After yesterday's monumental slog of kilometres, the plan for today was to take it extremely easy. We were just starting our day, having finished breakfast, when a car suddenly appeared and two men got out. With a display of hand signals worthy of a mime performance and the invaluable help of a mobile translator, they explained their predicament: they had another car completely stuck in the sand a little further on and needed help. The good men insisted on paying us for the trouble, but Papi Edu, with his usual overlander spirit, told them not to worry about money, that it was our pleasure to lend a hand.

So, we had to spring into action in a hurry. Papi Edu packed everything up in a timed ten minutes and we set off, following the men's car. We drove a few kilometres around a bay in the reservoir until we reached another beach, and there was the scene: a saloon car sunk into the fine sand right up to its bodywork, with one of the front wheels completely buried and lacking any traction.

Papi Edu rubbed his hands together; these are the situations where our camper really shines. He parked the car on firm ground, deployed the winch with the expertise of a professional, and, after a couple of minutes of tension and taut cables... hallelujah! The stuck car was safe on firm ground. You can't imagine the look of happiness and how grateful they all were. We said our goodbyes like true local heroes.

With the good deed of the day complete, it was time to think about what to do with our lives. The wind had picked up a lot at the reservoir, and being outside the camper wasn't very pleasant. Papi Edu started browsing the overnight-stay app and saw they had marked another spot right in the middle of nature but very close to the city of Aktobe, a corner that looked quite promising. Since we already had everything packed up and stowed away from the rescue, we decided to head straight there.

We drove about twenty kilometres, which took us a good half hour because we had to go a bit into the city's urban area. And the truth is the place didn't disappoint at all; what a great find! We parked right next to a beautiful river, in a super quiet spot that offered us plenty of privacy and was surrounded by the most pleasant nature.

As soon as Papi Edu turned off the engine, we decided that nobody was moving us from there. We've spent the rest of the day relaxing in the sun, making the most of the good weather, and resting like kings. I had an absolute championship nap to celebrate the rescue. We'll see what the route has in store for us tomorrow, but today, the river is all ours.