A WORD OF ADVICE

And to sum up this incredible, often exhilarating, certain time disheartening, journey, a few words of advice for anyone doing the MongolRally2009 and beyond.

A) Get a Micra. Full stop. It might look small, maybe does not sounds right on paper (Mongolia on a Micra) but the little thing goes and goes. The people we met, and we are also talking of teams of 3, managed to finish the race with the original suspensions, without sump guards and on a great mileage per liter.

B) If, for other reasons, you prefer to use an old veteran like we did, avoid overspending on a complete overhual and concentrate on the few problematic areas: suspensions, suspensions and suspensions, raise the car and get a thick and wide sump guard. Another thing you might need is an extra head gasket or two, for you or other teams that you will meet along the way.

Pack light, as you will need minimal amount of clothes. A small bucket and a cloth line in the car will let you wash and dry everything in a few hours. Mongolia is really cold, it can get subzero at night even at the end of August, so make sure you have a few layers of thermal clothing (pants included) and a good wind-stopper.

Play dumb with policemen, speak only your own language or really fast (if English). If things get annoying, tell them you are calling your embassy. Other than that, be patient at borders – most will take half a day or more.

Plan your visas wisely, as we met more than one team either stuck in between borders or forced to backtrack to renew them – see our old post VISA VS VISA

But most important, have plenty of fun along the way, it is going to be memorable!

ULAAN BAATAR - MONGOLIA 0 KM (total 12993)

Car has been loaded in a container, ready to be shipped back to Italy,and we are about to leave too - taking off tomorrow. Bringing back a lot of memories of random kindness and certified crooks, slow customs officers fond of red tape, one shashlik too much, rice, dust, non-stop rain and teas.

A fond word of farewell to all the great teams we met along the way that were always ready to help and wait each time we had trouble: The Professionals aka Tom&Jerry; Soyombo racers, our fav and fab Irish/English ladies; No Mean Fiat, masters of backgammon; our hermanos bascos Bilbo-Mongolia; the London-based, Belgium-raised Stella Performa; fellow-R4-isti, same car, same pain, aMongoliaPaque.

ULAAN BAATAR - MONGOLIA 430 KM (total 12993)

WE.MADE.IT.

Despite missing sump guard, patched-up engine block, busted suspenions, bad fuel, and even snow this morning we are in UB!

End of note.Going for beers.Write later.

ARVAIKHEER - MONGOLIA 110 km (total 12563)

And when roads finally became smooth tarmac surfaces, tragedy struck. We lost the sump guard and at the same time we pierced, well, what it was supposed to guard: the base of the engine block. Luckly it happened in town, where a backyard mechanic, with the help of glue and what looked like dirty rags, managed to seal it and assured us it will take us to UB, just 400 km away.

ON THE WAY TO ARVAIKHEER - MONGOLIA 226 km (total 12453)

After a short illusion of a 10 km tarmac road, we are back to the usual Mongolian package - dust, sand traps and constant breakdowns shared among all the teams of the convoy - except the unstoppable Micra.

WESTERN GOBI - MONGOLIA 273 km (total 12227)

Finally the desert! Amazingly fast tracks in the first half, until we lost a rear spring. Dust, sand and sun all the way.

ALTAY - MONGOLIA 255 km (total 11954)

Landscape got flat-and a bit dull, but roads condition has not changed much, long bumpy stretches at 30 km/h. Stopped at a mechanic shop and found a very sad site - a deposit for all the Mongol Rally cars that broke down and could not continue the journey. Honor to them, but it did not stop Loris from cannibalizing a set of front shock from another R4 with a broken chassis. Thanks, team Rioja 08.