Mongol Rally, We Made it!
Who would have thought that a chance meeting in New York would lead us to this day?
It seemed like a good idea at the time. Two well known blogs come together for a media blitz where we drive a car to Mongolia for charity. Invite the MidLife Roadtripper himself and you’ve got the ultimate Road Trip known as The Mongol Rally where antics and mayhem ensue.
We lost Rick in Khovd (our second night in Mongolia) after he had to catch a flight back to the US.
So, Ottsworld and ThePlanetD soldiered on
I must admit the car was much more comfortable with only three people and if I had one word of advice to anyone for their next rally, Don’t overpack your car. Four People seemed like a good idea to split the costs, but three gave us a lot more clearance and comfort.
Enjoying the Extra Space in the Back Seat - Taking Care of the Dozen Eggs too!
Driving in Mongolia was awesome.
We had a blast dodging potholes, meeting locals enjoying the scenery and trying to choose the best route from the labyrinth of roads ahead. As Dave put it “Driving in Mongolia is like playing a video game!” And we agreed. Between driving through rivers, up mountains and over scary bridges and weaving through everything from horses, yaks, camels and cows the adventure never ended once you got behind the wheel of the car.
A Camel Crosses our Path While Driving
By the time we reached Mongolia, we had all gained confidence in our driving. Sherry took on the Mongol Rally to overcome some fears that she had of driving in a foreign country but once we reached Mongolia, she was speeding over the washboarding, dodging pot holes and having fun.
Dave was already a pro driver and I think that he’d make a great rally racer in the future. If we ever become rich, we’ll take on the hobby of race car driving like so many wealthy movie stars do.
For the first time in 20 years, Dave actually likes my driving! He said that he enjoyed sitting in the passenger seat as I shifted gears with ease and calmly dodged obstacles. I have to say, I loved driving in Mongolia and I can’t wait to do another driving adventure.
The final day
We had broken a shock the day earlier but after a phone call to my dad in Canada, we were assured that we would make it to Ulaanbaatar in one piece. We had paved roads all the way (even though their paving leaves something to be desired) and if we took it easy, we’d be sure to cross the finish line.
The car ran a bit bumpier than usual, but other than that, it was smooth sailing.
We took our time getting to the city as there were so many sights to see.
Horses in Mongolia
Mongols are the original horsemen and it is said that they have a mythical connection with horses. We happened upon a family on the side of the road rounding up their horses for feeding and milking time (a popular drink in Mongolia is fermented mares milk) and spent a half hour watching them work.
They used their motorbikes to round up the half wild horses and had a hard time catching the leaders, a spotted Appaloosa stallion. Once they got a hold of him, they put a bridle on him calmed him down, saddled him up and then started to ride.
An Amazing Display of Horsemen Ship.
The horses in Mongolia are all still a bit wild, and run freely when not put to work and are still wild at heart. The man getting on the horse had to be a skilled equestrian to control this valiant creature. Once he had him calmed down though, he was butter in his hands and the horseman road out to the herd of horses in the distance to round them up with ease. Once their leader was reeled in, they all obeyed and followed their master diligently.
I couldn’t help but think of my mom and dad who used to be skilled riders themselves and who love a great road trip. I kept coming back to how much they would love it here in Mongolia and that they should take part in the Mongol Rally next year. I’m putting it out there and setting up the challenge. Mom and Dad if you do the Mongol Rally, we’d do it again with you!
Wrapping up The Mongol Rally
It was about 4:30 in the afternoon when we finally made it to Ulaanbaatar. It’s streets are congested, confusing and in need of major repair. We were more worried about our shock once we reached the city than the past two days on the road!
Luckily we followed a van that waived us down on the side of the road. They said they were driving to the finish line and to follow them. We followed them discussing how we’d never be able to find our way by ourselves. We didn’t have a proper map and it would have probably taken us hours just to find the main street, Peace Avenue.
The parking lot was a buzz with teams arriving. Saturdays are party days and everyone scrambled to make it for the second last party of the Mongol Rally. It was busy, exciting and we saw many of our friends that we met on the road.
