4/14/2019: Cafayate-Salta-Cachi-Salta were the next legs since our last "What's happening". This triangle with its outstanding scenery captivated us already 32 years ago. And it did also today! Definitively worth a second visit was the stretch Cafayate-Salta with its gorgeous stone formations of different forms and colors stretching for about the first 37 miles [60km]. But also the spectacular hairpin bends from Salta to Cachi over a 11'320 ft. [3450m] high mountain pass were a pleasure. Lovely and interesting were also the encounters with a couple of motivated overlanders. Among them also the Swiss Yvonne and Alois, who, inspired by our worldrecordtour website, hit the road now for already six years. Salta was also the place where we actually wanted to repair the reinforcement panel that broke between the textile cover and the roof. But being not a supporting element, the local Toyota suggested us to leave it as the Argentineans would do it. We also adopted now the Argentinean way of thinking!
In Salta we also needed to plan our next sector. To the North through the Andes or to the East to the warmth. Finally, the North won. From now on, it was partly new territory for us, as we drove 1987 a slightly different track. The little adobe though by now touristy village of Purmamarca, embedded in red stone formations, and the 39 miles [63km] drive on the very good tarmac road until Humahuaca with its Bolivian flair were the highlights of that stretch. There, in Humahuaca, lying on an altitude of 9'850 ft. [3000m], we suddenly were not anymore enthusiastic to spend more cold and wet evenings on the front seats of our LandCruiser. We therefore changed our plan and are now heading East towards Paraguay and Brazil instead.
 
3/22/2019: After we enjoyed relaxing days at the camping "El Rincón del Leo" (-33.04906 -69.07883) west of Luján de Cuyo (Mendoza) and could refill in town at "Faveri" also our four gas bottle cookers from South Africa, Brazil, Oman and Qatar despite of the different adapters (-33.03639 -68.87661), on March 13th, we hit the road northbound again. Our daily stages were to San Juan (province San Juan) - San José de Jáchal (prov. San Juan) - Guandacol (prov. La Rioja) - Chilecito (prov. La Rioja) - La Ciénaga (prov. Catamarca) - Santa María (prov. Catamarca). New territories and highlights were especially the 20 miles [33km] ride through the Ciénaga Nature Park near San José de Jáchal with sweeping views over reddish mountain ranges, remembering us to the West of the USA. Equally inspiring was the drive over the "Cuesta de Miranda", which took us from Chilecito to the province of Catamarca. The mountain road meandered in many bends through eroded red rocks and stately candelabra cacti. The vast empty land and the mainly traffic free roads rose our traveler spirit! Less motivated were some camping with always barking dogs, unclean and dilapidated sanitary complexes. We started to dream of the wild nature places of the past! But since our armed robbery in Malawi we are not anymore very keen for rough camping. And how did perform our LandCruiser? No overheating anymore so far! But a reinforcement panel broke between the roof and the textile cover, banging at the minor bump. In Salta - approx. 180 miles [300km] further - we will have to take care of it.
 
3/1/2019:  "News – January/February 2019" is now online.
 
2/26/2019: Still escaping the cold we followed the legendary, now mostly paved "Ruta 40", to the North. In touristy Bariloche we decided to meander once more through the densely forested lake region of "Siete Lagos". Under a brilliant blue sky which accompanied us since the beginning of our nostalgic South America journey (1/11/19), the lakes embedded in pristine nature were gleaming in deep blue. After the bleakness of the steppe it was a refreshing sight. But there was also new land for us. For many kilometers we rolled through wide hilly highlands, followed by a (still) 50 miles [80km] long unpaved and corrugated stretch through a beautiful landscape between Barrancas/Mendoza (exactly -36.57094/-69.82873) and Bardas Blancas/Mendoza (-36.07503/-69.72234). But this had a price: Bothering was not only the heat of 95°F [35°C] (yes, we finally have our much anticipated share of warmth!), and the dust that penetrated into the interior of our car despite having sealed newly its doors. But it was especially our good old LandCruiser itself that after a climb-up the overheating problem popped up again and forced Emil to suck gasoline in order to continue - something he swore in Tajikistan, where we had this problem over and over again, he would never do it again. But he had no choice! In the meantime we reached Mendoza and are relaxing at the camping "El Rincon del Leo". It is a beautiful quiet place where finally also wifi works and where Emil celebrated his 77th birthday. South America keeps us really on the move. Until now, we traveled so far 3'170 miles [5'100km], with a gasoline consumption of 12 miles per gallon [22.8 lt. per 100km].
2/15/2019 Camping Portal Norte in El Bolsón
3/16/2019 RN40 South of Catamarca
3/16/19 Cuesta Huaco San José de Jáchal RN40
3/30/19 On RP33 from Salta to Cachi
 
2/12/2019: Five days ago we changed from Chile Chico into the neighboring country of Argentina, from snow covered mountain peaks and crystal clear lakes into the inhospitable and windswept Pampa, where the wind howled continuously and complicated camping life. Despite of it, it was lovely to drive for hours through the deserted flat dry steppe towards the North, occasionally only interrupted by remote estancias, tucked between high cypresses. Shy guanacos and fast rheas (a kind of ostriches) crossed our way. About 250 miles [400km] after the border – near Gobernador Costa – the landscape changed abruptly. Bleak desert hills lined the road and a meandering river with lush green trees and yellow flower carpets at its shores gave the brown landscape color and a special touch. We want now to escape the penetrating cold of the South and are now on our trip to the North and the warmth. But Argentina is also long: 2'360 miles [3'800km] (Chile 2'670 miles [4'300km]) – and internet access is still very very lousy!
 
2/4/2019: Since days we are now moving southwards on the Carretera Austral. Only once at the beginning we were surprised by drizzle; otherwise we rolled under a deep blue sky past turquoise lakes, rushing mountain rivers, always accompanied by snow covered mountain peaks and glaciers and steep forested slopes. In the valleys we crossed little hamlets and farms, and at campgrounds we met some same-minded overlanders but also some who do not have anymore the same overlander-spirit like us. After a few frigid nights we have now midsummer temperatures, but mid-week the weather is changing. We have therefore no pleasure to "trudge along" with our old bones and simple camping style for the second time through the notorious bad weather zone towards Ushuaia, where we already were in 1986/7 celebrating Christmas and New Year. After 385 miles [620km] on the Carretera Austral - today mostly good asphalt, yet about 60 miles [100km] of bad gravel left - we therefore plan to take the ferry from Puerto Ibañez to Chile Chico and entering afterwards Argentina.
 
1/22/2019: Back to our camping life: Since we left Santiago in Chile towards the South on January 11th, 2019, we traveled 1'055 miles [1'700km]. Only on our 11th camping, on the "Turismo Tell Camping Los Suizos" in Punaco, 6 miles [10km] east of Los Lagos in the XIVth Region of Los Ríos (-39.87382 /-72.72009), we found functioning Wifi, where we finally are able to update "What's happening"; also the mobile network (Entel) is hardly usable with 2G. Highlights of our chosen route were among others three National Parks: The "Laguna del Laja National Park" with the Antuco volcano, the "Conguillío NP" with the Llaima volcano and its impressive Araucaria forests, as well as the "Villarrica NP" with the Villarrica volcano. All three perfectly coned volcanoes greeted us in a brilliant white under a steel-blue sky. The nights are already getting chilly (about 43°F [6°C]), but our sleeping bags keep us cozy warm. We are continuing now to Osorno and Puerto Montt, where the Carretera Austral starts, which we would like to drive more to the South. Since the oil leak at the engine's front keeps within bounds, we didn't take action yet, but we keep an eye on it.
 
1/3/2019: In Santiago/Chile, on January 3rd, 2019, we had a wonderful reunion with the two people who inspired us in August 1983 in Cape Mclear in Malawi to embark on this epic journey around the world. We met them 35½ years ago on our common yearly holidays on the African continent. Brigitte and Gerhard from Germany. At that time, the two were touring Malawi during an Africa crossing with their 4x4 camper mobile. The idea of such a life of freedom took especially possession of Emil. He slowly tried to win Liliana for it. The result is known!
1/3/2019 Brigitte & Gerhard in Santiago
1/17/2019 Llaima-Volcano Conguillío NP
2/3/19 Lago Las Torres (-44.79075 -72.20676)
 
2/12/2019 Estancia in Argemtine Pampa
 
 
12/31/2018:  "News – November/December 2018" is now online.
 
12/30/2018: On December 24th, 2018, we reached from São Paulo/Brazil with the Chilean low cost carrier Sky Airline our destination Chile, and since December 28th, our team is complete again. In the port of San Antonio, we managed to do all the paperwork for the release of our LandCruiser by our own and in two days only (we couldn't convince any agent to do the job during the holiday season). But the red tape worked out only with the kindness and helpfulness of all the places involved, which helped us to reach the next step. The last authority, the customs comptroller, was more interested in the LandCruiser's country ribbon and in our first visit of Chile in 1987 but also in our current plans than in what we have loaded. No questioning what we carry along and not a glimpse into the vehicle. Thus our 31st container release will belong to one of the easiest and most pleasant ones! Expense: Around US$960; in Montevideo/Uruguay we would have paid twice as much. Currently we are in Santiago with summery temperatures. Unfortunately after the 90 miles [150km] drive to the capital we observed a loss of oil from the engine, and this after only 530 miles [850km] since the engine overhaul in Sarawak/Malaysia – probably from the timing gear. We will need to check it out before we head South.
 
12/23/2018: Our challenging nostalgic tour through four culturally different countries has ended; the big jump crossing the Atlantic Ocean lies behind us. We left Casablanca on December 19th, 2018, and after an one-night stop in Lisbon, the Brazilian air carrier "Azul Linhas Aéreas" took us in ten hours to the mega city Campinas northeast of São Paulo in Brazil. Conclusion: Our four chosen exotic destinations – Nepal, Oman, Egypt and Morocco – were perfect, exciting and a lasting experience; we wouldn't like to miss any of it. They included 11 flights and via 10 different countries (besides the four above mentioned main targets also layovers in Malaysia, Thailand, UAE, Portugal Brazil and Chile), just as many hotels, which summed up especially in Morocco as we were constantly on the move with a rented car. The onward flight to our final destination Santiago de Chile is booked for Christmas, December 24, 2018. Now we are looking forward to a less hectic time in South America with our LandCruiser, which arrives also on 24th December in San Antonio/Chile coming from Sarawak, i.e. to more camping life, to barbecues and Chilean and Argentinean wines. In this respect, the past time (since begin of 2017), which we spent mainly on the northeastern Indonesian islands, Borneo and in Malaysia, were not really brilliant.

We wish all our friends and everybody following us on our tour around the world a peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year!
12/20/2018 Christmas preparations Campinas
12/22/2018 Railway station in Campinas
12/27/18 Discharge of Evergreen's "Ever Lovely"
12/28/18 End of the 31st container
 
12/16/2018: Morocco, the 4th stage of our nostalgic tour is in its second halftime. This country has a very special meaning for us: 1968, exactly 50 years ago and one year before the wedding, Emil took Liliana with one of his old Volkswagen Beetle to Morocco. There he wanted first to test her willingness to travel. She obviously could convince him! Now we are on tour with a rented car: Casablanca - Marrakech - Quarzazate were our first three destinations. After the first disappointment in the chaotic polluted port city of Casablanca we continued to Marrakech through a very green spring like landscape caused by the heavy October and November rains. The snake charmers, the legendary water sellers and the trained monkeys are still there. But for us, the many green tent canopies on the square are diminishing its attractiveness. Still nice however was our journey through the High Atlas. The little mountain villages have still not lost their peculiar timeless charm and the view to the already snow capped mountains made the journey from Marrakech to Quarzazate a nice experience despite the many construction zones. Evergreen Line's ship "Ever Lovely" finished its stop in Buenaventura/Colombia and is with our LandCruiser on its way to Callao in Peru – always in time since the begin on 11/6/2018.
 
