Aug 8th Mort de Marvin

Breakfast isn’t so inviting today so we are soon out checking Marvin over and loading up ready to go. Neil is pleased to see he only used 250mls of oil since topping it up last. We head out past the garage we met the other teams at yesterday and settle down for another long day only to find Marvins problem returning. The engine loses more and more power and then after two hours or so the oil light flickers on. On investigation the oil level is almost off the bottom of the dipstick. Neil tops him up but we then have to wait half an hour for the engine to cool down and get him to start. But the signs are not good and after a while the engine starts rattling alarmingly, the light flickers on again and we shudder to a halt. To bring the oil back on the stick uses about a litre of oil. We now only have about 3litres of oil left from the new 5 litres opened this morning. We have covered 100kms and another 100kms will only get us further into the middle of nowhere so with heavy hearts we decide to turn round and return to Aktobe. But Marvin has other ideas and refuses to start. After a long wait a family in a UAZ (think VW camper but about 2 foot off the ground and with 4x4) pull up and offer their help. The driver decided the problem is with the carburetor so he and Neil strip, clean and rebuild it at the side of the road. Meanwhile Jan explains to one of the passengers where we are going and he continuously shakes his head. Eventually we realise we have spent half a day heading 100km in the wrong direction. Marvin still refuses to start so the towrope is brandished and after a quick tow he bursts into life. We turn back towards Aktobe as Marvin gets sicker and sicker. Hills reduce us to first gear and the smell of hot oil is overpowering. To add to the fun we are running low on fuel so we pull to the side of the road and as Neil jumps out Jan slides across to keep the engine running. A jerry can of fuel sees us full again and we head onwards ever slower.

Night falls as we drive back to the city and as we pull up at a railway crossing Marvin decides he has had enough, he stops and refuses to move. We can see the city lights not far up the road and we are approached by a group of young men from the lada in front. We try to explain that we need to get back to the city centre and they kindly offer to tow us, but as we set off they take us in the opposite direction and the area is getting further and further into the lonely outskirts. Jan gets in a panic and decides that we are going to be murdered and insists that Neil rescues us – of course he can’t as we are tied to the car in front. We are taken to a large compound in the middle of nowhere where all the young men get out of the lada and start banging on the 8 foot high gates to be let in, guard dogs are furiously barking as Jan texts Damian and Julia (team Yakity Yak) to inform them that we have been kidnapped and we fear for our lives. Quite what they can do, when we are on the northern route and they are on the southern, we don’t know but Jan keeps texting anyway – getting no reply as they must have been in an area with no mobile signal. When the gates are eventually opened we are towed into a large forecourt and then pushed into a small lockup garage. Neil gets out to speak to our ‘captors’ while Jan tries to decide on her last request before we are killed. Neil asks Jan for paper and pen to try and draw/write our problems, she hands over a compliment slip from the hotel in Aktobe, and relaxes a little when our ‘captors’ phone the hotel and make us a reservation for the night They carry our luggage to their car for us and drive us to the hotel where they insist on taking our luggage inside and to reception. They leave us there after saying they will collect us at 11am the next morning before they start work on Marvin for us – we never realised kidnappers could be so helpful!!!!

Once again we brave reception then take our belongings to our room .A quick wash and brush up and we head for the bar for a much needed drink. Tonight there is a different barmaid so Neil asks for a beer, a bottle of sprite and indicates two vodkas as he had the night before. Unknown to us vodka is sold in 100ml ‘shots’ so Jan ends up with a half pint of vodka to drown her sorrow ......and the round costs about £1.75!! A few phone calls were made and afterwards Neil kept Jan company drinking then we head unsteadily to bed.