The sad, yet VERY exciting day has finally come. After sitting under the dingy neon lighting in the exhaust filled King's Cross Backpacker's Car Market for 5 days... I sold my car to an unsuspecting Japenese guy named Hiroyuki.

Day after day goes by in the King's Cross Car Market and right now happens to be one of the worst times to try and sell a vehicle. All the people from the northern hemisphere are wrapping up their Australian adventures and getting back home for summer. In addition to my car, there were some 18 other station wagons and a bunch of vans in the market. And if you walk down the line of 20 or so wagons... Big Blue does not exactly stand out as what we would call a "roadworthy" vehicle.

Her loosely drawn sketch of Taz on the hood or dangerously low price scared off most of the conservative German couples in there looking for cars. As the hours went by and the exhaust got to me, I cut out some pictures of girls from a special magazine that came with the car and posted them on the windshield. I was shooting for a certain market.... the couple of guys who love Big Blue for what she stands for, not how she runs. The Dutch guys that I bought the car from had named it the "Slut," as everyone had had a ride and she never complained.

On day 4 I made a hand drawn sign that was headed with a big "Dear God Somebody Make Me An Offer!" It was great to see the looks on the couples faces that would get suckered in through pity to take a look at the car, I'd pop the hood and the poor engine (actually made up of several different Falcon engines) that has dragged the steel body for over 266,000 kilometers peeks up through fabric that is hanging from the inside of the hood- possibly the victim of some sort of engine fire or malfunction. It takes a very special buyer to appreciate this vessel. Hiroyuki was my man.

He called me last night after we had gone for a squeeky, bumpy, noise ridden test drive earlier in the day. He said "I talked to friend that say noise that engine make very bad!" I calmed him down and assured him that he would get at least 5 miles down the road before breaking down. I had dropped my price from $2300 to $1700 (what I paid for it) over the course of 4 days of exhaust inhilation and Hiroyuki comes in with an ice cold offer of $1200. I say $1400 and Hiroyuki needs to consult his friend again. He calls me back and says "You want one-thousand 4, and I want one-thousand two hundred, what about three hundred- one-thousand?" You got a deal Hiroyuki, whatever price you just said,I'll take it... see you at the market at 9AM.

I'm $1300 richer right now, although I still have to buy the customary case of beer to take back to those still waiting in the car market. It's a great group of people and actually a lot of fun to sit around and chat about just how bad your car really is, then switch the stories when there is an interested buyer in the area. You really have nothing else to do all day except sit around and tell tall tales of your adventures around the world. The crew selling cars included people from Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, England, Israel, Sweden, and a bunch more.

I pushed my flight back one day so I will fly to Bangkok at 4:30 on Tuesday afternoon. Today is ANZAC Day in Australia, their equivalent of Memorial Day... had to stay for this one.

While I was writing this entry Hiroyuki calls and says he cannot get the car started. He knows 6 English words and I am trying to tell him how to make sure the security system (for some reason Big Blue has one of these) is turned off, the car is in park, the steering wheel is not locked-up, etc. It was a painful 10 minutes on the phone before Hiroyuki discovers he's using the wrong key. I will not answer Hiroyuki's calls from this moment on. Konbanwa.