London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited
Day 7 – 3 September 2016
Making the Best of an Unplanned Stop
With the garage closed for the weekend and no progress possible on our motorhome until Monday, there was little point rushing out of bed. For the first time since leaving Leicester, we enjoyed a relaxed and leisurely start to the day.
The initial excitement of the journey had temporarily been replaced by patience. While our friends and family back home were eagerly following our progress across Europe, Team Kontiki remained firmly anchored in Berlin, waiting for the mystery gearbox problem to be solved.
Still, there was no sense in wasting the day.
After a lazy morning, we decided to venture out and spend the afternoon shopping. Our destination was one of Europe’s largest shopping centres, reputed to be the second biggest in Europe at the time. The vast complex seemed endless, with hundreds of shops, restaurants, cafés, and entertainment facilities spread across multiple levels.
For a few hours, thoughts of gearboxes, clutches, radiators, and repair bills were forgotten as we wandered through the stores, browsing everything from clothing and electronics to souvenirs and local products. It was a pleasant distraction from our mechanical troubles and gave us a chance to experience another side of modern Germany.
By late afternoon, we returned to our temporary home on the garage forecourt.
As had become customary, Ramesh soon took charge of the kitchen. Before long, the wonderful aroma of spices drifted through the motorhome as he prepared a delicious brinjal and peas curry accompanied by fresh chapatis and rice. Despite the limited space available in our compact kitchen, he consistently managed to produce meals that rivalled those served in many restaurants.
With dinner almost ready, we decided to treat ourselves by opening a couple of bottles of chilled Blossom Hill wine. Sitting together outside the motorhome, glasses in hand, we reflected on the journey so far.
What else could we do?
We were losing precious time. Every day spent in Berlin was a day not spent travelling east towards Russia, Mongolia, China, Myanmar, and ultimately Mumbai. Looking at our route map only reinforced the reality of the challenge ahead. The black line traced our intended path across two continents, and from where we stood in Germany, our destination still seemed incredibly far away.
Yet none of us spoke of giving up.
If anything, these unexpected delays were strengthening our determination. We had already invested months of planning, thousands of pounds, and countless hours preparing for this adventure. A stubborn gearbox was not going to stop Team Kontiki.
As darkness settled over Berlin, we enjoyed our meal, finished the wine, shared a few laughs, and reminded ourselves that every great expedition has its setbacks. Perhaps these unexpected days in Germany would one day become some of the most memorable stories of the entire journey.
For now, all we could do was wait for Monday and hope that the mechanics could finally uncover the true cause of our problem.
Location: Berlin, Germany
Night halt: Garage forecourt, Berlin
Highlight of the day: Visiting one of Europe’s largest shopping centres
Dinner: Brinjal and peas curry, chapatis, rice, and chilled Blossom Hill wine
Mood of the day: Patient, optimistic, and eager to get moving again
Join us tomorrow as Team Kontiki enjoys another unexpected day in Berlin while counting down the hours until the garage reopens and the search for the mysterious gearbox fault continues.
