Free Kingdom - Fergy 2005

2001... Trip by land with the Jahmobil to and through Afghanistan

2003... Planing of a longer Tour with the Jahmobil, maybe around the world, or a crossing of Africa

February 2004... Loss of the Jahmobil because of the technical examination authority

Search for a substitute vehicle!
Polizeieskorte

Beside the search a social idea stepped into the foreground, we had been talking about since our journey 2001. We wanted to add a small contribution, to ease the life conditions of some people in Afghanistan.

The pictures of people begging for water and food in the afghanian desert still were clearly before our eyes, the misery of the refugee camps near Herat. We still heard the storys of the illegal Afghanian people in Iran and Pakistan, who would love to live in their home country, but hunger and lack of medical supply and fear made them leave their country.

June 2004... So the idea is born to give away a tractor in Afghanistan, to grow and harvest food by using it.

It was clear for both of us, that we want to manage the route by land, trailing a trailer as our mobile home. So we wanted to reach our destination Afghanistan. But we were uncertain, which kind of tractor to take for our project. It had to be old, because the financing had to be possible, for the better look and because old simple technic can be repaired in Afghanistan.
As we both don’t have any experience with tractors, we gathered information. Lapidary answer from different sides: “Any old tractor working will manage this short distance.”
So far so good, now it began.
Which tractor would be suited best?? Steyr, Eicher, Ferguson, Warchalowski?? Or the top model John Deree, which was out of our financial reach.
Soon the Ferguson cristallized out, for Iran and Pakistan there are trading stations and so spare parts for the tractor.
Ewald was mourning after the beautiful old Steyr models, but he had to realize, that it is no genuine help, if we have to bring every needed spare part to Afghanistan by ourselves.

Beside the choice of the tractor we tried to find a charity organisation that is taking over the tractor in Afghanistan to use it for agriculture.
Our first adressing partner was the charity organisation “Adra”. After the helpers stationed in Afghanistan had found out about our intention to bring the tractor to Afghanistan by land by ourselves, they dissuaded us vehemently and distanced from our project.
In case however, the tractor would be transported to them by container, “Adra” would be glad to take it over.

The charity organisation "Worldvision" on the contrary was looking forward to get the tractor for their project near Herat, by which way ever.

To our writing about the financing of a tractor for Afghanistan, the “Landtechnik Kalsdorf” answered. They would have the ideal tractor for us and would co-finance it with 25 % reduction of price.

September 2004... We have a tractor, the charity organisation, but still no matching trailer and besides we are not satisfied with our travel route.

And we may not think about the costs for our project. To make the search for sponsors more professional, we design our website more interesting.
We are looking for people, who help to finance the Fergy with a small or bigger contribution.

The urgently necessairy new tyres for the tractor, Firestone is sponsoring.

Oktober 2004...

“Teerag-Asdag” is contributing a six meter long two-axled workman-trailer, but the papers are missing, so we cannot get it registered, we cannot apply for a cane de passage and we are not able to take it across the border. So the trailer is of no use for us, but not so the equipment, maybe we can move it into another trailer. The trailer itself now is serving as a sheep-fold for a farmer we are friends with.

Delay of the time of departure
Actually we wanted to start on the last day of carneval. That’s the way we did it 2001 and when we have done something successfully once, it nearly has become tradition. So this journey also should start on the Mardi gras. But in the year 2005 this day falls on the
8th of february. Everyone who knows more about tractors than we warned us, that a tractor with heavy trailer would become undriveable on ice and snow. The next suited date for us seemed to be the 21th of march, the beginning of spring. That way the icy cold during the drive could be avoided.

Planning of route
At first we wanted to take the approved route Greece - Turkey - Iran - Afghanistan. In case the way to Herat should turn out not to be safe for us, we wanted to take upon us the longer route to Northern Pakistan to give there the tractor to Kajum (link) for his own charity project.
As we associate a lot of positive experiences and memories with Pakistan, it strongly tug us into this direction. Unfortunatly it turned out during the planning, that our financial means would not be sufficient for this purpose. So we had to think about new alternatives.
We were tempted to journey over all the countries of 2001 once again, to experience the differences, to visit friends, but also the new was tempting us.
Why not get to Afghanistan by a different route?
From Istanbul by ferry across the Black Sea to Georgien, to Aserbeidschan. Another ferry transfer on to Turkmenistan and from there to Afghanistan.

Oktober 23th, 2004... Still we haven’t checked the length of the route and the prices of the ferry transfer, nor did we have a look upon the passes on the way. But the idea is getting stronger to journey over former USSR.

November 2004...

