Mongolia Charity Rally | The greatest charity rally adventures in the world

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Friday 07 Aug 2009 11:13

We delivered the Disco to the Rally Representitive in Olgii last night. The final drive was about 5 miles through Olgii in reverse at dusk. Only stopped once by police on a bridge. One officer was amused, the other exasperated. Finally told us to go on, use our flashers, and keep under 10 mph. Poor nights sleep in hotel due to many barking dogs. Passed 50 to 60 dogs on the way to the airport. Olgii needs a dog catcher. read more »

Thursday 06 Aug 2009 11:45

Car is Down

by alj3rd of Grand Canyon 2

We fried the transmission about 30 miles north of Tsaanagaar in a mud bog. Took 3 hours to dig and jack us up to the point we could rock the car out. Something in the transmission went and we could only get reverse gear. So we drove backwards for 30 miles to Tsaanagaar and spent the night in the ger of a very commercially oriented family.
Got towed into Olgii and will fly out tomorrow morning.
Should have bought a Mitsubishi or Toyota instead of a POS Landrover.
Bye all.

Tuesday 04 Aug 2009 08:00

held up at mongolian border...

by alj3rd of Grand Canyon 2

held up at mongolian border with 12 mongol rally cars.

Saturday 01 Aug 2009 19:30

Barnaul

by alj3rd of Grand Canyon 2

Made it to Barnaul tonight. In a hotel with a 24 hour restaurant and bar. Tomorrow (Sunday) we will look for jerry cans for spare gas and may head into the Altai with some Mongol Ralliers for camping. Should make Mongolia Monday.
Spent last night in Semey at Hotel Bindar. Wireless internet there attacked my computer and caused multiple blue screens of death.

Friday 31 Jul 2009 04:05

Astana!

by alj3rd of Grand Canyon 2

18 hour drive brought us around 750 miles to Astana. Downtown looks like Las Vegas at night. Couldn't tell the hotels from the casinos. Road for the last 120 miles was a brand new high speed freeway. The rest of the roads varied between 20 mph paved and highways. We drove on the dirt road used for servicing the telephone poles whenever possible because it was faster.
Spent last night in a Radisson with hot running water and an in-room bathroom. Last night was a $13 walk-up, wash room down the hall, irregular running water, and a toilet in the back yard (no water). read more »

Thursday 30 Jul 2009 03:00

!1 driving towards...

by alj3rd of Grand Canyon 2

!1 driving towards qostanay. Roads vary between 70 and 30 mph.

Tuesday 28 Jul 2009 03:20

Route Change Again

by alj3rd of Grand Canyon 2

Drove up the coast f rom Sochi and got into weekend traffic going home from the beaches. 4 hours of stop and go traffic. Made it into Stavropol and were the only ones in a hotel next to a convention center. Wouldn't have found it but a local led us there.
Left early in the morning for Astrakhan. Four encounters with police, four fines. We were going to take the route through Russia to Barnaul, but are losing too much time and money with polices so were are going through northern Kazakhstan. Route is now Atiraw-Aqtobe-Qostany-Astana-Pavlodar-Semey. Hope we can make it in 5 days.

Saturday 25 Jul 2009 19:15

Sochi Russia

by alj3rd of Grand Canyon 2

We have landed safely from the ferry crossing. No air conditioning, hot, humid, no beds (all beds were taken when we got the tickets). Boarded the car at 3:00 PM and us at 5:00 PM. It was supposed to leave at 7:00 PM but actually left around 1:00 AM. Arrived Sochi at 1:30 PM today, so 12 hours was right for the ride. Took about 3.5 hours to wait for the no-car passengers to disembark, get ourselves through customs, then get the car through customs.
Russian customs was very professional and helpful. No complaints at all, except the time, which was understandable considering an entire ferry was landing and we waited in a breezy.shaded section of the boat until everyone else had gone down to customs. read more »

Wednesday 22 Jul 2009 21:20

Trabzon

by alj3rd of Grand Canyon 2

In hotel in Trabzon. The Sochi ferry leaves Friday, unless they have to wait until Saturday to fill it. Need to decide whether to take the fast route accross Russia or go down to Almaty.

Tuesday 21 Jul 2009 11:49

Istanbul

by alj3rd of Grand Canyon 2

Got to Istanbul yesterday afternoon at rush hour. Ended up on the Asıan sıde and had to take the ferry to the European sıde.

Stayed at Hotel Tarquaz (see Lonely Planet guıde).

Cannot contact our Iranıan tour guıde. Phone numbers are dısconnected or restrıcted. If we cannot get hım by tonıght we wıll have to dıvert up to the Trabzon-Sochı ferry and run east through Kazakstan to Semey.