12/8/2018: After 6 interesting days in history-charged Egypt, we pack our suitcases again. Our last visit was dedicated to Cairo's citadel with its beautiful view over the city right to the pyramids of Giza and its wonderful Muhammad Ali Mosque ("Alabaster Mosque") – a kind of replica of Instanbul's Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also called "Blue Mosque". Hence the 3rd stage of our "nostalgic tour" ends tomorrow Sunday, 12/9/2018, by taking off on Egyptair towards Casablanca in Morocco. Our LandCruiser reached two days ago as scheduled the North American continent in Manzanillo/Mexico, before sailing to its first stop in South America – Buenaventura in Colombia.
 
12/5/2018: Halftime of the third stage of our nostalgic tour. Three days ago, we landed with Oman Air in Cairo/Egypt – a country that we cruised intensively in October 1989 with our LandCruiser. From the roof terrace of our hotel "Pyramids Village Inn" in Giza with view to the pyramids and the sphinx we enjoy the lively colorful atmosphere all around. Coming from Oman, we immersed into a different, more lively world: Cocks are crowing on the rooftops and ducks and goats are roaming around. In the inner courtyards horses are neighing, donkeys are braying, dogs are barking and in between the muezzin is calling to prayer. On the streets colorful saddled camels are waiting for tourists. Yesterday, under a blue sky, we explored once more the wonderful examples of architecture of the ancient Egypt. Actually, we expected more tourists at such a world-famous place, but maybe it is rather quiet because it's so close to Christmas, although it is now climatically very good (daytime 68-72°F, night 57°F [daytime 20-22°C, night 14°C]). Egypt was again a good choice on our nostalgic tour to South America.
12/3/2018 Breakfast at the hotel in Giza
12/6/18 Cairo midtown (from Citadel)
12/10/2018 Casablanca Hassan II-Mosque
12/15/2018 Taliouine Prov. Taroudant
 
12/1/2018: The South of Oman, the second stage of our nostalgic tour on our way to South America, comes to an end. We refreshed pleasant memories, discovered new jewels in the desert and indulged once more in the oriental flair. The twelve days were relaxed with eternal sunshine and comfortable temperatures. The "beautification" unfortunately did also not stop in Salalah. At the wide sandy beach of "Ad-Dahariz", where we could camp 2013 freely under coconut trees – being by then also an overlander meeting spot – a well lit walkway and unattractive sun canopies have been built and cars are banned. We wonder now how we will experience Egypt, our third nostalgic destination, which we explored with our LandCruiser in October 1989.
Because we hadn't any "car experiences" since "News – September/October 2018" there won't be any "News – November 2018".
 
11/26/2018: Halftime in Salalah in the South of Oman. Yesterday we drove with a rent-a-car the 100 miles [160km] to the Yemeni border, which comprise three spectacular hairpin ascents and descents of up to 3'000 ft. [1'000m]. Heartwarming in this Dhofar region are the many camels roaming freely, be it along the roads, on beaches, in front of shops,– just everywhere. They convey a real desert feeling! We saw many well fed cattle herds on higher altitudes of about 3'600 ft. [1'100m], where there is more greenery. Before the Yemeni border there are still vast damages visible, caused by tropical cyclone "Mekunu" (category 3) when it made landfall near Raysut on May 25th, 2018.
 
11/22/2018: Our 6 days in Nepal – a country which we visited from 12/25/1994 - 1/20/1995 also with our LandCruiser – belong already to the past. The beautiful monasteries, stupas and Buddhist holy sites in Kathmandu are still impressing, but the chaotic traffic, the air pollution and the steady decay (unfortunately also by earthquake) is on the negative side. On our "nostalgia journey by stages" to South America we arrived yesterday with Air Arabia, after a stopover in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, in a country, which was already "love at first sight" on our first visit in March 1994 and to this day it's still one of our most favorite countries: The Sultanate of Oman. We will spend now about 10 days in the South around Salalah before we are heading by Oman Air on December 2nd, 2018, to the third stage.
Our LandCruiser is sailing currently (11/22/2018 - 14:00 GMT) on Evergreen's "Ever Lovely" through Tsugaru Strait between Japan's mainland and Hokkaido via the Pacific in direction Mexico, to its next stop in Manzanillo.
11/18/2018 Boudha Stupa in Kathmandu
11/20/2018 AirArabia in Sharjah/UAE
11/25/2018 Camels east of Salalah/Oman
11/30/2018 Salalah/Oman
 
 
11/14/2018: On November 12th, 2018, we left Malaysia. The last highlight was the visit of the beautiful complex of the Hindu Batu Caves, about 7 miles [11km] north of Kuala Lumpur. Positive are also the good results of our blood tests; according to our GP we are fully fit to travel further on. To avoid the monster direct flight to South America (Norwegian 33½h via London, Ethiopian 32½h via Addis Ababa) we are now on the way in different stages eastwards to countries with different cultures around half of the world: The first one being Nepal with Thai Airways. Yesterday we landed in Kathmandu coming from Malaysia via Bangkok/Thailand. Meanwhile our LandCruiser is sailing in its 31st container westwards over the Pacific, currently in Kaohsiung in Taiwan (see also: "Where is the car now?: Kaohsiung (MV Ever Lovely)".
 
11/4/2018: After the successful 3rd rejuvenation 2017/18 of our LandCruiser it's time to say farewell to Miri in Sarawak: Mr Lance Lau of the "Yung Lee" workshop invited us with some of his good friends to a good-bye lunch in a Chinese restaurant. But it is also time to say temporarily good-bye to our LandCruiser. Since yesterday, November 3rd, 2018, it is stuffed in its container in the port of Bintulu. On December 24th, 2018 – quasi as "Christmas gift" – it should arrive at the port of San Antonio in Chile.
 
11/4/2018: "News – September/October 2018" is now online.
11/1/2018 Farewell lunch "Yung Lee"
11/3/2018 Container ready for Chile
11/6/2018 Batu Caves Malaysia
11/13/2018 Bangkok-Airport Thailand
 
10/25/2018: Our onward journey is finally set: Our most favoured destination, a second Pacific tour, on which we worked since April, unfortunately failed due to the bureaucracy for the temporaty import of our LandCruiser. Therefore plan B – South America – comes into effect. The container with our LandCruiser will leave Bintulu/Sarawak/East Malaysia with the Evergreen Shipping Line in direction San Antoio in Chile on November 6, 2018, and will arrive at its destination on Christmas Day. Its journey goes from Sarawak to Taiwan, China, the Pacific, Mexico, Colombia and Peru to Chile. The freight itself costs US$1'800, the port fees in Bintulu $290 and in San Antonio between $800 and 1'000.We will firstly fly from Miri to Kuala Lumpur, where we have to decide where we shall spend our time until the arrival of our LandCruiser in South America.
 
10/18/2018: Today 34 years on the road: Flashback to the chaotic start of our epic journey on October 18th, 1984, which we missed by a fraction of an inch!
 
10/3/2018: After its "3rd Rejuvenation (2017)", our LandCruiser seems to be fit again. At least that's what our test drives showed so far. Our investment of US$3'038 seems to have paid off. The spare parts cost us US$1'766, whereby we contributed additionally some parts from our "stock": the work was US$1'272. Apart from that there is nothing to report – that is why there will be no "News September". Until our next destination is fixed, we shall still stay in the 'Place2Stay' Hotel in Miri for US$22 a night.
 
9/25/2018: On Liliana's 77th birthday we are on our first test drive with the LandCruiser.
 
9/21/2018: The "3rd Rejuvenation (2017)" is drawing to a close: See picture No. 567 and 568 at the bottom of the website.
 
9/14/2018: After almost two "motorless" months its re-installation has to be celebrated! Another three pictures (No. 564-566) of the "3rd Rejuvenation (2017)" can be found at the bottom of the website.
9/14/2018 Engine installed
9/25/2018 Liliana's Birthday
10/3/2018 Hotel Place2Stay in Miri
10/18/1984 Start of the journey
 
 
9/10/2018: The continuation of the "3rd Rejuvenation (2017)" shows now three more pictures at the very bottom (#561-563).
 
9/7/2018: The second page of our 2nd North Asia trip 2016 to Russia (Gorno Altaysk - Altai Republic) with 105 new pictures is now online.
 
9/5/2018: Before the final assembly of the engine, the oil pump must be ground, as a replacement can no longer be found (pictures #558-560).
 
9/3/2018: The japanese email interview with "Muji" is published in the "Booklet #20" on page 8.
 
8/31/2018: "News – August 2018" is now online.
 
8/28/2018: The engine assembly started yesterday. After a careful cleaning the main bearings and the crankshaft are put together (pictures #555-557).
 
8/25/2018: The first page of our 2nd North Asia trip 2016 to Russia (Altai Krai - Lake Teletskoye - Gorno Altaysk) with 78 new pictures is now online.
 
8/24/2018: We received today from the cylinder grinding workshop the disassembled motorblock back – it's just checked by Liliana.
 
8/20/2018: On August 15th, 2018, we drove with the workshop car to Brunei for a visa run. We finally got at the border another three more months of stay granted. But the main immigration office in Miri/Sarawak had to give its approval.
After the 3rd attempt the connecting rod bearings from Kuala Lumpur finally arrived in perfect condition. The cylinder grinding workshop "King Engineering" in Miri started today, August 20th, to hone the crankshaft.
We added to the "3rd Rejuvenation (2017)" three more pictures at the very bottom (#554-556).
 
8/13/2018: Things go wrong: The second spare parts delivery from Kuala Lumpur – which made an odyssey to Limbang – arrived today, but some parts are still not in perfect condition: Once more four connecting rod bearings show small “storage blisters”! That means that we have to re-order them and need to wait and hope again. In the meantime our three months' visa of Malaysia is expiring mid-week. Up to now it was possible to get a two months' extension at the immigration office in Miri, even for free. Not anymore! A new boss apparently enforced a new regulation a month ago that an extension of another two months costs MYR 1'500 per person, i.e. US$368 (!) – a so called security bond for “long term visitors”! Yes, things change and mostly not for the better! We are now making a visa run to Brunei.
8/13/2018 Bandar Seri Begawan/Brunei
8/24/2018 Motorblock back
 
9/3/2018 Muji Booklet Page 8
 
9/7/2018 Russia Altai Republic
 
 
8/8/2018: "More about a 33¾-Year-Journey around the World" is now updated (last time 1/23/2018).
 
8/7/2018: As mentioned in our "News – June/July 2018", the cylinder head repair ended up in an engine overhaul. Emil could get the spare parts yesterday that had to be ordered in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. Unfortunately the bearings showed "blisters" what means that waiting for replacement will continue to delay the work. 3 new pictures are shown on the "3rd Rejuvenation (2017)" at the very bottom.
 