Planning of time and money
We have a maximum travel time of eight months at disposal, including one month for getting back home.Without financial ruin threatening afterwards, in case we live very moderate and the Fergy is not “eating the last hair from our heads” – because he is “gulping” 14 litres for the distance of 100 kilometres – without trailer.
In return for we are less fast, because the “Fergy-drive-feel-well-speed” lies at around
15 km/h, not at 25 km/h, as we thought in the beginning.
So the alternate possibility to Kajum in Northern Pakistan cannot be managed in our maximum travel time.

January 2005...

A lot has happened since november – but one fact remained the same:

Trailer: 358th try
Looking for a construction work in the yellow pages – short description of our plan with the request for a trailer for our charity project, plus the newspaper report of “Kronen Zeitung” about our intention into an envelope – send off and hope.

Trailer: 359th try
Internet – Google – Construction work – all over Austria, mailing and asking for a trailer for our charity project.

No answer . . .
Our budget is small – very small – but without a trailer we cannot go!?
As it seems at this time, we will have to buy a trailer. Althought we have turned down a caravan for a housing at first, now a mobile home seems suitable. Several people together can shove a mobile home, in case we can go no further with our drive-technic, moreover a mobile home is already furnished, the space for stowing is used at its best, so the costs fall for the remodelling of the trailer.

The route is “fixed” (or we will see, maybe – if all is running well . . . ).
From Graz to Ancona, from there by ferry to Cesme (near Izmir) in Southern Turkey.
As far as possible along the coast on to Kurdistan – Iran – Caspian Sea – Maschad – Herat.
If its financially possible (sponsoring) back by plain, otherwise by train or bus.

The route across Georgien – Aserbeidschan – Turkmenistan we have rejected because of the enormous costs for the ferry transfer (ca. 1000 US-Dollar) and the necessary invitation for the entry in Turkmenistan.
Too much costs and too much stress.
So we have decided for a “medium-length” route (ca. 6000 km).
The way is leading us :

February 10th, 2005...

38 days more until the departure, we managed a big step.

The “MK Pedevsens” offers us all conveniences for the journey. Kitchen-stove, refrigerator, enough room for stowing and some luxury, in form of the gas heating and a seperated washing- and toilet area. The optical appearance simply charming and we felt well at once in the interior of the MKP. Happy to be able to live here during the journey.

With the free help of a camping provider, we could start immediately with the restauration and small alterations.

The remaining costs of 75 % of the tractor and the full costs of the trailer have been taken over completely by a friend and shipping agent.

Now only one more thing is lacking for being happy:

In far away countries we once heard the story, that there should exist a drink, which is giving wings.

We heard it again and again, could hardly believe it . . .
During our search for sponsors for the afghanistan tour 2001, we asked Red Bull for support.
Red Bull sent us good wishes, but regreted to only be able to support projects related to aviation
This time it is about aviation, it is about our return flight tickets!

Pre-spring party

Saturday, 12th of March

on “Tummelplatz” in Graz

Beside the preparations for the party, we design and restaurate the MKP with the help of Martin. We still don’t have a nickname for our temporal home – but we find it top anyway.

Last week of preparations
We still don´t have a precise plan, on how to get the tractor-trailer combination to the ferry in ancona
A little desparate – because we are short on time and money – we try to organize a transportation .
Unfortunately ineffective. The idea of simply start off with the trailer combination doesn´t work out, because in the EC it´s prohibited to deliver persons in a trailer.
To overcome the distance of 800 kilometer by bike, doesn´t apear to fit to my state of stamina.
For sending off Ewald alone with fergy and the trailer will fail on his lack of driving experience, keeping in mind, that the combination is about 10 meters long.
WHAT TO DO ?

Without hesitation Ingrid and Thomas agreed, to drag the trailer together with the rest of the family with their car towards Ancona.
This way Ewald can start off on March, 21st and we will meet somewhere in Italia, between Triest and Ancona to unify the family with the combination.
That settles one of our queueing problems, but still the roof girder is to be weld, the diesel canister , spar tyres and the bycicle to be stored securely
That´s why Ewald headed to Karlos - a long-term handy friend with a perfect workshop - on March, 19th.
The usual way working develops, the theoratically planed working time extended to endles hours of hard work.
Additionally the weather didn´t play its useful part, it rains continously and cold returned.
Additively to our planned work Peter, Karlo´s brother donates appropriate side windows.
Peter just passed by and got enthusiastic about our project.

–THANKS –
Karlo´s neighbour David spends hours of his free Saturday with getting Fergy ready to resist wind and rain.
Additionally Martin comes along to improve the last necessities of accomodation.
All together we search for solutions to all our uprising problems, work soggy, until we fall into our beds at midnight

:: Fergy 2005 :: Contact :: Afghanistan 2001 ::

WHAT HAPPENED SO FAR ...