We made it. 31 days. 8728 miles and 17 countries later. . It's been an amazing trip and we've definately learned a lot the past few weeks. We've had cassette versions of the koran thrown frantically at us from an adjacent van in Istanbul, drunk highly potent moonshine with  Iranian mechanics (a crime punishable by hanging), shared ice cream with some orphans on a roundabout in  in Mashad before being invited to stay the night in their orphanage, been interviewed by Barnaul City newspaper (and possibly some Russian womens' lifestyle magazine as well) and witnessed a total solar eclipse at the tope of a mountain in Mongolia.

These are experiences we could never have predicted at the start of the rally and have given us memories that will stay with us for a long time to come. Many thanks to the organisers of the rally and also the folk behind CPDF. Both of us enjoyed a good night with them and a few other teams in Dave's bar last night and were reassured that the money raised from the auction of our car was going to such a good cause.

For now, Varnish is staying in Ulaan Baatar awaiting one of the Irish teams before driving back with them (the first bit of driving he'll have done this trip!) while I, Mat, wait in MoMoscow airport's Business Lounge until my connecting flight in 8 hours, slowly rinsing it of the free beer and snacks available.

All the best for the teams yet to make it to the finish line and keep a lookout on you tube for a video montage of our journey to the disjointed soundtrack of Amon Tobin.

Mat and Varnish

x

We have arrived in Mongolia! Got here yesterday and camped next to a huge lake about half an hour past Olgij. Despite a huge influx of assorted flies and mosquitoes seemingly guarding the lake, we also attracted the attention of two Mongol Rally cars full of half crazy spaniards who set up camp with us and kept us entertained til the early hours!

We should also point out that those teams yet to cross the border should be wary of a dodgy old man in a white shack just after the border who will try and sell you car insurance for $41 (or more going by what other teams have told us). After not being entirely convinced by his insistance we needed it, and realising that if we needed insurance we would probably have paid for it at the border itself - and watching other tourist cars drive straight past without being stopped - we decided against it. However, I stupidly gave him my passport (initially thinking it was just another pointless check) and he refused to give it back until I paid up!

After 10 minutes of heated arguing I walked back to the border and got a female guard who agreed he should give me it back, but still he refused. So after 15 minutes of more arguing the guard decided to call for someone higher up, at which point he came out and gave me my passport back, shouted at me loads and thumped his fist on our bonnet! My advice is to just drive through without stopping.

It's beena while since the last blog so I guess we should update you on whats happened since. Kazahkstan didn't provide us with the best of experiences. After finding the Tashkent border closed we made a 100k detour to the nearest smaller one and had four different border guards try to extort from us, to no avail. Once in Almaty, after staying at probably the worst hotel so far, we went to the market to buy fruit and Mat had a nectarine stone thrown at him by one of the fruit sellers. Driving out, we found our Transmission temp light on so went to a garage who tried charging $250 for a fluid change, and after declining (on the advice of a garage in England who said it was probably a faulty senser) one of the garage assistants threw half a tomato at us as we were walking out! Seems a very xenophobic place, but I guess if we'd had more time we could've seen a different side.

We drove out of the city and camped next to a lake, eating watermelon til the sun went down. Just as we thought our look had changed a full on rave started on the other side of the lake which kept us awake til the early hours!

Russia was much different. Aside from being stopped by a police officer whose sole purpose was seemingly to insult us in Russian, to the amusement of the other two officers, we found Barnaul to be a good stopover. Not least because we got interviewed by the Barnaul city newspaper. Should be in today's edition if any ralliers happen to be about. Was a slightly strange interview. We were taken into the offices of a large publishing house which also put out various gardening and lifestyle magazines. After asking us about the eclipse and our trip, the translater suddenly started asking us about our views on Russian women, what English men find attractive about women, if they ever go online to meet Russian women etc...

So who knows, maybe we'll appear in some women's magazine as well. Certainly took enough pictures of us!

Guess that's it til we reach Ulaan Baatar. Wish us luck and maybe see some of you there!

Mat and Varnish

x

P166: So. Despite the Shogun holding up pretty good, we had our second taste of mechanical trouble a couple of days ago whilst driving out of Turkmenistan. A very strong smell of petrol in the car and after checking the pipes and having a look round the engine bay couldn't work out what was wrong.

Until we came to fill up and noticed the fuel overflow pipe dangling precariously whilst emitting vast amounts of fuel vapour into the car. Thankfully varnish bunged it up before I passed out at the wheel; the fumes stopped, and we continued in peace.

