{"@context":{"rdf":"http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#","rdfs":"http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#","owl":"http://www.w3.org/2002/07/owl#","foaf":"http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/","dc":"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/","dct":"http://purl.org/dc/terms/","sioc":"http://rdfs.org/sioc/types#","blog":"http://vocab.amy.so/blog#","as":"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#","mf2":"http://microformats.org/profile/","ldp":"http://www.w3.org/ns/ldp#","solid":"http://www.w3.org/ns/solid#","view":"https://terms.rhiaro.co.uk/view#","asext":"https://terms.rhiaro.co.uk/as#","dbp":"http://dbpedia.org/property/","geo":"http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#","doap":"http://usefulinc.com/ns/doap#","time":"http://www.w3.org/2006/time#"},"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/2011/08/intermission-truck","@type":"as:Article","blog:bloggerid":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505529.post-5461951970988262630","as:actor":{"@id":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/12227954801080178130"},"as:content":"
Overlanding means lots of driving, and driving means a vehicle. A vehice means\r\na confined space, which in turn means patience and cooperation. The Oasis\r\ntrucks are built to house 24 people, plus a tour leader and driver. We are\r\nfortunate in that there have been only eight to nine of us in total on this\r\ntrip. We've been able to spread out,sleep across the seats and have had plenty\r\nof storage space to ourselves.
\r\nStorage is in an overhead rack and in space below which we access by removing\r\nour seats. Seats are along the edge of the truck facing inwards. Beneath the\r\nfloor in the central walkway, food and various communal things are stored.\r\nThere is also a selection of books and games. The truck is air oinditioned by\r\nmeans of entirely open windows. Plastic sheets roll down the side in the event\r\nthat it does need sealing. In our current location, these have a serious\r\ngreenhouse effect.
\r\nWhen we tire of sitting or lying on the regular seats, there's the beach. This\r\nis an open space behind and just above the truck's cab. It is usually both\r\nreally hot and windy up there and is a great spot for a view. It can get\r\nviolently bouncy up there on desert roads; of course we are strictly not\r\nallowed up there whilst we're moving..
\r\nWhen the truck stops, the kitchen unfolds. Sheets of metal surround a\r\nblackened, gas-powwered hob, and cooking is generally done in a series of\r\nenormous saucepans. The kettle is usually boiled over an open campfire for tea\r\nand coffee. Stuff is prepared on a foldup table, and three washing up bowls\r\nare ritualistically laid out (water, bubbles, disinfectant). Food is brought\r\nlocally or taken from the stash of tins or dried food on the truck. Cook\r\ngroups (pairs in our case) were assigned at the start and everyone pitches in\r\nwith their own washing up, which operates a lot like a production line and is\r\nextremely efficient. Travellers may often be seen waving plates and pans and\r\ncutlery around for minutes at a time. This is a highly sophisticated pot\r\ndrying technique known as 'flapping'.
\r\nSo far we've managed to not get in each others' way and have clicked\r\nwonderfully. It doesn't take long to adapt to living like this and I think\r\nadjusting back to 'normal' life may be harder.
\r\nThis trip, and my new friends, have opened my eyes to a world of new\r\ntravelling possibilities and cemented my desire to explore. When the time\r\ncomes, I won't be ready to come home; but when I do, I'll start planning my\r\nnext adventure.
","as:name":"Intermission: Life on the Oasis truck","as:published":{"@type":"http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#datetime","@value":"2011-08-12T21:17:00.000Z"},"as:tag":[{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/done"},{"@id":"blog:Done"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/middle+east"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/oasis+overland"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/overlanding"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/travel"},{"@id":"https://rhiaro.co.uk/tags/truck"}],"as:updated":{"@type":"http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#datetime","@value":"2011-08-12T21:17:33.870Z"}}