Prepare now for the next big one

Serious flooding is not a new phenomenon in Malaysia. In fact, it is an annual event, occurring at more or less the same time of the year, varying only in the location, the degree of severity and extent of damage.
Hopefully, the worst is over as I write this, and the recovery and clean-up efforts can proceed.
Putting aside why our country does not seem prepared for this disaster despite its regular nature, what can we learn to better prepare for the future?
Many things are needed when the waters rise, and among the first is information. Detailed and accurate information. Which areas, which roads, which stretches of which roads are low-lying? How low, relative to some standard point?
The marks left by the receding waters show clearly just how high the floodwaters were in many places. Now is the time to gather data and prepare detailed elevation maps.

When the next floods hit (and they will, as surely as December follows November), the authorities should be able to tell quickly which towns and villages and roads are threatened.
If the water reaches 1 metre in a particular spot in Kuantan, for example, they should know approximately how high the floodwaters are at various areas in the state of Pahang, which areas are inundated, which roads are passable to which categories of vehicles.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a colour-coded map, update hourly, showing clearly which roads and kampungs are green, or yellow, or red zones?

This blog is primarily about my passion for 4X4 vehicles and activities so it should come as no surprise that they come into the picture.
It has become clear, thanks to numerous photos and videos posted on social video, that 4X4 vehicles have been crucial in delivering much-needed aid to areas that are otherwise inaccessible.

There has been no shortage of goodwill and good deeds from all segments of Malaysian society in responding to calls for help. Donations in cash and kind have poured in, an there is no shortage either of lorries and even containers to transport them to distribution centres in affected areas.
But hundreds, maybe even thousands, of lighter vehicles are still needed to get the goods to where are needed most.

This is where the privately owned 4X4 vehicles have stepped forward. From seasoned 4WD enthusiasts and veterans to newbies who just purchased a double cabin pick-up recently, they all responded magnificently, organising themselves through Whatsapp and Facebook.
They raised money, collected donated goods, loaded up their trucks and headed off. Many who had little or no experience in offroad driving placed their faith in their travelling companions, some of whom were complete strangers until recently, to help show them the ropes.

Bravo to you all. Even if the floods this time were so bad at their peak that even 4X4s could not get through, the water was bound to subside within a couple of days to a level that the relief missions could proceed.
For the future, the authorities should encourage the formation of 4X4 clubs and activities, and also close ties between them and the agencies that are likely to be in the frontlines when battling future disasters, agencies like Bomba, JPAM (Civil Defence), RELA, JPJ and the Police.
When the alarm is raised the next time, someone in charge should know that they can call on the Mitsubishi Triton Club, the Toyota Hilux Club, the Ford Ranger Club, the Land Rover Club, etc, and which areas to assign them to.
There are many of these groups out there, most of which are formed casually for members to discuss subjects common to their favourite marques, their next "teh tarik" or TT gathering or offroad trip.
With some initiative from the authorities, it should not be too difficult to link up with them.
When there are no disasters, that would be the best time to plan and prepare, to organise training sessions to help them become more familiar with the capabilities and limitations of their vehicles and themselves. As the old wisdom goes, one should not wait until the tummy aches to start building a toilet.

It is heartening to note that several government departments have gone to the ground or "turun padang" to assist even though disaster relief is not their function. Departments like Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) have earned praise on their Facebook page for using their 4X4 vehicles to help distribute food and other aid goods in areas that lesser cars cannot get to. Let me add my praise and compliments here. Syabas, JPJ!

That said, let's build on it. The authorities should recognise that, in our hour of need, there are many privately owned vehicles out there that are much better prepared and equipped for the arduous task than their own, which are largely as stock standard as the day they were delivered.
Enthusiasts who spend their own time and money to pursue offroading as a hobby also end up having more capable vehicles - better tyres, winches, snorkels, etc, when the need arises. Many also have more experience in driving through water, thanks to their leisure adventures.
Ironically, many of these improvements may be illegal in the eyes of the JPJ, perhaps because the rules have not been updated to reflect changing technology.

