Date
[day]

Location
[miles driven]
[total miles]

Journey update
[Newest on top]

24th of August 2007 - Day 52
Home at last ! 15653 miles!
Thank you everybody for making it happen!

12 August 2007 - Day 38
Back on the road again to London!

9 August 2007 - Day 35
We made it to Ulaanbataar - Mongolia!!
2 Days late thanks to car eating road!
9355 miles from London
 

21 - 24th august 2007
Day [49 - 52]

UK
[6298 miles]
[1798 miles]

Lotta’s birthday 22nd. Into Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany. Braai with Bas and Marlene in Holland. Thanx! Home at last! 16 sausages, 10 rashers of bacon and loaf of bread. Thank you everybody for making it happen!

18 - 21st august 2007
Day [45 - 48]

Europe
[4500 miles]
[1700 miles]

Rough camping in muddy truckstops. Lots of police action. Finally left the place! Into Latvia, Lithuania and just crossing into Poland. Ferry friday?

12-17 august 2007
Day [38-44]

Russia
[2800 miles]
[2800 miles]

7 days driving thru Siberia! Main road a mud track for 2 days. Smashed front springs - again! 2800 miles since Ulaanbataar. Sleeping rough in truckstops - we look and smell awful! Just seen 1st sign for Moscow - 1400 miles away!

10/11 august 2007
[day 36+37]

Ulaanbaatar
[0 miles]
[9355 miles]

Nice Hotel, Shower, shave, new springs and brake repair. Orphanage. A small beer. Heard about wild clubs with buttless chaps. 0 miles yippee!

9 august 2007
[day 35]

Mongolia
[90 miles]
[9355 miles]

Stopped at UB sign and police got us for traffic violation! Nice city, looking for a mechanic. Seems we have to drive home!

8 august 2007
[day 34]

Mongolia
[239 miles]
[9265 miles]

Almost out of local cash but bought as much as fuel as possible. Very broken rear spring. Some tarmac! Camping on a hill. Sure someone has moved UB.

7 august 2007
[day 33]

Mongolia
[237 miles]
[9026 miles]

No traffic for 50 miles. Worried we are off main track but ok. Major river crossing, water over the bonnet! Mud! Vodka and icecream only in shops.

6 august 2007
[day 32]

Mongolia
[201 miles]
[8789 miles]

Stuck in sand within 20 mins. Several deep mud sections. Cracked windscreen. Got lost. Top day out! Finally found meat! Still no fruit or veg.

5 august 2007
[day 31]

Altai
[263 miles]
[8588 miles]

More bad roads, with holes, rocks and sandtraps. 1 sign all day. Broken spring and dented fuel tank. Past Khovd and stopped short of Altai.

4 august 2007
[day 30]

Mongolia
[100 miles]
[8325 miles]

Serviced Lotta and straightened sump guard again. Lost brakes again, Down to right hand side only! Amazing scenery , River crossing action.

3 august 2007
[day 29]

Mongolia
[264 miles]
[8225 miles]

Entered Mongolia. Official rally caused big problems for us to enter. The world worst road. Towed over pass. Lotta not happy.

2 august 2007
[day 28]

Riverside
[289 miles]
[7961 miles]

Lost brakes downhill! Repaired but missing 1 brake now. Shattered rear spring. Changing involved boot full of rocks by river.

1 august 2007
[day 27]

Farmers track
[249 miles]
[7672 miles]

Quiet camp track used by farmers all night 6 hrs to enter Russia. No local money. Changed with dodgy roadside geezer. Mosi heaven.

31 july 2007
[day 26]

Semey
[352 miles]
[7423 miles]

Road still bad. Seem to be only car doing less than 80 mph! Garages used to  being robbed. Camp past soviet nuclear concrete town of Semey.

30 july 2007
[day 25]

Hedge campsite
[419 miles]
[7071 miles]

Big driving day. Roads looking looking similar to the moon. No signs so using compass. Tried to run over a policeman. Camped behind a hedge.

