Tweets
[Because of timezone differences the dates may overlap a little]
2008
Nov 8
We've signed up to Twitter so it'll hopefully be an easy way to blog whilst on the rally. We'll also blog leading up to it as well.
Feel free to become a Follower directly on the Twitter site if you like, else you can read the stuff over at mongolrally2009.org
2009
Jul 14
Have got ninety percent of what I'm taking packed, bagged and boxed ready to put in he car on Friday morning.
Jul 16
Raring to go!
Jul 17
We're off (to the Ace Cafe).
Grabbing stuff from Halfords to stop the car leaking.
Jul 18
Cold. In a tent. Not even leaving England until tomorrow. So tired.
Today we got to foreign lands. Better.
On the train waiting to head to France.
274 Miles - Chunnel, Folkestone, Kent/England
315 Miles - Veurne, Belgium
Jul 19
573 Miles - Cologne, Germany
2:30am local time. Time to find somewhere to camp.
Prettty much 4am. We've found a very cheap hotel. Don't judge it's been a LONG day.
747 Miles - Weimar, Germany
Jul 20
In Prague. It's almost 3am. Very tired.
Nice sleep, shower and breakfast. Off into Prague to find the Kafka museum
Really quite warm.
Waking round the town square. Had some cannabis tea. Tasted quite nice.
1,010 Miles - Prague, Czech Republic
Back to the hostel to grab our stuff then a two and a half hour drive to the castle in Klatovy for a party.
After stopping to watch steam coming put of Tim and Debbie's bonnet we're now back en-route to the castle.
One of the cars convoying with us is seemingly in a BAD way. How long do we hold back and wait to see if it's fixable?
Or - at worst - replaceable.
Jul 21
6am. What to do with John and Cillian's potentially done-for car?
Awake. Two hours sleep due to music. Need to work out what to fo about John / Cillian's car.
Dodgy piston ring on the Terios? Could be. (apparently)
Disappointingly we find ourselves at Tesco.
The plan that has just been hatched is unbelievable. [2022 Edit - I don't remember what it was]
Headed to the bone church.
At a camp site by the bone church.
Jul 22
Ten hours sleep and a shower. Looks like it's going to be a hot day. Big arse lump on my arm from a mosquito.
Ambling towards Oolish border.
Crossed into Poland. Currently in Auschwitz.
Unsurprisingly walking through the gas chambers is pretty grim.
Just gone midnight. About 100k from Ukranian border. Camping by road. Up at 8am to carry on to border.
Jul 23
At a garage with team "I Mongol'd your mum". Another day. Another car with problems.
We're pretty close to the Ukranian border.
FINALLY queuing at the Ukraine border.
Through customs. Waiting on rest of convoy. Kept laughing at "Whitby" as for some reason it's unpronounceable in Ukranian.
The teams driving the ambulance and fire engine have been asked for $10,000. Each. In cash. To get into Ukraine.
Even some normal cars are being asked for 3000-4000 Ruros just because they have temporary V5 forms.
The "tax" for the ambulance has gone down to 9000 euros for both ambulance and fire engine.
We were pulled over by the cops one minute from the border. Kieran talked us out of a fine.
Spent a lot of time finding a lake in an area with unfinished roads and precious few signs. Lake no hood for camping. Now just looking f ...
I really would like to stop being bitten by Mosquitos. If that's okay with them.
Somewhere in Ukraine checking out a £10 hotel as there's nowhere to park.
Not park. I mean camp.
Miles 1,720 - Somewhere in Ukraine
1,936 miles since home. Kiev by the evenIng is the plan.
Jul 24
230km to Kiev ( or knib or Kyiv or whichever spelling they're using today).
Jul 25
Currently staying with Kieran's lovely friends on the edge of the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
Off to another town to meet Vasser.
In a Ukrainian forest listening to Irish bagpipe music played on Spanish bagpipes.
In town square. The whole community comes out to watch a mentally great coloured musical fountain. Ukraine is a truly wonderful country.
Jul 26
Up at 8am. Really need to get near the Russian border today.
At a service station guessing at what various meats might be. Have picked and they just put it in a microwave. Thems gonna be some good ...
Tastes like beef... and a LOT of mushroom. Bastards.
Lonely Planet Russian phrasebook contains such useful things as "Is that why you're single?"
