They think it's all over........it is now!

We've been told off by several people for not finishing off the blog. Sorry!

We got fed of sunbathing on the campsite in Marrakech and moved north to Meknes. Big mistake... the weather changed and it became colder and very wet. After a couple of days dodging the showers we reluctantly decided it was time to head for home.
We crossed from Cueta to Algecira on the ferry and after an overnight stop in Malaga travelled north via Madrid, Zaragosa and Huesca avoiding motorways. Huesca is famous amonst other things for its Parador. A glamorous, converted medievel castle perched high on a mountain overlooking the town. Thinking we'd treat ourselves (again) I asked for a double room for one night. The price was just under 300 euros excluding breakfast. I asked the receptionist if that was freehold and if they were leaving the curtains and carpets but he didn't seem to understand. We quickly drove back down the mountain and found a two star hovel (sorry hotel) that was more in our price range.
After crossing the Pyrenees we called in at Lourdes. It was a bit disappointing.... there was no cricket on at all. Lourdes I decided is like Blackpool with religion. Bless me quick hats instead of kiss me quick. Even stranger was the fact that it was out of season and virtually deserted.
Two days later we were in Calais. We'd decided to have a full day in Calais before catching the eurotunnel train, stocking up on wine and delicacies from the huge Euro Shopping Centre. Wrong! ...... nothing is open in Calais on Sunday. It's like Bournmouth without the excitement.
The taxi has been absolutely fantastic throughout the trip. It kept going when other vehicles were constantly breaking down and made us the centre of attention wherever we went. A Rolls Royce with Dubai diplomatic plates cruised alongside us for about a mile at one point. We actually thought they were going to ask us to swap ....and decided to decline if they did.
We've been back at home for nearly a week now. I definitely think we need a holiday but where do you go after Timbuktu?
The founder of the Budapest to Bamako says he's going to organize a rally to China along the old silk road route. Hmm........... watch this space.

Back to the mountains

Back in Marrakech we still had one further job to do.
Go back to the village in the Atlas mountains where we spent Trish's birthday last year.
We still had one box of pens etc so we packed them into a rucksack, enlisted Jamal (our guide from last year) and set off for an eight hour climb to the village. It nearly killed us. After weeks sitting in a taxi we were so unfit. We gave the stuff to Brahim the headman of the village and our host from last year.
Next day we set off for the return slog back to Setti Fatma where we had left the taxi. It was on the return route that Trish learned a crucial lesson. If being passed by a donkey train on a very narrow path with a 400 foot drop on one side. Whatever you do, stand on the side away from the drop. Side swiped by the donkey's load, Trish teetered on the edge for a few seconds before recovering her balance. It was a very near thing.... she had all our money in her pocket and it would have been a hell of a climb down to get it back!
We are now in Marrakech once again for a little R & R.

ps

Big day yesterday.... the taxi was cleaned for the first time since the start of the rally to celebrate the clock turning over 200,000 miles.

Back in Morocco

We returned to Casablanca on the 24th Feb, arriving at 6.30am. It then took us another nine hours to retrieve the taxi from Moroccan customs. The car importation document, which a customs guy in Nador completed when we first entered the country, had crucial error. It should have been valid for 6 months but he put the wrong date on. The papers had expired while we were in Mali. They told us we would have to go into Casablanca ( by bus) to another customs office and apply for an extension. We told them very politely (at first) that it was their mistake not ours so they should sort it out. Being polite for eight hours didn't help so finally we unleashed the ultimate weapon at our disposal.
Trish had a screaming tantrum and we got our car back! The windows in terminal 2 Casablanca airport have now been replaced and the Director of Customs will be released from hospital next week.

Haircut continued...

Where was I? Oh yes...
he whipped out this huge razor and waved it in front of my face.
It was at that exact moment that I realised three things

1: The little tv set in the corner which everyone was watching was tuned to the Al Jazira channel showing the latest pictures from Afghanistan and Iraq.

2: No one knew where I was.

3: I needed a change of underwear.

The barber gave me a very strange smile and asked if I was American.
I managed to squeek that I was Anglais. He smiled again and gently shaved the back of my neck.
The haircut cost about 50p and ten years off my life.

Hi all,
tomorrow we head back to Casablanca, hoping the taxi is still where we left it and in one piece not on 4 bricks! Then we will go back to Marrakech to meet up with Jamal. We are going to take him to the school and give them the last of the donations. Its not going to be accessible by road so we hope to arrange a donkey! We'll let you know how we get on....

