Change is something I love and I embrace it with enthusiasm and excitement.  I am the optimist in our relationship and tend not to look at the things that can go wrong.  My beloved on the other hand has ‘Panic Guts’ for a middle name.   Yes he likes travel and adventure but his over developed sense of responsibility gets in the way of his enjoying the process.  While I embrace each new development with enthusiasm and a naive belief than nothing can go wrong, he looks deeply into all the possible pitfalls and panics when things do not run as smoothly as he would like.   Thus there is a balance when we are embarking on something new – he rushing around organising the details and I enthusing while trying to calm his rising panic.

We are, you see, planning our new life.  As do many retirees of our age we want to travel.   But travel is expensive and when one is no longer earning the big bucks one has to adapt to the circumstances.  No more luxurious languishing in air conditioned bungalows with en suite bathrooms, fluffy white towels and fitted kitchens.   That was fine for the annual three-week holiday.

Why don’t we convert the Caravelle into a campervan,” I suggest one day. “And get a big tent that you can stand up inside in.  Then we can leave the tent set up while we drive around.

A proper campervan with queen size bed, en suite bathroom, microwave oven and TV is his preference. Reality check  …… fabulous as they are they do not travel well on corrugated gravel roads such as are encountered in the Kgalagadi National Park.  No we need a good 4×4 for the type of off-road travelling we like to do and some sort of camping apparatus that you could leave set up.

Baboons and Monkeys are a problem to consider so canvas tents might also prove to be problematic for the clever primates of today.   We finally decide upon an Off Road Caravan and after much chatting to friends and researching with Mr Google we have settle for the Imagine Comfortvan.

The Toyota Fortuner that my beloved now drives is a manual.  Travelling slowly when bird watching and searching for game requires much use of the clutch and gears – not good on an aging and aching knees.  Soooo a new vehicle needs to be purchased – but which one .  The Toyota Land Cruiser is number one on the wish list but second hand automatics are simply unavailable.   Land Rover’s reliability record we are warned by those in the know, is much to be desired.  Hands are held up in horror and we are strongly advised not to go that route!  Well – off to Mr Google again.  Much research on forums brought up a conclusion that their reputation has improved.  Land Rover Discovery 3 has bad press but Land Rover Discovery 4 – wonderful according to those who have one!  Yes, we decide, this is our best option.

Now to shop for said items.  We want a Discovery 4 with less than 100 000 0n the clock. Mr Google is once again consulted and we two days, visiting agents  looking at cars and negotiating deals.

The Comfortvan is easy. They are built in Pretoria but we find an agent on small farm near Tygerberg Zoo and he has one right there for the taking.  We have some good offers for trading in the Fortuner but decide to sign a deal with Martin at Land Rover Stellenbosch.  A Land Rover Discovery 4 SE 2011 model with 100 000 km on the clock!

It is Thursday afternoon.  All is going very smoothly, all the ducks are in a row, with the minimum of worry on the part of my darling husband  until the doorbell rings and there stands Gus. Upon hearing that we are trading in the Fortuner he says,   “Rather sell it to me!”

Now this will give us much needed extra funds!  But Gus must make a final decision by 7 tomorrow morning.  He must consult with his accountant and get his Jacqui’s approval.  She is the one after all who will be driving the vehicle.

Earl starts to fret – tomorrow we are signing the papers.  The dealer does not want to wait until February to do the transaction as it will in some way affect tax or some such reason.  So decisions and organising of finance has to be done very quickly.

Friday morning finds us setting off to Stellenbosch at the rude hour of 7:00 a.m.  Earl phones Gus – he has a meeting to attend and will get back to us.  We meet with our accountant at 8, sort out our tax and go in search of breakfast.   Stellenbosch is a university town and is bustling.  We negotiate traffic and miraculously find a parking spot right next to a pavement cafe that reminds me of those I frequented in Paris.  Of course I order coffee and a croissant that any self respecting Parisian would approve of.  Earl has egg and bacon!

At 9 we meet with Martin and explain the Gus situation.   Not a problem – he does the paper work, leaves out the figures and gets Earl to sign.  Still no word from our “alles sal regkom” Gus.

Our next port of call is the Caravan place. The paperwork goes smoothly.  We go and look at the van and sort out what added extras we might need. I take some photographs.

The dog is not an added extra

The interior is tiny but functional – table folds out in front of  mirror – doubles as a dressing table and computer nook.  Packing space under the bench.

It has an indoor shower!

Loads of packing space

The kitchen is on the outside and has plenty of hidey holes for appliances and food.

Lift the cover to reveal the sink and two-plate gas stove

Gus phones to say his accountant says it’s a good idea to get the vehicle.   We drive to his house so Jacqui can drive the car and give her approval.  She loves it but wonders if they can organise the funds in time.  Gus will see what he can organise and get back to us!

Martin wants to finalise the deal before 3 pm and Gus calls with his decision at 2:30.  Yes he will buy the Fortuner!

Earl is suffering from extreme anxiety and I am laughing all the way to the bank to organise the transferring of funds.  It’s the last straw for my anxious man when we find that it will take 2 days to transfer from the Money Market account into the savings account before we can transfer to Land Rover. If there is nothing you can do about it why fret?  After I prevent him from having a heart attack he phones Martin who says Tuesday will be fine!  But the pain in the chest remains and will probably only go away on Thursday when the Landy and Caravan are safely in our driveway!  No seriously, everything has worked out well and we are both ecstatically happy.  Can’t wait for Thursday!  Maybe we will book in somewhere for our first caravanning weekend!