For example, JPJ's guidelines on tyres says "Pemasangan tayar yang lebih besar sehingga mengubah ketinggian keseluruhan kenderaan adalah tidak dibenarkan." (Fitting of bigger tyres that change the overall vehicle height is not permitted).
This could and should be amended to spell out a specific amount of extra height that is permitted, "up to 50mm", for example.
Bearing in mind the usefulness of 4X4 vehicles in helping victims of disasters, the JPJ could hold talks with the 4X4 community to discuss what constitutes permissible, safe and useful upgrades to 4X4s instead of just banning any and everything.
Perhaps, to prevent abuse, there could be some kind of "technical permission for specific modifications" in writing granted to specific vehicles that have signed up as volunteers for future disasters, either as a club member or at an individual level.
The good news is, Malaysia potentially has a huge fleet of tens of thousands of 4X4 vehicles, available and ready for action at a moment's notice, all paid for and maintained by private individuals at zero cost to the Government.
Even if not all are willing or able to come out and help, tapping into just a percentage of this pool of volunteer auxiliaries will be a big burden taken off the authorities.
All that needs to be done now, before disaster strikes again, is to put in place some kind of plan to coordinate these privateers when the need arises.
I hope the lessons of the past week are not quickly forgotten. When the rains start again, there won't be much time to get things done.

I Heart Sabah ...

How time flies! It seemed like only yesterday I was back in Sabah after a long time away (having left in January 1993). Now, it's been 10 years since I went back to Kota Kinabalu in October, 2003, with the now-defunct Ford Lanun Darat programme. Much has changed. Back then, it was near-impossible to find camping gear in KK, now there are many shops offering first rate items.
Memories came rushing back on the Borneo Safari recently, when the first day's campsite at Kiulu seemed so familiar. Then ... of course, it was where we camped during Lanun Darat #17!
Sabah was where it all began for me ... 4X4, that is. First, the early years of the Borneo Safari in the early 1990s, then the unforgettable Camel Trophy of 1993.
Lanun Darat was a very successful and popular programme run by Ford to help customers of its Ranger and Everest 4X4s to learn the fundamentals of 4WD and how to get the most out of their vehicles while enjoying the great outdoors. It ended several years ago but there is talk, and some hope of it being revived. If you own a Ford 4X4 and want to see that happen, do let Sime Darby Auto Connexion know how you feel. Call them, write to them, text them, twit it ...  

My story from October 2003

IN Sabah, everyone drives a 4X4 vehicle. At least, that seems to be the perception among other Malaysians. A first-time visitor stepping out of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport may well think that this is one rough country, given the number and variety of tough-looking vehicles in the parking lot.
Toyota Landcruisers and Hiluxes, Nissan Patrols, Isuzu Invaders and Troopers and Land Rovers are everywhere. And, in the past few years, the Ford Ranger has won over many Sabahans as well.
Ford Malaysia, recognising the importance of this easternmost state’s importance as a market for its pick-ups, recently held the first-ever Lanun Darat 4X4 expedition for Sabahans who own the Ranger.

Since the programme began five years ago, the 16 previous expeditions in Peninsular Malaysia have proved very popular among owners of the tough Ford trucks, many of whom return again and again for more thrills. It is also an avenue for Ford to maintain close rapport with its customers.
Lanun Darat #17 proved to be different in several ways. Logistics was the first challenge since quite a lot of equipment had to be flown in or shipped over from the peninsula.
For example, Kuala Lumpur offers shoppers a bewildering choice of tents, sleeping bags and other camping gear. But the options are limited in Sabah. Therefore, these items had to be purchased in KL and shipped over, and then distributed, free of charge, to the hundred or so participants who had eagerly signed up for the event.
When all these difficulties had been overcome, Sabah showed that it had many advantages for the kind of back-to-nature adventure that the Lanun Darat programme aims to promote.
A typical Lanun Darat event in the west would require two to three hours of highway motoring before the dirty bit - the real fun - began. In Sabah, the adventure started less than 10km from the flag-off, held at the Ford Concessionaires facility in Inanam, a light industrial area just outside KK.
The terrain was spectacular. One minute, you were on a rather ordinary country road. One left turn later, the trail began climbing steeply, and kept getting steeper.

