Rally updates - all competitors

Now that we are into Russia, my mobile phone has ceased working as an emailing device - so the updates will probably be shorter from now on. A good way to keep in touch with how everyone is doing (not just us) is to look at the Mongol Rally update site, where people are texting in with progress.

The dash to prague

Late yesterday afternoon we arrived in Prague. It was the conclusion of a serious bit of endurance driving - all the way from the ferry in Boulogne, through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany and finally the Czech Republic. So far we've had no real problems with the cars. Highlights included a cracking night drive - even passing the Stella brewery when we took a wrong turn and ended up in Leuven. It was also great fun whizzing along the German autobahn as the sun came up. The only stops we had through the while night and day were for fuel and toilet. By the time we got to Prague we were all absolutely destroyed and so there was no option really but to find a room and stay the night. The first part of the journey was too exciting for us to think about sleeping so we didn't - and it had clearly taken its toll. So last night was spent having a couple of gentle beers, traditional Czech food, and a jolly good sleep. The net result was that we felt really refreshed this morning and much less like zombies. We've decided to make more of an effort to actually sleep whilst not driving - so we won't be totally dead on our feet in 36 hours time - hopefully! This morning we hooked up with the green panda team - who had got an earlier ferry than us originally and then disappeared in a blaze of rubbish car glory, not to be seen again til Prague. Today we set off with Poland in our sights - the first 'new' country for me. As i'm writing this now we've made it into Poland and are dashing to Warsaw. The roads are hilarious. In towns there's bumpy cobble stones and out of town its all rutted single track roads littered with a combination of lorries and really old fiats. Throw in a few trams as well and it makes for good fun. The country is beautiful. Quite flat, very rural, forests and the occasional rolling hill. The border guards were really nice too - only took thirty seconds and they wished us luck. Our under powered convoy isn't exactly scything through the traffic - though we are trying. Consequently we're likely to be driving Poland all day long, though i am hoping we'll creep into Lithuania late tonight. Amazing! The rally has already claimed some early victims. The legendary reliant robin had an alternator failure in Calais, which must have been gutting - but i've no doubt they're using their best French to try and resolve it today. One of the jeeps has bowed out with a clutch failure and the roamer home kissed goodbye to its gearbox. With luck on our side, we trundle on.