“This is a GPS tracker. While you are in Turkmenistan you must have this plugged into your car” “sign here, here and here” “give your finger prints here” “please stand here for photo” “You must pay 72 US dollars each for visa” “you must pay 142 US dollars for your car” “you must pay 30 US dollars for insurance – do not crash though, this … Continue reading A Police State and the Gates of Hell

Hossein looks about 72. He’s 5 feet tall and is wearing an outfit not dissimilar to the eccentric British man who opened the rally. White cotton dress pants, a white vest, and a fly fishing hat, flies attached for good measure. This is all the more amusing as we seem at least 1000km away from anything that would allow fishing. The overall look is completed … Continue reading Iran, rubber ducks, friendly locals, desert driving and a breakdown

Relying on google for directions is always tenuous. We’ve found ourselves attempting a 4wd track in our little Suzuki wagon, even though we are sure there is a large road somewhere nearby that should get us there. Olive trees on the side of the dusty track increasingly give way to pine trees as our little suzuki climbs the 4wd track. As we near the top … Continue reading Turkey

After 30 minutes of waiting on the Bulgarian side of the border we had our first interaction with the Turkish border authorities. Josh tells them emphatically how good it is to be in Turkey. Josh has subsequently told every other Turkish person who has engaged him in conservation that it is amazing to be here before hugging them or shaking their hand vigorously. It’s very … Continue reading Mad Max, corrupt officials, and turkey

Waiting at airports for friends and family can be a tedious experience. The main pastime people have to entertain themselves is through watching other people. I was watched by a number of other people as I had walked into Heathrow’s Terminal 3 wearing the penguin suit. I had told Josh he should wear his off the plane and thought it was only fair that I … Continue reading Escaping the UK, climbing in France, flying in Switzerland

In the planning stages of our trip I’ve never felt particularly worried or concerned about what we are planning to do. Our trip has always seemed like a big road trip in a small car; nothing out of the ordinary, nothing to write home about. In fact, I was thinking that it’s barely an adventure because we are driving in a car when so many people … Continue reading Snakes and Suzukis

After an exhaustive search we have managed to secure our noble land chariot which will get us to Mongolia (hopefully) . What mechanical beauty have we secured you ask? A lada? a Nissan Micra? a Toyota Yaris? No, it’s not a lada and thankfully it’s not a nissan micra (just looking at one fills us both with a deep sadness), it’s a mighty 2006 Suzuki … Continue reading Penguins acquire land chariot for 20,000km journey