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Wednesday 21st March 2007- Port Klang, Malaysia

(Daniel) This morning Lou, a guy from the unstuffing warehouse, called me and told me that he would pick me up today, as Daren had to work in the dock. He collected me at 10am and took me to their offices in Klang. There he bought me Won Ton breakfast, which I thought I had experienced before, but hadn’t seen anything like the amazing selection of different Won Ton that came out on the tray for us. I regretted eating so much of the terrible hotel breakfast as I struggled to fit in the different varieties, but somehow managed, although I nearly gagged on the last one, but thankfully no-one noticed!

While we ate, his staff typed up the documents given to me to complete yesterday, and after collecting these we drove together back to the docks where I got a new pass by simply showing the old one, and then carried on down to the warehouse. Here we checked the documents in with the warehouse controller and then drove back to the customs department where I had first started yesterday. Here it was a different story, people were rushing around, and all of a sudden I felt like I was in Pakistan again, at the Lahore Dry Dock. I wasn’t far wrong as, after putting our paperwork in front of the most 'Top Man' that we could find, again came the request for bakshish. This time was a feeble excuse that it was lunch time, however, lunchtime was not for 40 minutes yet! After we begrudgingly paid the small amount, my paperwork was processed without any inspection of the vehicle, I could have been bringing 2 tonnes of heroin in from Pakistan, and this would have been my mission achieved, scary isn’t it!?

We left the customs office, with the usual shaking of hands etc. and then headed back to the warehouse where we had some lunch, while the container was brought around to the front for unpacking. Daren found us in the canteen, and then came with me to unpack the vehicle. As we opened the doors the feeling of relief was immense There was the Wolf, just as I had left her! The inside of the container was roasting hot, and there was a smell that I couldn’t describe, but I am sure that it was as a result of superheating and then cooling before superheating again, day after day for over three weeks.

The Wolf in a box

I checked around the vehicle which seemed intact, although the 'lashing' which I had been made to pay for at the Pakistan end, amounted to a few chocks under the wheels, and not the ratchets, straps and stuffing which I had been promised. I opened up the bonnet and checked the levels before getting into the vehicle and reconnecting the battery and clutch immobiliser. Then she fired up, as sweet as if I had parked her ten minutes ago. I reversed out into the container yard where a big crowd had formed to see the source of all this fuss.

Fee at last!

Doesn't it look funny without the roofrack

I have to do something about this roofrack!

The expedition roofrack was still in place on the top of the trailer tent so I asked some of the labourers to help me place it on the top of the vehicle again. They were very rough and communication difficulties made it all the harder to explain that I still wanted some paint left on the vehicle at the end of this! Anyway, we got the rack on in the end and, after an hour of fiddling around with the bolts, managed to secure it enough for me to drive out and back to the Hotel.

To me, To you, no, to me...

Overlooked by a container mover

I said thank you to Daren and Lou and then drove to the front gate, where I was waived through with my potential cargo of anything I felt like bringing through, and then drove out onto the highway. I noticed that the sat nav didn’t seem to have any maps for Malaysia, and simply had KL in the middle as a small dot, but after one wrong turn found myself back at the Hotel anyway. By the time I returned it was after 6pm and I was really tired, dirty and smelly. I showered and changed before going downstairs where Nick called me. I brought him up to date with the days adventures in bureaucracy and he explained that the Land Rover Owners Club Malaysia would really love to see me, and that he had emailed their number to me, so I could contact them. I thanked him and then said goodbye, as I had an important appointment in the bar with a glass of cold draught beer, then upstairs for an early night!

 

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 Copyright © 2007 Daniel Moylan