Archie's Adventures - My Personal Diary

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Archie
Travelling Beetle
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 9:08 pm
What model do you have?: Yellow Beetle
Location: Wherever ACVWSA takes me ...

Re: Archie's Adventures - My Personal Diary

Post by Archie »

Hello its me again...

Well, I must say that the last few weeks have been really interesting and super fun, even though a little cold at times. Also lonely because there were no ACVW's anywhere that I went. I did see some interesting cars though.
Keep reading and I'll tell you all about it.



After my adventures with Fig, I met up with a lovely girl names Monique. She told me that we were going to go on a ski holiday to France and Switzerland with an old friend of mine, Tony Z.
Here is a picture of me with Fig and Monique at the airport where I met Monique.
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From there, Monique and I went to a small farm where I met her 4 dogs.
These dogs are Siberian Huskeys. I was surprised to learn that they are actually bred for cold climates and couldnt understand why they would be living in South Africa with it being so hot during summer. I was later told that the dogs can adapt to the climate and it isnt too bad for them in summer - as long as they dont excercise.
This is me with the Kennel Signboard
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Here is a picture of the oldest dog, Tracer just before he tried to bite me
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Here I am with Troy, the baby - he is so fluffy that I almost couldnt drive through his fur
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And this is me with Nikki - I dont trust her with those eyes
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A few days later we travelled off to meet Tony Z in Geneva airport. From the airport, we climbed on a train heading to a small village in Frace called Chamonix. I had never been on a train before, so I was rather excited about this new adventure. The train is like nothing I have travelled in before. It is as big as a truck but much much longer. But still only driven by 1 person. But the trains all drive on tracks and follow certain routes, so to get to Chamonix we had to change trains 4 times.
On the last train I met the driver. He spoke the same language that I heard when I was with Zeroaxe, namely French. Very funny language. But I started telling the driver who I was and where I had been. He was so impressed that he let me drive the train for a short while.
Here is the train
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Here I am driving
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The next day after our arrival Tony Z, Tony's father and I went skiing.
This is a funny sport where people go into cold climates and put planks onto their feet. Then they slide down the mountain and try not to fall. You are sliding on this icy thing called snow. It looks white and fluffy but can be really hard. Under the snow is either rocks or ice. I was told that snow really is nothing more than rain that freezes before it reaches the ground.
I dont really understand this concept. I was intruiged though, so I gave it a try and it really was fun (and dangerous even though both Z's say otherwise).

Here I am on the snow
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and trying on my own skiis - they didnt fit too well
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After a few days of this crazy sport, we all took a day off and went sightseeing.
We caught a cable car up to a mountain peak called "Aguille de Midi" which is 3842 meters above sea level. This is really high up and the air starts thinning so high up. Any activity more stressful than walking makes you dizzy and makes your engine idle at 5500rpm to keep your oil pumping.
It was also super cold up at the top of the mountains - with the wind making it -26degC.
Here I am at the top with both Z's
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Then wee took some more pictures of me posing with the Alps in the background
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You see, even when travelling I still support my home team.

Then it was time for some exploring
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I tell you what - driving in the snow is cold enough to make your dipstick nearly fall off.

Later that day while we were walking through the town I we spotted a sweet and chocolate shop. I was then told that this part of the world is known for their chocolates. Wow, look at this window.
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Luckily for me I didnt eat too much cause I am sure it is very easy to overfill your tank on these nice things so much that your chassis starts to collapse and you get a few flat tires.

We also saw a glacier up close.
Here it is below me
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This glacier moves down the mountain at a speed of 1cm per hour. We didnt stay long enough to see it move because it was so cold that even the cameras stopped working.

From Chamonix we caught 3 trains to our next destination - the small town of Zermatt in Switzerland.
There is something wrong with these people here - the Swiss people must spend way too much time up here in the mountains.
I was also told that Old Man Z was born in this part of thw world and this is why we are here - it is his last visit to Europe so this is a trip down memory lane for him too, not just a ski holiday.

In Zermatt I saw these very strange cars.
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Apparently, no petrol or diesel cars are allowed in this town (except Police, Ambulance and Municipal vehicles), so the cars here are all funny box shaped things that are battery powered. It works pretty well, but you dont hear them coming so you sometimes nearly get driven over. Some of them have bells hanging from their bumpers so others can hear them coming.

