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...