The Finish Line – Mongol Rally
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It’s hard to put into words what those last 20km were like as we drove into Ulaanbaatar. All I can say is that it wasn’t easy. It was actually some of the worst roads and construction we had experienced. There was no real time to relax and soak up the moment, as we had to be on the ball as we tried to navigate the crowded streets of Ulaanbaatar to the finish line. Here’s our arrival in Ulaanbaatar in pictures:
Learn about the culture of modern Mongolian nomads
We made it…we really made it.
9,000 Miles, two continents, 13 countries, five weeks, three flat tires, one broken shock, countless beers, many new friends, and $5,000 for the Christina Nobel Foundation.
We have arrived!
If these posts about the Mongol Rally have at all intrigued you and you have thought, “I think I would like to do that,” – then I have an opportunity for you. One of my good friends, Charlie Grosso, did something completely impulsive after following my team’s progress on the rally – she signed up for 2012. She has no plan, no teammates, and no idea about cars, which is perfect if you ask me. If you think you have the guts to try something crazy next summer – she’s looking for teammates, so be sure to contact her at CharlieGrosso@gmail.com, or you can find her at @charliegrosso on Twitter. She’s fearless…she’ll rock the Mongol Rally 2012 – come one…I know you want to join her.
I finished the rally – listen to my post race podcast from Heather on Her Travels – Mongol Rally Podcast and get the low down on how it all went from my lips to your ears!
- It’s Real Now – Starting the Mongol Rally
- Pimpin’ Our Ride
- Festival of Slow – Mongol Rally Kickoff
- First Stop – Brussels
- Stopped by the Police – Mongol Rally
- Learning to Drive on the Autobahn
- CzechOut our Camping – Mongol Rally
- Racing Through Prague – Mongol Rally
- Driving in Romania
- Twilight in Brasov – Mongol Rally
- Crossing Borders with Natasha- Mongol Rally
- What I see out my window – Mongol Rally
- Ukraine Highway Culture – Mongol Rally
- Mongol Rally: Driving in Ukraine
- Hotel Nissan – Mongol Rally
- Kiev Paperwork Forgery – Mongol Rally
- Teaming up in Volgograd – Mongol Rally
- Russian Stereotypes
- Good Luck at the Kazakhstan Border – Mongol Rally
- The Hardest, Longest, Slowest, Dirtiest Road Yet – Mongol Rally
- The End of The Road – Mongol Rally
- Camping on the Mongol Rally
- Locals to the Rescue – Mongol Rally
- Setting Up Camp – Mongol Rally
- Bad Things do Happen on the Mongol Rally
- The Birth of Kazakhstan Tourism – Mongol Rally
- Kazakhstan’s Secret City – Astana
- The Best Laid Plans – Mongol Rally
- Our Car’s Health – Mongol Rally
- My ride in a Kazakhstan Police Car – Mongol Rally
- The Real Adventure Begins – Mongol Rally
- Minor Repairs – Mongol Rally
- How To Wait at a Border – Mongol Rally
- Border Bonding – Mongol Rally
- Mongolia Freedom – Mongol Rally
- Lost in the Mongol Rally
- Slowing Down – Mongol Rally
- The Mongol Rally Diet
- Muffler Mayhem – Mongol Rally
- Sink or Float – Mongol Rally
- Mongolian Hospitality – Mongol Rally
- Driving in Mongolia
- Tire Trouble – Mongol Rally
- Desert Illusions – Mongol Rally
- Mongolian Malls and Mechanics
- Shocking Tarmac – Mongol Rally
- Mongolian Cloudscapes – Photography
- Ulaanbaatar in our Sights
- The Finish Line – Mongol Rally
- What’s it all for?
- What Happens to the Car?
Congratulations! What a journey. This is on my list of things to do the next time I’m based someplace closer – this and Burning Man!
Ohhh – you said the magic words…Burning Man – I’ve always wanted to go! Keep the MOngol Rally on your list – it won’t disappoint! Thanks for following!
Oh, man–I would love that…
Congratulations to you and your team! What an amazing adventure. Thanks for sharing!
Big CONGRATULATIONS! It’s been fun to follow along on your monumental adventure.
That final pic of the team is great, but… how come there’s only 3 of you? I mean, surely there was someone nearby that could snap one of all 4 of you, yes?
Thanks Dyanne! So glad you had fun following our nutty adventure! Only three of the four of us finished! We were running behind on our schedule and Rick had to fly home from Western Mongolia in order to catch his flight – so Dave, Deb, and I finished the last 5 days on our own!
Thanks for all the posts on your journey. And although we enjoyed reading about your journey each day… that rally would be like a form of torture for us… Resort stays, now that we like. 🙂
Thanks though.
Nancy & Shawn
Thank YOU both for following. You were absolutely my most dedicated followers and commentors and I appreciate that so much. I wouldn’t be doing these things if I didn’t have people to follow along and hopefully be entertained. Everyone’s travel style is different – and there certainly are a bit nicer ways to travel through Mongolia…yet I am just the type to never pick the easy road. Thanks again!
I have read every single one of these posts since you started the journey, and I can’t believe you’re doing these things for real! I compare what’s happened to me in the last 5 weeks with your journey, and it’s amazing what is possible for people to achieve! Thanks for the inspiring escapism! Will miss it
I LOVE hearing from people who have read the whole thing. I often wonder if anyone was still reading after this long of a journey! 🙂 Our experiences seem tame compared to some other teams we met. It was definitely an epic adventure and has left me wondering what to do next. So happy you enjoyed it and hope you participate one day yourself…or at least get to Mongolia!
Congrats! It was an amazing journey even for me following y’all… But one question remains, did you use more liters or petrol or beer?
Also, Mongolia remains tops my bucket list… Perhaps this is the way to make that happen.
Congrats again!
Stay adventurous, Craig
Thanks Craig for all of your support! Yes – Mongolia should be on your list – it’s a such a simple, beautiful place. If you ever decide to go – let me know and I have some good tips for you. However – if you are interested in doing the rally – I know some people looking for teammates!! As for your question about beer vs petrol…it’s a close one. Be we do know a team who put vodka in their engine…:)
Congratulations, Sherry, on this major travel accomplishment. What a wild adventure!
So proud of all of you! Love the last picture of you in UB. Our own trip to Mongolia was in 2008 and your pictures brought it all back in living color for us. Thanks for that and for being the inspiration for us signing up for the Mototaxi Junket (another Adventurist trip) for Jan 2012. Congrats on a job well done!
I stumbled upon your blog, and had to finish it in one sitting. Every single post of your Mongol Rally journey was amusing. What an adventure! It isn’t just the countries you visited that amaze me, but people like YOU, very special people, with guts and determination, with explorative minds, the 21st century Captain Cooks. Bravo!
Thanks for the nice comment! I love being called Captain Cook…much better than Tinker Bell!