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Category Archives: The Mongol Rally

Transfaragasan

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Thursday July 18

After tearing ourselves away from the fabulous fortified church in Cristian, the gentle rolling farm fields quickly gave way to the rising uplifted glacial mountains & craggy peaks of the Transfaragasan.

 

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This  mountain pass is one of THE top roads coveted by sports car enthusiasts the world over for its long series of hairpin “S” curves.

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This is the  2nd highest road in Romania, rising 2,034 meters. Originally built as a military road, it is 90 km of twists and turns running north / south across the tallest sections of the southern Carpathian Mountains.  It connects the regions of Transylvania & Wallachia.

We could only imagine the # of folks who’d come from thousands of miles away only to be stuck behind a school bus!!1 (there’s also an easy way up – via tram – complete with a coca cola logo! – aahh.. SO proud of Corporate America!)

The Bus needed a few rests on the way up, which afforded us a number of great photo op’s, and time to gaze at the grandeur of this beautiful scenery1  (And chat with the bevy of passersby who were intrigued about the bus and our journey!)

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We bypass the big crowds and gift shops near the top and head straight through the tunnel to the other side to get the bus prepped for our photo shoot.  The plan was for Sarita to ride down on the bicycle  (yes, the donated one –  the one with no brakes…) and then time lapse film our descent down the switchbacks.  We would also have video cameras mounted on the bus front and back filming.

Well, best laid plans…….after much consternation, it’s determined that the bike’s tires were so dry rotted they would not hold any air.  So……on to plan “B”.   She’ll need someone up on the roof rack to video our descent.  I was so busy photographing at the summit I TOTALLY missed out on volunteering for this fabulous crazy ass adventure! DARN!  Cale got the job – lucky bastard!  He donned some warmer clothes, and climbed up onto the roof of the bus!  **SO Jealous**!!

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In the meantime, Don has traded said bicycle for a waxed round of local romanian cheese – pretty good deal we think.

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Another rally car has joined us at the top – Team Detour (Swedish).  They also want to photograph us, but it’s taking too long for us to get the cameras mounted and working, so they head on down.

Finally, we’re ready!  We realize the other side is the much more “filmable” one with it’s visually apparent line of “S” turns on the mountain, but this side is equally as stunning in its scenery and we’re all hanging out the windows with our cameras madly snapping away.  Oh yeah, and Cale is having a fab time up top – with the best seat in the house!!

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At some point Team Detour comes screaming past us…..Hey where’d they come from?  Passing us, also going downhill, they are in the uphill / oncoming lane of traffic.  They slow to match our speed and are just in front of, and off our left front bumper.   So, yes, driving down & around a number of blind curves, their photographer has at least half his body hanging out the passenger window turned back toward us, firing off shots of the bus.

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So in the  – which is crazier – a guy on the roof, or speeding around blind curves into oncoming traffic – I think they win!

Bus & Don did a fantastic job up & down – and best of all – no brake overhaul required after the descent!

Back at lower altitude, the twisty road continues on for at least another hour – winding its way  past a massive lake.  Views are hard to come by due to the heavily forested shoreline, but we get occasional glimpses.  There is NOWHERE to pull over.  We later discover this lake is dammed at the far end and the observation tower offers stunning views of the lake and back up to the Transfaragasan & the Carpathian mountains we just drove through.

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It was 7pm and at least another 2 hour drive to Bucaresti.  Finally out of the mountains, we pass a number of small cafes on the side of the road.  The Masses are tired, hungry (for a hot meal!) and most importantly, THIRSTY!!  Don finally relents to our pleas as we pass the parking lot of the Pensiunea Pomi – with “Team Detour’s” car in the parking lot.  A quick u-turn  and we are happily soon sitting on the outdoor patio,  cold beers in hand, viewing some of the awesome footage they shot of our descent.

We are in the small town of Oestii Ungureni and our hosts at the bar are fabulous.  We enjoyed a great meal,  watched the rush hour traffic go by (the occasional horse drawn hay wagons)  and caught up on our posts to the outside world  via the free wi-fi!  I even got my first (for this trip) “…aaah Chicago…blam blam…Al Capone…eh … eh..?”

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This amazing day came to a close with our tents pitched in the field across from the Pomi.

 

 

 

 

The Storks of Cristian

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Wednesday July 17

Driving from Budapest, we arrive in a small town of Cristian, just outside of Sibiu, Romanina near the Transfagarasan.

