would require another lifetime perhaps at our age...
Next agenda, the million ringgit question is WHICH VEHICLE ?
I have already got my Hilux single cabin which I can co-drive with my son..
Bastamam suggested a landcruiser, an old secondhand for both of you.
I think a 4.2 litre one would be ideal but that would push up your diesel/petrol bill.
What about a 1997 Prado ?
Doc Man can perhaps give his experience with a Prado 1997......Doc Man , give us your input on your Prado please....and I am still waiting for you to say , " Yes , I will join you guys ! "


...................................................................
click here :
http://www.google.com.my/search?q=landcruiser+fj40&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-my:IE-Address&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=pRvxT8WaCsborAfS34y-DQ&ved=0CFoQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=632


1960's Landcruiser FJ40, my dream vehicle for transland journey....4.2 litre of raw power!........'zero electronics', Ah Kow and Mat Stapo can tinker around in their 'Under the tree' garages. Rarely seen in Peninsula Malaysia



The Beast of transland journey, 1980,s 4.2 litre Landcruiser 80

click here :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaIJfNKAnhU&feature=related

The Beast ! Even Muthusamy in Mumbai or Ah Kow in Jerantut can repair.

But Malaysian road tax can be almost a quarter of the cost of the vehicles!

...........................................................................

doc man,

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