Haircut

I'd like to share with you my experience of getting a haircut in the Sahara. When we were alone in Dakla in Wester Sahara, I decided it was time for a haircut. I left Trish in hotel and went in search of a barber's which I eventually found down a back street. It was a tiny hole in the wall shop marked outside by a pile of rubble, a bundle of rags and a dead dog. The rags turned out to be someone asleep on the rubble and when I went to step over the dead dog it raised it's head, snarled, farted and went back to sleep. (Trish said that's what she's had to put up with every morning for the last thirty odd years - Most unkind!)
Once inside the shop I was immediately pushed to the front of the queue. The guy then spent the next hour cutting my hair. This is a long time for a haircut. When I thought he had finally finished he started trimming my eyebrows. Then my nasil hair and then, before I could stop him, he whipped half a inch off my moustache. If he made a move for the trouser area I was ready to run.
He disappeared for a minute and when he returned he was carrying the biggest cut-throat razor I've ever seen in my life. continued ......

A ps to the last post. I now know what the Hawk of The Desert is. I always thought it was a Bedouin or Toureg chief. - Wrong! It's what they do in Mali to clear their throats or chests about a hundred times a day. Even the gorgeous, lady concierge in La Maison sounded like a donkey being garotted in the mornings!

We are back in Bamako. Our flights there and back via Mopti were in a tiny, very ancient, twin prop aeroplane. Air Mali only have two planes and the other one is at the menders. Everything seemed to be held together by duct tape and I swear there was a garmin satnav glued to the dash. Never had a plastic garden chair as a seat on an aeroplane before.
Very sad to leave Timbukto - it really is a magical place. Whatever you do ignore the guide books that say it's an anticlimax. It's definitley not. The people are so friendly. You get the usual polite hassle at first - come and see the shop of my father, brother, uncle's second cousin twice removed etc. When you're face becomes more familiar after a day or so everyone leaves you alone except to say bonjour or bonsoir about a million times a day. The hotel La Maison where we stayed is fantastic. An oasis of cool calm in the desert. The chef must have at least one Michilin Star. Every meal was better than the last.
We still can't quite believe we've actually been to Timbukto. I can remember by mother saying to me when I was little and had taken a long time to fetch something from the shop "Where've you been, Timbuktu?" I never dreamed for a moment that one day I'd actually get there.

Timbuktu

We can hardly believe it but we have finally made it to Timbuktu. Arrived around 12.30pm today.

TB2 as we people with the tee shirt call it is much nicer and sandier than Bamako. A bit like Burnley with sand.

Very, very, very hot. Oh, and did we mention the sand?

Getting away may be a lot harder as they seem to change the time of flights or even cancel them completely without telling anyone.

Before coming here we spent a couple of days in Djiema with Pam Young - the lady who runs Village Ventures. She is one of the recipients of the donations from the rally.

We visited a couple of villages and met the people that benifit from the whole thing.

We'll post some pictures as soon as we can get a decent internet connection - this is the slowest in the world.

The visit was perhaps the best thing we have done since the rally ended but was also upsetting in a way. More later.

You dont come to Mali lightly, at dusk in Bamako you cant breathe with the pollution. Its dirty, incredibly smelly, dusty and poor but has the most wonderful people. The ladies look fantastic in wonderful, bright colours, carrying their wares on their heads and sometimes their babies on their backs.You love it and hate it alternativley and sometimes at the same time. Its bloody hot, you have to keep covered or you fry, at night it goes down to 24c! We sleep under mozzie nets with a fan and AC.

Apology

I now realise that my saying (when introduced, on live television, to the two Hungarian beauty queens taking part in the rally) "Have them washed and brought to my tent" might have been a mistake.
Anglo-Hungarian beauty queen relations were more than a little frosty after that! Oops!

The Eagle has landed!

Well more like the budgie has perched. We have finally made it to Bamako.
The taxi is having a well earned rest in the long stay car park of Casablanca airport. We cheated by catching a plane.
Bamako is everything we expected it to be............ chaotic, noisy, dusty and very hot to our poor unacclimatised bodies.
We are staying in a small hotel called Hotel Tamana which we plucked from a recommendation in the Lonely Planet Guide. Booking it in advance over the phone from Casablanca it was a bit of a culture shock when we arrived at 2.00 am this morning. After a few hours sleep though it is amazing how perceptions change. Last night we were planning to switch asap to a 5 star Hotel but now it seems perfect here. Not speaking French is more then a little of a drawback but we are managing.
This morning at breakfast we met a charming couple from the USA who have taken pity on us. They are experienced travellers in Mali and are introducing us to a reliable travel company.
We will have explain that we have ambitious plans but very small pockets and see how far we can go. The mud mosque of Djenne, Dogon country and Timboctou are all on our wish list in the two weeks we have here but we will have to wait and see.
We are taking it easy today to try and acclimatise but have been invited to join Cathy and Jon (our new friends) for dinner tonight.
G & T

