It's hard to know where to start, having just finished, but driving into the heart of Paris and seeing our families was one of life's great experiences. A sudden collision of all the stuff we had been through and an overwhelming realisation that we had actually done it. All of the uncertainties, from day one, have only added to that state of wonderment and not a single day was ever taken for granted, each new destination being a milestone in itself.
Our trophy: We found out a week or so ago that our bronze medal (you just have to get to Paris to get it) had been withdrawn as we had left for Estonia a day early and this had thrown the system. Fair enough, but they then also withdrew it from our heroic friends, Hugh and Paul, who had followed the rally about two days behind for 23 days as they had had so many problems. They also were driving a Ford Pilot and had helped us (and lots of others) enormously at the beginning. They are great guys and we decided over a very enjoyable lunch in Gdansk on Monday that we weren't going to stand for this and would create our own trophy. At this point the 'Ford unstoppable car klub' was born and Hugh rang his PA and arranged for 4 trophies to be be inscribed with our names and shipped over to Paris in time for our arrival on Saturday.
When we finally arrived on the small podium in Paris a glum faced organiser (more of which later*) informed us that we didn't have a medal. I had seen Hugh in the crowd as they had arrived before us, and shouted for him to come over, at which point he handed us two enormous silver plated cups and placed them on our bonnet to huge cheers. I had the unbeatable pleasure of telling the organiser that this was our trophy and that she could keep her medals. The timing was perfect - a truly glorious moment! It later sat in the middle of our table during the black-tie awards ceremony in the evening causing much merriment.
*While all of the marshalls and mechanics have been fantastic throughout, there has been an ever increasing resentment of the two main organisers who haven't shown a shred of interest in anyone, and so a rebellious 'naughty schoolboy' culture has developed amongst many of us over the past couple of weeks or so which has been a lot of fun.
Otherwise, highlights: Mongolia will always be the outstanding memory purely because it was so tough, day in day out. Someone described it at the time as like driving across a ploughed field that had been hit by artillery fire, and while there were flatish bits when you had to avoid being grounded in soft sand, that was a pretty fair description for much of it. 10 - 12 hours non stop driving every day, having to concentrate every second, then arriving at a camp site in the evening and sitting in a stupified state of total exhaustion in this mess tent, covered from top to toe in dust eating soup like a tramp and watching these other bedraggled souls staggering in with their airline trays of food. Still lots of laughter and great spirit throughout the tent, and food has rarely tasted better.
We simply had a great time every day, one way or another, whether it was battling across the desert, insisting on getting every border guard to smile before leaving their country, being overtly cheerful to Russian policemen to the point where they would finally give up trying to give us a hard time, or just cruising along enjoying beautiful views and returning waves to endless groups of supporters along the road. We have had thousands of photos taken of us and have got rather used to being Z list celebrities. London in my Golf is going to be a rude awakening...
Final tip for anyone who may do this themselves - choose your co-pilot, or as I like to call him, sack of potatoes, very carefully. I have had the best natured superstar you could hope for and we have talked, laughed and rocked our way across the world without a bad moment. Unbeatable.
Monday, 2 July 2007
Sunday, 1 July 2007
Paris
I'm going to let Tim pen the final chapter of the blog. He drove Priscilla manfully into Paris yesterday, which turned out to be an extraordinarily emotional chapter for all of us. And he is driving her back to UK, as I type this.
It has been the once-in-a-lifetime experience that we had both hoped for. We have loved every minute of it, and we were incredibly fortunate to have been able to do it. Here are a few photos from yesterday...
A cheeky (?!) sight as we drove into Paris
Our first sight of our families. Tim's and my family had prepared the letters P R I S C I L L A to welcome us in the Place Vendome.
Tim will explain the cup....
It has been the once-in-a-lifetime experience that we had both hoped for. We have loved every minute of it, and we were incredibly fortunate to have been able to do it. Here are a few photos from yesterday...
A cheeky (?!) sight as we drove into Paris
Our first sight of our families. Tim's and my family had prepared the letters P R I S C I L L A to welcome us in the Place Vendome.
