In the first of a series of diary entries, Guy Craigieexplains the adventure that his team are facing in the Mongol 'banger' Rally.
OVER THE next eight weeks Team Boghopper Express, made up of Ben Kitchin, David Moran, Dave Russell and myself, is going to attempt to drive a third of the way around the world to get to Mongolia, as part of the Mongol Rally. Our trusty vehicle, Boggy, is a 1989 Volkswagen Golf bought for €250 next to the Bog of Allen.
The Mongol Rally is all about heading into the wilderness and finding your way while raising money for charity. It has reached cult status since Mr Tom and Mr Joolz, now known as the The Adventurists, decided to drive their Fiat 126 across 10,000 miles and 20 countries to Mongolia. With no changes of clothes, a packet of cheap cigars and a hunting knife, they set forth. Although they didn't quite reach Mongolia because of visa and border trouble, they enjoyed themselves so much that they promised to return and try again. The rally has been running since 2004 and this year 300 teams are taking part.
Team Boghopper Express have chosen to raise money for the Christina Noble Children's Foundation, which has a fund in Mongolia aimed at raising money for the construction of traditional Mongolian homesteads to house families who are in danger of becoming homeless. Our aim is to raise €20,000 which will pay for the construction and furnishing of at least 20 homes.
We leave Dublin in Boggy tomorrow, to arrive in London's Hyde Park in time for the official start of the rally, two days later.
There will also be two official starting points in Milan and Madrid, and then all 300 teams will meet at Klenova Castle in the Czech Republic for a night.
From there we will travel to Prague, Slovakia, Moldova, the Ukraine and then we will make our way down eastern Europe to Turkey and Iran, through the Stans of Central Asia into Siberia before entering Mongolia sometime in early September.
All teams can take whatever route they choose to get to the finish, with some going as far north as Scandinavia. Stay tuned for next week when the fun really begins.
To track the team or make a donation, check irishtimes.com or theboghopperexpress.com