11th February 2014 Kwai oh Kwai!

Today was a really really early one, Owen and I had got to bed about half one in the morning after our late night repairs on the Volvo, we had breakfast at half past five and left shortly afterwards to travel 285 kms to our control right beneath a reservoir and dam, it was lovely but the rustling in the bushes was quite disconcerting so the wees we needed were done with great risk I'm sure!  We set up and proceeded to whittle some wood, Owen was trying to make some sort of minute boat thing whereas I was doing the regular spear to throw at the animal clearly stalking us from the bushes, Owen I think got a bit fed up with his bit of wood and promptly lobbed it in the dam release river.

It was infact an idealistic place with lots of locals showing off and hooning around the hairpin right nearby, some looked puzzled at what we were doing but no one stopped to chat, lots of waving but no actual conversations.

Whilst we were marshalling we received the news that the work on the Volvo last night didn't pay off as 150kms in to the day the con rod decided to call it a day and made a break for it through the side of the block, that is definitely game over from them although we have heard reports they may have found an engine in Bangkok so I see another all nighter coming up!

With the checkpoint all cleared away after the competitors had left we left and soon came up behind a very sick sounding Buick and as we were the last sweeps of the day we had to follow them the last 230kms back to the hotel with them breaking down no fewer than eight times after that!  We arrived very late at the hotel where there seemed to be carnage, Owen went to advise some competitors on changing their differential in an alvis but ended up basically doing it, skippy and tony were doing something on something, rob and Alan were draining a fuel tank and I was investigating a noise in a Bentley rear axle but only found a bent back plate so with one tap of a hammer it was fixed.  I was then lending hand to a ford coupe specialist who had flown in from the UK to fit a gearbox and he needed an extra pair of hands so with all the work done it was a quick chat and beer and a little catch up with Marina's sister in law before I headed up to Owen and my room in this lovely hotel on the river Kwai over looking the famous railway bridge which I haven't seen yet as I've only been here in darkness, we are returning to this hotel tomorrow night so may see more then!

Some of today's snaps