For those of us from West Malaysia who had gone along for the ride, the most amazing part about these tracks, which were so steep that low-ratio gears had to be engaged, was that the local residents traversed them daily, to and from their homes.
The GPS (Global Positioning System) showed that we were less than 30km, as the crow flies, from downtown KK. No wonder the high percentage of 4X4 vehicles in Sabah – there are so many places people need to go to which ordinary cars simply cannot reach.
Before long, the convoy of 35 Rangers moved into the really mountainous area of Kiulu, where swift streams churned up excitement and trepidation in equal measures.
First-timers probably felt queasy watching the truck before theirs plunge into the fast current, and seeing those big wheels disappear beneath the seething waters.
The knowledge that it was safe, that the guy in front made it across, should be reassuring. And, it was, but you just couldn’t help worrying a little. What if I got it wrong? There were so many things that could go wrong: going in too fast or too slow; steering too far right or left; easing off the accelerator too early or too late ...
And then it was over, and with success, a feeling of overwhelming exhilaration, of achievement! It was great. This was what life’s all about! Until the next, bigger, deeper and faster stream.
All along the way, we learnt from each other. There was always some useful tip someone else had which I had not thought or heard of, or something I considered basic but which the other fellow never knew.
There was also the spectacular scenery to savour while negotiating rocky tracks that clung precariously to the near-perpendicular sides of hills which soared straight up on one side and, on the other, dropped to lush green bamboo-clad valleys a long, long way below.
We camped next to a lovely boulder-strewn river which provided crystal-clear water for bathing, and a farmer’ s hut which had Astro, via which the Sabahan football fans watched their team lose to MPPJ.
Lanun Darat ended with a drive along the white sandy beach to the Rasa Ria Resort at Pantai Dalit. By then, the participants did not need any prompting when asked if another such event would be a good idea.

Deja view ... same place (as photo above), 10 years later.

4X4s To The Rescue!

Ford Ranger to the rescue ... pic and Ranger by Top Gear Malaysia Editor Hezeri Samsuri.

Ready to roll, and row ... preparing to set off from 4X4 Shoppe in Kg Pandan, KL.

THIS will be a post of few words, because each picture is worth thousands. This is a compilation to show the severity of the disaster, and what individuals are doing to help in any way they can.
I am heartened by the Facebook posts of my 4X4 friends in Peninsular Malaysia, many of whom have set aside whatever is important in their daily lives to go help the flood victims of Kuantan and other affected areas along the East Coast.
Thanks in particular to Top Gear Malaysia Editor Hezeri, who is in the thick of the aid efforts with his Ford Ranger, Adnan Abdullah and his Land Rover friends, Mike Kik and his half-dozen Ranger brothers, for permission to repost their photos.
We in the 4X4 fraternity spend much time and money in pursuit of our passion, in upgrading our skills and vehicles to traverse difficult terrain, including water hazards.
Now that the need for these is real and urgent, it is great to know that a flotilla is on the way to render assistance anywhere and any way it is needed. Syabas, everyone!
It must be noted that rallying to the call when help is needed is nothing new for the "serious" 4X4 enthusiasts, with veterans regularly going to render assistance at disaster scenes near and far, within our nation's borders as well as beyond, most recently, at the typhoon-hit Tacloban region of the Philippines. Other notable relief missions were to flood-hit Johor in 2006-7, and after Boxing Day 2004 tsunami devastated Banda Aceh, Sumatra.
What's encouraging now is that there are many new faces, people who have just recently become 4X4 owners themselves, who are volunteering on their own accord. Kudos to them.
Social media has also helped greatly, with personal appeals for food, clothing bedding and other supplies, as well as cash, all being received with overwhelming response from friends, and friends of friends.
It is worth noting that behind each volunteer in a 4X4 are dozens of friends and well-wishers who have generously contributed in cash and/or kind to the relief efforts.