8/4/2018: The eleventh and last page of our “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-Papua Trip” with 48 new pictures from Makassar in Sulawesi/Indonesia until Miri in Sarawak/Malaysia is now online.
 
8/1/2018: "News – June/July 2018" is now online.
 
7/31/2018: Flashback to our up to now "worst case scenario" in the night of 7/31 to 8/1/2015 at Lake Malawi, when we feared for our life during an armed robbery on a campsite.
 
7/30/2018: Continuation of our 3rd Rejuvenation (2017) of our LandCruiser: 3 new pictures of the cylinder head overhaul in Miri/Sarawak/East Malaysia (Borneo)
→ see right at the bottom
 
7/28/2018: The tenth page of our “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-Papua Trip” with 84 new pictures from Manokwari and the 'Trans Papua Road' on the Bird's Head Peninsula in eastern West Papua is now online.
 
7/25/2018: Continuation of our 3rd Rejuvenation (2017) of our LandCruiser: 3 new pictures of the cylinder head overhaul in Miri/Sarawak/East Malaysia (Borneo).
 
7/16/2018: We delivered today once more our LandCruiser to the workshop Yung Lee of Mr. Lance Lau in Miri. The necessary spare parts arrived finally from Japan (TMC) on July 12th, 2018, thus the repair of the cylinderhead and some other minor mending will start now. We got for free a replacement car, an "ancient" dilapidated Toyota Corona, which serves us however fully.
 
7/8/2018: The ninth page of our “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-Papua Trip” with 75 new pictures from the Island of Biak in Papua (Irian Jaya) of Indonesia is now online.
 
7/5/2018: "List of Supporters" updated (→ "Various" undermost).
 
7/1/2018: There was actually little activity in June 2018 – so little that we have to refrain from any "News – June 2018". Except for Liliana's visit at the dentist and a visit of friends, we were not only searching desperately for spare parts for our LandCruiser but also for a solution where our journey is going to be continued. Currently we are just waiting until eventually the Japanese "express delivery" for the inevitable repair will arrive. Due to this unfortunate delay we are however able to update our website – shortly "Papua 2 = Island of Biak" will go online – but the good climatic time of the northern hemisphere is fading away, where two of our favorite destinations are resp. were situated. Future will reveal where we shall end up.
7/1/2018 Miri/Sarawak/East Malaysia
7/16/2018 Miri: Yung Lee Workshop
7/31/2015 Assault in Malawi
8/7/2018 Miri: Tung Fang Motors
 
6/22/2018: We exhausted in the meantime all possibilities in Malaysia to get the required spare parts for a cylinder head overhaul. They are here simply not anymore available. Today we were able to order them at the local Toyota dealer. Through Toyota Switzerland we knew that the parts are still on stock at TMC in Japan. What we didn't know is that the delivery time lasts three months unless we pay a surcharge of 25% to reduce the time to three weeks. Do we have another choice? Now we can only hope that the parts arrive within this period and that they are the right ones. This is the current status! At least now and then Miri in Sarawak surprises us with new "curiosities".
 
6/20/2018: The eighth page of our “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-Papua Trip” with 66 new pictures from the Island of Yapen in Papua (Irian Jaya) of Indonesia is now online.
 
6/8/2018: The repair of our LandCruiser is being delayed steadily due to the search for non-available spare parts. Luckily our waiting time was sweetened by the encounter with Anja and Chris, German overlanders on their way to Indonesia and Australia with a 'Landrover Forward Control'. We spent three lovely days at beautiful camping spots along the sea shore in their company and enjoyed the get-together very much. Regarding our next travel destination, we are not one step further. To get freight quotes becomes also more and more difficult. But we keep trying – somehow we have to go somewhere finally!
 
6/2/2018: "News – May 2018" is now online.
 
5/31/2018: We finished the more than 435 miles [700km] mostly very bad asphalt road with the countless construction sites from Kuching to Miri. Thereby we chose the shorter (60 miles [100km]) version along the coast via Sebuyau and Pusa with 3 ferries (one ferry drops out mid-June 2018 thanks to a new bridge). We spent this time the nights in Sarikei and Bintulu. Our LandCruiser will be in "our" workshop only on June 4th. But in the meantime it already got a new muffler, and the new tires we bought in Sorong/West Papua could finally be balanced. Liliana got an appointment at her dentist for next week. That's all not very exciting, but the planning about our journey's continuation doesn't make any progress: Since about a week South Korea doesn't allow anymore Swiss licensed vehicles (cars and motorbikes) to circulate! That makes a reasonable access to Russia's eastern part impossible (ferry Donghae-Vladivostok).
 
5/24/2018: Yesterday was a good day for us in Kuching/Sarawak/East Malaysia. Mr. Wong Hieng Kee exchanged the worn out rear LandCruiser tailgate lock for free – the troublesome weeks with a strap solution in Indonesia are over. In the evening, we were invited by the 4x4-Travel & Adventure-Club Sarawak. It was an interesting evening with nice people over some glasses of beer, who at the end gifted us with Club T-shirts and Jamboree Cups as Souvenirs. Tomorrow Friday, May 25th, we start our 450 miles [720km] ride to our workshop in Miri, where our LandCruiser needs again some attention.
– "Route Map" updated; "List of Supporters" updated (→ "Various" undermost).
5/23/2018 Kuching/Sarawak/East Malaysia
5/26/18 Selangau/Sarawak/East Malaysia
6/8/2018 Miri/Sarawak/East Malaysia
6/22/2018 Miri/Sarawak/East Malaysia
 
5/18/2018: The chapter "Indonesia" is now closed after 254 days. We left the country after 5'441 miles [8'756km] resp. 317 driving hours in Entikong in West Kalimantan on the Island of Borneo for Sarawak in East Malaysia. During our 4th car journey we were able to visit (1st = 2006: 4'966 mi [7'992km], 2nd = 2007: 2'943 mi [ 4'736km], 3rd = 2010: 2'089 mi [3'363km]) in North and Northeast Indonesia another 8 islands (Ternate, Tidore and Halmahera in the North Moluccas, West Papua in former Irian Jaya, Seram and Ambon in the Moluccas, Yapen and Biak in Papua). Hereby we used during 24 ferry rides 16 different vessels, have been shipped 4'413 miles [7101km] and spent 14 nights on their floors. Together with the earlier trips mentioned above, the figures are 15'439 miles during 938 driving hours on 18 different islands, whereby totally 41 sailings happened on 32 ferry boats where we spent 27 nights aboard. We are missing only 7 of the overall 34 provinces in Indonesia: Aceh, Riau, Riau Islands, Jambi, Bangka-Belitung, Southeast Sulawesi and North Kalimantan. (Our ferry distance covered
 
5/13/2018: The seventh page of our “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-Papua Trip” with 45 new pictures from the Island of Ambon in the Central Moluccas of Indonesia is now online.
 
5/11/2018: After a night at the airport hotel of Makassar in Sulawesi we had a swift 53 miles [86km] drive north along beautiful rice paddies to the little village of Garongkong. But at the ASDP ferry terminal for Batulicin in South Kalimantan, we had an unexpected surprise: Full! It was the first time on 16 different ships during our current Indonesia trip – our LandCruiser was many times the only vehicle. The departure was foreseen for 2pm on 8th May. Some minutes before, a small place was yet still found for our vehicle between eleven trucks carrying cows and one with ducks. Was it a game of nerves or just coincidence (?) ..... anyway, we spent the next 23½ hour on a calm sea, exactly on the ship's floor.
5/8/2018  on the way to the 16th ferry
5/10/2018 Pagatan/South Kalimantan
5/15/2018 Sampit/Central Kalimantan
5/15/2018 Costumes Central Kalimantan
 
5/7/2018: We made again one step forward: Yesterday, Sunday May 6th, we flew with AirAsia for a visa-run from Makassar to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and today, Monday, we returned. The look of the Indonesian Immigration was a bit odd after our arrival due to our many visa extensions and they questioned us by every trick in the book – but finally we received the free, but not extendable 30-days VOA (visa on arrival). We could park safely our car during our 20th visit to Kuala Lumpur at the airport's parking lot (2 days = Rupees 140'000 = US$10.50). We took in K.L. the opportunity to celebrate our 49th wedding anniversary.
 
5/4/2018: After a six hours' delay – instead at 10pm on May 1st, – we left Manokwari on May 2nd, at 5am on the Pelni ship "KM Ciremai" in direction Makassar in South Sulawesi. While we were waiting at the berth, not only the sea level receded but we received also some work: An employee of the Pelni office shocked us with the message at 2am that due to the low tide, we couldn't drive anymore into the hull but would have to put our LandCruiser into a container and pay about 11'100'000 rupees (~US$845) more. Neither being keen on a nightly container exercise nor paying more for the freight, we refused heatedly – very much to the entertainment of the also waiting huge crowd. Of course we had finally to containerize, but at least we didn't have to grab for more money. Thus we take down at 4am the spare tires and the "washing machine box" from the roof – an exercise we did already 29 times before. Afterwards we maneuvered into the box, which was loaded onto the vessel that arrived in the meantime. Meanwhile all the waiting passengers disappeared into the ship and occupied unsurprisingly every  possible spot. It looked very much that we might have to spend the coming 13 hours to the first stopover in Sorong by "standing". However Indonesia is functioning differently, always someone wants to earn money somehow: Two crew members offered their indeed very basic cabin for Rp. 500'000 (~US$38) per night, what corresponds according to amount with an Indonesian 3-star hotel (in the Papuan region = 2*); but better than nothing or the floor! Hence we arrived after 66 hours (= 1'220 miles [1'963km]) of very calm sea and most beautiful weather in Makassar and were able to release our LandCruiser shortly before midnight from its 30th cage.
 
4/30/2018: "News – March/April 2018" is now online.
 
4/27/2018: Where next? The geographic direction is set: On May 1st, we are heading from rainy Manokwari in the province of West Papua with the Pelni ferry "KM Ciremai" westwards to Massakar in South Sulawesi, after it didn't work out with the car permit for our second entry into Papua New Guinea from the Indonesian border of Jayapura/Papua. Thus, our 8 months long island hopping in Indonesia will come to an end on May 8th, 2018. On this date, our visa will expire and isn't anymore extendable. During this journey we did 26 ferry rides on 16 different boats between 10 various islands (Indonesia totally together with the years of 2006/07/10: 44 ferry rides, 32 boats, 18 islands).
 
4/24/2018: The sixth page of our “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-Papua Trip” with 81 new pictures from the Island of Seram in the Central Moluccas of Indonesia is now online.
 
4/12/2018: Finally, after our 313th shipping (since 10/16/1984), we reached after 13½ hours respectively 150 miles [240km] the capital Manokwari of the Indonesian province of West Papua. Actually we intended to reach this target driving the "Trans Papua Highway" already by the end of last year, but it isn't always possible in Indonesia to do everything what looked before feasible on the map - not even internet access is enough. Manokwari looks like another "Indonesian looking" city with about 250'000 people, a huge motorcycle traffic and the expensive price level of the former Irian Jaya.
4/11-12/2018 on KMP Kasuari Pasifik IV
4/27/2018 Rain near Manokwari
5/2/2018/2am 30th Container load Manokwari
5/6/2018 49th Anniversary Kuala Lumpur
 
4/7/2018: Actually we should have left today, Saturday at 5pm, Biak for Manokwari on the ferry "Kasuari Pasifik IV". To be sure, Emil drove in the morning with the car to the 5 miles [8km] distant ferry port. There he got the information that the boat would only arrive in Biak on Sunday morning due to bad weather in Manokwari. Having somehow a doubtful feeling, we revisited the port in the afternoon again. The new information was now that the departure would be postponed to Wednesday, April 11th, 2018. What might be right? It's only sure that currently the vessel isn't here. There is no office, no telephone, and if there is somewhere a number, nobody replies anyway. We shall see - in Indonesia we have to be prepared for everything - probably another extended deadlock!
 
