Disaster strikes
THE most hazardous part of any long-range trip is not wars or kidnap, but the actual driving in unfamiliar countries for long periods. On a long, straight road in the middle of Colombia, I glanced at my navigation system, then looked up to realise the traffic had suddenly come to a standstill. A heavily-laden 110 does not stop quickly on a wet road and I hit the car in front.
In the steam and horrible silence after the crash, I realised this was a disaster that could mean the end of the trip. Columbian police will arrest a driver and impound the car if the damage and responsibility are not settled to everyone’s satisfaction.
Thankfully, two very reasonable police officers, and a passing local called Ivan Diaz, were able to help me reassure and calm the owner of the damaged car. A local garage gave a repair estimate, and my reserve of US Dollars in a hidden safe (for just such an emergency) covered the cost of the damage. With the threat of jail removed, all I had to deal with was Nelson’s severely battered front end and leaking radiator.
Ivan took me to a local garage, who repaired the radiator, and invited me to stay the night at his coffee plantation. The next morning, we were able to pull out most of the worst of the damage, and I continued my trip.
The kindness of strangers to travellers on the road always amazes me and, when the crash happened, the Land Rover community went into overdrive to support me. A Facebook friend put me in touch with the Land Rover Club of Colombia, who invited me to an off-road meeting of the club just outside Bogota, with about 100 Land Rovers of all types being flung around in the mud pits and tracks.