MONGOL RALLY - Week 9:Mongolia's roads put enormous stress on the old VW, but the team manage to make it across the finish line with cries of joy, and sadness, writes Guy Craigie
AT LAST - after seven weeks, 20 countries, 17 mechanic stops and 11,468 miles, Boggy made it across the finish line in Ulaanbaatar, but only just.
Having achieved our aim, it was with great sadness that we left our old VW, Boggy, off in a compound with the other 164 cars that so far have made it. It's an emotional goodbye, but we look forward to hearing how much she is sold for, as all funds raised go directly to charity.
Driving in Mongolia puts an enormous stress on cars, and Boggy was no exception. The problem is that where there are tracks, the weight of cars and trucks driving at speed creates a surface the same as a corrugated iron roof. It causes thumping vibrations through the car, making everything from wing mirrors to interior fixtures fall off - it only stops if you can reach a dangerous 80km/h.
After Altay, this became a big bit of a problem, with the engine vibrating wildly as the gears began to act up. A mount had snapped and the engine had fallen about two inches, resting upon the right strut and the sump guard beneath.
Only for the fact that we were in convoy with two other incredibly helpful teams, we would have been on the first bus to Ulaanbaatar. As we were in the middle of nowhere, we decided to continue as far as we could until either we could get the mount fixed or until Boggy died.
In Bayanhongor, Boggy had the decency to break down, this time with a burst water pipe, beside a mechanic. Luckily, he was also a welder and after lifting the engine with a jack, used an old bolt and a bit of scrap metal as a join to weld the engine back in to place.
The final run to Ulaanbaatar involved some great river crossings and a lot of punctures for the teams we convoyed with. Oddly, we suffered only one puncture during the whole trip, which is apparently very unusual. We found Ulaanbaatar to be a charming city. It is going through an enormous amount of development and was my favourite city since we left Istanbul. Most of Mongolia's population live here. However, you can tell how much of a polarised society it is, one half driving brand new Landcruisers, Hummers and G-Wagons, the rest either without cars or driving battered Russian Jeeps, Hyundais or Toyotas. Although not particularly beautiful, there were many things to do, including going to the Black Market where "genuine replicas" are the order of the day. The second "must-do" is going to see the Christina Noble Sunshine Ger Village.
Eamonn, who runs the foundation in Mongolia, took us on a tour of the orphanage that takes care of 61 children ranging from the age of two to 20.
It is an oasis away from the Ger district, where they grow tomatoes and cucumbers in greenhouses, while outside, they are growing potatoes and cabbages. Despite their sad backgrounds, they are amongst the happiest children I have ever seen. Thanks to previous fundraising attempts, a small schoolhouse, a canteen, library and a dancehall/theatre have been constructed.
However, they don't have a lot of money, these are very simple structures and the foundation cannot yet afford to purchase computers or even a stage curtain. It is a place where they make the very best of what they have and deserve all the support they can get. Through the child sponsorship programme, any child sponsored in the orphanage gets the money saved for them as a nest egg, which they can use when they decide to leave the orphanage.
After an 11-hour flight delay and lost baggage with Aeroflot, we all arrived back in Ireland - sadly without Boggy, yet with our dignity intact, having finished the rally. I would like to say a huge thank you to all of you who helped and supported us along the way and to our sponsors.Until the next hare-brained idea, goodbye from The Boghopper Express.
• For more information, or to donate to the Christina Noble Children's Foundation, log on to www.theboghopperexpress.com