Latest update - We are now in Marrakech and have finally found a decent internet cafe so its time to update the blog with some final impressions of the rally. I cant quite find my way around this arabic keyboard so please ignore the lack of punctuation

Some of the people we travelled with are completely unforgettable.
The Indian team were our main partners in crime. Their's was not so much a rally but more a tour of the garages and street mechanics of Morocco. They had terribly bad luck. The 4x4 they bought specially for the trip caught fire and was completely destroyed days before the start. They then went out and bought a Mercedes saloon thinking that at least they could get spares anywhere in Africa. A burst oil chamber, broken axle and countless punctures were the least of their problems. Most dramatic of all was hitting a hole in the side of the road at high speed. They sheared the suspension arm on the nearside and ripped two wheels off. They then careered gracefully down the road on two wheels, in a cloud of sparks. To say they were lucky not to turn over is an understatement. Someone must definitely have been watching over them.
Two Hungarians who incidentally had won Rally for last three years were not so lucky. They rolled their 4x4 in the desert and the driver seriously injured his spine.
Paul, the English guy driving alone in a 1956 volkwagon beetle was someone else with more than his fair share of bad luck. Having already destroyed one engine in Belgium on the way to the start he got stuck in soft sand in the desert. A couple of Skandanavian medical students spent two days towing him and another vehicle out. Completely cut off fromthe rest of the rally and unable to summon help these two Norwegians were absolute saints for their selfless rescue.
We narrowly avoided the same fate as Paul as we had agreed to go the same route. However we were delayed by the Hungarian TV crew who wanted to do yet another interview and film the taxi in the sand dunes near camp. By the time we had finished the others had left without us. By chance we got into conversation with a Bedouin who warned us of 20 kms of very soft sand on that route. He told us in no uncertain terms not to even try.
Paul's rescue was completed by a giant wagon carrying stone. The driver tipped half his load and they made a ramp with it. They then winched the beetle up the ramp and onto the back of the wagon. The guy then drove Paul back to the nearest village. We didn't see Paul again until Agadir, the day after the rally had ended. He was now on his third engine.

Our own exploits in the mountains which won us a silver trophy for endeavour and endurance was the result of another accident. I had missed the 6.00am briefing that morning ( they were mostly in Hungarian and I usually didn't have a clue what was going on anyway). We got the co-ordinates for the next overnight camp and looked at the map. The squiggly line over the mountain looked like a short cut so we decided to give it a try thinking we could always turn back. By the time we wanted to turn back it was impossible. The only way was onward and upward. I walked in front of the cab for long sections directing Trish over boulders and trying to judge just how close we could drive near the edge without falling off. The Hungarian TV crew who came across us thought all their Christmases had come at once. The route was actually the most difficult of the whole rally taking most 4x4's an average of five hours. It took us nearly eleven. We limped into a tiny hamlet at the foot of the mountain with our exhaust and most of the suspension remodelled by the track. It was another 200 kms to Zagora where' completely by chance' we found the best garage in the Sahara. Two hours of hammering and welding later we set off for the final 100 kms to our overnight desert bivouac. We arrived after midnight to a rousing welcome and forced drinks of gin.
All for now - next post in a few days (we're still trying to get to Bamako).

Well that's it then - finished! Almost 8000 miles in 24 days since leaving home.
The 2010 Budapest to Bamako Rally ended yesterday in Agadir (4 days early).
We are pretty exhausted but glad we stayed with it to the end, despite the disappointment of not going to Bamako.
At last night's closing ceremony we were presented with an engraved silver plate for endeavour and endurance (Best in vehicle in our category). It seems we completed the hardest day of the rally over a 7500 ft mountain which defeated several 4x4's. We actually went that way by mistake but don't tell anyone.
We left the rally for a few days and drove alone through Western Sahara (over 1000 kms round trip) to to near the Mauritanian border for a meeting with other dissidents who wanted to continue to Bamako. The majority however were going to fly back from Bamako. The few who wanted to drive back could not agree on a route or date for return. The promised armed escort consisted of soldiers stationed at strategic points along the route.
Also there were three sections where a 2 wheel drive could not go. One meant a 500 km detour which we would probably have to do alone. We very reluctantly decided that it would be foolish to go on without guarentees about the return journey.
We haven't altogether given up on Bamako and are trying to see if it's possible to fly there from Casablanca. Problem is that by Moroccan law we can't leave the country without the taxi which is stamped into our passports. We have to wait until Monday when the Customs office opens to find out if there's a way round it.
Most people have either left or are going soon so it's all a bit sad. We've met some fantastic people and shared ups and downs for nearly a month. There have been several accidents and injuries and countless near misses but I don't think anyone regrets coming.

