London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited
Day 70 – 5 November 2016
Trusting a Mechanic and Learning Patience in Vizag
After weeks of early starts, long driving days, border crossings, and mechanical challenges, Team Kontiki enjoyed a rare luxury this morning—a lie-in.
We woke up later than usual and headed down for breakfast at the Waltair Club.
The breakfast was excellent, and the surroundings made it easy to forget, at least temporarily, that we still had several thousand kilometres to travel before reaching Mumbai.
The weather in Vizag was beautiful.
In fact, calling it “warm” would be an understatement.
It was hot, sunny, and typically tropical, with clear blue skies and a gentle sea breeze drifting in from the Bay of Bengal.
Our main priority for the day, however, was Kontiki.
After carrying us across Europe and Asia, our faithful motorhome desperately needed some attention. The suspension problems had become impossible to ignore, and we knew we could not continue safely without proper repairs.
As promised, Dr Ashok’s mechanic friend arrived during the morning to inspect the vehicle.
His name was Ganesh.
Communication proved to be slightly challenging.
Ganesh spoke neither English nor Hindi, and we spoke none of his local language. Fortunately, with the help of an interpreter and plenty of hand gestures, we managed to understand each other.
After carefully inspecting the suspension and rear axle, Ganesh confidently assured us that he could repair the problem.
The only issue was that it would take a few days.
He recommended that we bring Kontiki to his workshop immediately so he could begin work.
That sounded reasonable enough.
So we followed him to his garage.
When we arrived, however, our confidence suffered a slight wobble.
The workshop was not quite what we had expected.
Having become accustomed to modern service centres and well-equipped garages during parts of our journey, we were somewhat surprised to find a very simple operation.
Tools appeared to be limited.
Equipment was minimal.
And at first glance, it looked more like a roadside workshop than a place where we would entrust our home on wheels.
Ramesh and I exchanged concerned looks.
Was this really the place where Kontiki would undergo major suspension surgery?
We phoned Dr Ashok for reassurance.
His response was immediate.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “Ganesh may not have fancy equipment, but he is an excellent mechanic.”
Trusting our friend, we decided to proceed.
And almost immediately, Ganesh began proving why reputation is often more important than appearances.
Within a short time, he had dismantled much of the rear suspension and axle assembly and identified exactly what was needed.
Replacement parts were ordered, although unfortunately they would take a couple of days to arrive.
There was little else we could do.
The motorhome was now effectively in pieces.
The repairs had begun.
And Team Kontiki had no option but to be patient.
Returning to the Waltair Club, we settled into an unexpected period of rest.
After more than two months on the road, perhaps a few days of enforced relaxation were not such a bad thing.
The afternoon passed pleasantly, with time spent reflecting on our journey so far and planning the remaining route to Mumbai.
Later in the evening, Dr Ashok arrived accompanied by one of his friends.
Not wanting us to spend the evening sitting around the club, they insisted on taking us out.
Naturally, we agreed.
Once again, we found ourselves at a restaurant overlooking the beach, enjoying the warm coastal evening.
A few drinks appeared.
Stories were exchanged.
Laughter followed.
And before long, another excellent seafood meal was placed before us.
Vizag was beginning to spoil us.
The seafood was fresh, beautifully cooked, and every bit as delicious as the meal we had enjoyed the previous evening.
As we sat overlooking the sea, it was difficult to complain about being delayed for a few days.
Kontiki was in good hands.
We were amongst friends.
And after thousands of miles of adventure, a little rest was probably exactly what we needed.
Still, we couldn’t wait to see our faithful old motorhome back on her wheels and ready to continue the final stretch of our epic journey.
Location: Visakhapatnam (Vizag), Andhra Pradesh
Weather: Hot, sunny, and pleasant
Highlights: Meeting mechanic Ganesh and beginning major suspension repairs on Kontiki
Most memorable moment: Realising that appearances can be deceptive when Ganesh confidently dismantled the entire rear suspension with very basic equipment
Vehicle update: Rear suspension and axle dismantled; replacement parts ordered
Special thanks: Dr Ashok for arranging the repairs and reassuring us about Ganesh’s abilities
Dinner: Another excellent seafood meal by the beach with Dr Ashok and friends
Accommodation: Waltair Club, Visakhapatnam
Mood of the day: Relaxed, patient, and cautiously optimistic about Kontiki’s repairs
Join us tomorrow as Team Kontiki spends another day in Vizag, waiting for parts to arrive and hoping to get our faithful motorhome back on the road towards Mumbai.
