Photo Credit: The Adventurists
Welcome to one of my biggest adventures in 2012, the Mongol Rally! After signing on to do the Mongol Rally with Charlie Grosso, my mind began to race. There are so many things to do, and I have 6.5 months to do them. It’s an exciting and frightening thought. My blood has rushed through my veins. My skin has tingled. My brain has been on imagination overdrive. I many ways, I’ve become obsessed. But, if you ask me, it’s a healthy obsession. No really, it is. I promise.
So, now the fun begins. I don’t know my teammate, Charlie, personally. I simply responded to a tweet by @ottsworld and found myself signing up for this adventure on pure impulse. Plus, that the Mongol Rally will fit nicely with my current plans to travel Solo on the Silk Road helped.
Meet team SM Stowaway!- I’m lucky to be doing this adventure with two amazing women, Charlie & DJ. It’s definitely going to be interesting as we have never met before. In fact, all we have done at this point is chat on Skype. It’s a leap, but I know we’ll do fine. It’s going to be fine, right? Just say yes. Pacify me.
Did you know I traveled in Mongolia in November 2010? Yep. Totally did. Here are my posts from that trip (I cannot wait to go back)
Traveling to Chinggis Khan’s Homeland -The man behind the wheel took my main pack and shoved it behind the seats and I slide into the front seat. A minute later his wife arrived and I had to slide over. I now have half a bum cheek on the seat and the rest of me was hovering over his gear shift.
Visiting the Black Market-I would stand at the bus stop and laugh with them. After all, I was dressed for a yoga class, while they are dressed for winter (furs and all). I can just imagine the conversations I created as I paraded myself through Ulaanbaatar.
Cabin Fever in Mongolia -Since then I have been mostly inside. My body aching and cold. I developed a bad case of travelers diarrhea and found myself hovering near a bathroom all day. I stopped eating normal food and stuck to things like water and crackers. When I wasn’t online looking things up, I was either watching a movie or sleeping. I’ve been doing this for 4 days now. Which is about 3 days too long.
Photo Essay| Touring Mongolia -Welcome to Mongolia, land of the big blue sky. I’ve spent the last week and a half in Mongolia and it is not nearly enough time. However, it’s freezing cold here and I am not ready for this type of cold. What this means is that I will need to return to Mongolia in summer time when it’s warmer.
Nomadic Mongolia-The very words, nomads and Mongolia, make my feet itch and my skin tingle with excitement. After all, it’s what most of us think about when we think of Mongolia. It’s one of those untouched countries. There is still purity and tradition there. Plus, you can brag to all your friends about being in Mongolia!
Traveling in Mongolia is Cheaper than you Think! -It’s tempting to use the booking websites to buy train tickets for Mongolia, mostly because they make it sound like its your only option. Well, I’m here to tell you that it is not your only option! If you leave yourself a nice time cushion at the beginning and end of your Mongolia trip, travel in and out of the country can be cheap and an amazing adventure.
How I Almost Became A Mongolian Bride - At this point he was sitting beside me, a bottle of vodka in front of him and holding my right hand in an affectionate death grip. The French guys in the room were having a fabulous time. They couldn’t stop laughing, as Alka would pour a glass of vodka and walk across the room to give it to someone while maintaining his grip on my hand.
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