Currently, about 100km from the Russian border looking for somewhere to sleep.
Jul 27
In a field on the Uzbekistan / Russian border drinking tea out of a bowl before going through the looking glass.
2:30pm and all we've had for food is a cup of tea. It's the infamous Mongol Rally diet.
Watching a man herd geese with a whip whilst waiting for more teams to turn up so we can cross the border together.
Trying to leave Ukraine. Three day transit visa but this is day five. May be s problem even though as Europeans we should get thirty da ...
A nod, a wink and a ten-dollar bribe... Now in no man’s land waiting to try and get into Russia.
Sat in room with various Russian peeps and filled out car related forms. Fours hours in total and we're now in Russia!
Russian border guard came over to find put why I was taking photos near a border. I showed him a picture of a dog and he went away again.
In the world's loudest bar trying to figure out if a photo is fish, chicken or some as yet identified animal.
Best guess having tasted it is that it's chicken mixed with honey puffs. Went to get some American mustard from the car.
Why does a drunk Russian man keep asking for my phone number? It's all getting odd.
We find ourselves in a Russian field. We were pulled over by the police but all is well.
It appears a prostitute has written her number on our windscreen in lipstick. Which is odd. I only wanted a cup of tea.
Jul 28
On the road again. Headed for Volgograd.
50km from Volgograd.
Russia is pretty grim. Vast swathes of grimness.
Driving round Volgograd trying to find a hotel. Any hotel. Just one. Please?
Half-past midnight. Waiting on some kebabs. Day in Volgograd planned for tomorrow.
1am. No sign of kebabs.
29 Jul
Waiting for a taxi to take us into the centre of Volgograd to go hat shopping.
It appears that the orphanage car is now flagged as stolen because of a documentation problem. If John has to go to sign it in the Ukrai ...
Have a visa to get back into Russia. Interesting.
Saw an AMAZING statue. Bought two Russian hats for Max.
Waiting for steak whilst John phones the Irish embassy in Ukraine about being a fugitive in Russia.
Between a fixer in Ukraine and the number for some top guy in the Irish government, it's turning into an interesting afternoon.
As it stands John isn't allowed to leave Russia. Which could be problematic.
On the plus side... the dessert menu looks nice.
John has gone to the airport to drive over "stolen" car over the Polish border. He'll then get a plane to Kazakstan and meet us there. ...
Kieran has had a police escort to the airport. Someone from one team has rabies and is in hospital. Good times.
Best make a cup of tea.
11:30pm local time. Very heavy rain. Deciding whether to push on for dryer roads and camp or find a cheap hotel.
Jul 30
Another morning in a field. Another lot of driving. Another push for a border.
Just driving up to the Russian/Kazakhstan border. Hopefully, it'll be a quick drive through. 3,548 miles since home.
Two hours in and waiting in no man’s land.
Words cannot describe what a properly miserable experience the Kazakstan border is.
Jul 31
A man is herding goats on a camel.
Apparently, the Mongolian border is closed. Border guards not getting paid.
In Atyrau, Kat found a hotel with wifi, showers and food. Not in that order.
In a hotel in Atyrau. Air-conditioning, chandelier. £12.
Aug 1
2pm. Someones car isn't starting so they're off to get some new spark plugs. Fingers crossed.
Why is it raining in Kazakstan? Surely that can't be right.
Must have been on this road for over four hours without a single bend.
Eagles are soaring above us.
We've just clocked our 4000th mile. We're halfway to Mongolia.
This road is amazing. Much smoother than the M4. Honestly.
Every 15 minutes or so people are camped out on what is essentially a motorway selling watermelons. I can't imagine they sell many. Look ...
Hot dogs wrapped in tortilla with American mustard. Best campfood yet. Wish I'd dropped less on the floor though.
Aug 2
Having spent yesterday travelling North to avoid an awful road; today we get to travel East towards Aktobe.
In a cafe in Aktobe. Seven hours driving in a straight line.
Really feeling sorry for John. Stuck in Prague and now the hostel has lost his passport.
The view of our cars out of the cafe window. [As per 2022, Picture now lost]
My tired face.
Another hole. At least this one flushes.
Time to get a little closer to Aral (not to be confused with Oral which is where we started off from this morning)
11:30pm and we've pulled off the main road, away from some shanty towns and into a... field.
