Day 30 - Well, I wasn't expecting that ...

The morning started dry and cold.   The spa hotel has been quite good, but it was still Islamic Turkey, so we were limited to one beer last night.  

As Ces signed out for the day's event, we were told that the 1st of today's 5 stages had been cancelled ... for safety reasons.   Apparently, the heavy overnight rain had made some of the passes treacherous ... and after the crash of the Alvis yesterday, the organisers were using extreme caution.

As you might have seen on the official website, the crew were safe and well, but their 1930's Alvis was destroyed.   When they left the road, the car travelled down a steep 90 foot incline and came to a stop on a rock platform.   The bad news was that the rock broke the front axle.   The good news was that beyond the platform, there was a freefall drop of over 1,500 feet!

With this on my mind, I drove just like Miss Daisy on the other 2 stages ... and so was not too hopeful of moving up the leader board.

Today's stages were also fairly slippery and dangerous ... but then that is why I do these holidays.   Unless you live life on the edge, how do you know you're living life at all?    Sitting on a beach does nothing for me, but a rally car skipping along is something to be experienced ... the noise, the smells, the fear .... fantastic!

Today went well and apart from one stage called Canyon, which had big drops, I think we did alright.

However, I wasn't expecting to be practising my snow-driving skills!   The routes were so high that we encountered snow on three of them ... in fact, our hotel is blanketed in snow and fog.

Fugly has taken a real battering over the past few weeks and I've included some pics below to show you:  

Gear lever re-welded



Watertight dashboard ... not really!!
(Clive, so it runs on gas then ... Peter)





A cracking repair to a cracking wing



Not surprisingly, Fugly is covered in snow and mud and looking kind of tired ... as you can see below

In need of a wash and polish ... and the sort of TLC that a 72-year-old is entitled to

The 72-year-old twins ... Fugly and Fester

Turkish Police keeping an eye on the rally

The unexpected ... approaching this evening's hotel

As for Fugly's internals, the manifold/exhaust started blowing today ... but the engines is still going like a train (good job, Howard!).

As I was typing, yesterday's results were posted here in the hotel ... and I am pleased to say that we're now 12th overall and 7th in class ... apparently I was in the top 5 on all stages yesterday ... not bad for Miss Daisy!

CD & Ces

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Late evening update:

Despite what Clive claims about being in 12th overall and 7th in class, the official P2P website places them in 11th and 6th.

• Yesterday they were 5th, 3rd and 4th in the 3 timed stages.
• Today they were 4th, 6th, and 5th on stages 2, 3 and 5 (stages 1 and 4 were cancelled).

Day 29 - I smell blood in the water ...

Late post:

• As of late Friday night, Clive was unaware of the final classifications but there had been talk of the 1st timed stage being excluded from the results because of the accident.
• As of Saturday morning, final classifications from Friday still have not been posted. 

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

I woke today at 3.30am.   Of course, all I could think of was that this would be a day of competition.  So I couldn't get back to sleep ... such was my level of readiness.

Once we got to breakfast, I sensed that many of my competitors were not relishing the forthcoming day as much as I was.   They were complaining of fatigue, colds and general malaise whereas my mood was bouyant.   

Ces asked     "What's up with you?"

I said             "I smell blood in the water!"

She knew I was ready to race!    I'd been waiting for bloody weeks ....

Once we pulled away from the car park, I immedialty felt that the brake adjustments that I'd carried out the night before were bang-on.   The car was running perfectly.   The only dampener was that rain had started falling.

The rain was falling heavily as we made our way to the 1st stage some 170 kms away from the hotel.   We proceeded to the start line, where we were warned that the conditions high up in the mountains were very slippery. 

After the count down, we flew away from the line and began the climb up into the clouds and along the side of a mountain.  All was running well.   After about 30kms, I approached a hairpin left which marked the end of the mountain and indicated the start of a big drop.  The car started sliding ... almost uncontrollably ... until I steered hard left and released the foot brake ...  in an attempt to make the front bite and turn in.

The car responded, we made the turn, but immediately the back tried to overtake the front.   I had no choice but to steer directly towards the cliff edge.   Once again the front turned in, so now I applied power and maintained the opposite lock to keep us from dropping over the edge.

This "tank slapper" was repeated and repeated and repeated ... four times in total.   By the time we'd emerged from the bend and the car was under control, my early morning passion to win had turned into a simple desire to live!    Over the rest of the stage, the car was sliding everywhere, right and left.   Even on the uphill sections, the wheels would spin and the car would choose it's own route.

Later the same morning I would learn that another car had indeed left the road and this was driven by our friends Mike and Anne Wilkinson.   As I write I understand that the there was "only" a 90 foot drop ... so their injuries are minor.  The car is still being assessed.

The big scare put a halt to my early exhuberant pace ... the 2 later stages were slow but controlled.   I started today 9th in class and 15th overall so time will tell where we are now.

There are 5 short stages tomorrow and Time Controls along the route that you must "make" to avoid penalties.   The total route today including stages was over 700kms and that is a lot for an old car.  Accordingly, we expect some competitors to fall by the wayside tomorrow.  