We coudnt’ waste any time though, we had to snap our final pictures quickly before moving our car out of the way for the stream of vehicles coming in. After a quick hello, we ran off to find a place to stay for the night. We had exactly 2 hours to make it back to the party to see the awards and celebrations.
105 teams out of 300 had made it so far and tonight is going to be one epic celebration!
35 Responses to Mongol Rally, We Made it!
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Woohoo! Congrats to all of you on getting to the end! Awesome stuff
not everyone makes it though, a number of teams give up and some just dont make it, please remember those who lose their lives in races like this. four of my friends took off, and only three made it home. please remember.
I am sorry to hear about your friend. We made sure to follow the speed limits and drive safe. The Mongol Rally isn’t a race it is a charity rally unlike the Dakkar Rally or the Gumball Rally, this one is all about taking it slow and steady instead of driving recklessly. Like any overland trip there are always risks and I am very sorry for your loss.
Yay! So proud of you guys. Have enjoyed following your adventures.
Congratulations! What an epic trip – and a great partnership in the end too!
Never doubted you could do it! Congratulations!
Superb and congratulations! This is one the things I also really want to do!
Hi Siddhartha, you should do it, The Mongol Rally is an amazing way to see this part of the world.
Oh yes, its a dream…I hope I do it someday…
Super de super congrats!!!!!!!!!!! I’m gonna celebrate for you!
This is such a great accomplishment! Congrats to you all. Woo Hoo!
Congratulations… that is amazing. Thanks for sharring the adventure it was nice to join y’all through y’alls blogs. I loved it… don’t know if Im cut out for it though…lol.
Jaime, I totally think you could do it. The hardest part was the long hours in the car, but other than that, anyone can do it!
I know this is a bit belated, but congratulations!! It’s a shame Rick wasn’t there to celebrate in Ulan Baatur, but I’m sure the rest of you guys celebrated a well-deserved victory.
Thanks Audrey, we really appreciate all your support and wish that we could have caught up with you when we were in Germany. Next time for sure!
Congratulations
Nice article
Awesome work! Congratulations! It’s been really cool to follow your progress (with all the ups and downs). You’ve certainly earnt that epic celebration!!
Thanks Turtle, It was so much fun. Especially Mongolia. If there is one epic road trip to do on earth, it is to drive through Mongolia.
Many, many congratulations! It has been quite something to follow along (from the comfort of my computer screen) and to get a taste of your adventure!
Thanks Abi, I am so glad that you enjoyed it, I know that we did.
HUGE congrats!! And a big thanks to all of you for keeping us so well in the loop during your adventures! It was very fun to follow along.
I have to wonder now though…how are ya gonna top this one?? Somehow, I am sure you will find a way…
Hi Dalene, thanks! We are already putting together our next adventure. In the New Year, we plan on definitely topping it.
This is such a fun post guys! Congrats on completing such a challenging journey — the group shot of you three jumping is just wonderful
Have enjoyed reading about the journey and the photos from these less traveled places in Central Asia! Safe flight home!
Thanks Shannon, that was a fun day. We can’t wait to go back to this part of the world and do another road trip. We’re hooked!
Wow… the whole Rally still seems so surreal to me. Congrats on your success. I bet you’ll be happy to be out of a car for awhile
Spa time?
Hi Kent. Surprisingly, it was over too soon. Just as we were starting to really get into it in Mongolia, the end came. We would have been happier to go on to China. Can’t wait for the next road trip!
So proud of you! Congrats on finishing the race!
Thanks Joanna, much appreciated.
Congratulatiooooooooooooons! Great to see you smiling and jumping around in Ulaanbaatar. Look forward to the next meeting in London someday!
Thanks Christina, we hope to see you again soon too! Cheers.
Congratulations, you guys! This is a terrific achievement.
Thanks Gray, it was a lot of fun for sure!
Congratulations guys!
Dave and Deb, BRAVO! It was epic!! Hangover Sunday with a mug of tea and reading about your travel stories and actually meeting the celebrities (you) in person – I think I am generally happy with life.
Priyank recently posted..Why is Quito a UNESCO World Heritage City?
Ah, thanks so much Priyank! It was awesome meeting you too. It’s always amazes me that we can get to know someone online and then eventually meet them in real life. The world is a shrinking place. Glad you’re having a great day!