And we’re off! Day 1
By Robin Ewing
July 6, 2013.
Day One: London to Cologne. 590 km/367 miles
And we’re off! The London launch was brilliant, as the Brits like to say.
About 13 teams showed up at Horse Guards Parade at Whitehall in central London, a parade area where Henry VIII held jousting tournaments and Elizabeth I threw her birthday parties. Nowadays, it’s mostly where tourists go to photograph the changing of the guards. Today, instead, it was a motley assortment of people driving cars decked out in stickers and flags and passing on advice about the best way to get to Mongolia.
Jamie’s manifesto
By Jamie Ewing
June 2013
My fund raising is pitiful compared to my sister, her high-rolling friends and my bullying engineer cousin. I haven’t listened in on a single Go Help conference call. I’ve barely studied the logistics, rules, visas, distances, or routes for my nine countries. I haven’t suffered from FOMO (in case you don’t know what that is, read the previous blog entry), and I haven’t bought any supplies even though the temperature in Turkmenistan commonly reaches 110 degrees in July (I did research that).
Top 10 reasons Mongolia is more awesome than wherever you are
by Jamie Ewing
July, 2013
1. Short horses. Have you ever seen a Mongolian horse? I haven’t either, at least one that wasn’t on Google images. They are short.
2. Yaks. It’s a funny name isn’t it? Some people call them furry cattle. Some people use the word as a verb. I don’t care how you use it, but try saying it without at least a hint of a smile. Ever had a yak milk cappuccino? That will wipe the smile off your face
A case of road-trip FOMO
by Robin Ewing
June 5, 2013
As I prepare to leave for London — by way of New Orleans, Texas, Sweden and Germany — and then on to Mongolia, I have been getting all kinds of great advice.
One kind person sent me an email list of equipment I might need, including jerry cans, bribes for border guards, a flashlight, nylon rope for towing, a compass and napkins. . I’ve been told that if I spend money on only one thing, it should be a sleeping bag. Or a tent. Or suture needles in case I need to stitch myself up.