Sarah has arranged, via Vlad Grigori (sp?) with Team Mongolification, and Liliana, (the Director of The Fortified Churches of Romania),  for us to stay in an absolutely delightful historic old fortified church.  There is a very excited crowd waiting outside the church gate when we arrive at 10pm.

The Bus, with the roof rack stripped of most of it’s luggage, barely manages to squeak just under the low arched gate, and we enterinto their beautiful gardened courtyard.

We are summoned to the kitchen and treated to a traditional Romanian welcome toast.  The church house is full of older gracious German speaking ladies who take excellent care of us.   Inside is a spiral wooden staircase that leads to the 2nd floor and a large room with sleeping for 15 in very comfy beds.

Vlad is hosting a Mongol Rally Party in the nearby town of Sibiu, which most of our team quickly changes clothes for and heads out the door to.  I very much wanted to go, but I decide I must take a pass to catch up on sleep, so I stay behind with Jan.  We had a wonderful time chatting together on the quiet patio under the stars. Sarita also stayed behind to get ready for tomorrow’s filming of our journey on the Transfagarasan.

Everyone agreed the next morning over a delicious scrambled egg, potato, bacon? hash breakfast whipped up by our teammate Calethat it was an awesome party, but that “Free Beer ALWAYS has a price”  (Cale also discovered some wonderful dried/smoked sausages from the smoke cellar in town!)

The most amazing this about this town, is their Storks.  They are EVERYWHERE.  Walking through town, they have built huge nests on top of the electricity poles, chimneys, and rooftops.  They are absolutely beautiful creatures and I am delighted to be able to watch them in their nests with their young, and catch them soaring in flight with their fabulous outstretched and graceful wings.

We lingered in the late morning light of the courtyard and its garden. Don commented “To Hell with the Rally, let’s just stay here!”  We finally packed up around 1pm as the Transfagarasan beckoned us with its mountains, cool weather, and hair pinned curves.

This town has been a wonderful treat – a definite slice of heaven!

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Sunflowers & Haystacks

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We may not have spent much time at all in France, but driving through Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania…I feel like I am in the middle of some Van Gogh and Monet Paintings.

Particularly when golden hour arrives, that wonderful late afternoon sunlight that just glows, the long shadows that draw across the landscape, and the sun kissed endless miles of hay, corn, and sunflower fields just shimmer.

The sky has that almost idyllic quiet about it. White puffy cumulus clouds dotting the sunny blue skies we’ve had every day.  This is one of my very favorite times of day.

It is easy to see where Van Gogh and Monet got their inspiration and to envision them sitting in these fields taking it all in and painting away the day.

It has been mostly flatland, but as we enter Hungary and Romania, the hay bales of  Western Europe give way to haystacks, which mimic the gentle rolling hills.

We’ve camped almost every night so far, and falling asleep under the brilliant star filled sky watching the moon grow from a crescent to nearly full has been wonderful. I can not even imagine what the stars in Kazakhstan and Mongilia will be like.

 

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Czech it out!

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July 15, 2013

A very full day of driving from Cologne, Germany  to Klatovy, Czech Republic for the Czech Out Party / Launch #2  at Klenova Castle!

The drive through Germany was full of gentle rolling hills, farm fields (perfect for glider land-outs), red roofed homes, and a few solar array fields and windmill farms.

One of our teammates departed the bus today – Eric Krause – who had to head back to Chicago for work. Plans for him to come with us to the Czech Out Party did not materialize due to our unplanned stop in Frankfurt (to acquire the new spot tracker) and the slow speed of the bus. (We did set a new top speed record for the bus today of 58 MPH – DOWNHILL!)  We dropped Eric off at the bus station in Plzn around 7:30pm so he could make it up to Prague for his flight tomorrow.  Plnz has some beautiful architecture, but also has some that is a stark reminder that we are now in what was once a soviet bloc country.

We rolled into Klatovy around 9p.  Don’s harrowing steep drive down the forested 1 lane pot-holed access road from the castle down to the campground had us all thinking he was going to string Buddy, The Adventurist Emcee from the Bodiam launch, up by his ankles when we saw him for for this choice road of entry.  (We later discovered – on our way out the next morning – of course – a much more favorable route for the bus!)

We quickly set up camp before total darkness ensued, and hiked back up the hill to the Castle entrance and the party.  Inside, plenty of food & alcohol was on hand to nourish the Ralliers after 2 very long days of driving to get here from the UK (nearly 800 km!).  The views were wonderful, the rave cave w/lasers and electronic music was filled to capacity with the 20-something’s dancing all out, the rest of us explored the castle grounds meeting more new ralliers & catching up with the other teams on what they’d all gotten into (and out of)  so far.

