ALL OVER!...
36 hours in Ulaan Baatur of; drinking, sheer elation, drinking, meeting up with all our wonderful friends, drinking, making new friends, drinking, oodles of tall stories, drinking, forgetting to sleep, drinking... and this morning after the final official Celebrations and all night Party the girls got straight into a taxi from the dance-floor at 5am for the airport ... and it's all over!
We can hardly believe we made it in our poor little Minx-mobile, especially when we hear of all the Teams that have fallen out due to one disaster or another along the way! It's been an amazing adventure, we've seen incredible places, met interesting and friendly people and made wonderful friends. And now we are on our way home and looking forward to celebrating with you all and thanking you for your amazing support when we return to London.
Of three official 'prizes' awarded yesterday, MAD MINXÂ again won (an increased) "Top Fundraiser" and our convoy partner BAATAR'D TOMATO won "Most Entertaining Blogs"; just an indication of the amazing adventure we have had together and the wonderful and hugely appreciated support you have all given us.
I went to one of the Ophanage Projects in the Squatter towns on the outskirts of UB this morning and saw truely heartening and inspiring work being done to make a real difference here, one child at a time. It makes us appreciate that this is not only a great adventure for us, but also a serious cause with real benefit. The 'coffers' are still open until September on the "Will we make it" link. We DID MAKE IT after nearly 9,000 miles (14,500 kms) on our route, and it would be great to reach the achievable target of a Pound a mile. Go on, be a Devil!...
Looking forward to seeing you all soon... boring you with our stories and topping-up our hang-overs!
Huge thanks again,
Mad Minxs and Toolkit xxxx
SMS Update
we've made it! 8900 miles/ 14300 kms. 20 countries. 4 flats. Broken exhaust. Broken gears. Car and noses full of dust. Rescue missions. 47 degree heat. Hijabs. And best of all meeting some of the most wonderful people across the world. We've had an amazing adventure. Thankyou all for your incredible support. Were now off to find ourselves a COLD beer. MadMinx & Toolkit
SMS Update
Perfect night on the Steppes grassland under a bright moon & starry sky... by a Yak dung fire! Hard day driving yesterday, but only one puncture. Heading into the rising sun now; only a days drive to UB... on a wish & a prayer we could be there tonight. Cinderella(s) WILL go to the Ball!...
SMS Update
Amazing few days. From horrendous rocky tracks, fording rivers & off-road routes that we thought would defeat poor Minx, she pulled through (with a few battle scars!) to then chew up some great distance on real Steppes grassland tracks.. speeding along, dust plumes in our wake! Proper Rallying stuff. We finally reached 'real' roads; still only dirt but feels like we have broken the back of Mongolia off-road & daring to think UB in our sights..
SMS Update
Five AM starts testing! Pasta and mystery tinned fish also straining on the group. 13 hours driving yesterday and no flats or major dramas except for grounding the car on what was a flat road. It was it was! Lots of camels and yaks. Love the friendly people. They look at our gifts of pencils in bemusement. Can't smoke or drink those! Driving through tosontengel now. The girls have yak hair
SMS Update
travelling with purple beetle 'bud' which has only two gears and requires a push start. Not easy on sand! We hit a rock y'day and jammed exhaust into gears. Gears fixed. Exhaust now miraculously higher but now sending fumes out sideways. Continuously getting bogged but Mongolian horseman are coming to our rescue. Ginny has food poisoning from local yak cheese. Tough travelling but were hanging in there @
SMS Update
Unfortunately after many thousands of miles in convoy 'Bataard Tomato' died and abandoned today - along with owner Andrew - in middle of idyllic Mongolian wilderness! He will attempt to return to Olgly for assistance + reassess. We are now pushing on thru stunningly beautiful + remote central route in convoy with 'Buds Big Adventure'... miracle if the cars make it thru this wilderness!
SMS Update
Rally cars were let loose over the Mongol border after 27 hrs queueing. Flew, skidded + raced to Olgiy as a result we got our first flat tyre SO EXCITING. Just bumped into english speaking guide who has given us excellent advise: map is worthless, compass is priceless, local's directions useless.
SMS Update
Amazing diversity of landscapes; Kazak Steppes to Russian forests, massive scale Soviet commune farming, peasant villages, green meadows by rivers in wooded valleys & now snow capped Altay mnts as we push to the western Mongolian border before w/e closing! Last border of 20... unbelievable!
SMS Update
PS got stopped for speeding 5 mins after setting off this morning. Didn't know it was possible to get horribly lost for 3hrs on a farm!!!
