Back home after rally to Mongolia; Duo travel 8,000 miles in a month.Byline: NICK LAVIGUEUR ROAD TRIP: Mongol Rally The Mongol Rally is an automobile rally that begins in London, England and ends in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. It is described as the "greatest adventure in the world" and requires competing vehicles to have an engine displacement of less than 1000cc. and HE survived river crossings, corrupt police and herds of camels. But Mongol Rally participant, Simon Dixon, said he would definitely do it all again. The Stainland businessman has just returned from an 8,000 mile, four-week adventure across Europe to Mongolia in a city car. Simon, 40, a building industry consultant, signed up for the epic drive with co-driver Wayne Harris
Carroll Wayne Harris . Safely back home after coming 12th out of 400 entrants, Simon described Mongolia - sandwiched between China and Russia - as "mad". The duo were forced to cough up bribes to border officials and were stopped by the police 12 times. He said: "In the Ukraine I was taken into a booth and shouted at in Ukrainian for five minutes. I thought they were going to send us back to Poland but then they just let us through. "We were also stuck at the Mongolian border for 48 hours. "We were only hit for $20 two times. They start off at $500 and you bargain them down, but some people had to pay about 20 bribes." Simon said driving along the tracks of Mongolia in a nine-year-old Suzuki Swift The Suzuki Swift is a Supermini car manufactured by the Suzuki Motor Corporation. At it's introduction in 1985, it was named the SA-310, but in 1986 it was renamed the Swift. had been an experience. "There is only 80km of Tarmac in Mongolia, the rest of the roads for the 1,600km we drove there, were at best farm tracks. "The terrain was mountain passes and desert, tundra. We crossed eight rivers, saw golden eagles, camels, vultures, and buzzards. "On one of the river crossings we had water up to the windows. We just about managed to keep it out. "It was 40m across so that was a bit of a tense one. And we smashed our fuel filter when we were 100km from the nearest village so that was a bit scary. "There was fuel all over the place and it was about 32 degrees. We stopped rather quickly and got out in case we hit a rock and sparked an explosion. "How the suspension survived, I have no idea. We saw 4x4s with broken suspension everywhere." Simon said he had met some amazing people and the charity work he had done in Mongolia following devastating flash floods was what it was all about. Three adults and five children were drowned and around 200 Gers, the Mongolian nomads' portable homes, were washed away, leaving the occupants homeless. Mr Dixon said: "The further east we got the friendlier the people got, which surprised me. "They would invite us in offering us a massive feast. It was very difficult to leave to be honest. "But to actually help the charity was amazing. "We helped build new Gers, repair damaged ones and delivered food, clothes and cleaning materials. "We encountered four families living in a garden shed as four Gers had been washed away." Mr Dixon and his co-driver Wayne Harris raised more than pounds 3,000 for the Christina Noble Children's Foundation The Christina Noble Children's Foundation, also known as simply the CNCF, is an international non-government organization, dedicated to serving the world's oppressed and marginalized children. , Mercy Corps Mercy Corps is a non-profit organization engaged in humanitarian aid and development activities. Mercy Corps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided more than $1.3 billion in assistance to people in 100 nations. and the British Heart Foundation The British Heart Foundation is a charity organisation in the United Kingdom that funds research, education, care and awareness campaigns aimed to prevent heart diseases in humans. . They also left their car and equipment worth pounds 2,000 in Mongolia to be put to good use. For information log onto http://www.justgiving.com/whosideacncf CAPTION(S): * ROAD TRIP: Simon Dixon (left) and Wayne Harris with their Suzuki Swift on the Mongol Rally and (below) devastation in Mongolia following flash floods |
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