Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Right Equipment

As you might imagine, we are making feverish preparations for the great expedition. And as you might imagine, there are hundreds of things that need to be examined, prepared, applied for, bought, sold, collected, customized, written and translated. But there are certain things that are considerably more important than getting visas and permits. What could that possibly be I hear you ask. It is of course the trusty pith helmet. The must have accessory of any would be adventurer for the last 300 years have always been and will always remain the trusted pith helmet.

The trusty pith helmet has been the headgear of choice for any adventurous man south of the alps since time immemorial. This essential piece of armour against the suns discolouring rays has been worn by distinguished adventurers like Lawrence of Arabia and Orde Wingate (when he could be forced to wear anything at all). It protects the bearer against all trials and tribulations one could possibly face anywhere in the world outside of the arctic. It leads an air of stoicism, panache, and adventurous spirit which is so sadly lacking in the world. And it's available on eBay.


Sunday, March 11, 2012

How do you make time?



This is my first blog post so please have mercy and indulgence me.

When you decide to something out of the ordinary, questions will arise. Some of these questions are fun to answer, like: “What route will you be taking?” Or something more rhetorical: “Have you considered professional counselling?” But a lot of people have asked the question: How do you have time to do this?

And I understand why they might ask. The team is well aware of that most people will never drive an ambulance through Central Asia just for “fun” (and for charity). And how do you make time for such an expedition? It’s simple, you surround yourself with people who want to do something spectacular and you make time. (Well, not really, but that sounded really nice.) 

There are hundred of things you need to have figured out before you embark on this trip. One of them are visas, an other is the car, web page, blogging, permits, letters of invitations and finding a safari suit with matching hat. These things take time. But the most important thing, is to make a plan, ideally with a timetable and stick to it. A couple of hours each week spent on research or preparing for the trip will in the end add up. We spend hours in front of computers, instead of just randomly searching the web, we are using this great tool to further the expedition. The expedition becomes a hobby, that takes time away from other things, but it’s a question of priorities. And yes, 6 weeks locked in a car with two other gentlemen of ill repute sounds like a long time (and it is). However, instead of spending my holiday doing nothing, I thought I might do something. This something is an adventure of a lifetime and might make the people back home more interested in a part of the world that seems forgotten and we might just raise some money for charity. 

How do get the time; we make time!
Just make up your mind and sign up. :)

Monday, March 5, 2012

£1,000

The Mongol Rally rules stipulate that every participating team must convince their fans, friends and family to donate at least £1,000 to an officially sanctioned charity. As of yesterday, we've now collected £1,050 in name of Ambulance To Mongolia for the Lotus Children's Centre Charitable Trust in Mongolia, which helps orphaned, abused, and abandoned children in Mongolia.

Just exceeding the minimal stipulated limit is however far from our ambitions, so please continue to donate even more money to this good cause:

http://www.mongolia.to/donate