4/4/2018: We arrived on Easter Sunday from Serui on the island of Yapen on another bumpy, 15 hour and 140 miles [224km] long night ride with the ancient ASDP ferry "KMP Masirei" at our second Papuan provincial destination: The island of Biak - part of the Schouten island group. It was 7am, high tide and therefore the exit ramp was much too steep. The landside elevator to adjust was anyway broken. Not wanting to risk the same situation as on 5/19/2007 in East Timor, when our low lying petrol tank got damaged and gasoline was leaking, we decided to wait for the high tide to recede. The captain invited us for breakfast on the bridge. Biak was a Japanese stronghold during World War II. They lost 3'000 men during an American bombardment. Besides war relicts, there are laid-back coastal villages, a sea that shimmers in all turquoise and blue shades, the whites sandy Bosnik Beach, jungle and mangrove swamps. Next Saturday, April 7th, 2018, already our next night ferry ride is up: From Biak in Papua in 16 hours 150 miles [240km] to Manokwari in the West Papuan province on the even-aged "KMP Kasuari Pasifik". ("News – March 2018" is a bit delayed due to all the boat trips)
 
3/29/2018: We spent the last days with our LandCruiser on an imposed "Mini Cruise"! As planned, we left Ambon in the Moluccas on March 23rd, 2018, with the Pelni ferry in direction East. We reached after two uncomfortable nights on the vessel "KM Dobonsolo" Serui on the island of Yapen – our first target in the Indonesian province of Papua. However our exhilaration of arriving finally at our destination lasted only for a short time: Due to low tide, the ramp for our LandCruiser (the only vehicle left on the vessel) could not be lowered. We had no other choice than to continue with the ferry to the end of the line in Jayapura at the Papua New Guinea border and hope for the best during our return trip - not really a big hit due to the bad condition of the old ferry and people sleeping everywhere on the floors. Luckily the second attempt was successful after another two nights. Since yesterday we are now touring this mountainous island with its fjords and about 30 miles [50km] of roads.
 
3/20/2018: Next Friday, March 23rd, 2018, we are scheduled to leave with the Pelni ferry “KM Dobonsolo” to our first leg of our eastward journey: To the island of Yapen in the province of Papua. Slowly we are getting used of island hopping. It will be our 12th ferry to the 9th island in the 11th Indonesian province during this tour.
3/20/2018  Indonesia
3/29/2018 Serui/Yapen/Papua
4/1/2018 Biak/Papua
4/4/2018 Biak/Papua
 
3/16/2018: We seem to have developed a kind of healthy mistrust - needed in Indonesia! A day before embarking from Ambon to our northwestern escape route comprising four different ferries, we wanted to be sure that they are really running. Through the Office of Tourism we learnt however that the ferry of our second leg from Namlea to Sanana went into the drydock until mid-April. What now? A new idea popped up: To take the Pelni ferry from Ambon via the islands of Yapen and Biak to Jayapura in the east and then trying to enter from there overland Papua New Guinea for a second visit. This would allow us to realize a bit more of our initial "Trans Papua Plan" and to see not only the Indonesian provinces of West Papua but also Papua. We are now working on the PNG car permit.
 
3/13/2018: The fifth page of our “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-Papua Trip” with 105 new pictures from Sorong and the 'Trans Papua Road' on the Bird's Head and the Bomberai Peninsulas in West Papua is now online.
 
3/12/2018: It seems that we are able to free ourselves from our "Ambon" deadlock. The northerly escape route to Sulawesi, mentioned in our "News Jan./Febr.", seems to be feasible. It will carry us on 4 ferries across the islands of Seram-Manipa-Buru-Sanana-Mangole-Taliabu und Banggai to Luwuk in eastern Central Sulawesi. According to our past Indonesian experiences we are rather a bit skeptical that it will work out, but we will try it anyway. We will leave the island of Ambon within the next days to start with this new challenge.
 
3/5/2018: "List of Supporters" updated (→ "Various" undermost)
 
3/3/2018: "News – January/February 2018" is now online.
 
3/1/2018: Bad news: We are grounded in Ambon in the Moluccas! The only car ferry sailing from here to the Southwest is in the dry dock at least until the end of March. In any case our 3rd visa extension up to April 8th, is already solved. A travel agency acted as paid sponsor. This gives us some free play to search for connections in a northerly direction.
 
2/24/2018: The challenges with ferry connections keep us on the go. But we reached at least in the meantime on totally 17 ferry rides our eighth island during our 2017/18 Indonesian trip: Ambon in Central Maluku that is also the provincial capital of the Maluku province – to which also the South Moluccan islands belong (the North Moluccas with Ternate + Tidore, Halmahera amongst others form an own province). We still enjoy our island hopping. The island of Seram – particularly its North – surprised us with its South Pacific flair. We could experience since Tahiti once more the beauty of an overwater bungalow in a turquoise shimmering sea. Here in Ambon we are busy with two problems: Our onward journey! Where to are car ferries running from here? But also the expiry date of March 9th, of our fourth visa is looming. News from our LandCruiser: Its 36-years old lock of the rear hatch broke; now we cannot close it up anymore. Where will we find here a new one? And the car's overheating problem is still not solved: The engine refused to restart during a steep climb up to 4'183 ft. [1'275m] altitude, but also after a several hours' drive in the tropical heat.
 
2/9/2018: The new tires arrived, are mounted and we already tested them during 310 miles [500km] on the new "Trans Papua Highway" in direction Manokwari. The quality of riding is good. Our enthusiasm for this excursion however is limited. Only some exotic sounds of birds and a few tropical flowers cheered us up on our first leg to Ayamaru. On our second leg from Ayamaru towards the Petik Bintang Pass the landscape became at least more scenic and the course of the road more challenging. The new road meanders on a roller coaster ride with breathtaking steep climbs through a landscape partly still dominated by genuine jungle. On the mountain pass (3'284 ft. [1'001m]) we were rewarded by a sweeping all-round view. But already the next tropical downpour was on the horizon – it's basically rainy season. Not having the slightest desire for mud fights on the unsurfaced continuation of the "highway" we made a u-turn and headed back to Sorong. Next Wednesday, February 14th, we will take from here the two nights lasting ferry to Wahai on Seram in the South Moluccas, thus ending our West-Papua tour. Due to the obvious inevitable construction delays, it's simply too early for our Papua adventure!
2/9/2018  Trans Papua Highway
2/24/2018  Saleman
3/12/2018  Ambon
3/16/2018  Pambo Island/Ambon
 
2/5/2018: The fourth page of our “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-West Papua Trip” with 87 new pictures from the island of Halmahera in the North Moluccas is now online.
 
2/2/2018: Our four tires "BFGoodrich Cross Control 7.50R 16 LT" ordered in Jakarta are now from Makassar in Sulawesi on their way to us to Sorong. The complicated procedure of our online ordering in Indonesian language would be enough topic for a separate thread! Certain things went wrong and only through intervention of our hotel manager it seems now to work out. We expect to get them soon by airfreight. Inshallah! We succeeded also in finding coincidentally an old Chinese regulator for our LandCruiser – just in case our current ailing one stops working. Yesterday, Thursday we were able to collect our second 1-month visa extension at the Immigration, sponsored by the same restaurant owner lady. And also yesterday we experienced a huge surprise: The Mayor of Sorong South popped up at our hotel and presented us an envelope with a very generous donation with the words "You are my heroes". – Wow!
 
1/23/2018: "More about a 33¼-Year-Journey around the World" is now updated (last time 8/22/2017). Finally the Route Map around the World is updated again (last time 7/11/2017).
 
1/20/2018: Our electrical car problems are "improvised" solved for the moment, the LandCruiser is loaded, the 58 gallon [220 lt.] fuel tank and three of our ten 5.3 gallon [20 lt.] jerrycans are filled to the brim for the 370 miles [600km] long jungle ride to Manokwari. Highly motivated we take off, but already after 20 miles [32km] our 189th flat tire announces itself. We cannot and don't want to continue without a spare tire and return to Sorong to have it repaired. Because it isn't identifiable why the air leaked - a cracked steel belt cannot be ruled out and might happen anytime again - we decide to have sent a set of new tires either from Jakarta or Surabaya, as our size 7.50R16 is simply not available here. We are now checking the possibility of a delivery per airfreight.
 
1/13/2018: The third page of our “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-West Papua Trip” has another 27 new pictures online from the island of Tidore in the North Moluccas.
 
1/12/2018: Before we tackle the adventure of the next 370 miles [600km] of the ‘Trans Papua Highway’ to Manokwari with nothing in between than jungle, bush and some thatched huts, we need to get the grip on three problems of our LandCruiser: The starter, which only works after several attempts; the fuel pumps, which are not fully operating and the horn that is only screeching. Everything seems to be related to the 36 years old condition of the corroded electrical wires with its voltage drop. Our work with installing now new cables in front of our ‘Guardian Family Hotel’ in Sorong is constantly interrupted by “interrogators and selfie” enthusiasts. But we had also the honor of a photo with the mayor of the district of Sorong (to the right of Emil).
1/12/2018
1/20/2018  189th flat tyre
World Route Map
2/2/2018
 
1/5/2018: The third page of our “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-West Papua Trip” with 45 new pictures from the island of Ternate in the North Moluccas is now online.
 
12/31/2017: "News – December 2017" is now online.
 
12/31/2017: Happy New Year!
The last turn of the year we celebrated amidst golden domes and Buddha's at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon/ Myanmar. Today, in Sorong in West-Papua, we are in a totally different world. We are sliding into 2018 without our passports. They are at the immigration office for a visa extension. Probably we will be able to collect them beginning of January 2018. Then 'off we go' to new road and ferry challenges and of course also to new experiences and encounters. The picture shows the sunset during the ending new year at the Kasuari Valley Beach Resort in Sorong.
 
12/24/2017: Merry Christmas!
We just received a big Christmas gift: We found today a sponsor in Sorong for a further monthly extension of our Indonesia visa, which expires on January 8th, 2018. Is this not a perfect gift – so we don't have to leave the country for a visarun! Thus, we will still spend the festivities in this hot and humid city in West Papua, before we will tackle the challenges of the obviously not yet completed Trans Papua Road to Manokwari.
 
12/23/2017: 30 pictures more – the last from Sulawesi – are on our website of the “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-West Papua Trip”.
 