Glad to be out of Turkmenistan. A very strange place indeed. Varnish reached up to take a closer look at a wierd looking fruit (we joked that they were microphones recording everyone's conversation, and may well be right), and just as he touched the tree branch a policeman blew his whistle VERY loudly. No touching the trees apparently. And certainly no dirty cars in Ashgabat city centre. Oh no. In fact, so disgracefully dirty was our shogun that we woke up the next day with it shining gloriously in the hotel car park having been cleaned and valeted that morning. Who cleaned it remains a mystery.

In Tashkent at the moment, after stopping in Buhkara and Samarquand and wished we could've spent at least a day or two more in each. The lack of road signs and ambiguous T-junctions is starting to get a little infuriating, although today was a little easier. Looking forward to heading into Kasahkstan / Almaty tomorrow.. prob have a day off before driving into the Kazahk wilderness.

Made it into Turkmenistan. Border was intense-an abundance of forms 2sign n stamp & cost $300 in fees/taxes! Theres a distinctly surreal vibe about the place, bit Truman Show esque -v clean streets, police on EVERY st corner, even park wardens usin walkie talkies. Lookin 4ward to walkin round 2moro.

P 43: Had our first taste of mechanical problems in the middle of the Iranian desert yesterday with the car struggling to get into 3rd and 4th gear. After taking a look we found the top throttle cable loose but couldn't work out why it wouldn't return and tighten up. With the next major town 600km away we were faced with driving all the way there at 35mph!

However, we stopped at a couple of garages but no one could figure it out. As the motorway called through a small town with literally 1km of garages we decided to try one last garage. After being turned away we'd given up all hope, until 2 chaps on a moped sped up and insisted we drive to their garage.

Sure enough, after the entire family running the garage stopped everything to gather round and offer suggestions we found the throttle cable just needed oiling. So they oiled it, and it was fine. But rather than let us just get on our way they invited us through the back of the workshop for a few large glasses of highly potent moonshine, with cucumbers and nectarines.

Soon other members of the family turned up, including Uncle Ali who informed us he'd just been smoking 'the opium'. After spending a few hours drinking, eating pistachios and lots of nectarines we then drove to a rest stop and crashed out.

Today we drove to Masshad and met with the Swedish/iranian couple we met at the border. We followed the address they gave us, which ended up being an orphanage which they run! Very bizarre few days indeed, but incredibly impressed with the way we've been looked after and welcomed in Iran the past few days!

Typing this very quicly from the back of a photography shop, who's owners very kindly let us use their computer.

Turkmenistan tomorrow, so fingers crossed we'll make it through and merge unscathed!

Greetings from Tehran! Entered Iran yest after much border faffing (inc a security escort int2 Maku 2get visa photocopied when theirs ran out of ink!). Drove 300k to Tebriz & got police escort, w/ flashing lights, to a hotel. Turned on TV 2find a call-in show about prayer tips! Day off in Tehran tomorrow, then meetin a Swedish/Iranian couple in Masshad we met at border. Providing we survive the heat that is - 115°F according to in-car thermometer! x

6 days 10 countries, 2 continents and near 3000 miles later, we prepare to enter iran.

Slept in the car just outside Bolu last night. The map lied to us about there being a camp site. Heading for Erzincan today.

So then. We've finally made it to sunny Istanbul after the dismal rain and thunderstorms of Eastern Europe. After setting off from Southern Romania yesterday we drove through Bulgaria and aimed to make it onto Istanbul by the evening. Until Varnish noticed a small country road near the Turkish border, which lead from Bulgaria into Greece and then into Turkey. So, chuffed we could notch another country into the dashboard, we merrily drove forth only to be told at the Turkish border we couldn't buy insurance there. So we drove the 20 km or so back through Greece and entered from Bulgaria.

Other eventful stuff that has happened thus far includes Mat being stopped in rural Bulgaria for speeding. After turning off the engine and hearing him slowly scuff his feet round to my door, the words "big problem" were not what we wanted to hear. With my license in his hand he said in no uncertain terms "this, I take. For 1 month."

Cue utter disbelief and open mouths from us. With no other options open to us varnish pulled out 20 dollars and offered it with the eyes of a puppy begging for mercy. He declines. We offer another 20. He accepts, gives my license back, and we creep away from the scene very slowly.  

As for the car itself she's been an absolute trooper. No problems as such, apart from running out of oil late last night and it making uncomfortable rattling and whirring sounds until we realised oil might actually help. Fully expect her to reach Mongolia with minimal fuss. Fingers crossed.

Ok, guess that's it for now. We're gonna enjoy the rest of our day off, and drive along the Black Sea coastal road to Samsun tomorrow before crossing into Iran on Monday.

Until then, ta-ra from Mat and Varnish

Hello fans. We're still alive, on the border with Bulgaria. With any luck we should be in Istanbul 2moro, in time for our (much needed) first day off where we'll hopefully write a proper blog. Thanks for the texts and general encouragement - means a lot! x