I also saw a odd looking Police car which was obviously made to go anywhere in any weather condition.
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The town of Zermatt is most famous for its mountain - The Matterhorn. It is well known as a symbol for Switzerland and also appears on many Swiss chocolate wrappings.
Here I am posing under The Matterhorn
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During one of our ski sessions, I posed under The Matterhorn again, this time on a nice little rock
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As I was getting good at this ski thing, I told Tony Z to watch as I did a backflip
Here it is as I start and land
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it all looks good up to here (good timing with the camera) but this backflip continues partially down an Alp
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After getting half burried and was no-where to be found, a rescue team was called in. After being found and helped back to safety, we took a photo of my rescuer
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The rum really does warm you up nicely. ;-)

I had to take a few more pictures
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And then on our way down the mountain we found a big Swiss flag and decided to stop for one last photo
Look carefully and you can see me
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Dont you believe me? Look again
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Sadly, this was now the end of our holiday. A few trains later, we were at another airport and 14 hours later back in Johannesburg International airport.

I wasnt feeling to good. After my stupid backflip, my gears were grinding a bit and even synthetic oil wasnt helping me select gears properly.
Tony Z then rushed me off to Bugger for a diagnosis.

Bugger informs me that I "split my diff" whatever that means, and I would have to stay with him for repairs.
Tony Z then said goodbye to me and left me with Bugger. After my repairs Bugger will be taking me on a road trip to George for a massive classic car show where I will meet Tony Z and Monique again and also many many forum members, their cars and lots and lots of other old cars and maybe even some toy cars like me.

Keep watching this space for the next episode in my Adventures as I travel the world.

Signing out, Archie the World Famous Travelling Beetle.


User avatar
Archie
Travelling Beetle
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 9:08 pm
What model do you have?: Yellow Beetle
Location: Wherever ACVWSA takes me ...

Re: Archie's Adventures - My Personal Diary

Post by Archie »

Hi guys and gals, her are some pics of me on my way to George Motorshow.

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:flash: :hangloose:
User avatar
Archie
Travelling Beetle
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 9:08 pm
What model do you have?: Yellow Beetle
Location: Wherever ACVWSA takes me ...

Re: Archie's Adventures - My Personal Diary

Post by Archie »

Archie at the George Show

After an interesting road trip from Gauteng to the Coast, and a wonderful visit to the home of VW of SA in Uitenhage (more about this a bit later), I arrived Saturday morning at the George Show where I had a quick reunion with my father, Chris!

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I was then introduced to guy called Pine, who is a bit of a wacko, but he offered to show me around the Show. First stop was meeting a few orphaned family members that Pine scored earlier that morning, all a lot different than me, yet very much alike..

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I then met Don Ravenscroft, the father of http://www.modelcars.co.za and a very nice guy who makes a living out of giving new homes to orphaned model cars :hangloose:

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I hanged around a bit at the model car exhibition, and also met Rowill Booysen from Sedgefield, who's father Willem has one of the largest collections of VW models in South Africa. Part of them were on display in the background..

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Pine then took me to where the real cars were on display, and I saw a lot of very nice ones, my favourite being this 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL, a lady with the most beautiful curves :flash: I have ever seen!

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A bit later, Pine took me for a ride with Tom Bishop and my father Chris in Tom's unbelievably cool Type 181 Thing :hangloose:

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Speaking of beautiful curves, a very kind lady who asked me very nice to rather not mention her name, offer me a nice parking spot (with a view!)

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I was really very relaxed and comfortable at the parking spot, and when she finally decided that it might be time for me to go...

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I decided to go deeper under cover, into the covered parking area!
:lol: (Now you see me - now you don't :twisted: )

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Anyway, what a fun day it was - thanks for everyone's kindness, and to Pine for the guided tour, as well as the sexy Motorheads lady for the open and covered parking :wink:

Stay tuned for more adventures from interesting parts of the world!

Take care,

Archie
User avatar
Archie
Travelling Beetle
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 9:08 pm
What model do you have?: Yellow Beetle
Location: Wherever ACVWSA takes me ...

Re: Archie's Adventures - My Personal Diary

Post by Archie »

I have been waiting patiently to tell some stories of my latest adventures, but now I cannot wait any longer. So here goes. Sit a bit closer boys and girls, because we are going to cris-cross the globe in the next few minutes.

After spending some time with a guy that Buggers up gearboxes (transmissions for our more educated readers), I joined a very strange family at the KKKNK 2011. They speak a funny language (German, I think) and also eat some strange things for breakfast. Just have a look.
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I almost got scared that I might also be on the menu.
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After breakfast, while all the people were admiring the cars, I took a stroll down to the river. This is me chilling next to the water.
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Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end and much too soon we were on our way home to Pretoria. Luckily there wasn't much time to sit around, as Beetlefanatic (BF for short) had to leave the country to go and do some work. I was lucky enough to hitch a ride with him.