Tim will explain the cup....Friday, 29 June 2007
And on into France
Crisscrossing the Moselle River, as we left Germany. Yet more vineyards ahead
Holiday chums? (For those that warned me that "Hugo Upton" was on the rally. Evidence)
What a welcome sight. Paris is in sight now....
Just to add to Tim's comments. Prob our penultimate blog. Definitely an end of term feeling around the whole rally entourage. But today was a relatively easy day. Around 420 kms from Koblenz in Germany to Reims, here in France. (The day before was 560kms from Potsdam to Koblenz).
I returned from my few days in UK to find that my partner has progressed enormously. He can now well and truly multi-task. Drive, map-read, change the ipod playlist, and wave at every girl that vaguely might cast a glance at this rattly old croc (the car, not Tim). All at the same time. Was my position going to be redundant? Happily, after he, while navigating, asked me to do a hairpin U turn on the mtorway yesterday, I think I've earned my place back in the team.
One of the tragedies is that we just don't have time to see much of the beautiful cities we visit. Arrive late, tired. Often work on car etc. Tho, of late, Priscilla has performed like a beauty. Still nervous of any bump, sound etc. But, as we STILL are approached by other contestants who admit that they didn't think our car was going to make it out of the carpark in Beijing, we are keeping our fingers crossed for the 15okms to Paris tomorrow.
Dinner in Reims tonight with Michael Campbell etal, who sadly, with Robin W retired his car way back in Mongolia, and flew home. But has driven out to join us all for the last 2 days. He got a great reception.
Families, friends all heading out now to Paris to see us all arrive at La Place de la Concorde.
Should be fun.
Beijing, 34 days ago, seems a lifetime away.
Reims
Well, here we are in Reims - what about that then? Another day, another country, and nearing the end of this extraordinary jaunt. China and Mongolia seem years away and it's all been a bit tame recently with flat and smooth roads. The endurance has turned from tough driving to trying to wake up and get going early in the morning (Strawberry blond is merciless in this department) after a few too many 'one for the road's. Very enthusiastic hospitality from our fellow travellers is beginning to take it's toll, but good fun.
Paris, all going well, tomorrow. What an incredible and overwhelming feeling that will be, provided the clutch and possible over-heating can handle a long city run.
We will be there.
A quick note of thanks to all of that have posted comments - really kind and fantastically encouraging at the end of some pretty tiring days. Can't wait to see you all.
Paris, all going well, tomorrow. What an incredible and overwhelming feeling that will be, provided the clutch and possible over-heating can handle a long city run.
We will be there.
A quick note of thanks to all of that have posted comments - really kind and fantastically encouraging at the end of some pretty tiring days. Can't wait to see you all.
Wednesday, 27 June 2007
Now I've got my master technician back, I can chuck something onto this blog thing, so a quick catch-up.
I first noticed that is was a little quieter in the car, less conversation, less dance music and, worst of all, a lot fewer laughs. A little bit more 'where the hell am I?' and then I looked to my left and saw my strawberry-blond co pilotwas no longer with me and had naffed off to Blighty. A rather grumpy German had told his navigator that he was a sack of potatoes in Ullaaam Baatuur which hadn't gone down terribly well and the navigator packed his bags and flew back to the fatherland, so he's been on his own ever since. Well, I've been looking forward to my sack of potatoes returning to me which he finally has this evening. The things he'll do to get out of a bit of map-reading...
it's been a great few days and I've had a lot of support from our fellow travellers. Poland was very beautiful, and it was another weirdly emotional moment passing into Germany today. Another huge milestone for Priscilla who's beginning to think the whole joke's wearing a bit thin. Apart from most of the bodywork, the interior is now giving up the ghost and door surrounds and fabric are all hanging off. If we ever come to sell her, I'm not entirely sure we'll get away with the 'one careful owner' tag.
