THE ROUTE

 

Well, for anyone who's interested, we've virtually planned the route. Tom's mother got us loads of maps and guide books - MANY MANY THANKS DEAR LADY - Last week we set about planning. Everyone piled over to my house and pored over maps, only stopping now and then  for some exotic and non-exotic light refreshments. This is the result. I know it's possibly a bit anal and I'm sure there's no way everything will go according toThe Plan - we don't want it to anyway - BUT at least we have The Plan and some idea of how to get to MONGO.  

 Europe was easy French France, Holland!! and the Nerburg Ring in Germania, from Czech Republic, we had planned to go through Slovakia, but from Klatovy it looks quicker - on the map so who really knows? - and easier to go through Austria then Hungary, Romania - over the Carpathian Mountains. In the Land of The Bulgar we'll be heading for the coast then Turkey- Istanbul - have a place to stay as well!!!.

From Istanbul we'll head to Sinope on the Black Sea and follow the coast road to Trabzon- last outpost of Byzantium, staying - hopefully with Orhan in Uniye on the way. Then it's inland to Erzurum, eastwards to  Iran crossing he border at unpronounciable and unspellable onwards to Tabriz. After this it's black top highway all the way  to Tehran- Insh'Allah - but we're going to try visiting Alamut and cross the Elburz to the Caspian Sea.

 This sets up the next leg to Ashgabat in Turkmenistan . Then Uzbekistan, Bukhara, Samarkhand and Tashkent. here we had a discussion and car permitting etc, well you NEED some kind of Plan, We're going into The Ferghana Valley - if the situation permits- Insh'Allah- and Kirgizstan - Bishkek from there it's not far!!!!to Almaty in Kazakhstan we then plan to go north to Semey cross into Russia and then MONGOLIA,  no roads, nomads, rivers, wilderness, mountains, camels, death worms, almasses and the finish line in Ulaan Bator -.

 We still have to plan some border crossings but that's basically The Route. Looks easy enough on the map

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAH

 Special thanks to my awesome wife who - even though she is not coming- has taken the time to write the whole route down, she rules.