So back to Valkenswaard… It was an instructive and funny day. Gerard asked us at one time to go aside of the track. Recently it rained a lot, the mud was looser than expected.. and so it was fun. How did we manage to get the Contal out of that swamp? The weight is about 300 kg and Herman and I pulled and weightlifted the Countess out of it… good practice.

The Contal was willing and proved to be manageable in these circumstances. If she will have whims in Mongolia remains to be seen…

But do we worry? Yes, of course we do… If we look back at the pictures of Auguste Pons 112 years ago I think Herman and I are about to find out how and why Auguste and Oscar had such a hard time in the Goby desert. But does this change anything? No! The proof of the pudding is in the eating… So what has to be, will be.