Some photos of the various scenes in Kuantan are from this Facebook page, where there are many more images of the unfloding tragedy.

The "road" to Mulu

Who said "it's not the destination, it’s the journey”? That sounds like a nice philosophy if you’re into zen and all that mystical stuff. Personally, I think it’s a cop-out, a sorry excuse made up to console oneself when the destination turned out to be one huge, disappointing mistake.
Give me a good journey AND a good destination any time. Give me a trip to Mulu, and give it to me the old-fashioned way, of course.
For the benefit of the uninitiated, that’s the renowned Gunung Mulu National Park in the north-eastern corner of Sarawak, famed for its superlative caves – world’s largest cave chamber, South-East Asia’s longest cave passage, longest cave system, etc.
Twenty years on, memories of my first visit, and what felt like an epic journey then, are still vivid.
From the seaside town of Kuala Baram, about 25km from Miri, I had to take a pre-dawn express boat journey to the small riverside town Marudi, three hours away.
Change over to an open top longboat for another three-hour ride to an even smaller riverside town, Long Lama, where another transfer is required, to an even smaller longboat for the last stretch up the calm Melinau river.

Waiting for the Long Lama ferry.

Today, Mulu has become one of Sarawak’s most popular tourist destinations, thanks to regular flights that deliver visitors almost to the doorsteps of the first-class Royal Mulu Resort and another dozen or so lodgings clustered on the banks of the pristine Melinau river.
When the opportunity to revisit Mulu came up in April 2006, it was the destination that got me excited first.
Then came the offer I couldn’t refuse – it was a Ford Lanun Darat expedition so the trip would not be made either in progressively diminishing boats or Twin Otter aircraft. Instead, we would drive there in a convoy of four-wheel-drive vehicles.
For most of the journey, the Ford Ranger pick-ups and Everest SUVs would travel on a well-used trail from Miri to Long Bedian, a remote settlement of the Kayan tribe.
Just how remote is it? Well, it’s about 125km from Miri, and the natives have e-Bedian (check out www.unimas.my/ebedian) and lots of satellite dishes.
And, when the convoy of 25 or so vehicles finally rolled up at the longhouse after a long, hard and dusty journey, the native women whipped out their snazzy camera phones to snap pictures of the visitors from afar!
The drive to get there had been a gruelling ordeal of dust, bone-jarring bumps and monstrous hills with steep climbs and descents like roller coasters.

The dust was so thick in places that visibility was down to a couple of metres.
For city slickers, there was one thing worse than driving virtually blind – knowing that we were sharing the trails with monster 80-tonne logging trucks that dwarf most of the semi-trailers on peninsular highways.
The long drive to Long Bedian and our overnight rest stop at the nearby Tenyok Rimba community resort had taken the best part of an entire day, and sapped all of our energy.
The locals put on a warm welcome, complete with dancing girls and traditional music but most of us were simply too tired to party for long.
But, as I was to discover the next day, that was the easy part. Next stop, Mulu!
A quick look at the topographic map and a consultation with my trusty GPS showed the objective was less than 50km away. But, that’s in a straight line, and nothing goes anywhere in a straight line in this part of the world.
It turned out to be four-and-a-bit hours of traversing some of the steepest slopes and, at one stretch of around seven kilometres, definitely the bumpiest bit of dirt and stone trail I’ve ever driven across.

There was the added pressure of a deadline. We absolutely had to reach that dot on the map by 1.30pm or else we wouldn’t have enough time to make the last stretch into the national park and still have enough time to return to our camp before nightfall.
Jury-rigged bridges made from a couple of logs, hastily cleared landslides, dizzying heights of hills and plunging depths of valleys were all par for the course, which ended abruptly at the river.
With barely minutes to spare, we had made the rendezvous. There, patiently waiting for us were the boatmen who would ferry us on the final leg of the journey into the national park.
Unfortunately, the tight schedule meant we could not explore the wonders of Mulu at a leisurely pace.

