Speed Dating on the Danube
First there was Anton, the guy who pulled over and tried to sell us a tour straight off the street. He spoke English well, but was a little too pushy and after all he was the first one to make …
Galati
We are not alone. We have met up with another team in the same boat – literally. Jim and Ed of Jungle Bungle and commanding a Fiat Punto were turned away by the Moldovans for not having the requisite letter of authorization …
Bordering on Madness
As Tom says, 90% of life is turning up. For the past week we’ve been pushing ahead by referring to maps and as much following our instincts. The alternative is to sit, plan, discuss, debate, decide and then get lost …
Romanian Beach Party
A team from Romania called the ParaMongols, the Undercover Paramedics for Mongolia, used social networking to great effect and put on a blast of a beach party. Vama Veche is a well known, at least in these parts, hippie beach …
Putting the Car in Carpathia
We broke camp to make the ten hour drive to Vama Veche. We decided to shorten our route by forgoing the scenic drive over Transfăgărășan pass and instead took the “main” road through the Carpathians. Our two-lane road snaked up …
Dog Daze
Dogs in Romania are unlike any we have seen. They wander about apparently without owners, but they wander with a purpose. They all seem to have a mission and are doggedly pursuing it. Besides that they are insufferably cute. So …
Is that the Transylvania Station?
On the border of Romania along the E60 sits Oradea, a place that isn’t even nice to be from. The stench of the fields mingles with the acrid smoke of the steel works to form what can only have be …
Budapest
Knocking off Slowakia in a matter of minutes meant missing all of Bratislava, a place to visit if only to say the word – Bratislava. It sounds cool. Yet, miss it we did. From there it was on to Hungary …
Carpool Tunnel
As I type I have just relaxed my hands long enough from the panic strap to write a few words with my head buried in my laptop. Looking up induces palpitations as Tom keeps Swifty floored and redlined in an …
What Makes a Mongol Rallyist?
The launch at Goodwood and the Czech Out party were both perfect opportunities for us to meet other teams and make summary judgments about their personalities. There are any number of diplomats, spies and secret agents, geeks, car nuts and …