November 7th 2009.

We haven't been able to get an internet connection in a while.

Updates ;

On the 16th of October we had a bunch of problems with the truck.
- drive shaft was totaled.

Alexander the great man who is owner of buschtaxi.de had picked us up from Uli's house in Karlsruhe. Alex had taken us to the king of Landcruisers Alrad Keba in Brackenhime about 60 km's north of Karlsruhe.

We talked to Ziggy (owner of Allrad) and he told us to come back with the truck the next day and he would take a look at it.

Next day----

We have the truck looked at, and all of a sudden the guys start working on the truck. Installing a new drive axle and changing the fluids! I stopped them and said " we don't have much money please stop, they didn't really understand and I couldnt speak German " I only said this cause the last tiem we were in a german shop, they let us work on the truck and charged us 60euro, it was quite a shitty day.

Regardless the men said that we could work in exchange for the work being done on the truck. Great! so working is what we did for the next two days. It included an abundance of gardening and yardwork.

Missing Drive Shaft

In the end, we all became real good friends, they fed us, offered showers, let us sleep on their property. And to top it all off here is what we got for our work!

-Front dif fluid change
-rear dif fluid change
- transfercase tap (the bolt was stripped in the side of the t case) toped up and changed
- tranny fluid changed
- new drive shaft with new grease packed in
- radiator fluid flush
- new oil and filter change
- inspection of the breaks
- new rims and tires
- fog lights
- interior net for cargo
- 50liters of diesel!
- they cut and welded a side exhaust for the truck
- fixed a leak in the downpipe
- repacked the front and right hubs with grease

And with that list it does not stop! I mean these guys were amazing, there were parts cars everywhere and they were very nice to us. I thank them soo much.

Anywho after the two days, I had purchased some bfg mud-terrain tires off ebay in the north of Germany, in Koln. We had gone to pick them up, but when talking to Ziggy and looking at the tires, it didn't seem like they were a good purchase.

exhaust work


New driving lights/fog lights


Package to be delivered from Deda to Ziggy :)


Loading up on Water and Getting plums from the fruit trees :)



on the way to Koln, we had stopped at a mcdonalds, we didn't have any euro's but we did have american dollars. I had gone to exchange the american dollars at the mcdonalds... they do that there. And to our surprise the rate was amazing, for 50usd we got 37.50 euro's. I was baffled. Anyway we took it, I have a bunch more usd which I wanted to exhchange but they were closed so we didn't. Something must have been wrong with their system.

Next stop we go to a town called Mombris where we have met a man named Deda, and he owned a tire shop. We still needed tires after getting new rims were needing some good mud terrains or all-terrains.
Deda was another amazingly nice German, he had told us to come back in a couple weeks so he would have time to find some good tires for us. He sent us back to Ziggy's and gave us 2 packages to deliver. He also ended up giving us 120 liters of Diesel! could you belive that!!

That night we drove back to Ziggy's and slept in the truck, Keane the crazy bastard slept outside in the neighbours back yard and was accused of being a Polish Gypsie ahhaa.
Dropped the packages off and left out of dodge, we drove back to Karlsruhe, met up with Uli for a couple drinks and headed off to Paris to meet a friend that was flying down for the week.

On the way to Paris we had stopped in Luxumbourg, got right smashed and partied with the locals. Well They were young, couple 18 year olds and some 16 year olds.. good times good people :)

We started again for Paris, early that mornign, about 2-3 am. Filled up with cheap gas, 100liters.

We got to Paris stayed with my friend for the 7 days enjoyed the sites and scenes. Its quite the beautiful and expensive place. Took my pocketbook for a spin I will tell you that much.
truck relaxing in Paris 11th district


Showing the misses the way


A picture by the water



and you think we have a problem with traffic in Ottawa, or a problem with bus fare ahah. Its nutz in Paris and expensive.


The Louvre !

So the Vacation ends its November 1st and we leave our friend who flys back to Ottawa. We head on over to see Alexander in Weingarten, but bump into good old Uli Sunday night 1st of November. Uli invited us to sleep that night, I felt kind of rude going over because it was soo late. But Uli didn't mind, he just said, 1 pack of smokes and 1 six pack of beer. And we were off! Good night sleep and an amazing meal the next day. We had taken Uli Octa and Judith out for a chicken dinner in the Rhine to thank them for all of their accomodations and help! Really great people.

Monday we took off to work for Alexander, He was happy to see us. ( I hope he was ahha) Alex needed a bunch of yardwork done, Keane and I worked from Monday to Saturday (today november 7th 2009). We have done labour and lots of yardwork, its been rewarding and Alex is helping us find parts for our landcruiser to keep it up and going.

Last night ( 6th of November ) We ended up in Heidleburg, a U.S. army camp is based right in town there. We ended up walking around drinking in the streets (legal in Germany). Gettin right pissed and looking at all the beautiful girls. To our surprise the beer we had purchased was only 2.5%, we each had a 6 pack of 5ooml bottles, and once finding out the such low alcohol content we began smashing them down like water.

Next thing you know we bump into about 6-8 youths, guys must ahve been in the ages of 18-21 little trouble making shitters. haha, but they were nice to KEane and I. The youngings offered us Jonny Walker, I drank like it was my last time. They were soo nice, giving us all the alcohol they had. Then all of a sudden, I hear scream smash smash... The little clan of bastards started to brawl with another group of young men. Punches swinging and kicking. It was kaos, these little pukes were acting like a bunch of somalians. I had enough so I ran in and tried to through some kids off and break it up. Well it kinda worked. Then the victims began to run, and the shits gave chase. We ran up and tried to stop it again, worked a little. Then all of a sudden the shit disturbers run away, and that ended the fight.

at this point we are pretty wrecked, We walked into a bar in which we had a friend named Ali inside. ( I didn't mention that we had been in Hidleburg on Wednesday and had met him outside the same said bar) the bounccer wouldn't let us in, but we kept insisting, he gave in and we were inside.

Booom party time, we bump into 2 men and one chick, we thought they were German, they thought the same. But then I hear accents, well what do you know... Its American soldiers. We jammed with them the whole night, until 5am. It was a great time. We set to meet them again tonight at 9pm.


For now its been calm, getting organized and doing an abundance of research for the next leg of the journey. We are still waiting for truck parts and the truck, were hoping will be transformed by next week!

oh and I almost forgot, in the back of the shop we are working at, they have a cottage type cabin, its where we sleep. It gets cold at night, but we have the proper sleeping bags. Its cozy and has a good camping type feeling to it.