Lovely day planned today – drive to Pacific Highway 1 and meander the 130 or so miles down to Carmel.  Sun is shining and we even had a bit of a lie in.  Best laid plans eh…….

Checked out, valet drives the car around, in we get and then it starts – the relentless and very loud car alarm.  Sheila, in the driving seat, presses every  button on the key fob but the car is not to be silenced.  Several hotel staff run out and all attempt to stop it.  Passers by have their hands to their ears.  ( Anyone else having a lie in is no longer having it. )

Eventually, after what seemed an age, and it was actually an age, one of these chaps makes it stop. We just want to make a quick get away as we are embarrassed to have caused such a scene. No such luck. 

All sorts of warnings have now appeared on the dashboard. TRANSMISSION FLUID WARNING. SERVICE, SERVICE, SERVICE and a selection of padlock symbols. Basically it refused to drive.  Meanwhile there is a queue forming behind us as we are in the hotel drop off zone.  Hotel staff are getting restless and Sheila is trying to explain that the car is going nowhere.  Then the alarm goes again.  Eventually they got it manoeuvred to allow other cars through and we trooped into the hotel again.

Not mentioning any names here…   We cannot possibly bore you with the frustrating 3 hours that followed. Suffice to say Avis were not helpful.  Incorrect numbers, numbers that wouldn’t connect, automated responses bearing no relation to our problem.  Eventually, and we mean, eventually, we managed to get them to come and tow our car and let us collect a new car from another Avis in San Francisco. Our road trip guardian angel was definitely helping.😇 Luggage was transferred and we were free!!!  Pacific 1 here we come.

This was the view we had hoped to see 4 hours earlier.  We stopped the car and walked to the cliff edge, rolling waves breaking in foamy lines on the shore.  Just the thing to bring down our blood pressure.

As we walked back to the car it raised again, momentarily, as a snake slithered its way across the path in front of us.  ‘Ooh, that went ziggy zaggy’ exclaimed Sue, describing said snakes progress to Janice.  David Attenborough need not lose any sleep.   The hotel was a welcome sight and, despite a few hiccups, we had half an hour before we walked into Carmel. We suddenly realised we hadn’t eaten all day.

Looking back we had really been quite lucky, imagine if the car had waited until we were in 6 lanes of traffic driving out of San Francisco to break down.  Also we have 2 nights in Carmel so time to go sightseeing tomorrow.

We have a new car fob – they’re obviously not taking any chances with us this time!