|
To JohannesburgMar 28, 2008
|
|
To Johannesburg March 28
Most of our drive was a retrace of the route out to Pilanesberg. Our rental of the Maui's included paying for a full tank of fuel with the provision that we could turn them in with empty fuel tanks. Once we left the Sun City area there were no fuel stops on M4 until just before our turnoff. Our guage registered empty about 30 kilometers out. We arrived at the M4 rest stop/fuel area still reading empty, but with no fuel low light on. We were within 10 kilometers of the Maui depot and the manual said the fuel light would come on with 8 liters remaining. Ten kilometers would require 1 1/2 liters of fuel so we continued. Bad decision. The manual was wrong. The fuel light came on one kilometer later and within 500 meters the engine died!
We were on a very busy 6 lane motorway, 2 kilometers from our designated exit, and no phone. To expedite the rented cell phone returns the Wagon Master had collected them at Pilanesberg. I set out our emergency marker and attemped to flag down help. After about 15 mnutes help stopped in the form of a young driver in a small pickup with a business sign on the side who drove me to a nearby fuel station. It was not the most inviting fuel station I had seen. The cashiers were behind heavy, I assumed bulletproof, glass with slots below it to pass money - like in many banks and ticket offices. They had no fuel containers to sell, or lend. My good Samaritan continued to help as he traced down a cleaning lady who had an empty soap container. He rinsed it well and we filled it with diesel. He drove me back to the Maui where Sally anxiously waited. I thanked my good Samaritan, tipped him well, and waived goodby. Second big mistake.
I poured the fuel in only to find that the Maui wouldn't start. After 15 minutes of off and on trying I again put the emergency marker out and flagged down another vehicle. This driver, a young man with his wife and small child did not speak english well, but let me use his cell phone to call the Maui office. The road noise was so loud I couldn't hear. I told the person on the other end where I was and that the Maui wouldn't start. The response sounded like they had no one to help. My second good Samaritan took his phone and left. It was nearing 4 pm and I was preparing to walk the couple of kilometers back to the fuel station but decided to try one more start. The engine hit a couple of times and then started! I found out later that I was lucky. Diesel engines require priming after running dry.
At the Maui depot they moved our bags to another Maui with more fuel in it and drove us to the hotel, arriving just after 4 pm after a very long day. At supper we met a lady who had just arrived for a Great Circle tour, which flys tour members to various private game camps in small aircraft. She came from London, which was having baggage problems at the new Heathrow airport. 38 flights had been cancelled there, and NO baggage was moved for anyone. (She was still there without baggage when we left 2 days later!)
