Cha, kulokhu asiyanga e-Guarda nge-Honda S800 yeminyaka engu-50+. Kulokhu, inkampani yethu bekuyiLand Rover Discovery Sport. Nakuba i-‘Land Rover on tarmac’ yethu ifika ifakwe i-Terrain Response edonsa ngamasondo onke, ngokushesha lapho siyibuka, sangabaza ikhono layo lokukwazi ukugibela yonke indawo ngokushesha. Amathayi omgwaqo, amapulasitiki ahambisana nezakhi… lokhu ngeke kuhambe kahle.
Sasinephutha ngokuphelele. Umfana udlalele abafowabo abaqinile, iRange Rover, iDefender kanye nenkampani. Ayizange iwuphoxe umndeni. Ngokusobala, kwakudingeka sinake kakhulu ama-engeli okuhlasela kanye namatshe aphume kakhulu endleleni. Azikho izimanga, akunjalo?
Kuhle ukwazi ukuthi naphezu kokukhula emadolobheni kwe-Land Rover range, umoya ongekho emgwaqeni uhlala 'wetshe kanye nomcako' ku-DNA yomkhiqizo. Futhi kuhle ukuthi kuhlale kunjalo. Phela yiyo le mininingwane eyenza iLand Rover ihluke kwezinye izimbangi zayo.
Uma sibuyela ohambweni lwe-Historic Route Land Rover, ngempelasonto ephawulwe yimvula, sizuze ekhonweni le-Discovery Sport lokunqoba izindawo ezinodaka kanye nobuciko bokwamukela abantu base-Beira Interior. Ngemva kohambo lwamakhilomitha angu-50 emikhondweni ye-Serra da Estrela Natural Park – esevele ekhathele ukudla amatshe nodaka… – idolobhana lase-Folgosinho lalibukeka njengendawo eshisayo phakathi nogwadule… Uxolo!, ezintabeni. Umbono owaqiniswa ngokushesha nje lapho sihlala phansi e-O Albertino, indawo yokudlela yasendaweni 'okumele kumiswe' kusukela manje kuqhubeke, sihlala siya kulezo zingxenye.
Ngesikhathi sekhefu phakathi nohambo oluhlelwe yi-Clube Escape Livre, sithathe ithuba lokuphumula i-Discovery Sport futhi sabelane ngemibono nabanye ababambiqhaza, bonke abanikazi bezinhlobo ze-Land Rover. Ngelinye lalawa makhefu, saxwayisa umnikazi we-Defender, ecishe ibe ngu-30 ubudala, ukuthi i-jeep yakhe ilahlekelwa uwoyela, impendulo yaba yinhlese: “Bangane bami, iLand Rover ayilahlekelwa uwoyela, iphawula indawo!” Ngokwalo mbono wethu iDiscovery Sport ingeyabesifazane kuphela. Ngamunye wazihambela ngendlela yakhe, omunye emaka indawo, omunye ezama ukuthi angashayi phansi nge-crankcase. Umgomo ufezwe kokubili.
Ngaphezu kohambo olungekho emgwaqeni - olwathatha izinsuku ezingu-3 futhi luhlanganisa nezigaba zasebusuku - kwakusenesikhathi sokuvakashela umbukiso onempahla ebalulekile emlandweni we-Land Rover kanye nokusiza inhlangano yokuthuthukiswa kwendawo edolobhaneni lase-Avelãs de Both.
Impelasonto engasoze yalibaleka, eqoshwe ezithombeni nezinkumbulo leso sikhathi ngeke sisule. Futhi noma kwenzeka… ngonyaka ozayo sithemba ukuthi kuzoba nokunye. Sithembele ku-Clube Escape Livre ngalokho futhi sibuyele ebudlelwaneni obuhle e-Albertino. Nazi ezinye izithombe zalolu hambo:
