Oh Chariot of Fire, how far you have come…

Day 16, and Grand Prix Barra begins…the morning started with a three way travelling photoshoot on the beach of one part getaway Amarok machine, one part citi golf with five Ranting Antelopes, and one part thunder horse SillyBuggers crew…and now it was low tide, the perfect flat beach area to make our very own race track (or something like it). All pools of water were now empty from skid panning!

We slowly (I should stop using this word as its mandatory) moved on to Bilenne just south of Xai-Xai with the Antelopes. Master Chef Mozambique (AKA Nick and Fish) whipped up an incredible combination of baked-beans tuna noodles pasta sauce pineapple teflon peppered dish you would ever taste (sorry James but I think your wok has had its day – first on Fish’s kop now this!). Bilenne is definitely a place you want to get to if north of Maputo (preferably in the day!). A couple of 2M draughts and then it was bed to….WAKE-UP, and I’ve got Lake Malawi in my tent, Nick’s got Lake Tanganyika in his! At least its come at the arse end of the trip that we have figured out our camping gear is not equipped for torrential rain! Nonetheless, a sad and proud realization hit us all on the morning of Day 17. This is finish line day, Swazi day, a day of history for the Put Foot Rally, and what a rally it has been!

Our last border crossing went smoothly and we were surprising not last into Swaziland after a bit of traffic in Maputo. I think the two hour drive through Swaziland to the finish line in Mlillwane Nature Park was the quietest the car had been for 7500km. After brefly reflecting on our amazing adventure it was back to work. “What the hell are we going to wear to tonight’s finish line checkpoint party!” was the outcry. Tribal boob-tubes and tiger marked faces was the outcome! Typically our preparation for the party had now left us last to arrive to the line…again.

Spotlights on – check!, Entourage for finish line welcoming – check! South African Flag – check! Rear-wheel drive Thunder Horse – check! 3 chaps in Africa just trying to have a good time – CHECK! And that’s how we crossed the finish line of the Inaugral Put Foot Rally 2011!