Home Coming
Tim and I have now arrived back safely after our 8000 mile adventure to Mongolia! It feels great to be home, however we were both a little sad to finish our journey and leave our exciting life on the road to return to normality.
Along the way to Ulaan Baatar we fended off floods in Poland, a heat wave in Russia, a clutch failure in Kazakhstan and river crossings in Mongolia. Our trusty Toyota Carolla sped us swiftly away from corrupt police, carried us around potholes that could swallow a whole car, through the Aral Mountains and across the Gobi desert. Everywhere we went we were treated with respect and often generosity by the (normally bewildered) locals, many of whom were much poorer than ourselves. Spending five weeks in a cramped environment with the same person every day could drive some people mad, however despite a few differences of opinion on the correct use of lights and windscreen wipers we got along well the whole way. While we tried many tasty and some not-so tasty local foods, neither of us ever fell ill. This may have been down to Andrew’s pre-trip immunizations and Tim’s iron stomach, never-the-less this made the trip much more enjoyable for the both of us!
Travelling independently in our own car gave us the freedom to explore and have unique experiences that many tourists may not have. Some of the highlights included meeting our Kazakhstani cow rancher friend Gollum, and finally arriving into Mongolia. As soon as we exited the Mongolian border compound it felt like we were somewhere special. In the cold morning air, under the immense blue sky, surrounded by a few yerts, smoke trailing up from their chimneys and with a graded road leading off into the distance winding between snow capped hills, it really felt like we had arrived in a country like no other we had passed through. In this vast country, almost the size of Europe yet populated by fewer than three million people, it was reassuring to find a proud people who still have strong traditional elements in their lifestyles, in what can often feel like an increasingly small and technology dominated world. **
One of the aims of the trip was to raise money for the Christina Nobel Childrens’ Foundation. Thank-you very much to everyone who donated for their support and generosity. We are thrilled to have exceeded our original target of £1200, and after visiting the centre feel that the money is going to a worthy cause. We also owe a huge thanks to Inchcape Toyota Guildford who donated our fantastic rally car and to Guildford Tires for kitting it out with four brand new reinforced tires. No doubt our trip would have been a lot more challenging without such a great car and we hope the vehicle goes on to raise a good sum at the charity auction in Ulaan Baatar. Any journey like this would not have been possible without the support of our friends and family who gave us advice, publicity and brownies!
Perhaps one thing we have learned is that if you are lucky enough have the time and determination, there is nothing to stop you from doing something like this. With proper preparation and a bit of luck, a journey to unusual places doesn’t have to cost thousands of pounds or end you up in a foreign police station. Many fellow ralliers had very little travel experience at all, only the personal drive to get out of their comfort zones and discover our world, while having a laugh and an adventure along the way. Bringing that perspective home, as well experiencing the friendliness of many people along the way has been one of the best parts of the rally.
For further information, or if you are thinking about doing the rally next year and have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: [email protected]
