The Plan?
Raise money for charity by driving a third of the way around the world from London to Mongolia, through Europe, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan in a 20 year old, 1 litre Fiat Panda.
The Charity?
We are hoping to raise as much money for Cancer Research UK as possible in the process of driving to Mongolia. We are paying for this trip ourselves and every penny donated will go straight to Cancer Research UK so we would really appreciate any money you can donate.
What's the point?
The world is just a little bit too safe. Gone are the days where the edge of the map called you forth to discover what lay beyond - satellite maps and GPS have it laid out before you leave the armchair. What if you want things to go wrong? What if you want a bit of unknown in a world full of health and safety measures? What if the words "adventure travel" conjure images of old ladies on a guided tour to Everest base camp with all the danger and real adventure neatly removed? What you need is the Mongol Rally.
Imagine yourself in the middle of the gargantuan Kazakh desert, your car slowly being shredded by the dirt track your map says is a motorway, completely lost hundreds of miles from civilisation with no back up crew to rescue you. Just you, your wits, your increasingly brown pants, a car that the laws of physics say shouldn't have got you past Peckham Rye and a slightly angry looking man with a gun.
If this all conspires to make you think, "my goodness that's a terribly silly idea" the Mongol Rally is probably not your cup of salted Mongolian tea. If, on the other hand, you think "hang on by gad, that's exactly what I need" you've found your calling.