Almaty, Kazakhstan
Having an impromtu Rally meet-up with 3 other teams in Almaty, just what was needed to raise our spirits.
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Having an impromtu Rally meet-up with 3 other teams in Almaty, just what was needed to raise our spirits.
Almaty, Kazakhstan
You gotta love Soviet style bureaucracy. It's a wonder anything gets done in any of these countries.
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Visited a Russian-style banya in Almaty with a South African guy today, now drinking wine I've brought from the Czech Republic before hopefully flying to Poland in the next couple of days. Just call me an International Man of Mystery.
Almaty, Kazakhstan
what to do? Russian visa expires tomorrow making land choice out! Home, Where is that? The road is my home...
Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan
Heading back to Almaty to sell The Beast (unless any volunteers can bankroll urgent repairs!), looks like this is it for the Rally, unless we can hitch with other teams.
Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan
In Taldykorgan trying to get a straight answer if the car is repairable or not is proving a challenge...
Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan
The beast has broken down again, is this the end?
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
We're being escorted to the border now, fingers crossed!
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
The embassy have been harassing the police for our paperwork but no luck, seems we're stuck in Tashkent for at least one more night - aargh!
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
After a few hours at the embassy & police station we find out our paperwork won't be done til Monday so we're stuck in Tashkent til then. Just want to escape this godforsaken country!@
I have of late - but wherefore I know not - lost all my mirth; and indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory, this most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appeareth nothing to me but a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours. What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculties! How like an angel in apprehension. How like a god! The beauty of the world! The paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me: no, nor women neither. Nor women neither.
<p align="center"><object data="http://www.usflashmap.com/component/cdt_new/cdt2_1.swf" height="100" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="200"><br /><param name="movie" value="http://www.usflashmap.com/component/cdt_new/cdt2_1.swf"></param><br /><param name="base" value="http://www.usflashmap.com/component/cdt_new/"></param></object></p><div style="text-align: center"><img alt="herethereherelarge" height="218" src="ulimages/userstore/62178/herethereherelarge.jpg" title="herethereherelarge" width="347" /></div><br /><p> </p><p align="center"><font face="georgia,palatino"><em><strong><font size="6">Here There Here!</font></strong></em></font></p><p align="center"> </p><p align="center"><font size="4"><strong><font face="verdana,geneva">are two men on a mission!</font></strong></font></p><p align="center"><font face="verdana,geneva"><br /></font></p><p align="center"><strong><font face="verdana,geneva">Make it UlaanBaator and raise as much money as possible for CNCF in the process</font></strong></p><p align="center"><font face="verdana,geneva">via 3 seas, 2 deserts, 2 mountain ranges, over 10 countries, various incomprehensible languages - and one small car </font></p><p align="center"><font face="verdana,geneva"><em>"Find your neutral space. You got a rush. It'll pass. Be seated."</em></font></p><p align="center"><font face="verdana,geneva"> </font></p><p align="center"><strong><font face="verdana,geneva" size="4">Who?</font></strong></p><font face="verdana,geneva"><strong>Ian </strong>"Withnail" <strong>Simpson </strong>and <strong>Kevin </strong>"& I" <strong>Forster </strong>are <strong><em>Here There Here</em></strong>. Two blokes in their early thirties and who should know better, one from Newcastle, one from outta space (we're not from London!) who have more money than sense. And they have no money. They've chosen to get away from it all by spending 6 weeks in a tiny car driving across a third of the way around the planet. They shall be endeavouring, along the way, to not die.</font><p align="center"><font face="verdana,geneva"> </font></p><p align="center"><strong><font face="verdana,geneva" size="4">What?</font></strong></p><p align="center"><font face="verdana,geneva">Drive a totally unsuitable car from the UK to Mongolia via Red Square, the Kyzyl Kum desert, and the Altai Mountains. Starting from Goodwood on the 23rd July '11, the rally finishes in the Mongolian capital Ulaan Baatar many weeks and a whole heap of adventure later. There are no set routes and no support vehicles. The route will be about 10,000 miles/16,000km - check it out on the Route page - depending on how lost we get!What happens between the start, the deserts, mountains, border crossings, car break-downs, bandits and wilderness is anyone's guess.</font></p><p align="center"> </p><p align="center"><strong><font size="4">Why?</font></strong> </p><p align="center"><font face="verdana,geneva">Two reasons: the spirit of adventure, and to raise money for charity. Apparently, in a normal year just over half the teams make the finish line in one piece... so we’ve at least got a chance. There is no guarantee of arrival at the finish line, or our safety, but of course that is what makes it an adventure! Along the way we plan to raise money for the <a href="http://www.cncf.org/">Christina Noble Children's Foundation</a>.</font></p><p align="center"><font face="verdana,geneva">CNCF run a <a href="http://www.cncf.org/en/makes_a_difference/community_mongolia.php">ger village just outside Ulaan Baatar</a> (our destination), providing a home, education and, most importantly, a childhood to a large number of otherwise homeless children from across Mongolia and from Ulaan Baatar specifically.</font></p><p align="center"><font face="verdana,geneva"> </font></p><p align="center"><font face="verdana,geneva"><em>"We're leaving in half an hour."</em></font></p><p align="center"><font face="verdana,geneva"><em>"Half an hour? Don't be ridiculous! I need at least an hour for lunch."</em></font></p><p align="center"><object data="http://www.usflashmap.com/component/cdt_new/cdt2_1.swf" height="100" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="200"><param name="salign" value="lt"></param><br /></object></p>