Mongol Rally Day 11 - One Down : UPDATE

A tasty snack between meals

Just had phone call from S in Iran. It's 11:30pm, windy and 35 degrees but worryingly he said the car is playing up. He didn't say what was wrong with it probably because he knew he'd be wasting his breath giving me the technicalities. Fingers crossed it plods on or else they'll be back sooner than expected

Bad news received today:

"ECU f***** and they dont have 1.1 cars in Turkey one car left 4 men John gone home"

I haven't got a blind clue what the ECU is that was until a hasty google search revealed it's the Electronic Control Unit. I'm making a wild postulation that when this ECU goes tits-up it signifies car death?. With only one vehicle remaining, a multitude of equipment and supplies and five substantial travellers, an onerous decision had to be made as to who was going to have to return to Blighty. It seems that decision was made and Jonny is on his way back. I believe that he hasn't been feeling to well and has had a dicky stomach. I hope it wasn't my suggestion to devour the odd moth as a tasty nibble, as I do recall that the Macroglossum stellatarum or the Hummingbird Hawk Moth common in Turkey, does tend to leave one with a touch of acidosis which can in turn lead  to a chronic bout of gaseous flatulence. Joking apart Jonny was pivotal in setting up the rally and he can be proud of what he's achieved, and speak for all in hoping that the moths laid no eggs in his abdomen. 

What we're left with is a small peugeot 206 crammed with four hefty blokes sweating and wheezing in temperatures approaching 40 degrees in the land of the mad mullahs and with about 6500 miles to go.

Received this text while typing:


"I am in Iran"


I'm hoping that they are all in Iran ?