Friday Oct 23: Nibsy recounts the border problems going out
Saturday 17 Oct started badly. All ready to leave for the border FLIBBLE's engine wouldn't start. Just as I got it started LATE ENTRY arrived having started driving at 0430 that morning. So all 4 trucks drove to the border. Here after about 4 hours we were told that because 3 of the trucks were carrying food they couldn't be cleared through Kelebia but would have to return to Hungary and re enter Serbia through Horgos. The problem with this was that we now had no paperwork to re enter Europe. So then started about 12 hours of discussion, argument and diplomatic intervention - all to no avail

At 0800 on Sunday morning NIBSY, ENTRY and KITYTY said farewell to FLIBBLE, who was cleared to go, and then we set out to get back into Hungary - without paperwork. Back at the Hungarian border no one wanted to know us. I tried each of the many customs spedition agents many times. All said it was too expensive and too difficult. After several hours and many attempts the customs officer on duty intervened and spoke to one of the spedition agents who agreed (with great reluctance) to prepare the documents and at 1400 we were sealed and cleared back into Europe and to transit directly to Horgos.

At Horgos our problems continued. ENTRY was carrying rice which requires a special certificate. No one seemed to know who issues the certificate in England. At 0500 we were all cleared to depart - subject to the arrival of the certificate from London. Again help arrived from an unexpected source. The customs medical officer got onto his computer and established the required certificate can only be issued by Defra in England. So we passed this information and the contacts details onto Charles and NIBSY and KITTY left ENTRY at 0600 to proceed to the Kosova border. We arrived there border at 1400 and to our surprise found FLIBBLE waiting for us. It appeared the border authorities had decided that it would be easier to clear all three vehicles together. Following clearance we all drove, in torrential rain and in the dark hrough miles and miles of roadworks to Gjakove arriving at about 2000. All told a nightmare journey.

Bill

The School Project

The nibsy school project got off to a late start due to the problems experienced on the journey.
Nonetheless we covered 12 schools (including 2 satellite schools) and about 6500 students. On the September convoy we were surprised to be asked for children's shoes so we went fully prepared. On this convoy we were surprised to be asked for children's clothes. So after the first day we loaded clothes from the warehouse and distributed them along with the shoes. At one school the school choir performed for us - very moving.

Our ability to send e mails home on this trip were severely hampered by the lack of e mail facilities in the hotel.

All told however, a very successful trip.