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16,000 kms in a crappy car

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A team from Australia is set to take part in this year’s Mongol Rally

It cost them all of £11.50 – purchased in a London scrapyard – and will drive them all the way from the UK to Mongolia.
You might think that’s crazy, but Melbourne-based accountant Arvind Singh is doing the Mongol Rally this July with his mates from New Zealand, Sid, Raj and Arvind. Their aim – fundraising for charity.
And of course, a bit of adventure.
Mongol Rally.Indian Link
The trip will take 30 days and they will travel some 16,000 kilometres through France, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakasthan, Russia and finally Mongolia.
“We wanted to push ourselves out of our comfort zones,” Arvind told Indian Link. “We are in our mid to late 30s, all of us family men, and thought we should do something to live minimally for a few days, interact with people we don’t usually meet and learn from them, and also do our bit for charity.”
Calling themselves ‘Honk Honk Old Monk’, the four will be among 400 teams in the rally. They are fully aware that only about half the teams make it to the final post in Ulaan Baatar, but this does not faze them.
“Our preparations are mostly done for the 16 July start – visas are arranged and route is mapped out,” Arvind revealed. “We are now hitting the gym to gain fitness to be able to live out of a tiny car for 30 days…”
The team is prepared for the large portion of their route that is not on paved roads, and know that mechanics and even food may be hard to come by. Yet they are aware that it will all be worth it. Not only will they be raising funds for the needy, it might even be life-changing for themselves.
Check the boys out at www.honkhonkoldmonk.com
You can help by making donations to their chosen charities:
Cool Earth (www.coolearth.org) a UK-based international NGO that protects endangered rainforest in order to combat global warming, protect ecosystems and to provide employment for local people
Starship Foundation (www.starship.org.nz) which provides healthcare services for young kids in New Zealand and the South Pacific

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