Wednesday 18 August 2010

E is for end of the road


Like ageing vertebrae, wheel rims slice through the perished tyres, leaving the skeleton of the once proud Kombi languishing within its earthen tomb. The duco peels, enticing rust to penetrate further. Rainwater trickles unimpeded between windscreen wipers to the very heart of the beast which lies silent and bereft within the decaying frame. A door stands absentmindedly ajar, a beacon for a slither of snake and a web of spider, a belfry of bat and a crunch of cockroach.

It rests, past its use-by-date, alone and unattended in the paddock. Within reach of the shed stacked high with spare parts, with oil guns, with wheel jacks, with tyres saved from neighbouring heaps. Inexorably sinking into the squelch of the primordial slime, the van is reclaimed by the jungle, abandoned and exhausted.

A forlorn sight, engulfed by the glowing grasses, consumed by earth, wind, and water, it endures its inevitable fate.


A member of the ABC Wednesday community.

34 comments:

Dani said...

Excellent. Made me think.

Happy Wednesday

jabblog said...

Very good! I like the way you've photographed the van, the second shot suggesting it's sinking as you watch. It will be a long time before it's completely absorbed, I think.

Anne said...

followed you here from MYM...

hope you can follow me back...

http://th-techie.blogspot.com/2010/08/yellow-post-it-notes.html

thanks!

Cloudy said...

These old buses still run around all over the world. They are indestructible as an elephant.

Cheerful greeting
Kvelli

jennyfreckles said...

Aw, not waving but drowning.

Captain Shagrat said...

Lots of people would still have a go at a resto on this van and call it a project.

'Tsuki said...

E also stand for ENORMOUS ! Nice pics, nice title, nice words presenting them... Great share indeed.

Gerald (SK14) said...

It reads like a soliloquy - a happy resting ground.

Ebie said...

Love the color contrast. The golden brown and tall weeds accentuate the van!

Sylvia K said...

It does indeed read like a soliloquy! Interesting post for the E Day! Hope your week is going well!

Sylvia

Miguel Martinez Martinez said...

Buen descanso para la kombi.
Buena foto.
Un saludo.

Joan Elizabeth said...

Great title for an old wreck -- makes me think of the roads it travelled before it settled into retirement.

Roger Owen Green said...

excellent narrative for an unsightly pair of photos.

ROG, ABC Wednesday team

Jim said...

Great find. So that's where all the combis go.
Sydney - City and Suburbs

Anonymous said...

what magical end of the road, we see things hidden and treasure or adventures may be discovered....

Wendy said...

What a beautiful and evocative way to post about the end...wonderful writing! Thank you.

Al said...

Beautiful photos, but it made me a little sad. I'm sure a lot of great times were had by the owners of that van.

T. Becque said...

Your writing is good! Love how its sunk into that deep grass.

photowannabe said...

Your photos and words are expertly woven together.
A wonderful post.

Francisca said...

A very creative E post, Julie. You are good!! :-)

John (@bookdreamer) said...

From the earth they came and to the earth they will return. Bitter-sweet image and description. Thanks for dropping by. My E is in a 50 word story called The Prince of Darkness is a gentleman

Peter said...

I am sure there is life in the old kombi yet! They start pretty easy.

Rune Eide said...

There is something sad about old and trusty cars that have gone to rust, so to speak.

That first really gripped.

Cheryl said...

This reads like poetry. A sad truth that we all are reclaimed by the primordial ooze. Great E.

EG CameraGirl said...

End of the road indeed. With unused land becoming less and less available, it will be interesting to see how much longer humans will be able abandon vehicles without being caught. Rusty vehicles make interesting photos though.

Julie said...

Ahh ... thank you Cheryl ... I thought I made the link with man's fate more obvious, and was worried that noone had twigged.

Carver said...

I love these shots. To me the end of the road for the van is so beautiful. I love tall grasses and the van almost looks like a sculpture in a beautiful field. That's how I see it.

Vinay Leo R. said...

thanks for such a different and interesting E :) the van might still have some life in it :D

My ABC Wednesday E

Carol said...

A very poetic post with lovely photos. Great job!

Arija said...

Nice post,.
A wonder some enthusiast has not taken it is and restored it to its former glory. After all, the Combi has assumed cult status.

lv2scpbk said...

That van made me think of the one on the TV show "Lost".

On behalf of the ABC Team, thanks for participating.

Randy said...

Beautiful color in your photo. I would love to rescue that VW van.

Jama said...

Excellent entry! Most old vehicles here are send for scrap value rather than abandoned.

rallentanda said...

I have a red painted 20 year old van. I love it. Sad to see this old one abandoned. Good photos.