Fugly is running very well and the radiator is holding position thanks to a number of cable-ties!

CD & Ces

(PS:  Stay safe, Clive.   It's the most important thing.   ... Peter  ... and I believe that I speak for all of your blog-readers)

Motor Sport is Dangerous.  But only while you're still alive.

A photo summary of the last week

As before, the photos are in chronological order ... from top to bottom ... so that you can just scroll down.

 

isn't this where we left off last week ... remember the snow-capped mountains?
Hmmm ... but the road wasn't as good as this!



Hmmm ... money and taste were never synonymous!




Grandad's MG




Clive says that this is Turkmenistan ... ok ... we take your word for it.




Ces looking more elegant than ever ... and Clive looking like the dude!
(George Clooney, look out!!!)




That famous Pontoon Bridge ... where the bloke wanted both USD and TMM
(Remember Turkmenistan Manats)




Turkmenistan ... not sure if it's where Clive barfed or ... well, how can I put it?




Still in Turkmenistan ... but Clive is not able to party
... but at least there's a bed, a light, a phone, a radio!



 

Luxury in Iran .... they had Ahmedinejad to thank for this
... and he never even turned up.





Now where would you get flowers from the local Police ... Iran of course

... but check for radio-microphones all the same.


  

They really know how to make foreigners comfortable!!




A Muslim Mechanic with Lotus-coloured headscarf ...
... and stopwatch ... bravo!



The beard's gone ... hmmm ... was that a statement?







Custom Chevrolet Luggage ... colour-coded to gender ...
radiation resistant ... works in hotel room or just on the floor!






Capturing the hearts and minds of the locals ... while keeping fingers and toes crossed





Mount Ararat ... site of the original Noah's Ark



The Noah's Ark that Clive had in mind!!

Beautiful scenery ... but still accelerating hard to get out of Iran

Day 28 - It's good to be back ...

... not home ... just simply in a country that sells beer!

I am sure Peter will find a way of posting all the pics we have available, but rather than give you a total recap of the last week, here is a typical day on an Endurance Rally ... that is, today:

• Get up at around 5.30am and get ready to find what today's strange breakfast is ....
• Pack extensive baggage ....
• Dress appropriately ... both of us!  (didn't you only have 1 scruffy outfit each? ... Peter)
• Head out of Iran towards the Turkish border, collecting suitable items of propaganda enroute to win over the hearts and minds ...
• After 2 hours, enter Turkey ...
• Ces removes headscarf ...
• I put pedal to the metal ... pointed straights toward the pub ...
• Notice Mount Ararat (Noah's Ark) along the way ..... mash the accelerator into the floor ... (isn't Noah's Ark a pub in West Sussex? ... Peter)
• Notice that speedo hit 149 kph in a 120 zone ...
• Notice policeman stopping me ... for speeding..... welcome to Turkey ...
• Once he finds out I am a policeman (well, I used to be!), we're all mates ... and it's photos all round ...
• What a shame ... the poor German chap behind wasn't so lucky ... he probably copped my fine as well as his own .... he, he, he!!!  ...
• Arrive at hotel at 15:21 ... our ETA has been 20:17 ... if only it had been a competition day!!

Last week in summary:

Ah ... pretty park ..... I think I need the loo ....... God, I need the loo ....... God, I feel ill .......... God, I am ill ......... I hope the border crossing into Iran goes quickly.....

(Clive, don't you think you shudda been saying "Allah, I feel ill" ... Peter).

Well, 3 hours wasn't bad ..... I hope this hotel is nice .....

What do you mean you've sold our rooms??

No, I am fine with sleeping on the floor  ... after all, I only paid £30 grand to enter this rally!!!

.... and no, I don't know what my government thinks about Iran's nuclear policy .....

Mmmm, ahhhh ... a beer ..... ah, ye're up to date ... aren't ye?    Good, 'cos I gotta go to an important rally briefing ... it's on fluids and dehydration ... yeah, that's it!

PS:  The timed stages start again tomorrow ... the car is running well ... and I am feeling great!

CD & Ces

Day 27 - another day of drudgery!

Heavy rain last night ... so both of today's stages were cancelled ... you can imagine the effect that had on our competitive participant ... hence Clive's description of today as another day of drudgery.

On the positive side, the scenery over the mountains was really spectacular ... but they could only spare one eye for the scenery because the standard of driving by locals was really, really scary.   One minor consolation was that the brakes started to fade really badly going down one of the hills ... almost exactly where one of the two timed stages would have been held.  Phew!

Of course, the radiator mounts are disintegrating more each day ... coat hanger wire, cable ties, trouser belts, and Ces' tights are all being used to keep the radiator from falling back into the fan.   Ces doesn't need her tights right now anyway ... well, not since she inherited Clive's trots.   Ces was probably also less bothered about the cancelled stages ... imagine telling Clive in mid-stage that she needed to spend a penny.