12/17/2017: Last Friday, 12/15/2017, we had the chance to meet some members of the Toyota LandCruiser Indonesia Club at the Kasuari Valley Beach Resort in Sorong, where we could gather some information about the conditions of the Trans Papua Road to Manokwari on our next leg. We spent a few relaxed hours together and enjoyed the gift of a LandCruiser T-shirts each. Now we are discussing if we are going to manage all alone the mud stretches we shall encounter, which remembers us of our adventures in former Zaïre (today D.R. Congo) in 1991 and Guyana in 2005. Also our road tires became an issue, although we still carry snow chains along. Likewise we are not sure, which of the three possibilities we should choose to cross the Birds Head Peninsula. There's hardly current information available and should we have to return, we need enough gasoline as there isn't any during the 370 miles [600km] long trip.
12/15/2017
Merry Christmas!
12/24/2017
 12/31/2017
 
12/14/2017: We got yesterday the mandatory "Surat Jalan" (Travel Permit) from Polres (Police) in Sorong to visit West Papua and Papua (see pic below).
 
12/12/2017: To give West Papua a second chance paid off. The ferry docked punctually at 2pm at Weda port in the eastern part of Halmahera on North Moluccas on December 8th, 2017, and left punctually eastwards towards West Papua at 1am on December 9th. Together with countless packages of fertilizer and other merchandise, with a dozen calves and about 40 goats, finally also our LandCruiser was part of the freight. The captain offered us as the only westerners on the ship place in the VIP lounge, where at least sleeping mats were available. We grabbed also two and laid them between two rows of seats to be able to lay down at night. At the end, also here everything was filled to capacity, partly with shouting and screaming children. Altogether the whole chaotic atmosphere on board with its colorful exotic crowd was a special experience for us. The sea was very calm during the 30 hours lasting journey and the three stopovers at Patani, Gebe and Gag were always entertaining. Between Patani and the island of Gebe we crossed for the 23rd time the Equator from North to South, and between Gebe and the island of Gag the provincial border of the North Moluccas and West Papua. On December 10th, 7am, we arrived in Sorong in West Papua. We shall try now our luck at the police station here to obtain a permit ("Surat Jalan") for us and our LandCruiser to drive our intended route in West Papua and Papua. Unfortunately the weather presents itself rather a bit rainy, which isn't the best condition for the roads ahead.
 
12/5/2017: "News – November 2017" is now online.
 
12/3/2017: Actually we should be today on the ferry to West Papua. But we are not! Typically Indonesian the ferry from Weda in East Halmahera to Sorong, scheduled for December 2nd, was cancelled without notice, despite that the departure date was confirmed by phone as well as per email from the head office of the ASPD ferry company in Sorong. Next sailing is now scheduled for December 9th, – as it's noted on a slip of paper at a shed of the point of departure in Weda! With it we got into a dilemma. Can we relay on it? We have not endless time. Four weeks of our second two-months-visa from Kuala Lumpur have already gone. In the meantime another uncertainty popped up: Is additionally a special permit needed for circulating in the former restricted area of "Irian Jaya" with its own car? In any case a "Surat Jalan" (travel permit) is needed from the local police for everybody if they want to leave the big cities of Sorong, Jayapura and Biak. Where do we get a reliable answer within days? After all, the ferry crossing costs about US$475 one way – way too much money, should we have to turn around and pay the same amount again for going back. Does our ambitious project, long elaborated beforehand, eventually collapse like a house of cards?
11/30/2017
11/30/2017
12/12/2017
 12/14/2017
 
11/28/2017: Tidore, our second island in the Moluccas – only 20 minutes away from the lively small "big city island" of Ternate – belongs already to the past too. Its sleepy island character, its colorfully painted cottages, but overall the splendor of tropical flowers, which bloom in little gardens, in flowerpots on narrow sidewalks, simply everywhere, are part of Tidore's attraction. Since a few days we are on Halmahera, our third and biggest island of the Moluccas group. A new tarmac road brought us from the landing port of Sofifi, which is simultaneously also the capital of the province of North Molucca, in a roller coaster ride through exuberant tropical scenery to the 112 miles [180km] further north lying small town of Tobelo. During the next days, we will move again southwards to the ferry terminal of Weda, where a boat will sail us in a 30-hours ride with three stopovers to Sorong in West Papua – at least we hope so. The Indonesian ferries are not always reliable, at least concerning schedules! However the safety standards seemed to have improved much since our first visits in Nusa Tenggara.
 
11/22/2017: A more than 300 years old flow of lava, a deep green crater lake, views to the volcanic cones of the neighbor islands and a lively city with many impressive mosques – these are the main attractions of Ternate, our first island of the Moluccas, which was governed in the past by a sultan. Our Muara Hotel was a right choice. We enjoyed the all around view, and from our room on the 6th floor we experienced the volcano Gamalama with all its shades. We circumnavigated the 27 miles [44km] twice within five days. Today we chugged with another ferry (our 303rd vessel) to the second Moluccan island: Tidore (see picture below). The crossing took 20 minutes. Fare for the LandCruisser US$5.85 and Liliana as a passenger US$0.50. On the contrary to Ternate, Tidore looks rather elliptical, of course also tropically green, measures on volcano Kiematabu an altitude of 5'676 ft. [1'730m], has a size of 45 sq.mi [116km²], counts however only about 60'000 people.
 
11/18/2017: Now we moved further East and are since yesterday on the spice islands of the Moluccas. On November 16th, 2017, we left Sulawesi, the second island on our "2017 Indonesian tour", at the northeasterly port of Bitung and arrived after 15 hours of a calm sea journey on a ASDP ferry at the city of Ternate. The same-named volcanic island looks tropically green, almost circular, 5'627 ft. [1'715m] high, measures 43 sq.mi. [111km²] and has a population of nearly 200'000 people. White puffy clouds hovered over the island group and province of the North Moluccas (Tidore south and Halmahera east of Ternate), giving us a lovely reception. From here it is now entirely new land for us. We are excited!
 
11/11/2017: After a week in Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia we arrived yesterday evening, November 10th, with Malindo and Batik Air and a new 2-months Indonesian visa safe and sound back in Tomohon/North Sulawesi/Indonesia. Yes, our doctor in K.L. gave us a further free pass for our life "on the road". In our luggage back to Sulawesi there were a new Acer laptop (Swift 1) for Liliana, a Samsung smartphone (J7-Prime) for Emil – by the way his first – new sunglasses for Emil, new shoes for both of us and those who know Emil won't be surprised: A stack of cheese triangle packages, Emmental, Gruyere and Salami (we almost had to buy an additional bag for it!). Next week we will move to the Moluccas, which are completely "new land" for us. Our first destination after an 18 hours ferry ride will be the island of Ternate.
 
11/4/2017: In the evening of November 3rd, 2017, after a 5 hours long flight with Batik Air and a change of plane in Jakarta we arrived safely in Kuala Lumpur. It is our 19th journey to Malaysia's capital, which became in a way "our second home" during all our years of traveling (we visited Switzerland last time in 1998!). Until our return to Sulawesi on November 10th, where our LandCruiser is waiting, we booked into the Hotel "The 5 Elements" in the heart of Chinatown. We enjoy the hustle and bustle and after the spicy Indonesian food also the Chinese specialties. From our program we already accomplished two things: The visit at our "family doctor", who is looking after us since 2010 and the collection of our new "Carnet de Passage", our current one expiring on December 25th. The most important task, the application of a new two months Indonesian visa at their local embassy we shall tackle on Monday. Otherwise we need a new notebook for Liliana, probably finally a smartphone and a couple of other things that are harder to get in Indonesian's cities.
11/4/2017 – Visarun @ Kuala Lumpur
11/18/2017 Ternate
11/22/2017 Tidore
 11/28/2017 Halmahera (Galela)
 
11/1/2017: The second page of our “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-West Papua Trip” with 72 new pictures is now online.
 
10/27/2017: Twenty-one pictures more from North Sulawesi (Minahasa Highland) on our current website of the “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-West Papua Trip”.
 
10/25/2017: A good and a bad message. The good one: We found in Tomohon a local sponsor for the extension of our Indonesian visa. The bad one: The visa is nowadays extendable only for 1 month, not anymore for 2 months as it was common in earlier times. Therefore we decided to fly to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to apply at the Indonesian consulate there for a new two months visa. That gives us more time for our challenging project as immigration offices are just a few in regions with less tourists.
 
10/16/2017: The "News – September/October 2017" is now on our today's 33rd anniversary of our world record tour online.
 
10/13/2017: A glimmer of hope arises that we might be able to find a local sponsor in Tomohon or Manado for our visa's extension. Therefore we continue to enjoy our relaxed days in the ‘Mountain View Resort’, meeting new people, exploring more of the surroundings and in between working on our website. We managed to put a further 15 pictures on our “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-Papua” website. By the way: No. 66 is the 10'000th photo on our website – thus it needs some endurance should all be viewed.
 
10/8/2017: Since a week we now enjoy our comfortable bungalow at the ‘Mountain View Resort’ (picture 10/8/2017) in Tomohon, 14 miles [23km] south of Manado in North Sulawesi – a delayed birthday gift to Liliana. The climate on an altitude of 2'525 ft. [770m] is nice and each day we enjoy again the luxurious tropical surrounding. Up to now we made excursions to the Minahasa Highland, to the Mahawu Volcano, to the Linow Lake and to the rice fields. In between there were nice chats with other travelers because the ‘Mountain View Resort’ is the place where travelers meet. We gave an interview for the National Television Channel ‘Trans7’ and today, we worked on our website: Our “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-Papua” photo page shows 15 new pictures and the home page a new photo. Unfortunately one month of our 2-months Indonesia visa is already gone and an extension comes closer. Will we find a local sponsor for it or will we have to fly out to Kuala Lumpur resp. Singapore for a new visa?
 
10/1/2017: Now we are already 10 days in Sulawesi, an island with abundant palm trees from the coast up to the mountain tops and narrow, winding and partly holey coastal roads with little sandy bays and quaint fishing settlements. This island lives up to its name of a “tropical paradise”. In about 315 miles [500km] we crossed the Province of Central Sulawesi, where Liliana celebrated her birthday in its capital Palu. Our LandCruiser had a special gift for her in stock: its 188th flat tire! We experienced some “South Pacific romantic” and recrossed the equator, now for the 20th time from South to North resp. for the 12th time together with our LandCruiser. In the meantime – after crossing the Province of Gorontalo – we made it to North Sulawesi to the city of Tomohon, a mountain region short of the most easterly tip of the island. Here, at the “Mountain View Resort”, managed by Michael, a German, we treat ourselves with some days of relaxation in a bungalow surrounded by beautiful tropical green. We well deserve it after the many 7 to 8 hours driving on partly miserable roads.
10/1/2017 – 40th Equator-Xing
10/1/2017
10/8/2017
10/13/2017 – 10'000th Photo
 
9/22/2017: Yesterday, Thursday, we checked in at the ferry port of Kariangau, outside of Balikpapan to a 232 miles [374km] long and 22 hours lasting passage from Kalimantan to Sulawesi. The vessel “KMP Tuna” of the Indonesian state ferry line ASDP was only half-full although it sails only twice a week. There are no cabins – one lies or sits where ever it's possible. The journey costs finally Rp. 3'097'000 (US$241) (LandCruiser + 2 pax). It was calm by rather overcast weather and became our 301st boat trip. The third picture in the row below shows the entrance of Taipa, about 10 miles [16km] north of Palu (to the left are the noticeable poles of the ramp).
 
