Day 13: Windhoek

 

It almost feels like a Saturday in Hamburg: shopping for the week. First at the Farmer's Market, we buy fruit, vegetables, bread, and cheese. Then at Superspar, we buy everything else we need for about 10 days.

During a stopover, we notice a cracking noise – unpleasant. Back at the Urban Camp, we discover that every steering turn results in a loud, audible crack. We stand in front of Becky, somewhat perplexed, with Dirk and Bernd. What a bummer. The mood is at rock bottom.

What might help is the internet's collective intelligence. Wolle posts a short video in two Facebook Toyota groups, and we get a variety of feedback: the steering rod's ball joint is a hot tip, or perhaps the steering rod itself, or something similar. And one comment: That sounds really crap. But there are also two quite useful tips about the skid plate and a trapped stone. We'll have to follow up on that tomorrow.

We feel like we're in a time warp. And think: It's a good thing none of this happened to us last year. We might have lost our courage.

When turning the steering wheel, a very distinct cracking noise is audible. Initially, the cause was completely unclear. Some information in a Facebook group about the Toyota Hilux then provided the solution the next day. Some screws on the skid plate were not tightened enough.