It's not like driving a car

Finally, a good week into our journey, I took a turn at the steering wheel for more than just a few miles.  In fact, I’m quite proud to announce that I covered a whole 70 km in the pilot’s seat of the Giraffe.  Which means about an hour, because our average speed is about 60 km so far (higher on the freeways, a bit lower on backroads).  And the truth is, turning our truck into a Giraffe was a more fitting move than I ever could have imagined. We did it more from an aesthetic standpoint – to the give the truck a character, make it more interesting and attractive. With more driving experience, it becomes uncannily clear how prophetic that move was.  Because that’s how the Giraffe moves – like a Giraffe.  It lurches and lunges, tall and gangly and altogether a bit awkward.  Strong and determined, but moving in a way not at all reminiscent of the more elegant animals out there – it’s definitely not a cheetah or a panther.

My day-to-day car is a sports car.  So I’m used to sitting very low to the ground, in a wide, tight vehicle that purrs and growls and eats up the road, cornering like it’s on rails.  Which is essentially the exact opposite of the Giraffe. It truly terrifies me to pilot this vehicle. Each bump feels like a chance to jump into oncoming traffic or the ditch on the right. The ruts from the big trucks send our 7-ton Giraffe into a swaying, snake-like S-pattern that is massively exacerbated by attempts to correct – again risking oncoming traffic or running off the road. Our weight carries a lot of momentum, meaning that any change of direction or speed requires a bit more premeditation and slower adaptation to accomplish them safely. 

And it is tall – at 3.35m, so very tall!  Meaning overhanging tree branches, balconies that jut into the road, street signs or lamps, underpasses and tunnels all require extra attention to make sure they’re passable. And the 2.30 width is also a parameter to keep in mind – especially on narrow village streets or small country bridges. Sitting up in the driver’s seat in the Giraffe, a normal 2-lane road looks like it was built for us alone and the sight of oncoming traffic sends my heart rate into zones I usually hit when out running!

So, driving is not my favorite job (thankfully Achim is a great pilot and takes any driving challenge in stride, without the panic that grips me). But I nevertheless start to love the Giraffe, with all it’s strange whistling and grinding noises, it’s swaying and jumping, it’s slow but steady approach to taking us the places we want to go.  We’re done with stage 1 – a quick journey from Germany, across Europe to the port in Bulgaria to get the ferry across the Black Sea. The roads ahead are bound to be much less freeway (if at all), and much more challenging to tackle.  So I might accomplish it with white-knuckles and continual little gasps and random shouts of “yikes!” But the Giraffe will get us there. No doubt. 😊