After a short boat ride through a sudden yet typical thunderstorm, we climbed 200 steps up to the gaping mouth of the magnificent Clearwater Cave, South-East Asia’s longest cave passage with over a hundred kilometres surveyed.
Descending deep into the chasm on wobbly legs, I realised that every step downward meant yet another upward step that must be taken on the return trip, and all these steps would lead to the 200 steps back down to the river. So much for “the journey, not the destination”.
Still, there was just enough time for a refreshing dip in the crystal clear lagoon fed by the underwater river flowing out of the cave before heading off for a quick lunch and then back to the vehicles for the long, bumpy drive back to Tenyok Rimba.
More bumps, more dust and mud, many more hours of arduous driving lay ahead before we returned to “civilisation” but when our tyres finally met bitumen, I felt I could say that Lanun Darat #28 had been a tough but enjoyable journey to and from a great destination.

Worms grow big in the highlands!

The point of it all

AS the sound of 18 diesel engines died away for the last time in Casablanca on Oct 7, a wave of relief swept over every member of the Petronas Trans Sahara 2004 expedition. There were also feelings of triumph, and a sense of personal achievement and team accomplishment.
“We made it!” “Well done, you did it!” Congratulations were in order, and everyone went around shaking each other’s hands and patting one another on the back. There were tears of joy, and eager anticipation of the journey home to much-missed loved ones so far away.
Now, safe and sound at home at last, with all the creature comforts and the great Malaysian food that we craved for while out there in the desert, there has been time to reflect on the meaning of life, the universe, and what the whole Sahara experience has been about.
It was one great adventure. For some lucky members of the Petronas Adventure Team (PAT), there will be other places to visit in time to come, but many of us will remember this trip as a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we were fortunate enough to have been a part of.
The Trans Sahara proved to be many things to many people. It was a journey of exploration, a long trek through nations and environments that couldn’t possibly be more different than the lush world that Malaysians know as home.
It was a test for each individual participant, who had to dig deep into his or her reserves to find the patience, the perseverance and the tolerance to put up with all the unexpected trials and tribulations that came along. Some of the challenges included seemingly endless waiting to cross borders, long hours of driving, extreme heat, gritty sand getting into everything, and having to go for days without a bath.

There were always some people you liked and some you did not, but everyone had to learn to get along, for the good of the entire group. When everyone was forced to spend so much time in such close proximity, the strain could blow the smallest misunderstanding out of proportion and spark off tiffs. But, in the end, the close bond forged by the shared experiences won through.
There were happy moments when things were great, when the scenery was dazzling or the mood enchanting, just as there were times when everything that could go wrong did. We all passed the test and, looking back now, the good times far outweighed the bad.
It was an opportunity for Malaysians, as individuals and as a group, to let other cultures know about us even as we were getting to know them. Initially, the curious locals of North Africa always mistook us for Japanese, Koreans or Chinese visitors. But when told that we were Malaysians, the reaction was always one of warm welcome.
Invariably, their faces broke into broad smiles, their thumbs went up and they shouted, “Malaysia very good, very nice people, welcome!” It felt really great to be regarded in such a pleasant light, even if we discovered along the way that such welcoming salutes were often ploys to lure unsuspecting tourists into souvenir shops.
As travel experiences go, a PAT expedition is not really the best way to visit interesting places. All too often, the need to keep to a schedule or having to pick up the pace to make up for lost time meant that we had to bypass many interesting places. While the 39 days allocated for the expedition might seem a long time, it still did not allow for much leisure because the convoy had to cover more than 10,000km, much of it over difficult terrain. There were stretches of the route which required eight hours of driving to cover just over 100km of ground.
While it was understandable that the needs of the whole caravan took precedence over the wishes of individuals, it did often lead to the frustrating feeling that one had travelled so far under such difficult conditions only to whiz past some place of great significance, such as historic battlegrounds like El Alamein and Mersa Matruh in Egypt, or the remnants of ancient Roman settlements in Libya.

