Re: River Valley: Making the world a bit less boring

— So, I listen to a lot of news podcasts. Some really strange, obscure ones. Seriously, find me another person in Arkansas who gets the Western Canada version of the Morning Edition “programme” from the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

I’m really glad I do, though, because sometimes I stumble upon really amazing stories.

Recently, I learned about the Mongol Rally. There are a few groups from western Canada attempting this race, which begins in Western Europe and ends in Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia.

The Mongol Rally’s website puts it this way: “Imagine yourself in the middle of the gargantuan Kazakh Desert, your car slowly being shredded by the dirt track your map says is a motorway, completely lost hundreds of miles from civilisation with no back-up crew to rescue you. Just you, your wits, your increasingly brown pants, a car that the laws of physics say shouldn’t have got you past Peckham Rye and a slightly angry-looking man with a gun.”

Sounds awesome to me. I’m adding it to my to-do list. You know, once I start accumulating that coveted vacation time.

Since 2007, teams have started the race in the United Kingdom. They are now also allowed to start at several points in France, Italy and Spain. Participants form their own routes - usually through the Czech Republic, Turkey, Russia, the Ukraine and Uzbekistan - to their final destination in Mongolia.

According to the website, participating automobiles are allowed to have an engine displacement of no greater than 1,200 cc. In other words, it can’t actually run well.

Participating cars usually include older Fiats, Nissans and other ridiculous European and Asian models.

The entry fee is 650 pounds (about $985). An additional donation of 1,000 pounds (or $1,515.60) is required.

And that’s the best part - it’s for a good cause! Just like all the marathons and triathlons I’ve written about lately in the area, these people want to help. Teams donate to a charity of their choice. In the past, these have included Mercy Corps, the Cameroon Wildlife Aid Fund and the Cambridge Memorial Disaster Appeal.

“The Mongol Rally isn’t just about adventure; it’s also about raising huge sacks of cash for some great charities. In 2007 the Mongol Rally topped 200,000 pounds, and we hope to smash that this year,” the website says.

Once I understood what this thing was all about, I started scouring the list of teams on the website and putting out feelers on Facebook and Twitter for anyone in the River Valley and Ozark area that might have the slightest connection to this event so I could write a story about it.

No such connection surfaced, which is a real shame.

So let me know if you want to join my team for next year! I need people who have money and actually know things about cars, navigation, survival in dry climates, etc. I’ve got the rest covered. On to Ulaan Baatar!

River Valley Ozark, Pages 60 on 07/29/2010

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