Oh... and we just saw either a jet or a UFO. Not sure which.
Aug 3
On the way to Aral. About seven hours drive.
Last two petrol stations had run out of petrol.
In the World’s dustiest town. Just saw a pudgy faced baby.
Aug 4
Aug 4, 2009
Off-roading, 14 hour drive, Kazak family, vodka, gherkins, slept on cafe floor.
Finally in Aral. Took 18 hours and not 7.
Headed towards Baikonur.
Almost 2am. We're still driving. 16 hours and counting.
It's 3am. We may be in a landfill site. We have warm gin and tonic. It's been a LONG day.
Warmed by a pair of Andrew's trainers burning merrily on the path.
Aug 5
Not sure where we are. Not sure where we are going. Apart from that the jobs a good un'
Got petrol. Had a breakfast of lamb ribs (perhaps). We signed their fridge. First police stop of the day. Documents.
Due to a confusion surrounding pricing we now have way too many watermelons in the car.
In a four star hotel for £10/person.
Aug 6
Off to have a quick look at the market before pressing on to Tashkent.
Tarp on car roof no more due to possible bird strike.
Aug 9
Kyrgystan gets the vote for the most beautiful country.
Aug 10
On the top of a mountain. Car struggled to so 20mph in second gear. Slow going. Lovely mountains.
In Bishkek watching the second music fountain of the trip.
Someone did Mongoliain four days. That gives me hope.
Aug 11
Kryg/Kazak border this morning. Over 1000km to the Mongolian border. Need to get there for Thursday. Sounds like hard work.
Only an hour and a half to cross the border. That's worth a celebratory cup of tea! Today is a good day.
Three lanes on road but four lanes of traffic. People aren't taking any prisoners.
Aug 12
Time to break out the Immodium.
Just spent a nice hour with the Kazakhstan army.
Aug 13
One hour twenty minutes waiting our turn at Shamanaika border. Will be a long one.
Pretty much three hours to leave Kazakhstan. How long to enter Russia?
Sooooo bored of sitting in No Man's Land.
6 1/2 hours. Finally back in Russia.
16 hours driving yesterday. 5 hours sleep. Another long day ahead. Tough going.
Is it too much to ask that it's possible to buy egg and chips in Russia?
In shock news: Northern Russia absolutely freezing.
Aug 14
23 hour day. 1 hour sleep in car. Back inroads.
In a chalet type hotel just 500km from Siberia. Nice but cold. Two jumpers on. May have to put kettle on.
Had a nice morning playing catch with Mr and Mrs Kim's son by the river. Melon and tea for breakfast.
Having lunch with a helicopter pilot who flew over Chernobyl.
4:45am and time to get up for the drive to the border.
Aug 15
Apparently it's 8 centigrade but it feels absolutely freezing. So so cold. Uses to very joy weather I guess.
Only twelve hours twenty minutes to go... How time flies.
At the Russian/Mongolian border which doesn't open for another sixteen hours.
We hear that there's a foiot of snow in Mongolia. We're about 15 miles from Tashanta (maybe 50 from border) and there are certainly lots ...
Aug 22
Have booked into rough hotel for £4. A hundred wild dogs bark outside. Yes, a hundred.
Aug 23
Have arrived at the last town before UB.
Lots of signs to UB now. About 200km to go. Cooking pasta.
How can we not find a whole capital city?
9576 miles and have arrived in UB.
Aug 24
Off to the finish line this afternoon. Trying to figure out what to pack to bring home.
Feels strange seeing lots of people.
Looking at a menu. Steamed sheep's head is only three pounds for a full head.
I have ordered horse. May be a non-starter.
Horse penis gies well with gherkin.
We've still not visited the finish line so techicallly we've not finished.
At finish line chatting to equally tired teams.
Aug 25
Final full day in UB. Will try and head over to CNCF.
Bags packed. Off to CNCF.
I don't want to leave Ted the car behind.
About to go and sign over the car.
I'm sad to leave Ted the car.
Yesterday in UB.
Finish line.
This menu says Gordon Blue and not Cordon Bleu.
Waiting for food.... Hotel in about three hours. So tired.
Aug 26
Plane has landed at Heathrow.
Aug 27
The day after I returned. Slightly less dirty, still tired, two stone lighter and bad stomach.