Beginning to tune in a little to planet earth now, and really looking forward to getting back to everything, but still loving every minute. Us and another Ford Pilot (great guys who have had an unbelievable experience and only been on the rally about 5 days, otherwise running 2 days behind us) are the only two cars not to have got a Bronze medal. Very exciting and we have had heated discussions about who should really be winning our own particular competition!
All good fun and can't believe that the impossible dream of Paris might just come off after all. Clutch still knackered, but otherwise all well and so fingers still firmly crossed.
I first noticed that is was a little quieter in the car, less conversation, less dance music and, worst of all, a lot fewer laughs. A little bit more 'where the hell am I?' and then I looked to my left and saw my strawberry-blond co pilotwas no longer with me and had naffed off to Blighty. A rather grumpy German had told his navigator that he was a sack of potatoes in Ullaaam Baatuur which hadn't gone down terribly well and the navigator packed his bags and flew back to the fatherland, so he's been on his own ever since. Well, I've been looking forward to my sack of potatoes returning to me which he finally has this evening. The things he'll do to get out of a bit of map-reading...
it's been a great few days and I've had a lot of support from our fellow travellers. Poland was very beautiful, and it was another weirdly emotional moment passing into Germany today. Another huge milestone for Priscilla who's beginning to think the whole joke's wearing a bit thin. Apart from most of the bodywork, the interior is now giving up the ghost and door surrounds and fabric are all hanging off. If we ever come to sell her, I'm not entirely sure we'll get away with the 'one careful owner' tag.
Beginning to tune in a little to planet earth now, and really looking forward to getting back to everything, but still loving every minute. Us and another Ford Pilot (great guys who have had an unbelievable experience and only been on the rally about 5 days, otherwise running 2 days behind us) are the only two cars not to have got a Bronze medal. Very exciting and we have had heated discussions about who should really be winning our own particular competition!
All good fun and can't believe that the impossible dream of Paris might just come off after all. Clutch still knackered, but otherwise all well and so fingers still firmly crossed.
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Stepping back into reality for a few days
I came back to UK for a few days, for something we are working on at Oxygen. That meant, my hero Tim had to do three days of driving, solo. (Looks like he tried to blog yesterday but was thwarted. Ha, so...not just ironing then that you need me for, eh?). He had to do Vilnius to Mj^g*k>@w+b (some unpronounceable town in Poland, from there to Gdansk, and today to Potsdam (outside Berlin).
Rather sweet, I think we've really missed not doing those days together. But needs must. He will comment on his four days, but for my part, it was verrrrry strange getting back into the old routine again. Landing at Heathrow, and driving kate on the M25 in our old Merc estate was rather like an out-of-body experience. Driving to Petersfield? Yes, but hadn't I just driven from Peking? Out of habit I found myself STANDING on the brakes, as we came out of the Heathrow tunnel. That's how you get Priscilla to stop, so instinctively....
Anyhow, as ever England looks just so beautiful, and it was so lovely to see family etc.
Then horror, the reality. Monday morning I have to get on the commuter train to London. Like a goodytwoshoes, I do my prep work for the office, then gaze out of the window and reflect on the last four weeks. Lots of things swirled around, but the ones that stuck....
- the universal generous-spiritedness of ones fellow human beings. Whether in Mongolia or Estonia. Whether fellow competitors or local mechanics. It is incredibly heatening to have experienced that. Some exceptions, of course. The Russian police being the glaring example.. But I have had a lump in my throat on more than one occasion as we we have experienced the genuine glow of warmth, support, and enthusiasm from all the people we have encountered as we have covered all these kilometres .
- The tenacity, the sheer dogged determination shown by many people to keep their cars on the road. Some, sadly had car problems that just were impossible to fix. But many had problems that with a bit of ingenuity, sign language, and losing valuable time in far-flung places, they managed to rejoin the the rally. I think we both take a very valuable lesson from seeing how others overcome adversity.
