The Great Roadway Bazaar

[Scott Brady]

YOU CAN TRACK OUR PROGRESS (LIVE) THROUGHOUT THE TRIP HERE

It is time to start the "in progress" thread for our little adventure. Charlie and I are in the final preparations for leaving on this most bazaar of adventures in the most unlikely of vehicles, and I just cannot wait to get going.

This adventure will be unlike any I have planned before - well, mostly because I am not doing any planning. The only really serious logistics I have participated in is our visas. We need visas for Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan. For this, we used a professional visa service - worth every penny. We will not be using a GPS (other than to track our route), very few maps and with a very loose itinerary. We will be camping in bivvy tents, packing like backpackers and staying in the occasional home or hostel.

Here is our machine for the trip, a 2001 Suzuki Jimny with a 1.3L motor. The motor is actually too big for the rules of the event, so we needed to pay a 100 pound "fine" to get it signed off.

More details on nearly a daily basis now, as I leave in just under a month for France!

 

[Christian P.]

I love it. This is a true modern adventure...

 

[c.nordstrom]

Hey everybody, it's the other half of the Great Roadway Bazaar checking in. Please check out the official blog of the GRB here! Between this thread and the blog, Scott and I should cover just about all the bases.

One thing: this is a fantastic adventure, but please remember we are doing this in order to help Mongolians. If you can afford it, please donate. No amount is too small. The donation link is on the front page of the blog. All money donated will go directly to charity - we don't touch any of it.

Thanks guys!

One brief update: our Jimny arrived in the south of France and I received the vehicle registration documents. Those are both major steps!

Edit - here's a direct link to our fundraising page: http://www.firstgiving.com/greatroadwaybazaar

 

[x32792]

subscribed

I'm in...Take lots of photos.

 

[c.nordstrom]

A new blog entry has been posted! Please excuse any mistakes/errors/typos. I'm in a bit of a rush - Scott and I are heading to Colorado for a Mongol Rally farewell/kick-off party.

 

[Scott Brady]

Passports and Visas in hand. . .

 

[Dave Bennett]

Good luck! :coffeedrink:

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Damn, that's clean for a 2001. And Expo white too, of course.

 

[JSQ]

This should yield some pretty funny stories.

 

[Toyotero]

This should yield some pretty funny stories.

A meandering drive along the Pamir Highway in a Geo Tracker?

Oh yeah, this'll be good.

Best of luck to you guys!

Cheers,

 

[JSQ]

What no RTT?

 

[LC4Dakar]

I would really re-think the GPS strategy. A Garmin with the World Map was EXTREMELY useful for the trip. The World Map wasn't too good in the cities, but in the rural Balkans, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Mongolia it was great.
The European Map, while not necessary, was handy, too (especially getting out of London).

Here is the master list to start for stuff to take. We took about half, and used about half of that.

http://mongolia.charityrallies.org/forums/mongolia-charity-rally/general-chat/stuff-to-take

As for dealing with Russian cops, here are the basics:

http://mongolia.charityrallies.org/...with-russian-and-other-police-and-other-hints

We took 2,800 pictures between the two of us. Those Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries really work. I took 1,400 pictures on the trip and used the camera for another 6 months after we got back on one set of batteries.

 

[LC4Dakar]

And don't forget it will likely take you 1 to 5 days to get your car into Mongolia while they sort out the paperwork and import costs.:Wow1:

 

[LC4Dakar]

A meandering drive along the Pamir Highway in a Geo Tracker?

Oh yeah, this'll be good.

Best of luck to you guys!

Cheers,

Pamir Highway is out this year. Kyrgyzstan is still having massive unrest.

 

[Scott Brady]

What no RTT?

Two - One for each of us. . .