The final push
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Some random thoughts on the places we have visited: China: Smog, cranes, brand new cities for 8,000,000 people. Staggering new infrastructure. World domination but a moment away. Mongolia: Vast. Empty. Outrageously gorgeous. Freezing. Fur hats. Unimog. Yurts. Deep blue skies and a night time skyscape of 456893trillion stars falling on our heads. My worries about how China is about to plunder it. Camping when it was -12C that's 10.3 F for you Americans. Russia: Did we go? Does 2 hours in a 'rent by the hour' hotel count? Fabulous friendship and helpfulness from the' Siberian Old Timer's'. A dash to the Kazak border in a truck that went the wrong way. Kazakhstan: Borat villages. The most expensive hotel in the universe. An incarnation of the angel of mercy appearing at Almaty airport in the form of George Winton Harding bearing gifts of a new gear box and 70kgs of car parts. Dust. Brown. ...
Last night I had a moment. After a disgusting supper (are we actually in France?) I went for a walk around the car park. It was very emotional. Some cars were still being worked on and the rally mechanics were all busy also. There is hardly a car left in the race that is not totally knackered, a bit like the occupants of car 29. Most cars seem to held together with bits of string and plenty of duct tape. All have bashes and scrapes and dents and are exhibiting evidence all the hardship they have endured. When they first appeared at the dock in China, about 120 years ago, they looked so gleaming and fresh. You should see them now. Much work will be needed to restore them all to how they were. I know how they feel. Next week I will need to lie in a dark, warm room with a scented candle or two and probably some whale music being rubbed with soothing unguents. Well, I can dream. The reality will see me in Sainsbury's on Mon...
The ferry arrived late into Ancona and disgorging all the cars took an age. We were also held up by a huge traffic jam as the road leading o the autostrada was closed. Not a good start on a day when we needed to get across Italy to Viarreggio. It was also raining. There had been discussions amongst the navigator's all morning about which route to take. We, as a non racing car wanted the quickest and easiest, as did many others. Mattea, our Italian companion, suggested a way to me which seemed a god compromise. We traversed across the country, hardly seeing anything in the rain and general gloom. The Siena ring road is not too thrilling but, despite the delights within, it was all we saw of this beautiful city. Gorgeous Chianti passed in a similar vein. There is just no time to see anything in our push to Paris. We arrived in Viareggio in the dark. It looked lovely, from what we could see. We left in the dark...
This is coming to you from the ferry zooming towards Italy. A reasonable night's sleep but very cold. I am here with Arthur, another insomniac, tapping away. Only just over 1600kms to go now. Still a long way but over familiar territory. After all that we have been through it is now definitely the home run. Today we aremeant to be going through gorgeous Tuscany but many ofus will go the easier, flatter route on the autostrada in order to preserve our cars.We are overheating a little and hills are a bad idea. We just have to get on and push to Paris. Going the fast way may even mean that we have time for lunch in Lucca or maybe drop into Florence for a cappuchino. I have had comments tat say we are not last as Doug and Anastacia have that honour. Well, let me tell you a secret. Doug and Anastacia had not been seen since Almaty and then popped up in Istanbul. Rumour has it they were in te Maldives fo...
Greece has come and almost gone without us really noticing.. We entered from Turkey after yet another chaotic border crossing. We had thought they were behind us but at least now we are in the EU there will be no more dramas. It has rained relentlessly since we arrived. Driving, pouring rain. My memory of Greece has always been of spectacular scenery and beautiful coastlines. It's Adrian's first time here and I have kept telling him to imagine it with a blue sky and a sparkling sea. The trouble is that it the sky is so heavy, the sea so grey, and, with only one rather pathetic windscreen wiper, the view from the car is very restricted. The one saving grace is that the roads are fantastic, thanks to our EU contributions. We battled on to Thessalonikki and the uber cool hotel that was our home for the night. I had to keep reminding myself that we weren't in Italy yet. We had a view of the decaying, tatty dock area and so were able to...
Today was billed as a transit/rest day as we had a mere 260kms to get to Istanbul and onwards to Silviri on the sea of Marmara our home for the night. I really wanted to spend some time in Istanbul as it has been a while since I was there and it is such a fantastic city. So a group of us, Simon and Rupert, Dom and Alex, the Raker's and us hatched a plan to park in a hotel close to the Bosphorous bridge get into the historic part of the city from there. Crossing the bridge and leaving Asia behind was a very symbolic act. We have driven right across this massive continent and to enter Europe and be getting so close to home was a great moment. We organised a water taxi to take us across which was a fantastic way to approach the city. Rupert was especially happy to be on water again. We went to the Blue Mosque (closed!) and, to what is, I think, one of the most staggeringly awesome buildings in the world: Ayah Sofia. I really wanted those in our little group who had not been ...
I am losing my marbles on this rally. Charger found! I still have to tell you about the dinner on the last night in Iran. We were collected in a fleet of vintage cars and taken off into town. We were disgorged out side a large auditorium and ushered into our seats having been given a carton of orange juice. It's a pity that it wasn't a large g & t with what came next. It might have made it more bearable; well, maybe not. They weren't really ready for us. Banners were still being erected, balloon garlands stuck in place and general disorganisation ruled. There was a stage, with a lectern; an ominous sign. Various people were rushing around seemingly doing nothing but rush and look important. We were told that there would be a short ceremony and then we would be served with a banquet. We waited and waited and wished that we were back at our hotel having a quick supper and going to bed as, with a border crossing and very long drive af...
Lake Abant, Turkey - ın the snow!
Fırst, I have to report a problem. I have lost the charger for my laptop and so postıng ıs goıng to be much more dıffıcult. I am very cross wıth myself. Luckıly, thıs hotel has a couple of computers for the use of guests. Our journey through Turkey has been trouble freeş so far. We entered the country through Turkısh Kurdıstan a poor regıon of steppe farms and dusty vıllages. Yesterday we joıned the Paddy Walker Devıatıon Tour (pwdt) and took a shorter route and stayed a dıfferent hotel to the rest of the rallly. It cut well over 100kms of the day whıch was set to be the longest of the rally at over 700kms. It was also a much better road and allowed us to be 100kms closer to thıs hotel. Wın, wın,wın. Paddy's wıfe, ın London, had found the hotel and rooms were booked, dırectıons sorted out by our young technologıst, Henry Raker,emaıls and phone numbers were copıed out for us all and of we set. The hotel was sıtuated at the top of a very hıgh,...
How lovely it is to be in Turkey. We are very glad that we went to Iran but are not sorry to have left. The strongest memory will be of the extraordinary warmth and friendliness we were shown from the vast majority. There were a few incidents as I have already told you. The theft's were opportunistic, the grope unpleasant but juvenile but I think that by far the worst thing was someone throwing a stone at Nellie in their open car which hit her on the head. Luckily she was not badly hurt and bore it with tremendous stoicism. But it was a very nasty act. But, we should not let that mar the huge welcome we received. A taxi driver told Simon that the Iranian people are good and the Cleric's are terrorists. It is beyond imagination to know what it must be like to be unfortunate enough to have been born into that country, especially if you are a woman. Time and again we were all amazed at how enthusiastically we were greeted. The American's am...