- Lastly the whole rally circus itself. I sat next to a nice old guy at dinner a week ago. A veteran rally goer. Had I done one before, he asked. No. Would I do another one, he asked? But before I answered, he cautioned me that any other would prob be rather tame after this one. This had been way and above the most challenging he had ever experienced. So methinks, I'll leave it at this one. The rally mechanics, marshalls and medical staff have been a constant support. Always smiling, always willing to help, when sometimes, particularly in Mongolia, they were stretched to absolute breaking point. The organisers though are less impressive. The general view is that they learnt their skills in "customer service" from Russians. We've been on the rally for over 30 days, and nobody has been up to us to welcome us. Friends who were stuck behind the rally for 23 days, yes 23 days, and were they ever contacted by the rally office to check they were ok?! Some of the competitors get v wound up about this. Tim and I, however are on our own rally. We just wanted to get to Paris. We were always bemused by those wanting to get a gymkhana-type rosette/medal to put on ones bedroom wall. Not wrong, but just not for us. Our challenge was that neither of us had ANY idea what went on under the bonnet. Nor did we have any experince of navigating with grid references through deserts etc. But now we've cracked both. We've had a rather puerile campaign recently of trying to amass as many penalty points as possible (co-pilot disappearing to London for three days, hah, that sends the counter off the scale). So we should be the last car to limp across the line in Paris on Saturday, all being well. Can't wait.
Rather sweet, I think we've really missed not doing those days together. But needs must. He will comment on his four days, but for my part, it was verrrrry strange getting back into the old routine again. Landing at Heathrow, and driving kate on the M25 in our old Merc estate was rather like an out-of-body experience. Driving to Petersfield? Yes, but hadn't I just driven from Peking? Out of habit I found myself STANDING on the brakes, as we came out of the Heathrow tunnel. That's how you get Priscilla to stop, so instinctively....
Anyhow, as ever England looks just so beautiful, and it was so lovely to see family etc.
Then horror, the reality. Monday morning I have to get on the commuter train to London. Like a goodytwoshoes, I do my prep work for the office, then gaze out of the window and reflect on the last four weeks. Lots of things swirled around, but the ones that stuck....
- the universal generous-spiritedness of ones fellow human beings. Whether in Mongolia or Estonia. Whether fellow competitors or local mechanics. It is incredibly heatening to have experienced that. Some exceptions, of course. The Russian police being the glaring example.. But I have had a lump in my throat on more than one occasion as we we have experienced the genuine glow of warmth, support, and enthusiasm from all the people we have encountered as we have covered all these kilometres .
- The tenacity, the sheer dogged determination shown by many people to keep their cars on the road. Some, sadly had car problems that just were impossible to fix. But many had problems that with a bit of ingenuity, sign language, and losing valuable time in far-flung places, they managed to rejoin the the rally. I think we both take a very valuable lesson from seeing how others overcome adversity.
- Lastly the whole rally circus itself. I sat next to a nice old guy at dinner a week ago. A veteran rally goer. Had I done one before, he asked. No. Would I do another one, he asked? But before I answered, he cautioned me that any other would prob be rather tame after this one. This had been way and above the most challenging he had ever experienced. So methinks, I'll leave it at this one. The rally mechanics, marshalls and medical staff have been a constant support. Always smiling, always willing to help, when sometimes, particularly in Mongolia, they were stretched to absolute breaking point. The organisers though are less impressive. The general view is that they learnt their skills in "customer service" from Russians. We've been on the rally for over 30 days, and nobody has been up to us to welcome us. Friends who were stuck behind the rally for 23 days, yes 23 days, and were they ever contacted by the rally office to check they were ok?! Some of the competitors get v wound up about this. Tim and I, however are on our own rally. We just wanted to get to Paris. We were always bemused by those wanting to get a gymkhana-type rosette/medal to put on ones bedroom wall. Not wrong, but just not for us. Our challenge was that neither of us had ANY idea what went on under the bonnet. Nor did we have any experince of navigating with grid references through deserts etc. But now we've cracked both. We've had a rather puerile campaign recently of trying to amass as many penalty points as possible (co-pilot disappearing to London for three days, hah, that sends the counter off the scale). So we should be the last car to limp across the line in Paris on Saturday, all being well. Can't wait.
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