Car trouble!

The Swedes who lost their gearbox in Italy have finally caught up. Paul, who had to replace his engine in Belgium has blown up another engine and destroyed his chassie in the soft sand. It took him two days to get towed back to the nearest town.

The Indian team now text us desrciptions of the road ahead. We call them our Indian Scouts.

Our undercarriage repairs after yesterday's trip over 7500ft mountain coast 12o Euros.

We're now heading for a place called Assa in the desert for next overnight bivuac. We have decided to stay with the rally to the end in Agadir and then drive through the Western Sahara to Mauritanian border to see what the situation is.

Offroading and repairs...

After offroading in the desert dunes yesterday, today T & G tackled offroading over a mountain..... and sustained a small amount of damage...... probably due to bragging in the last blog entry about only having to change a fuse so far! They said they thought that the dunes were scary until they met the mountain!
They are now just outside Merzouga where they have managed to find some mechanics who have fixed the crushed exhaust, made a part they think is to do with the gear box and are now making some protection for the undercarriage so they can go offroading again. While they were making coffee they also fixed the bonnet catch and cleaned the air filter... all this without being able to speak a word of each others language, now thats a service! As for how much, they will let us know but as they say there, probably no change from 5 camels!
Sounds like they have a bit of catching up to do after their repairs but think they are planning to spend the night where they are and head off early in the morning for the next leg to Tinerhir.
Mx

Hi all

We have just left Merzouga and the taxi is still going strong. People stand around at the overnight camps comparing breakdowns with various bits of their huge 4x4's like the scene in Jaws where they compare scars. We had a problem with our windscreen wipers and I had to change a fuse too.
The taxi doesn't like the desert pistes. It's like driving over corrugated concrete. We lost so much rust yesterday I don't know what's keeping it together now.

A Berber I was talking to today was very impressed with the taxi and said it must be very valuable. He said there would be no change from 5 camels. That has to be the quote of the whole trip.

Still not decided definately what to do about continuing to Bamako. We were given a copy of a letter yesterday which said that the Hungarian goverment on the advice of the British and French intelligence agencies had stopped the rally continuing. Apparently there is a bounty of $20,000 for any european tourists turned over to the terrorists plus a bonus to any village that reports westerner's movements. For $20,000 dollars I might sell Trish.
Watch this space ......

T & G

Trish and Grahams first international interview!
http://rtlklub.hu/video/80851


Looks like Trish survived the ferry crossing and it sounds like good news.....
from the entries on some of the other participants blogs it sounds like the situation in Mauritania is calmer than anticipated. Despite the earlier change of route to finish early, the rally is now likely to continue on to Mali!

Mx

Stopped by the cops!

Just heard from Trish and Graham. they have about an hour to go before arriving at Mergouza where they are setting up camp for the night. Earlier Graham was stopped by the Police... and congratulated(!) for driving at the correct speed through a small town!! Apparently theirs was the only car to do so. Sounds like the Police there favour the 'reward good behaviour' tactic rather than punishing the bad! Trish said 'Guess who was nagging him?!'

Long day & big descisions!

T&G are in for a long day today.... briefing was at 4:30am and that was after a late night drinking some suspect spirit with the Hungarians that adopted Trish! They've got a 1000k slog from Perpignan to Almeria, where they have to be on the ferry by 10:00 so no chance for sightseeing.
Sounds like they are popular with the media as they are going to be interviewed by the Hungarian TV channel today that is following the rally and the race organiser wants to interview them daily to follow their progress! So watch this space for more media links....

Yesterday travelled through Venice, Monaco and Cannes, again no chance to see much. Had a slight problem with the radiator losing water, but hopefully that's sorted as there was no water loss overnight. Also Paul and his VW Bug that broke down in Belgium has caught up after getting a new engine, so the Taxi is no longer the oldest vehicle in the rally!

Big descision to be made today as T&G have to decide whether to go on to Mali. The official rally is ending in Agadir - Morroco now after safety fears and the advice of the Ministry of foreign affairs in Hungary due to the situation in Mauritania and Mali. A few other teams have decided to go on and have been offered an army escort. I think they would like to join them but the vehicles pressing on are mostly from the race category and so are faster 4x4 types. T&G are going to be discussing it with the others to make sure that they can keep up....esp if there is going to be offroading involved. They stress that they will only go on if they think they'll be safe!

