was not really to our best advantage, though it certainly was to his, because
while we were "RV virgins" the other customer had hired one before and it
was at this level of experience that Zak aimed his instructions about the van.
The result was that following the tour we had to ask several questions. This
was not really a big deal, except that Zak did not make much effort to answer
them, and, we soon realised, this was not only as a result of a lack of interest
but also a lack of knowledge about camping in an RV. Fortunately we had a
fairly detailed manual (complete with illustrations and a helpful German
translation) in the van, and we also picked up tips as we travelled.
The RV that we rented was a converted Dodge Van, referred to as a
Eurocruiser. When we first saw it we both had the same thoughts - that it was
smaller than we expected and, when we looked inside, where would we fit all
our stuff?! However, the inside had been very well designed with enough
cupboard space for us to fit everything away without it all being crammed in
together. The word TARDIS sprang to mind, but without the dodgy plastic
interiors and wooden acting. The interior also grew during our travels, or so it
seemed. Apparently this is quite a common phenomenon experienced by
people who spend prolonged amounts of time in cramped quarters - for
example in cabins aboard ships. In fact when we reluctantly reached the end
of our adventures and started packing our bags we were stunned by how
much stuff we had, and ended up having to leave a lot of it behind.
The main problem that we encountered in the van during the daytime
was a lack of surface space, such as to prepare meals on. Essentially, all we
had was the top of a cupboard, which was always covered in books and