Tonight they are in Tabriz, just 300 kms short of the Turkish border.   They do have a hotel room, but a far cry from any Intercontinental.   Apart from the tensions of being in Iran, they are also conscious of being just 250 km north of the Iraqi border.   For you geography buffs, Tabriz is in East Azerbaijan.   Ehh?   Yes, East Azerbaijan is a province of Iran.   Azerbaijan itself is about 150 kms further north on the Caspian Sea.  Of course, you already knew all that ... right?

Tomorrow's agenda is 300 kms to reach the Turkish border, and another 300 kms from the border to Erzurum in Turkey.   The schedule allows for a 2 hour delay at the border, which might or might not be enough, but perhaps Clive and Ces will be lucky since they are closer to the front of the field.

In Erzurum, Clive has high hopes of having email, internet, etc so that he can report on the ups and downs of the competition ... that'll take 60 seconds at most ...  but he can also upload all of the photos taken in the last week ... that might take a little longer.    So, fingers crossed for some exciting images tomorrow night ... rather than just more words.

For and on behalf of Clive and Ces

Day 25/26 - It's definitely an endurance event, but for the wrong reasons!

The crossing into Iran was relatively quick and uneventful for Clive and Ces.   Apparently, only a skeleton staff was on duty, so the first few cars breezed through, but then a backlog quickly built up.   As a consequence, some of the later cars didn't get over the border until 5:00pm ... and then had a 6 hour drive to the hotel (of which more later).  

Because of these delays, Monday's two long-awaited timed stages were cancelled.

During the morning and the border crossing, Clive was still feeling really rough and he painted a wonderful image of the dangers (to one's trousers and shoes) of using a squat toilet when one's bowels are out of control!!  

If you've been following the official P2P website, you will have read Syd Stelvio's report about the wonderful welcome that the participants received in Iran.   Clive's opening words in his report were that Syd was on a different rally to many of the participants (or perhaps Syd had yet to hear from all participants when his update was written ... we'll find out tonight ... Peter).  

Clive and Ces had no problems between the border and the hotel in Gorgan and it is true that the police were handing out flowers.   But at the same time, a female participant was hit by a rock thrown by onlookers, a male participant was hit in the chest by a bottle, and an Australian crew was robbed by 8 guys on motorbikes.  This was bad enough, but then they would have arrived at the hotel in Gorgan to discover that all P2P rooms had been cancelled.  (According to the official site, the cancellations related to the schedule/itinerary of the President of Iran ... Peter).

After much too-ing and fro-ing, Clive and Ces got to share a room, well, the floor of a room, with 6 others (a combination of competitors and film crew).   By that time, Clive's border-barf had gone, but he was so knackered from the previous 24 hours that he slept like a baby (he didn't mention the use of a nappy ... Peter).  

With no timed stages today, and another grotty hotel this evening, Clive is not happy with the way the P2P has played out in the last week.   He said:

"It's hard on the cars and crews ... endless boring transport sections ... separated by different shitty hotels ... few speed stages ... and half of those end up being cancelled anyway.   It's definitely an endurance event ... but for the wrong reasons!"

"Without timed stages ... or some sort of test ... I can't move up the leaderboard ... I didn't pay tens of thousands just to (expletive deleted) participate ... I'm here to compete!"

As for the Chevy, it continues to run well.   Clive dumped 40 litres from the sandy tank and that seems to have solved the fuel problem.  Now all they need are lots of timed stage so that Fugly can flex his muscles.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is another 580-odd kms and, fingers crossed, 2 timed stages. 

For and on behalf of Clive and Ces

PS:  I had considered downloading some images for this ... but when I googled Iran on the internet ... I found some very disturbing images ... so I concluded that it would be wiser to wait until the crews were well clear of Iran ... Peter

Day 24 (more) - an official despatch from the 'Stan Front

You knew it had to happen ... sooner or later ... but definitely before they left the Asian continent ...

... no, no major problem with the car ... didn't get lost in the desert ... avoided being arrested

... instead it's the dreaded Delhi Belly, Montezuma's Revenge, Lüstülistan, Uzbek Bowel, Border Barf ...

Clives continually strives to lighten the weight of the Chevy.

More seriously, it's not very pleasant to have fever-like sweating and hallucinations during the night, and then have to drive 600+ km in 30-34C heat the following day ... on an empty stomach.   Even though it is always said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the hotel in Ashgabad does not do breakfasts.   Instead, Clive had several anti-biotics for breakfast.

The car is running fine except for the sand in the fuel tank problem.   Apparently the bigger 60 litre tank has a lot of sand in it, so Clive and Ces have to clean the various filters several times a day (Clive tries to clean out his own insides at the same time as the filters to limit the number of roadside stops).  They are hoping to pull out the tank in Iran and flush it clean.

The radiator mounting also broke again, in a different place, but was easily fixed.

At the time of writing, they should be at, or past, the Turkenistan-Iran border.  Therefore it's long sleeves and headscarves at all times.  And Clive's beard is gone.

For and on behalf of Clive and Ces