Well, Russell just wouldn't let me get away without posting an entry about this weekend's adventures with the car. I managed to get the car stuck twice this weekend. First time, I was able to get it out with the help of 5 friendly passers by. The second time, after Russell and several passers by tried digging through the sand, we finally called a tow truck. Well, hey - now I know who to call if I need a towing.
The first incident was caused by driving over a curb that I didn't see in the parking area. I managed to wedge my car on top of the curb and the front wheels weren't actually touching the gravel. With a few heave-ho's - and a lot of debates in what I think must have been Hindi - the guys were able to get the car dislodged. Lyra was keeping up an on-going dialog of commentary during the whole incident. "Mama, why are those guys pushing the car?" "Mama, we're never going to get off this rock." "Mama, Baba is going to be angry" "Mama, can I help?" "Mama, why do I have to stand out of the way." "Mama, why are you telling them, 'Thank you'"
In less than 24 hours, I had managed to get the car stuck again. This time, I was trying to take a 'short cut' by driving through some sand from one road over to another. Everything was fine until I hit a soft patch and managed to get the car bogged down in the sand. I hung my head, walked back to the house, and confessed to Russell. He headed over to the car with all kinds of tools (carpets, ladder (?), cardboard). His initial assessment was - no problem. I went back to the house because Lyra was still sleeping and waited for his return. After 20 minutes, I knew that it wasn't as easy as it looked. He came back, covered in sweat & sand from head to toe (yuk) and dove in the pool. The tow truck came within 20 minutes and pulled the car out. The guy definitely knew what he was doing.
Well, we both now have a new appreciation for driving in the sand. It is COMPLETELY different from driving in snow. In the snow, if you dig far enough down, there is eventually a solid surface for your car to grab. In the sand, the car just keeps digging itself further and further down. Also, the sand is more like soft powdered snow than heavy bulky snow. So, there is no resistance to the tires. Imagine the most powdery and light snowfall that you can, imagine it is 10 feet deep, now imagine trying to drive your car across it. That's what driving in soft sand can be like.
It's a good thing we learned this lesson so close to home. We are about 2-3 days away from picking up our new car - a Toyota FJ Cruiser - and we're reading up on all the off-roading adventures that we can take with the car. It is definitely something you should NEVER do by yourself. You should always travel with another car - and preferably two. We have a lot of practicing and learning to do. Luckily their are off-road clubs here who are willing to take on newcomers like us and teach us the ropes.
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Yeah-I hate driving up sandwashes-but at least you have the occassional rocks for traction. The key is usually to keep moving so there isn't time to dig-but I'm guessing that doesn't work as well there, with the level of wind you have. Me-I need to stop offroading with a Corolla ;)
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