9/20/2017: 2nd flashback into the Caribbean: The natural disasters hitting the Caribbean don't stop. One week ago – see below 9/13/2017 – it was hurricane “Irma”. This time it's called “Maria” and hit somehow more south the island chain, particularly Dominica, but touched also Guadeloupe and Martinique. From all those beautiful exotic islands, which we also could visit 2004 with our LandCruiser, we have lasting memories. In Dominica Swiss Television was present at our special reception by government officials. In Guadeloupe we barely survived hurricane “Jeanne 2004” that flooded our river camping area, blocking our escape route; and in Martinique we enjoyed the mixture of French charm, African exotic and the unique Caribbean flair.
 
9/19/2017: Six pictures more on our current website of the “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-West Papua Trip”.
 
9/16/2017: We arrived yesterday after 1'702 miles [2'739km] resp. 74¼ driving hours since our departure in Miri/Malaysia with our first Indonesian ferry from Penajam in Kariangau near Balikpapan in East Kalimantan. Duration of the trip: 1 hour; fare Rp. 269'500 (about US$21.70). With it – interestingly it was our 300th shipping since October 16th, 1984 – our journey on the island of Borneo comes also to an end. Balikpapan is a big city of almost 750'000 people. In the coming days, we are continuing to Palu on the island of Sulawesi (around 24 hours including a night ride - without cabin!; Rp. 2'666'000 (US$214.50) for the car and us).
 
9/13/2017: Flashback: We are devastated about the extent of the damage to the northern Caribbean Islands, caused by hurricane “Irma”. We especially recall Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, where on October 18th, 2004, we were able to celebrate the 20th jubilee of our epic journey around the world at Le Galion Beach under palm trees. But also Anguilla, as well as the British and American Virgins Islands are in our memory as islands of paradise. it is unbelievable what remained of them.
 
9/12/2017: Six pictures more on our current website of the “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-West Papua Trip”.
 
9/8/2017: Starting at Kapuas River southwards, the relatively new “Trans Kalimantan Highway” leads more than 250 miles [>400km] with countless bends up and downhill through scenic lush tropical landscape, which unfortunately already today is interrupted by new palm oil plantations. The route is partly narrow (only 175 in. [4½m], but mostly (still) without potholes and fully asphalted, even if there are many bumps. We needed for it about 10½ hours driving time.
9/8/2017
9/16/2017
9/22/2017
9/22/2017
 
9/7/2017: Today happened the 20th Equator crossing from the northern to the southern hemisphere (the 14th with the car) near Tayan in West Kalimantan, about 3 miles [5km] north of the bridge over the River Kapuas. Interestingly there is absolutely no sign or monument (only GPS knows it).
 
9/6/2017: We crossed today without any problems our 531st border from Malaysia (Tebedu) to Indonesia (Entikong).
 
9/3/2017: On 7/16/2014 – more than three years ago – we updated for the last time our statistics. It's now per 8/31/2017 again up-to-date and consists of the four programs below. The first three programs exist in an American (Am) and a British (Br) version for distances, weight, liquids and temperatures. Enjoy all the figures!
- Statistics per continent
- More statistical figures
- Information about us not included in the statistics
- Chronological sequence of the trip
 
8/31/2017: "News – May-August 2017" is now online.
 
8/30/2017: Firstly we had to repair our 187th flat tire, secondly we got here in Kuching within one day the 2-months' Indonesia visa for Ringgit 205 each (= US$48) at its consulate, and now there are three pictures more of our “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-West Papua Trip” online.
 
8/28/2017: Six pictures more on the website of the “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-West Papua Trip”.
 
8/27/2017: After 457 miles [736km] we arrived in three stages in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak with almost 400'000 people on the East-Malaysian Island of Borneo. The first day was very hot (~104°F) [~40°C], the second very wet: One tropical rainstorm after the other. The third leg from Sibu to Kuching was with eight driving hours (Ø = 25 miles/h) [Ø = 40km/h) the longest, because we chose the 60 miles [100km] shorter coastal road via Pusa and Sebuyau instead of the main highway #1. However it involves two ferry crossings, which became our “shipping” No. 298 and 299 – ferries+freighters of the last 33 years counted together. Amazing was the ferry tariff for the LandCruiser and 2 persons: 1 Ringgit each (= US$ 0.20) for about a 30 minute ride!
8/20/2017: The picture site “Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-West Papua Trip” of our next stage is now online: It leads from Miri (Northern Sarawak) via Kuching (South Sarawak), Pontianak (West-Kalimantan) to Balikpapan (East-Kalimantan) and by means of ferries onwards to Sulawesi (North), the Molucca Islands (North) to Sorong on the Bird's Head Peninsula in the West of the Island of New Guinea (West Papua). It's now our 3rd try to reach Indonesian Papua, formerly Irian Jaya, with our car.
 
8/17/2017: Departure from Miri in Sarawak, besides Sabah the second Malaysian state on the Island of Borneo. Miri, just south of the border of Brunei, shows a seahorse as its mascot. Hence we separate also from our comfortable MCity apartment on the 3rd floor from which we admired many beautiful sunrises and sunsets. With a rent of barely US$800 per month, we enjoyed a fully equipped kitchen with gas stove and microwave, two bedrooms, an own washing machine, a cleaning service three times a week, aircon, wifi, TV, balcony, and a guarded covered parking. Was very pleasant – but now we are ready for new challenges!
8/17/2017
8/27/2017
9/7/2017
9/7/2017
 
8/15/2017: After our last visit to the workshop we bid farewell to boss Lance Lau and his crew. With three last pictures we complete therefore also the 3rd page of our totally three rejuvenations on Borneo of our LandCruiser in 2006, 2012 and now in 2017. A new chapter starts!
 
7/11/2017: Finally the Route Map is updated again (last time 12/24/2014).
 
7/2/2017: Finally the report of our Azerbaijan trip from June 2013 is finished.
 
6/30/2017: Due to various reasons there won't be "News" for the months of May-July 2017.
 
6/27/2017: Finally the report of our Transnistria trip from August 2013 is finished.
 
6/26/2017: Finally the report of our Nagorno Karabakh trip from July 2013 is finished.
 
6/24/2017: While we are refreshing memories from Miri/Sarawak and its surroundings, we enjoy the seahorse as mascot of Miri each time. Even the lighthouse at the marina is a seahorse – reason enough to have a picture of our LandCruiser with this cute mascot!
 
Three new pictures of our 3rd Rejuvenation of our LandCruiser are online; finally the reports of our Armenia trip part 1 and part 2 from July 2013 are finished.
 
6/17/2017: On April 19th, 2017, we wrote about the problems of our 3-years old Lenovo Laptop. The ordeal of the past weeks has ended, when it sometimes worked and sometimes not. Today we received from Kuala Lumpur our 6th Lenovo. Malaysia complements now the list of the five predecessors from Dubai, Guyana, American Samoa, Oman and Cape Verde. Today we made also a visa run to Brunei in order to have more time to complete without ruffle the last reworks on our LandCruiser caused by procurement problems of spare parts and the installation of the new laptop. The still rainy weather on the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Moluccas and Papua can only improve in the meantime.
 
6/1/2017: We would like to share the link of the monthly published customer email of Toyota Motor Sales USA – "400'000 miles and counting". "Never-ending road trip" features 20 stations of our epic journey and shows a small but nicely presented view of its variety. Already during the first six days being online, it brought us more than 12'000 clicks to our website!
6/17/2017
6/24/2017
8/15/2017
 
5/23/2017: Our update of "The Longest Driven Journey" is now online on the website of the 'Guinness Book of Records' (see picture below).
 
5/21/2017: During the last week, Emil has finalized in many hours the "master plan" of our next leg through the Indonesian islands, i.e. he ascertained the coordinates of the 47 landing places of the ferries that might be in line for us (see picture below - ASDP, the biggest ferry company in Indonesia, runs 140 vessels on 154 routes), timetables, length and fares of the planned stretches. Now the "schedule" is fixed until Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), the part of the Indonesian island of New Guinea. There starts in the most westerly town of Sorong the so called "Trans Papua Road", which measures allover 2'687 miles [4'325km] and ends at the border of Papua New Guinea. 2'485 miles [4'000km] are completed and became drivable. It sounds tempting! How we could continue on the eastern side of Indonesia, in Papua New Guinea, is still written in the stars.
 
5/13/2017: Apart of having to exchange the master and release cylinders of our clutch, nothing else arose yet. Slowly but steadily we are starting with definite loading. We have to take decisions: What are we keeping and what are we leaving behind? Not an easy choice! Many things are an essential or emotional part of our epic journey, which by the way represents pretty exactly ⅔ of our married life since May 8th. Hence the many maps and the foreign license plates will find again a place in our luggage (see 3rd Rejuvenation of our LandCruiser).
5/10/2017: Our picture on the start-up website has changed again: From the 3rd overhaul of our LandCruiser in Miri/Sarawak/East-Malaysia on March 27th, 2017, to a beautiful earlier picture of 10/11/2011 from the "Avenue of the Baobabs" in Marofototra near Morondava in Madagascar.
5/4/2017: The fourth part of Myanmar is now online: From Mandalay to Nyaung-U (Bagan) by ship and by plane back to Yangon (Rangoon).
 
5/3/2017: Our LandCruiser left the workshop; it's now going to be vetted thoroughly.
 
5/2/2017: Three pictures more of the "3rd Rejuvenation of our LandCruiser".
 
5/1/2017: Not too many world travelers go astray in Borneo! A lovely surprise was therefore our yesterday's reencounter with our countryman Heinze with his "Red Camel", a Toyota LandCruiser HZJ78. Heinze is on a 4-months partial section through Southeast Asia with his companion Florian. We first met Heinze in April 2016 in Kerman in Iran. Of course, there was much to talk about!
 
4/30/2017: "News – March/April 2017" is now online.
 
4/23/2017: Wonderful coincidences do happen! On April 13th, 2017, it was at the airport of Miri/Sarawak/East Malaysia. There we greeted our friends Julie and Ruedi – this time with their children Markus, Ella and Noah – for the 5th time since their spontaneous invitation in May 2006 in Kuala Belait in Brunei during the 1st rejuvenation. Four years and five months later, we made a stopover in Brunei while our LandCruiser sailed from Papua New Guinea to the Philippines. Another reunion in Brunei took place in 2012 at the occasion of the 2nd rejuvenation of our LandCruiser in Miri. In between, on 2/25/2015, there was a lovely reencounter with the whole family in Stellenbosch in South Africa and with just Ruedi on 2/27/2016 in Dubai. Ruedi brought us for the car a coil and a distributor cord set from Switzerland to Miri – and of course also cheese, sausages and chocolate. What a feast!
 
4/22/2017: Our LandCruiser left the spray booth – the 3rd rejuvenation draws slowly to its close.
4/21/2017
5/1/2017
5/21/2017
5/23/2017
 
 
4/19/2017: Our today's message is "What does NOT work?": It is our 3-years old Lenovo Laptop that is obviously on the brink to stop working at all. We still try to revive it, but have so far little hope. It is our 5th laptop: No. 1 was received in March 1999 from IBM Middle East in Dubai as a gift for reaching our 500'000th kilometer [= 310'686 miles] milestone on our epic journey; No. 2 brought us on Feb. 2005 a friend from the USA to Georgetown in Guyana; No. 3 was bought on July 2009 on Ebay and received in American Samoa; No. 4 was brought to us on Feb. 2013 by our friends from Switzerland to Oman; and No. 5 was bought in Dubai on Oct. 2013, but activated only on April 2014 in Cape Verde.
 