I'll keep you posted!
M

Some more video clips/pictures of the start of the rally......... Look out for the Taxi!

www.rtlklub.hu/video/80763
(1:32 seconds in you can catch a glimpse of the taxi)

www.stop.hu/video/?id=1402

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=hu&u=http://www.metropol.hu/sport/cikk/512088&ei=qndTS6D_B42i0gSy--ysCg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CA8Q7gEwAQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Doldtimer%2Bbamako%2Btaxi%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7ACAW_en
Oldtimer..... is that the Taxi they're referring to???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0bGz83X_pc
(1:51 secs in)

http://atv.hu/video/20100116_terrorveszely_miatt_modositottak_a_bamako_rali_utvonalan

Second leg!

The start... (more to follow)
http://atv.hu/video/20100116_terrorveszely_miatt_modositottak_a_bamako_rali_utvonalan

We arrived in Maltover Italy after only a slight detour (a hundred K in the wrong direction) to Verona airport...... fault of Hannah's Tomtom!

More drinking and celebrations at night and then a long long drive to Perpignon, France in the morning.

Bombshell !!!

Just returned from a special briefing called for 5.00pm.

The hungarian government called the rally organisers to a special meeting and told them that the rally should not enter into Mauritania or Mali. Three foreign intelligence agencies have information of a definite risk to rally participants.

The organisers have decided that the rally will only go into Morocco and Western Sahara and not continue further. We have a lot to consider. Some teams seem determined to continue to Bamako.

At least the charity donations will get to Bamako. A special container lorry has been loaded and we have transferred all our boxes to it.

We start tomorrow at 8.00am Watch this space.

T &

We're in. Both we and the taxi passed all the tests they threw at us. We feel like the poor relatives though. The taxi seems to be the only 2 wheel drive vehicle in the rally. All the others are huge 4x4's kitted out to the teeth with winches and satellite phones, distress rockets etc. Our F & M picnic hamper and assortment of Tesco plastc bags seem a little inadequate. Feel as if everyone is thinking OK, joke over - where's the real vehicle.
We caused quite a stir at the press launch and were interviewed by a scrum of TV and press reporters. Must buy the Budapest Times tomorrow.
Trish has adopted a team of three Swedes who I'm sure are too young to be travelling on their own. She wouldn't let me talk to the Hungarian beauty queens.
Party tonight thrown by the Hungarian Dakaar team whoever they are. Rest day tomorrow then off at 8.00 am on Saturday.

Hello from Budapest!

We made it!! We arrived around 6.00pm after driving around and around in the rush hour trying to find our hotel. Hotel is fantastic. All the rooms open onto a huge atrium and there appears to be a an aeroplane hanging from the ceiling in the middle. The car park is heated and we would have been quite happy to camp there. Everything is extremely expensive (30 euros per day for the car park). Internet is about 5 euros for 30 mins. Needless to say I'm typing this in an internet cafe.

Scruteneering tomorrow so fingers crossed both the taxi and we pass!

Hi All
Well , we're finally on our way. For our final two nights in the UK we stayed in an Hotel in Hythe near the channel tunnel. Trish chose it and her nack hasn't left her. Do you remember the Hotel in the Shining? Well move that hotel to the English seaside out of season and you get the idea. We were the only guests. The heating went off in the afternoon and didn't come back on until late evening. Breakfast was full english but I think it had been cooked the night before and stored in the fridge.Hotel last night in Germany was fantastic by comparison. Tonight we are in another hotel not too far from the Austrian border. We hope to arrive in Budapest tomorrow afternoon. (Only another three hundred miles or so to go).The taxi has been great so far (touch wood). Only problem has been the crap windscreen wipers and the fact that the washers freeze up every few minutes inspite of the fact that we now have pure undiluted antifreeze screen wash in the bottle.It's now snowing heavily again outside. Hope we can get out o9f here in the morning. We are in a town called Passau probably about 100 miles or so from Vienna.We'll update the blog again when we get to Budapest.All for nowG & T

And they're off.........!!

Trish, Graham, Muttley and the Taxi set off from Burnley on wednesday evening heading south through the snow via Manchester, Derby and west Sussex, never liking to set a straight and easy course! They went through the Channel Tunnel on sunday morning and have already passed through France, Belgium and by now should have entered Germany (where, fingers crossed, the snow won't be too bad!).
Hopefully they'll manage to get online in internet cafe's along the way to keep you updated.

Martha X