Transland Journey Rekindled......

My good friend Nadzru called us a bunch of 'overgrown boys scouts', once.

Peng , Bab and myself, classmates from MCKK; that stiff-upper lip school by the slow moving Sungei Perak, up north, billed as 'Eton of the East'; some 10 months ago played with the idea of driving from Kuala Lumpur to London  via the Silk Highway on the  and coming back via the Karakorum Highway, Pakistan  etc and etc. After several meeting, my work at the hospital get very busy, interest dwindled, the group finally disintegrate. 

Peng, a cancer colon survivor himself, will  be busy  in July after his retirement from Universiti Hospital,with his new career at 61, probably at Prince Court Hospital as the substantive Senior Consultant Paediatric Oncologist, Bab starting a new business venture post-Petronas, and myself , almost drowned with work as a 'plumber' at my hospital. [ the 'other'  famous friend  and formmate of ours, now unmentionable in polite circles, has been re-cycled in Sinapo...Malaysia's loss is Sinapo's gain ]

At 61, all of us still busy with life ! Great !

I was driving around in  the middle of nowhere country,mid-peninsula , near Kenyir Dam in Teganung some four months ago and saw a Landrover Defender 110 , a factory-made to size triangular tent on top, parked by the lake. Stopped by and have a chat  and tea with the owners, a young Swiss couple. They have been living in their vehicle for a year. Drinking tea  just by the watermark at Tasik Kenyir  and sleeping under the stars at night. Wow !! The 'Boy Scout' spirit in me comes back.

Then, proceeded down to my small farm in Gua Musang and on the way saw this good-looking Toyota Landcruiser HJ 47, 1983 make, white in colour in pristine condition. Mileage just over 420k kilometres. Love at first sight.

[ click here.....  http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.carpictures.com/pics/full/10G0B384426620AA/Toyota-Land-Cruiser-HJ47-1984-10G0B384426620AA.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://www.carpictures.com/vehicle/10G0B384426620/Toyota-Land-Cruiser-HJ47-1984&h=533&w=800&sz=199&tbnid=4yELtBrF8uQBtM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&zoom=1&usg=__zHINdj5tUPVolaIkbTTbna9Sjw0=&docid=gX9IsREl30kGoM&sa=X&ei=cEubUc6iC4bsrAfV1YGoDw&ved=0CD8Q9QEwBQ&dur=167  ]

Met the young owner who just bought it from an aging Chinese planter who had not one but two HJ47 Troop-carrier! Does not need much persuasion, the road tax for a 4.2 litre diesel is strangulating the poor young man.... I went for the 'jugular' rightaway .
A week later I am the proud owner of  the HJ 47 Troop Carrier. Drove all the way to Kuala Lumpur, all 400 kilometres of it in one go. There was no overheating or drop in the level of the engine oil and water. Diesel consumption just over 60 RM. Not bad for a 4.2 litre  30 over years old diesel engine. The drone of the 4.2 litre, H2 diesel powerhouse with 6 straight cylinders, with all the rattling etc and etc. Raw power and brawn ! 'Mister Toyo' would complement my other two semi-classic cars,  Miss Betsy, 30-year old Mercedes 280SE and  Mister Gedebe, a Merc 230 of the same age. All arthritic and in their varying stage of disrepair.

Miss Betsy , I drive to work everyday, Mister Gedebe, my son has claimed possession. Mister Toyo will be the vehicle for my world journey, starting next year, insyaallah. And since I could not take-off entirely from my work, I would have to parcel it out and do it in stages:

Stage 1 :  2014
Acheh- Jakarta- Bali- Flores Fiji- Darwin-Australia-NZ

Stage2 : 2015
South Africa- Jeddah-Makkah-UAE

Stage 3 : Tunisia-Morocco- Libya-Jabal Tariq-Spain-Italy- Turkey-

Stage 4 : Europe
Insyaallah...............

Beyond that, only God knows.
" Hasbunal lah wa ni' mal Wakeel " [ Allah suffice for me, HE is al-Wakeel ]
With this motto, nothing else matter !!