4/12/2017: Our LandCruiser is in the spray booth. Liliana follows the spraying process and is excited about the progress of its new impeccable look during the rejuvenation. The third part of Myanmar is now online: From Nyaungshwe at Inle Lake by minibus to Mandalay and by train over the Goteik Viaduct.
 
4/7/2017: The bodywork is now finished and the first grey undercoat is sprayed. The second undercoat will be applied tomorrow Saturday, 4/8/2017, and on Monday, our LandCruiser will get its former blue color.
 
4/4/2017: The second part of Myanmar is now online: From Bago (Pegu) by train to Shwenyaung at Inle Lake.
 
3/27/2017: Eventually we changed once again our picture on the start-up website: From the 15’272 ft. [4‘655m] high Ak Baital Pass in Tajikistan on June 26th, 2016, to the current 3rd overhaul in Miri/Sarawak/East-Malaysia on March 27th, 2017.
 
3/25/2017: Two were working this week on our LandCruiser – the welder and the bodybuilder with the putty. An end of the bodywork is now in sight! Both of us were busy too. Emil had the time-consuming task of compiling the evidences of the yearly update of our Guinness Book entry, and Liliana's job was and still is writing the captures of the 84 pictures of page 2 of our Myanmar site, what is not less time-consuming. In between, our 32 years old Zarges aluminium boxes got new hinges and clasps and our "sleeping room" was smartened up with new curtains and new mattress covers.
 
3/18/2017: We received this week in Miri our new 'Engel MT27F' ice box, ordered in Singapore. It is 17.7" (45cm) (before 13.7" [34.8cm]), thus slightly higher than its predecessor 'MT15E'. At least, we can now store in its content of 22.2 quarts [21Lt.] (before 15.85Qt. [15Lt.]) beer bottles upright. It's 2.6" [6.6cm] higher inside! As we mentioned on February 11th, our fridge, bought also in Singapore in September 2005, didn't cool anymore despite that its compressor was (still) running. It showed that nobody was able or ready to repair it here in Miri. Five years ago, the willingness to try to repair was bigger. Today's "throwaway trend" is taking over also here. Btw: The ice box runs on 12v or 220v and cost SGD1'244 (US$882) + freight (SGD150), no tax and duty.
Regarding our LandCruiser, the body repair makes daily some little progress. It will still take a little while too to see the end of the 3rd overhaul.
3/18/2017
3/25/2017
4/7/2017
4/12/2017
 
3/13/2017: The first part of Myanmar is now online: From Yangon (Rangoon) to the 'Golden Rock' of Kyaiktiyo by bus.
 
3/11/2017: We are now into the second month of our LandCruiser rejuvenation and the bodywork started somewhat sluggish. Since the mechanical part is virtually completed and we don't need to hunt for spare parts anymore as often as before, we have more time for other things. Thus we started sorting out the 2'000 Myanmar pictures for our website and writing the captures. There will be four lovely pages.
 
3/4/2017: Mechanically everything is completed. A little test drive went fine. Now it is the bodywork's turn.
 
2/28/2017: "News – February 2017" is now online.
 
2/24/2017: The time has come again, at least a "half-a-milestone" birthday: Emil is getting 75 and is unpacking an unusual gift from 4x4 fan Paul Si from Kuching: A used carburetor!
 
2/22/2017: The front and rear axles together with the differentials are now also reassembled. It became apparent that the two pro-owned side shafts, donated by the "Land Cruiser Club - Southern Africa" together with the axle case and mounted on February 13th, 2015, had to be replaced (see "Major Repair in Cape Town"). They run for 24'927 miles [40'116km]. Our two new axles, bought before at Gemini Parts in Johannesburg, have been used now.
 
2/19/2017: The overhaul of our LandCruiser continues: Clutch, gearbox and transfer are already reinstalled. We easily found the clutch disc and pressure plate as well as bearings, seals, o-rings, shims, etc. Hopefully the gearbox will now stop "singing". Mr. Lau continues to keep us busy. Preventively, both differentials and the front and rear axles are dismantled. Yesterday we have been running from one Chinese parts shop to the other for genuine parts – there are too many "me-too-products" (generics) around.
2/14/2017
2/24/2017
3/4/2017
3/11/2017
 
 
2/11/2017: Slowly work on our LandCruiser started. It already showed that the clutch and parts of the transmission and transfer have to be replaced. Today, we already found a new clutch. Regarding the transmission and transfer parts, we will start the search next Monday, February 13th. Mr. Lance Lau, the workshop boss (on the right of the picture next to his son, daughter in law and his employee) obligingly gave us a replacement car free of charge which we also use for looking for spare parts. At the moment however, we have another "headache": Our Engel refrigerator, which we bought in September 2005 in Singapore, suddenly does not cool anymore despite that the compressor is running. Therewith and many things more we are now busy.
 
2/8/2017: So far everything goes according to plan: Over the weekend, we moved the complete content of our LandCruiser to our spacious and comfortable apartment on the 3rd floor. On Monday, February 6th, it was the roof load's turn. Like in 2006 and 2012 it was quite hard work to carry our fully loaded aluminum cases and all the other odds and ends the steep wooden stair up to the workshop's attic, where a part of it has been cleared for us. Gradually our LandCruiser is loosing its special look: Roofrack, pillars and all bits and pieces have been removed. This is how our car looked an Wednesday evening, February 8th!
 
2/3/2017: Since February 1st, 2017, we are now in Miri and booked into a studio for the time of the "3rd rejuvenation" process of our LandCruiser. The workshop Yung Lee of Mr. Lance Lau will begin with the repairs next Monday, February 6th. We are now unpacking the whole content of our vehicle – a huge undertaking! Today our LandCruiser was blessed with a "Lion Dance" – a Chinese New Year's custom, which is meant to evict bad or evil spirits. If this is not a good omen!
 
2/1/2017: "News – January 2017" is now online.
 
1/27/2017: Since yesterday, January 26th, 2017, we are three of us again! Our LandCruiser was already waiting for us in its 29th container in the port of Bintulu in Sarawak in East Malaysia when we arrived late evening on January 24th, with Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur. It survived its 56 day sea journey from Odessa/Ukraine with two transshipments without any harm. Our agent, the Harbour Services Corp. was most helpful in smoothing the way for the release of our LandCruiser. He showed around the Certificate of our Guinness Record with the result that we were able to just drive out of the port without even stopping for an inspection. It felt so good to have our "freedom machine" again! Tomorrow the Chinese New Year celebrations are starting for three days. Therefore we will drive only on February 1st, the 125 miles [200km] to Miri. There, a new chapter will begin: The 3rd "rejuvenation" of our LandCruiser, after the previous ones in 2006 and 2012.
1/26/2017
2/3/2017
2/8/2017
2/11/2017
 
1/21/2017: Our 28-days marathon program in Myanmar is coming to an end. On January 22nd, 2017, we will fly with Air Asia for the 18th time to Kuala Lumpur. We crisscrossed former Burma by overland- and mini-busses, with shared taxis, by truck, by trains, boat and plane. We stayed in 10 different hotels/guesthouses and shot around 2'000 pictures. It was an incredible journey with such a wealth of stunning sites. Since our last post, we experienced the fishermen's life at serene Inle Lake, crossed by train the spectacular Gotaik viaduct (335 ft.) [102m], explored Mandalay with its longest pedestrian teak bridge (3'967 ft.) [1'209m] and enjoyed a 14 hours nostalgic boat trip down the Irrawaddy River. It recalled our 21 days' adventure in March 1991 on the River Zaire in Africa (today DR Congo) and our river trip on the Amazon in Brazil in March 1988. Bagan, the town of over 2'200 pagodas, was our last experience. Soon there will be a reencounter with our LandCruiser; it's now scheduled to arrive in Bintulu/Sarawak on January 21st, 2017.
 
1/10/2017: We are now at half time of our Myanmar trip and we don't regret one single minute. After having visited for two days the rich cultural sites of Bago, we were off for a new adventure: Two days of 10 hours each in nostalgic trains. The first day (4 US$ p.p. "Upper Class") took us from Bago to Thazi through flat land with cultivated and harvested fields. The next day from Thazi to Shwe Nyaung near Inle Lake (US$ 2 p.p. "Upper Class") was a wonderful long drive through the hills up to about 4'675 ft. revealing the genuine rural life. The floating activities along the many nostalgic stations remembered us a bit of Bolivia.
1/3/2017
1/8/2017
1/19/2017
1/21/2017
 
1/4/2017: We are swept in Myanmar from one marvelous experience to the other. On January 2nd, 2017, a comfortable four-hour bus ride took us from Yangon to Kinmun and a truck further to the “Golden Rock” – an important Buddhist pilgrimage site hidden in the mountains of Kyaiktiyo – where thousands of pilgrims gathered. It was an overwhelming sight. But the next bus ride is already booked: Tomorrow we'll continue to Bago.
 
1/1/2017: Happy New Year from Yangon/Myanmar!
The many golden towers of the Shwedagon Pagoda rising at night into the dark sky, thousands of lighted candles and praying people made the last hours of 2016 very special to us. Right in front of our hotel window a beautiful firework display announced at midnight the New Year. Our LandCruiser left yesterday Piraeus in Greece in direction Southeast Asia. (more in "News – December 2016")
 
12/28/2016: We are since Monday in Myanmar (Burma), the "Land of the Golden Pagodas", which we already visited shortly in 1975 between Christmas and New Year. Already on the first day at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon (Rangoon) we realized that we made the right choice to bridge the time until the arrival of our container in Sarawak (see below 12/16/2016), all the more as the entry with an own car is anyway only possible in an organized manner and with a guide (analog China, Bhutan and apparently starting March 2017 also Thailand). We will have time for all the sights and highlights up to January 22nd, 2017.
12/17/2016
12/20/2016
12/23/2016
12/28/2016
 
12/23/2016: Doctor and dentist visits are completed. We are fit for new adventures! We will celebrate Christmas in Kuala Lumpur where the luxury Christmas decorations are putting us in festivity mood despite the tropical climate. However we shall fly on Monday, December 26th, with AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur to Myanmar (formerly Burma), where our new year will start in Yangon (formerly Rangoon). A year ago we spent this holiday season in the desert country of Sudan. Our LandCruiser is still in Piraeus/Greece.
Merry Christmas!
 
12/18/2016: We arrived yesterday, Saturday, with AirAsia from Bangkok for the 17th time in Malaysia, where we want to do some "maintenance" on ourselves: Doctor and laboratory, dentists etc.. Meanwhile our car is said to remain until mid-January in the port of Piraeus/Greece, until the backlog of all the piled-up containers is cleared, which could'nt be transported to Asia due to the many strikes.
 
12/16/2016: Bad news: Due to a strike of the dockers in Piraeus/Greece our container could not be transshipped to the connecting vessel in the direction of Malaysia. It is now scheduled to arrive in Bintulu/Sarawak only on January 29th, 2017, instead of January 1st. Where will we make "forced holidays" in the meantime?
 