The expedition did enable us to see plenty of interesting sights along the way. Even if the experience was often shallow, most of us agreed that it was ultimately better to have had these glimpses, however brief and fleeting, than not to have seen these wonderful places at all. That was another lesson: you can’t have everything your way all the time, so you should enjoy whatever you can get.
In the main, the expedition served to raise Petronas’ profile in the foreign countries where they have joint-venture operations, such as Sudan, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco. Wherever possible, the PAT members took part in community relations projects at local institutions such as children’s hospitals and village vocational centres, which receive support and aid from the Malaysian oil company.
For other sponsors such as Ford Malaysia, which sent along their 4X4 Everest and Ranger vehicles, and Korean tyre-maker Kumho, the gruelling expedition was as an ideal trial by ordeal that proved their products’ toughness and reliability, beyond all doubt. After all, they survived the kind of conditions and abuse the average consumer’s car and tyres would never have to undergo, even in 20 years of normal usage.

Ya Humar!

Today's lesson in Arabic is the phrase "Ya Humar". It means "You Donkey". Or, "You Ass". On the Trans Sahara, it is a daily award presented to the participant who made the silliest or funniest mistake the previous day.

AS the Petronas Adventure Team (PAT) ticks off the 30th day of the Trans Sahara 2004, the gruelling marathon starts to take its toll on both people and machinery.
Tensions rise – not quite up to boiling point, but it simmers – as homesickness creeps in. The absence of roaming cellular phone services in countries like Algeria and Libya deepens the depression.

It's not all sand ...

The most trivial misunderstandings can spark off tiffs between the closest of friends, but everyone usually makes up and has a hearty laugh over them later.
Cars are beset by more problems day by day. These gremlins test the expedition mechanics’ skill and ingenuity, but pose no major challenges.
In the early days, dawn brought exciting prospects of new places, experiences and landscapes; unusual dwellings and friendly natives, and a dozen or more varieties of sand. As time went by, the novelty wore thin and the 34th new experience was significantly less awe-inspiring than the fourth, and the 67th left you totally unmoved.
Anticipation used to be the order off the day. But now, each kilometre chalked brings joy because it means we are moving closer to the day we’ll return home and see loved ones again.
But these difficulties are an intrinsic part of long overland treks, PAT veterans say. Expedition medic Khairuddin Mohd Ali (call sign Kilo Delta), who modestly admits to having studied psychiatry “only on a superficial level”, notes that mood swings and mild depression are normal when a group of people spend so much time in close proximity, and under stressful conditions. His prescription: Patience, tolerance and a sense of humour.
It also helps that the PAT begins each day with a touch of home; they have a roll call, raise the Jalur Gemilang and sing Negaraku, heartily.
There is usually a light moment with the presentation of the Ya Humar (Arabic for “you donkey”) award to the participant who had committed the silliest or funniest mistake the previous day. Answering a phone call by pressing the two-radio’s microphone to the ear; trying to top up lubricant by pouring oil into the engine’s filler cap instead of the hole; complaining that a car’s air-con is faulty when the thermostat has been switched off; and an avid rock collector picking up dried camel dung thinking they are stones are some of examples of “Ya Humarism”.

An unexpected sight in the desert ...
wreckage of an old Italian biplane.