29 july 2007
[day 24]

Almaty
[156 miles]
[6652 miles]

Awoke to burning rubber on the streets. Easy run to Kazakhstan border. No sign of Borat yet! Complete babefest though! Mark got done for speeding. Couldn’t find Almaty city centre despite driving around for 3 hours! Beers and burgers and dodgy Mafia types.

28 july 2007
[day 23]

Bishkek
[0 miles]
[6496 miles]

Day Off in Bishkek. No gunshot wounds! Breakfast at Fatboys. Sleep. Final beer at rockbar. Scary albino taxi driver with boy racer exhaust.

27 july 2007
[day 22]

Bishkek
[60 miles]
[6496 miles]

Short run into Bishkek after buying drinks off roadside German Army Officer.  Crazy driving into city - everything Daihatsu has changed to everything Audi, but still overloaded with melons and driven badly at high speed. Stella and full english breakfast, and its only 3pm.  Nightclub action with Andy, bar manager and a guy with an AK....but he got his 2 quid back!

26 july 2007
[day 21]

Farm yard
[ 395 miles]
[6436 miles]

Mark awoke with mouse crawling up his leg - launched out the window! Lotta developing rattle. Into the mountains 3500mtrs up.  Camped in a concrete farm yard resembling the Hostal.

25 july 2007
[day 20]

Osh
[250 miles]
[6041 miles]

Bad road over pass to Kyrgzstan. Sump guard taking a few hits. Surprisingly easy border crossing! Very bizarre conversation with a Customs Official over the phone!? Andy making use of roadside facilities every 50kms - now weighs 4 stone! Hotel Taj Mahal in Osh, more resembling C Block H.

24 july 2007
[day 19]

River campsite
[295 miles]
[5791 miles]

Sunrise photos. Andy snoring! Main city exit blocked by concrete. Almost entered Kazakhstan by mistake without Visa’s. Rough camp by river.

23 july 2007
[day 18]

Samarkand
[174 miles]
[5496 miles]]

Explored Bukhara. Amazing buildings. Battery cable tie repair, Sump guard taking some hits. Sunset over Registan Samarkand.

22 july 2007
[day 17]

Bukhara
[88 miles]
[5322 miles]

Andy in lust, Mark working on car! Into Uzbekistan. Easy border. Guards took Fiesta for a spin. Exchanged gifts at 50 mph on motorway with mad family. 4 star hotel with pool in Bukhara - oh yeah.

21 july 2007
[day 16]

Turkman family
[166 miles]
[5234 miles]

Kept awake by trucks and trains all night. Sausage sarnies and more 40 degree desert action. Fuel 1p a litre! Unexpectedly housed by lovely Turkmen family with gorgeous teenage daughters - disco action!

20 july 2007
[day 15]

Truckstop
[250 miles]
[5068 miles]

Hungover from wild night in Ashgabat! Drove off leaving shoes on pavement. Cray city, everything marble and gold. No signposts anywhere but locals know our destination before we ask! Into the desert. Slept in truckpark on top of railway line!

19 july 2007
[day 14]

Ashgabat
[189 miles]
[4814 miles]

4 hours to border. Sad to say goodbye to Guide. Thanks Hossein. Sad to leave Iran. 3 hours of border officialdom. Hotel in Ashgabat. Beer!

18 july 2007
[day 13]

Mashad
[30 miles]
[4625 miles]

Lie in at last!  Couldn't sleep as beds appear to be made of cast concrete. Fuel frenzy Part III.  Drove on air to 3 major fuel HQ's. Finally a guy at some traffic lights offered us his fuel card for baksheesh! Garage wouldn't fill cans, so had to syphon fuel out of Lotta and then 20 mins later, get Lotta filled again - and all with a superglued fuel card! Easy afternoon around Mashhad, after a visit to the Colonel. 