After a long and exhausting trip, we arrived in a city called Asmara. Don't worry, I also asked, "Where the hell is that?" Well boys and girls, Asmara is the capital of Eritrea. I know you are all asking "Now where on earth is that?" Eritrea is a little country in North-East Africa and it has borders with Sudan, Ethiopia and Djibouti. One side borders the Red Sea. With the help of Google you can get a better idea of where it lies.
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We drove forever to get to the mining site called Bisha. The road winds through the mountains, down to the semi-desert plains. Here you can see me looking down at one of the valleys.
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As you can see Eritrea is very dry and very hot during the dry season. Some days it got to 53°C! My valve covers started dripping oil from the heat. The locals combat the heat and de-hydration by taking lots of fluids. Some get delirious and do all sorts of silly things.
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User avatar
Archie
Travelling Beetle
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 9:08 pm
What model do you have?: Yellow Beetle
Location: Wherever ACVWSA takes me ...

Re: Archie's Adventures - My Personal Diary

Post by Archie »

Eritrea is a beautiful place with lots of open spaces. I could just feel my battery re-charging!
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On one of my excursions into the wild, I almost bumped into one of these animals. They are called camels and are used as transport by the locals. Unlike me they are watercooled and can travel hundreds of kilometers on one tank of water.
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Too soon we had to leave again and on the way back home we had to wait in Asmara for the plane. While I was sight-seeing, I bumped into a distant relative. This one was built for the rough terrain because it was 4WD and called a Syncro Golf.
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After leaving Asmara we flew to Egypt and had to stay in Cairo for a day. I got the chance to slip out of the hotel and went to see what was cooking in Cairo. I saw one of my bigger relatives a long the way.
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This is me posing on a bridge over the Nile river.
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User avatar
Archie
Travelling Beetle
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 9:08 pm
What model do you have?: Yellow Beetle
Location: Wherever ACVWSA takes me ...

Re: Archie's Adventures - My Personal Diary

Post by Archie »

I'm sure the taxi driver took me for a joyride, because soon we were no longer in Cairo but in a city called Giza. I call it the City of Bays (as in bay window busses). I think there are more bay windows in Giza than the rest of the world! I saw more than fifty in just one street. And they are all painted white!
Check out the pics if you think I'm talking :bn:.
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I did see one familiar face at least.
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Suddenly we arrived at a place with some weird triangular buildings. Some say they were built by aliens, but I'm not so sure.
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Anyway, can you say "Walk like an Egyptian:" :D Here I am getting my picture taken next to the pyramids! How many people or cars can say that? Lucky me!
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Checkout the Sphinx behind me. That one made my rockers rattle. It's just creepy! :shock:
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Last edited by Archie on Mon May 07, 2012 5:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Archie
Travelling Beetle
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 9:08 pm
What model do you have?: Yellow Beetle
Location: Wherever ACVWSA takes me ...

Re: Archie's Adventures - My Personal Diary

Post by Archie »

After my eventful trip I needed some R&R, so I convinced BF we should go chill at the sea for a few days. The start to a wonderful was not so nice as it took us 12hours to drive 600km! No, not because we traveled in such an old bus, but because everybody in Gauteng decided to move to the coast on the same long weekend. What a nightmare trip! Luckily the view made up for the torture.
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Unfortunately that ended far too quickly as BF was off to some god-forsaken place for work. This time it was to Kazakhstan and off course I hitched a ride along.
Before you ask, here is a map pic to show you were Kazakhstan is.
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We flew via Abu Dhabi to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, and NO, I DID NOT MEET BORAT!.
Astana is a beautiful city with tall buildings and lots of people.
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From Astana we flew to Kostanay and then drove to our final destination near the Russian border. A tiny village called Varvarinskoye or Varvarinka for short.
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There was not a lot of time for sight-seeing as BF was busy the whole time and I was too scared to venture out alone. I mean I couldn't even ask for directions if I got lost. The people speak a very weird language called Kazakh. The last evening we were invited by two of BFs friends to have a few drinks next to the river. Reminder to self, Stay away from Vodka and Cognac. :drunks: :kots:
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What a beautiful place. Grass as far as the eyes can see. These grasslands are call The Steppes and literally stretch for a few thousand kilometers from West to East across the northern part of Kazakhstan.
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User avatar
Archie
Travelling Beetle
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 9:08 pm
What model do you have?: Yellow Beetle
Location: Wherever ACVWSA takes me ...

Re: Archie's Adventures - My Personal Diary

Post by Archie »

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Some more locals. Grrrr! Where were you the whole time I was there? :twisted:
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Too soon we were on our way home again.
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We barely had time to unpack our bags in SA and we were off again. This time to Malawi.
We flew from Lanseria to Karonga on the north-western part of Lake Malawi. From here we drove to the mine.
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Me, spoiling the view of the lake.
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Lake Malawi
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Descending into Karonga Airport
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Our modest transport
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Another beautiful place in the mountains.
Sunset
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After a very short 3 week visit we had to return home.

I have been itching to go on another trip so if anyone wants to take me along, please contact Beetlefanatic. I really am very well behaved and leak very little oil. You won't even know I'm there.
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