12/10/2016: We finally escaped the cold! From 19°F [-7°C] in Odessa/Ukraine. we flew first with 'FlyDubai' to Dubai and landed afterwards in a (jam-packed) Airbus A380 of 'Emirates' in Bangkok in the warmth at 88°F [31°C] after totally 24 hours. In the meantime our LandCruiser is on schedule: The ship of 'Evergreen' is docking today in Piraeus/Greece, where our container will be transshipped on December 14th, 2016, to a vessel on the way to Malaysia.
 
12/4/2016: On Sunday we were invited in Odessa by Serge Bulan (Timofeevich), another 4x4 enthusiast, for a lunch "in style" in the Steakhouse at Derybasivska Street 20. Everything was perfect in every respect. He bid goodbye with Christmas presents and a bottle of Champagne for the New Years celebration.
"News – October/November 2016" is now online.
 
12/1/2016: Today is the day! Temporarily we say goodbye to our LandCruiser, which has been stuffed into its 29th container. It will sail on December 5th, with Evergreen Shipping Line via Piraeus/Greece and Tanjung Pelepas/West Malaysia to Bintulu/Sarawak/East Malaysia on the Island of Borneo. The personal engagement of the BSA Shipping Agency in Odessa/Ukraine ensured a smooth procedure. (Article in Russian with pictures here).
 
11/26/2016: Flashback to a special encounter in Kiev: Oleg Golik (Gos) from the "Offroadmaster 4x4 Club" surprises us with a floral bouquet and overwhelms us with gifts. We are really touched! He follows us enthusiastically on our website already since over eight years and is happy to finally meet us personally. We spend some enjoyable hours together.
11/24/2016
12/1/2016
12/4/2016
12/10/2016
 
11/26/2016: After visiting Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, we finally reached after 3'100 miles [5'000km] Odessa. Our LandCruiser is now scheduled to leave on December 7th, for Bintulu in Malaysian Sarawak on the Island of Borneo. It is our second shipment from this port. The first one was on 9/22/2013 to Cape Verde Islands. We shall fly on December 8th, with stopovers in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Much more details in our "News – November 2016", which will be online around November 30th.
 
11/18/2016: We are now about 100 miles [160km] before Ukraine's capital Kiev preparing here our shipment from the Port of Odessa. The best things come in threes! Yes, we do it again! Our LandCruiser gets its third and likely last rejuvenation at the same place as in 2006 and 2012: In Miri/Sarawak on the island of Borneo in East Malaysia. This gives us also the opportunity to escape finally the harsh approach of winter in this region.
 
11/11/2016: We made it! On 11/11 at 11.11am we were standing after 3'391 miles [6'423km] of Russian roads at the exit border to the Ukraine Krupets/Kyaterinіvka. Three hours later we were still standing there, chilled to the bone. One thing was that on the entry customs form into Kyrgyzstan - also member of the 'Eurasian Economic Union / EAEU' - our LandCruiser was inadvertently not mentioned, and the other thing was that the customs officer tossed our belongings thoroughly. It was obvious that he actually didn't look for something, but that he expected something else. More welcoming were the Ukrainians; but having no green insurance card to show, bakshish was inevitable. However later at the insurance office, we got even a cup of hot coffee. But four hours was really enough to cross a corrupted border.
 
11/5/2016: Yesterday Friday we didn't want to continue on M5 (= Ural resp. Trans Siberian Highway) to Tolyatti near Samara, due to an all-day snow storm. We also saw today some truck accidents along the 185 miles [297km] long stretch. During changeable weather - occasionally some snow and sunshine at freezing temperatures - everything worked fine until close to the destination, when suddenly the windshield wiper conked out during snow flurries.
 
11/3/2016: After having driven another 125 miles [200km] - we spend tonight at Oktyabrsky - we decided not to write currently the "News – October 2016", because we are a bit stressed due to our expiring Russian visa. But we'll make good for it once we reached Odessa in the Ukraine or Poti in Georgia.
10/16/1984
10/21/2016
10/27/2016
11/1/2016
 
11/2/2016: We are impressed! Toyota Ufa repaired our LandCruiser in record time. We delivered it yesterday at 2pm and today at noon it was ready. The parts of our used spare differential from Jakarta could be used. We have been looked after very well. Tomorrow we shall continue towards Samara. We have still about 1'100 miles [<1'800km] to drive to the Ukraine border. The weather forecast for the next days: Heavy snowfall and low temperatures!
 
10/29/2016: Our entry into Europe was ill-fated. In the city of Ufa, only 178 miles [286km] after the Ural crossing, on a steep ascent the rear differential broke. Luck has it that since Jakarta in Indonesia we carry a used one on our roof rack, exactly since December 11th, 2006, during 3'610 days resp. 80'683 miles [129'846km]. On Monday we will take action.
 
10/27/2016: After another flat tire, our 186th in Chelyabinsk, and a tough drive of 1'334 miles [2'147km] in 7 days, we crossed today at the Urenga Pass the Ural for the second time on our epic journey. The first time was on July 2nd 1995. In its wintery snowy splendor, it was a wonderful shift from Asia to Europe.
 
10/23/2016: At constant and strong freezing temperatures we managed four more sectors towards the West: Barnaul-Novosibirsk, Novosibirsk-Barabinsk, Barabinks-Omsk, Omsk-Ishim. At Novosibirsk we left the Chuysky-Trakt and drive now on the monotonous but smooth Trans-Siberian Highway through endless birch forests.
 
10/19/2016: Finally we quit Gorno Altaysk - it was time! The weather was fine early morning, but after about 60 miles [100km] strong wind came up and shortly afterwards it started to snow. We asked ourselves whether we should stop already in Biysk, but no - we decided to continue direction Barnaul. It became a "snow-storm-drive" - for once something different, but unfortunately with a a kind of a "smack": Our 185th flat tire didn't please us at all at this nasty weather conditions!
 
10/16/2016: We celebrate our 32nd jubilee of our epic journey. It was October 16th, 1984, when our dream became true and we left with our LandCruiser with 7'077 miles [11'390km] on the odometer our 3½ room apartment in Wallisellen to discover the world for one to two years. Meanwhile, it became 32 years in 186 countries and 457'142 miles [735'698km] driven on our worldtour (odometer shows today: 747'088km = 464'219 miles).
9/3/2016
9/13/2016
 9/22/2016
10/13/2016
 
10/13/2016: During the last days we moved one step further. After many, many discussions, assessments, discarding ideas, new plannings, researches in the internet and over 50 emails a solution emerges. We will head for the port of Odessa in the Ukraine for a shipment. Where to we will tell when everything is sewn up. Western Siberia sees us off with stunning winter scenery not seen for a very long time!
 
10/6/2016: "News – September 2016" is now online.
 
10/5/2016: The sun is shining again for the first time after massive frost. Our itinerary that we changed in the meantime envisages that we shall drive in Novosibirsk westwards, thus dropping the initial idea of Vladivostok - South Korea. The shipping agent informed us that we have to count in Vladivostok as a minimal freight to "anywhere" above US$ 3'000 plus. The same freight rates originating in the West wouldn't cost half of it - this by same driving distances from Novosibirsk to the nearest port of about 3'500 miles [5'500km]. The decision to drop Mongolia as our 187th country wasn't easy. But if the obstacles are getting to big - we don't have to do it at all costs.
 
10/4/2016: The Uzbekistan website is now online.
 
10/2/2016: We receive from the weekly Swiss magazine "Doppelpunkt" a 'pdf' of the article (in German) "In einem halben Leben um die ganze Welt", published about us on
August 25th, 2016.
 
9/29/2016: The bad weather front reached us at Gorno Altaysk!
 
9/26/2016: We decide to turn back at the customs' exit of Russia due to the following reasons: 1) It's absolutely unclear whether the Mongolians let us enter without paying a bond of US$ 12'232.50 for our 34-years old LandCruiser. This huge amount results due to the big engine capacity of 258 in³ [4'228cm³]. Although the Russians would let us re-enter after a try at the 16 miles distant Mongolian post, but then our double-entry visa is used, which we intended for another place. 2) Despite of welding the front pillars, the windscreen is still swaying - not the best precondition for the bone-jarring corrugated tracks in Mongolia. 3) The weather forecast is for a hefty start of winter with snow and low freezing temperature, which isn't necessarily recommended for our "outdoor-lifestyle" in our advanced age.
 
9/25/2016: Today there is again sunshine after two rainy days. At freezing temperatures this is not only nice for our journey's continuation to the Russia-Mongolia border, but of course particularly for Liliana, who celebrates today a "half-decadal" birthday. Emil however recovers still from a pretty bad cold.
 
9/20 to 22/2016: We drove from Gorno-Altaysk via Onguday and Aktash 300 miles [485km] by varying weather (beautiful, cloudy, overcast and rain showers) on the Chuysky Trakt through the wonderful Altay Mountains to Kosh Agach, where - 45 miles [73km] before the Mongolia border - the rather treeless steppe starts.
 
9/19/2016: It's raining and we decide to use the day for internet research on yesterday's "Mongolia horror story". If the 'Carnet de Passages' isn't accepted, we won't place a caution but would go on without visiting our next new 187th country.
 
9/18/2016: The test-drive was OK. We discovered on the internet a "horror story", saying that Mongolia introduced recently an import bond on cars of US$ 4'500 + 15% of the current value (presumably due to the Mongol Rally). This shall apply also for temporarily imported tourist vehicles, excluding trucks.
 
9/17/2016: Repair finished. Test-drive follows tomorrow. Liliana stops with antibiotics - the toothaches decreased, but the cause isn't remedied yet and therefore deferred until later.
 
9/15/2016: Due to yesterday's rain, we were able to start fixing the front axle only today. Because of missing a tool we were stuck. Thanks to our friend Stas from Kazakhstan, who managed everything from there, the problem is solved. Tomorrow work will continue.
 
9/13/2016: The spare parts from Moscow arrived.
 
9/12/2016: Update to our "More about a nearly 32-Year-Journey around the World"
 
9/10 to 13/2016: Waiting for the spare parts from Moscow. Liliana is taking now antibiotics and is waiting also that their toothaches go away.
 
9/6/2016: Liliana's toothaches don't stop anymore and she decides to make an appointment with a dentist while waiting for the arrival of the spare parts.
 
9/5/2016: It shows that the upper knuckle bearing is destroyed completely and also the lower one is damaged. Toyota Russia in Moscow confirms that the spare parts are available, but needed time (1 week) to arrive in Gorno-Altaysk. They refer us also to a specialized website: http://www.exist.ru/. The other parts (main bearings etc.) seems to be unaffected.
 
9/3 and 9/4/2016: Emil dismantles himself the front axle.
 
9/2/2016: A visit to a workshop doesn't show any result due to insurmountable language difficulties.
 
9/1/2016: We leave Uznezya near Chemal and drive on the "ultra smooth" Chuysky Trakt, the 205 miles [330km] long highway 'M52" in direction Mongolia. Because it's so smooth we notice a shimmying of the front wheels. Jacking them up on a rest area, we detect with horror that the right front wheel wobbles between 4 to 6 inches [10-15cm]. For a better check-up and to be on the safe side we decide to return the 50 miles [80km] to the small town of Gorno-Altaysk (about 60'000 people) (guesthouse coord. 51.97660/85.89301).
 
8/28/2016: The front pillars, which keep the windscreen in place, had to be welded in Gorno-Altaysk, after they broke completely while returning from Teletskoe Lake - otherwise we would have driven suddenly without any "window".