17 july 2007
[day 12]

Mashad
[420 miles]
[4595 miles]

6am start. Away from coast, the green turned back into a barren Mad Max style wasteland. More kebabs for lunch and more police antics. In convoy for fuel with a copper and his sidekick (complete with AK47) on a 125cc motorbike - obviously ridden at warp factor 10!  Made Mashhad ahead of schedule.  Hotel Pardin - ran by Elvis' cousin. 

16 july 2007
[day 11]

Sari
[225 miles]
[4175 miles]

Luckily we didn't have any rat company during the night. Fried eggs for brekkie and straight into trouble with the law for crossing a roundabout (called a square!) Checked out and messed about by cheif of police, until finally he gave us his fuel card to go and fill up! More suicidal driving from our Iranian friends.  Hotel in Sari - ran by Iranian Elvis lookalike. 

15 july 2007
[day 10]

stoney beach
[197 miles]
[3950 miles]

Big fuel problem in Qazvin, although we had proper paperwork for 'tourist fuel'.  Managed to get Lotta across the pumps and caused a big enough disturbance to get some. Adjusted itinerary and gone straight to the Caspian Coast. Passed through green paddy fields. Parked on a stoney beach and planning to camp out.

14 july 2007
[day 9]

Qazvin
[506 miles]
[3753 miles]

18 hour day from Turkish border to Qazvin in Iran. Big petrol shortage but helped by a local. Thanks Amir. Luckily we have a small guide!

14 july 2007
[day 9]

Iranian border
[15 miles]
[3247 miles]

About to cross into Iran but may not have a signal for the next 6 days.

13 july 2007
[day 8]

Dogubajazit
[380 miles]
[3232 miles]

Arrived in border town Dogubajazit! Got on Czech TV after meeting 2 mad overlanders in a trabant.

12 july 2007
[day 7]

Black sea coast
[336 miles]
[2852 miles]

Better roads today - Stunning coastline. Fuelprice is more than UK! Camping out on a stoney beach. Big day tomorrow to Iran border.

11 july 2007
[day 6]

Black sea coast
[420 miles]
[2516 miles]

5 am start. Pics of the car outside the blue mosque. This morning good drive from Istanbul upto Black Sea Coast. Long windy roads hard on the car this avro. First night camping on the beach - Happy days!

10 july 2007
[day 5]

Istanbul
[0 miles]
[2096 miles]

Day of rest for the crew and car in Istanbul. Had a beer, a turkish bath, went around the Blue Mosque and ate Kebabs. Sleeping on a roof tonight at Hilmi’s Antique Hostel. Early start for the Black Sea tomorrow.

9 july 2007
[day 4]

Istanbul
[675 miles]
[2096 miles]

Arrived in Istanbul through Serbia and Bulgaria after a 15 hour drive. Campsite now a go-kart track. Slept on a mate’s balcony instead.

8 july 2007
[day 3]

Serbia - Belgrade
[600 miles]
[1421 miles]

Close to 6 AM, about to leave - Sun is already shining and we feel knackered. From Germany through Austria, Slovenia, Croatia to Serbia. Had trouble with the Serbian Police and slept on the pavement at a service station.
All good tho!!

7 july 2007
[day 2]

Germany
[700 Miles]
[821 miles]

Fiesta flying down the Autobahn. Ended day just before the Alps - Thanks Markus and Uwe. Went out to a Bavarian Festival at Burghausen Castle. Top night. Andy got Medieval with Bavarian Maidens! Ended day just before the Alps - about to cross into Austria. Start 6 Am next day - need to cross the Alps into Austria.

6 july 2007
[day 1]

St-Omer - France
[121 Miles]

Good sendoff from Exodus office London. Cheers Guys. Didn’t get lost on the way to the Ferry. In cheapo Hotel in St. Omer. Andy lost cashcard already.

3 july 2007

UK

Preparing for final go