The best offering of the night came at 11pm when a group of fire spinners took to the castle grounds and memorized the crowd with their finesse.  The most awesome was the finale with the poi spark spinners. – (And as soon as I figure out how to add the video I will)

The after party down at the campground in the military hangar, and at the bus, were nearly all night affairs, including Sarah giving over 100 tours of the bus!.  Alas, a la a night in Vegas, the stories should likley remain in the journal, and not here (something about Absinthe, a bus roof dance photo shoot,  failed sobriety tests…) I woke the next morning to a group of guys playing golf through / around our tents.

We decided to skip the 2nd launch shenanigans and get on the road early and head for Budapest and another very long day of driving.

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Start your Engines!

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July 14, 2013

The grounds were FINALLY quiet at 6am when I woke early from my  tent to take photos of this stoic castle in the morning light  – devoid of the public and Ralliers!

Mist was slowly rising from the moat’s calm reflective waters, sunlight was streaking through the clouds, ducks were bathing, a heron stood guard in the reeds near the entry walkway to the front gate, and the pastures in the distance shimmered in that hazy early morning light reminiscent of impressionist paintings.

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This magical peaceful morning with the castle would stand in stark contrast to the off the chart craziness that ensued with the launch just a couple of hours later.

When I returned to my tent, the great flurry of activity had begun as tents and gear were emptied, collapsed, packed away and hauled down to the mass of vehicles.  Don now had to figure out how to get an additional 5 team members’ gear up into the roof racks that had seemed maxed out with the 9 we left Little Switzerland with!

The Rally festivities cranked up around 10am   – complete with prizes given to teams for “most funds raised to date” (nearly 15K British pounds!!), “Least likely to finish”  – Team Serpico – which ran into the front of the ramp, banged it’s exhaust pipe, and had to be pushed up the ramp, “Most unique vehicle”   – Tryke around the world for his homebuilt Tryke – VERY cool!  4 Men 7 Brows was awarded a 30” old clunky TV that they had to figure out how to get into their car!  Knights jousted each other on horseback and a “group” photo was shot with all us Ralliers crowded around the stage

Then came the grand announcement  –  “Now Go…and Start Your Engines!!”

Everyone ran for their vehicles, which were then paraded one by one up the ramp, across the stage and back down and out the castle grounds.  No way the bus was going up the ramp, so we just drove in front of the stage and as we passed, Buddy the Emcee climbed up our back ladder and onto the roof to great cheers from the crowd!  We were officially launched at 1130am (we did stop  – barely – to let buddy down once we realized he was up there)

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We made a beeline for the Dover to Calais Ferry – just missing the 2pm ferry we had our booking for, but no problem, the 3pm gave us all time to catch our breath.

Taking the Ferry and seeing The White Cliffs of Dover have been on my TO DO list for MANY years!  Neither one disappointed.

On Board, I met 2 wonderful older ladies from Cheshire who were headed to France to go see Versailles and Monet’s Gardens for the very first time.  It reminded me very much of my Grandmother who had always dreamed of seeing Monet’s Gardens but never did get the chance.  One day, I will get there for the both of us!

The Sea Gulls were having their fun soaring in the Ferry’s wind wake – occasionally making a landing on various railings.  Folks were trying to either feed them or be photographed with them.  Not sure whether the gulls or the people were the more entertaining.

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The ferry docked in Calais, and for the 2nd time in my life I am on French soil for Bastille Day (essentially the French version of oour 4th of July).  It is after 5pm, and we are trying to make a campground in Cologne, Germany for the night, so there was no time to dally and partake in any of the country’s festivities, With no repeat visit for me to the presidential palace in Paris, we are in Belgium in a blink of an eye.

We arrive at a very dark and locked up campground in Cologne around 12:30am.  After rousing management we are told in a very UNPOLITE fashion that “This is NOT a reasonable hour” and we are denied entry.  Exhausted from a long day, Don drives us down to the end of the road to a small park adjacent to the campground, underneath a bridge overpass of the Rhine River, where 20 or so teenagers are partying it up under the bridge.  Hmm…we’re a bit put off, but they are a harmless Belgian boy scout troop – so up the tents go.

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(There’s the campground!)

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Final country count  for today = 5 : UK/France/Belgium/Netherlands/Germany