Messages sent by loved ones at home and well-wishers from all over through the website (www. petronasadventure. com) have been a great boost for morale. Everyone is agog whenever Harun Rahman (Mojo) goes on air with the latest greetings from 10,000km away. So keep them coming, Malaysia.
The vehicles are holding up well, considering the pounding they have been subjected to since being flagged off from Khartoum, Sudan, seemingly an eternity ago. Think about the abrasive quality of sandpaper and you’ll get an idea of what it’s like for finely-machined components to have to cope with wind-blown sand particles of all sizes getting into their every crack and orifice. Other challenges include jammed fuel injectors; dirty fuel or fuel contaminated with water; a broken pulley and alternator; a couple of punctured tyres; and broken engine mounts and roof luggage racks.
The most serious mechanical breakdown to date has been the failure of the automatic gearbox of expedition leader Halim (Echo Lima) Abdul Rahman’s Land Cruiser. It had to be towed 1,200km to a repair facility in Tripoli, Libya. Even then, there were worries about whether replacement parts were available because automatic versions of the vehicle are not sold in Libya. Somehow, the mechanics came through and got it fixed.
Algeria is a beautiful country and the people seem quite friendly. But the government’s security concerns (which, to some PAT members, border on paranoia) has forced the convoy to travel everywhere with ever-alert gendarmes (well-armed paramilitary police) as escorts. Thus our freedom to move around and interact with the locals is restricted.
There is little pleasure in getting up early every day, climbing into our vehicles and driving from one town to the next, without stopping at any of the villages we passed through other than to refuel or pee. We didn’t see much of towns like Ouargla, Ghardaia and Tiaret. Camping is out of the question, and everyone is confined to hotels at night, with policemen toting AK-47s patrolling outside.
However, the PAT participants appreciate the great lengths to which the Algiers government and their security personnel, in particular, went to ensure the safety of everyone.
Since crossing over from Tunisia, the convoy has been greatly aided by Abdul Wahab Arifin (Orang Minyak), a Kelantanese from Tanah Merah, who has been project accountant and the No. 2 man with Petronas Algeria for the past three years. He and his Algerian colleagues have been invaluable in liaising with the local authorities and providing insights into the landmarks and distinctive features of the country he is in.
As the convoy moves north towards the sea, the scenery around us has changed from the oh-so-familiar sand dunes to a gentler, milder Mediterranean landscape. The temperature has dropped progressively from 40°C to 20°C; as night falls, it dips way below that. The air is cold and Arab-style garb is giving way to thicker, warmer clothes as we move into a sunny yet chilly autumn.

The natives are friendly. And armed.

The convoy is heading for the Algerian port city of Oran, where our vehicles will be shipped by ferry to the Spanish port of Alicante. The expedition is forced to make this detour into Europe because the border between Algeria and Morocco is closed, and the only way into our final destination is by sea. It has been a long, often difficult, journey so far, but spirits remain high and optimism reigns.

Oil everywhere, not a drop to be found

The Blast From The Past series continues with an ironic problem. In an oil-rich country where electricity is so cheap that the people leave their light bulbs on all day, the Petronas Adventure Team runs out of fuel deep in the desert.

With the cars running on fumes and no Petronas station in sight, set up camp.

AN oil crisis is the last thing anyone expects in Libya , where petroleum supposedly oozes from the ground. Yet, that was exactly what the Petronas Adventure Team (PAT) had to cope with as the sun set on Sept 13, 2004, Day 15 of the Trans Sahara 2004.
The convoy comprised 18 four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicles, rigged with extra fuel tanks and jerry cans that can carry about 200 litres of diesel each.
That evening, every driver had been mesmerised by the amber low-fuel warning light; it didn’t help that the nearest fuel station was at the oasis of Waw el Kabir, 178km away as the crow flies, but there are no crows deep in the Sahara , and no one here travels in a straight line for long.
The problem began when the convoy rolled into the oasis of Tazerbu, about 650km south of Benghazi , the scheduled refuelling stop, on the night of Sept 12. Unfortunately, the petrol station was out of diesel.

The scrounger score some diesel, but not enough.

The PAT’s scrounging skills worked, though, and the local fuel supplier sent four 200l drums to the camp at midnight. Each car got a ration of 65 litres, which was not a lot; nevertheless, the participants headed into the desert anyway, to explore an extinct volcano.
The difficult terrain resulted in higher fuel consumption than expected, and most vehicles were running on fumes by the time the convoy pitched camp as night fell, still 200km from the nearest source of diesel.
Expedition leader Halim Rahman then decided to collect every jerry can and fuel container available, pool every last drop of precious diesel to fill up a couple of cars and send them to Waw el Kabir to buy more diesel. It was a six-hour round trip.

