Day 201: Franschoek – African Overlanders

Actually, our last real day of driving before heading to Cape Town tomorrow.

Strange.

At African Overlanders, we discuss our shipping questions with Duncan:

We'll drop Becky off here on the 29th. It usually takes two weeks for another vehicle and a container to be ready.

We'll be notified when it leaves and can track the ship. It takes 45 days. Once the container has landed and been unloaded in Rotterdam, the agent there will notify us, and we'll have seven days to pick up the car. The agent on site will handle customs matters. Although it's probably quite rare that the cargo in the vehicle is actually inspected.

The import stamp in the carnet is usually not applied, so we'll have to present the car to the ADAC (German Automobile Club) for the final stamp, which will trigger our deposit.

The fuel tank should be empty except for about 20 liters. The water tank will, of course, be completely emptied. The gas bottle also needs to be empty; our backup cartridges aren't a problem because they're closed.

Duncan's crew will remove the roof rack if necessary.

Mold is sometimes a minor problem, but solid is never a major one – we've decided to remove all liquids and open items, and wrap fragile items in plastic. And, of course, the roof tent should be dry. Let's hope for a few sunny days after cleaning. By the way: The car windows will be left slightly open for better ventilation.

The shuttle to the airport costs 700 rand; Duncan always expects it to arrive about four hours before departure.

We're staying here tonight for our last night, even though it's not the most romantic camping experience.