On the 26th September, one month after expected the Green Goddess , Edd and Jonathan approached the sparklin city of Ulaanbataar. Our trip across Mongolia has been amazing…when home, we will post the films and photo’s. Lets just say the lack of roads made the whole thing much more fun. The Goddess performed amazingly on the bad roads.

Unfortunatley, 10 miles from the finish line, Jonathan drove over a hole in the road which caused damage to many minor parts. The engine failed, after some rapid roadside surgery we managed to limp into Ulaanbataar, as we approched the city center she gave up the ghost and died by the road side. In the biting cold we thought she had breathed her last breath.

Edd’s flight was booked for the next day, it was the second time the rally comrades had to say goodbye…again as things had turned for worst, a hard day. After Edd’s departure on Tuesday, Jonathan buried himself in the engine day and night, trying to bring her back to life. He managed to replace the broken parts and adjust most of the engine tunning, but after 48hrs still no go. Repeated phone calls were made to the Green Goddess experts in the UK (Rhys Hughes and David Moore).

After coming so far and not being able to give this invaluable machine to the local authorities was draining Jonathan of all his will. So close to giving up, with 24hrs until his flight he made one final phone call.  The ‘Eureka’ phone call, Rhys had the answer, some of the internal parts of the engine had moved out of position puting the ignition timing off…so another couple of adjustments, and that familiar purr of the goddess was back. The Mongol Rally is finished, and the Goddess will start her new life in Mongolia.

“Relieved and exhausted I am sitting in an internet Cafe in UB, with a stupid grin across my face. 2 months and 6 days after the rally began, we made it. With all odds against us, entire countries against us, we did it. Now my only wish is that our 60 year fire engine has a new and long life here, that I may return one day and find her still going, still helping.

This won’t be our last post, the journey for the bold adventurers may be over, but a new journey has begun…getting back …stay tuned! (also loads of photo’s and vids to come…)