While the quest for fuel continues, some
 people find time to practise their golf swing.

Meanwhile, the guys (and three women) took advantage of the rare leisure time to catch up on vehicle maintenance chores, such as cleaning the air filters. Expedition sergeant major Asst Supt Mohd Shahidan Mohd Mahmud, who had brought along 100 golf balls, finally got the chance to polish his chipping and sand trap skills, while the others played rugby and football.
The fuel eventually arrived and the convoy moved out just after 4pm, way after the usual 6.30 or 7.30am starts. The wait proved to be a good opportunity to experience the Sahara during the day. Temperatures there can soar to over 40°C, but, surprisingly, it was pleasant in the shade, especially when the wind blew, which seemed to be most of the time.
Several days earlier, the convoy had crossed from Egypt into Libya near the town of Salum and made smooth progress on sealed roads to the port city of Tobruk. This city was the scene of two major World War II battles – that between the German-Italian forces led by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, a.k.a. the Desert Fox, and the British and Commonwealth troops who distinguished themselves as the Desert Rats. Unfortunately, there isn’t much left for history buffs to see today, except for a small French military cemetery.

All hands on deck to help with refuelling.

Along the way, the convoy rolled through El Alamein (now called Al Alamayn by the Libyans), site of the British victory that proved to be the turning point for the Allies.
My first impression of Libya was that of overwhelming filth: there was garbage strewn as far as the eye could see. Plastic bags, in particular, looked like crops growing on the ground; many hung from the numerous barbed wire fences.
Libya could just as easily be dubbed the “Land of Green Doors”, since nearly every squarish house is either sand coloured or unpainted concrete, and has green doors. Apparently, the colour is popular because the Libyan flag is a plain green rectangle, and it seems to be effective in scaring away flies!
En route to Tobruk, the long line of uniformly-coloured PAT cars drew admiring stares from everyone, including the unfortunate drivers of two cars which collided with a mighty bang when the man in front slowed down to gawk, and the driver behind him, who did the same, did not slow down. Assistance was rendered immediately by Khairuddin Mohd Ali, the expedition doctor,who examined the injured drivers.

No fuel, never mind, we have authentic
Italian pasta cooked by authentic
Italian chef Alessandro Arada

The Sahara reputedly springs surprises on the unwary: well, there was heavy rain and floods in parts of the deep desert that the expedition was supposed to visit, thus forcing a change of route. It hardly ever rains, but when it does, the water does not seep into the ground. Instead, it is channelled into narrow riverbeds that are normally dry.

Is that a Petronas station ... nah, just a mirage.

“After lunch, the local guides will lead us through the minefields,” expedition leader Halim Abdul Rahman announced over the radio during a refuelling break just before the convoy was due to enter the real Sahara desert.
That certainly got the adrenalin pumping, but as it turned out, we did not have to drive through any minefield. However, the convoy did go near many thick barbed wire entanglements that marked out areas where there might still be mines left over from WWII and the subsequent border conflict between Libya and Egypt.
The Sahara proper is a fascinating landscape, vast and varied in textures and hues. It is not all just sand dunes, although there are many of these. There are also large areas of hard-packed sandy and rocky ground, strewn with stones which vary in size from pebbles to huge boulders. Colours range from white to beige to dark brown and black.

The expedition vehicles travelled over soft sand dunes that resembled the huge waves of a storm at sea, as well as perfectly smooth flat sand that afforded We drove through powdery dust (like talcum powder) that severely taxed the engines and cooling systems.
The Sahara is beautiful in a stark, wild kind of way. It is enchanting and entrancing, yet totally unforgiving because a traveller can go hundreds of kilometres without seeing a blade of grass, or so much as a beetle. There’s no life there, except that which passes through on the backs of camels, or in 4WD vehicles, like us.

More photos here

An extinct volcano in the middle of the Libyan Sahara (at 24°55'9.67"N 17°44'45.88"E).