Tuesday 15th July, 2008 7 The Spirit of Adventure is heading this way without a map

And this weekend, more than 200 teams will set off on atch out. On the journey. Saturday, July 19th, a In 2004, one couple tried to Wlarge number of make it in a pink, Robin crazed Europeans are going Reliant three-wheeler, which to set off on a London to Asia only got as far (and is trip. They are aiming for still in a parking lot there, Mongolia, but no one knows racking up a bill now close to where they’ll end up, as they 50 per cent of the country’s don’t have maps, air tickets, GDP). hotel bookings, or even prop- In 2005, the Johnstone Alexander Fleming er transport. brothers set off with a tool This is the true story of kit consisting of a screw driv- reached America had not the rediscovery of the Spirit er and a 60 cm piece of heat- Christopher Columbus set off of Adventure. ing pipe found in the back of for India in entirely the In 2001, two British men the car. They had no map, but wrong direction? were looking at their car, a wore nice tuxedos and had Would penicillin have been discovered had small and shabby Fiat 126, Christopher Columbus Archimedes Ulaanbaator written in biro wondering where to go for the on their arms. Alexander Fleming not gone In 2006, one man used a on holiday without washing evening. A reasonable answer more Asian. To get some- Honda C90, a tiny motorbike up his lab dishes? I heartily approve of this sort of reckless behav- would have been, “How about where, you just go. with an engine as powerful as Would Archimedes’ princi- ple have been discovered had ior. Would the Spanish have reached America had the pub? Or the pub?” They set off without visas the one in my electric razor. But one of them was sud- or a change of clothes. But He actually made it all the he not abandoned work to sit not Christopher Columbus set off for India in denly gripped by the Spirit of they took a hunting knife in way to Mongolia, becoming a in the bath? entirely the wrong direction? Adventure. “How about case they had to survive by folk hero. He has promised to Would you be reading this Would penicillin have been discovered had Mongolia?” he said, this catching wild iguanodons repeat the miracle in a 50 cc column if you had something better to do? Alexander Fleming not gone on holiday without being the furthest and most (who knows what creatures bike, the engine of which unlikely place he could think may roam the primitive lands makes my electric toothbrush No, of course not. So do washing up his lab dishes? of. of Asia!). look like the Saturn V. something totally reckless Would Archimedes’ principle have been discov- “Yes!” said the other, Observers applauded their The organizers’ paperwork today. ered had he not abandoned work to sit in the caught up by the same spirit. spontaneity with phrases is refreshingly blunt. Here’s a And if you see a lost-look- And off they went. The such as “reckless idiots”. quote from the Frequently ing Brit driving through your bath? Spirit of Adventure in They failed to reach Asked Questions page. town in the next couple of Would you be reading this column if you had Britain differs from the Mongolia—but inspired oth- Q: Is it safe? weeks, do your bit for the something better to do? Japanese or American ver- ers. In 2004, six teams tried to A: No, of course it's not Spirit of Adventure and point him towards Ulaanbaator, No, of course not. So do something totally reck- sions, which involve boring get from London to Mongolia safe. concepts such as “thinking it in utterly unsuitable vehicles. I heartily approve of this will you? less today. through”, “planning” and In 2005, 43 teams drove to sort of reckless behavior. * Be really reckless and “packing”. The Brits are Asia. Would the Spanish have log on to www.vittachi.com

NHA TRANG, lions of viewers in 170 (AP) countries. iss takes Eighty contestants was crowned gathered in the seaside MMiss Universe city of , 2008 on Monday in a 2008 Vietnam, vying to suc- contest marked by the ceed reigning Miss spectacle of Miss USA Universe of falling down during the crown, after Miss USA . evening gown competi- Sporting yellow, tion for the second year green and orange biki- in a row. falls down for 2nd nis, the 15 semifinalists An elated Dayana strutted across the stage Mendoza received the during the swimsuit crown from her prede- straight year competition to the cessor, Riyo Mori of sounds of Lady Gaga, Japan, and then pre- who belted out the pul- pared to meet a gaggle of sating "Just Dance" in a reporters. Miss platinum blond wig. Venezuela, 22, was once , Lam kidnapped in her home- Thuy Nguyen, was land and says the experi- greeted with a roar from ence taught her to the Vietnamese audi- remain poised under ence. pressure. The final 10 then Tension got under competed in the evening the skin of Crystle gown event. Stewart of Texas, the They performed in second Miss USA in a front of a panel of row to fall down during judges that included the Miss Universe pag- international fashion eant. She tripped on the experts and Donald train of her bejeweled Trump Jr., whose father, evening gown as she the real estate magnate made her entrance. and TV star, co-owns the During the 2007 Miss pageant with NBC. Universe contest in This year's contest- City, Miss USA ants spanned a wide also tum- range of experiences bled during the evening and aspirations. gown competition and Miss Albania was a became an unintended professional basketball star on You Tube, where player. Miss the video was shown says she has paranor- over and over again. mal experiences. Miss Like Smith, Stewart Antigua & Barbuda is quickly stood up after fascinated by snakes. her fall and continued Miss was in a on as if nothing had plane crash while trying happened. to escape a conflict dur- Stewart, 26, is a moti- ing her country's civil vational speaker and war. former track and filed The show has been a star who is working on a publicity bonanza for book called "Waiting to Vietnam, where beauty Win." The Houston contests are very popu- native plans to open a lar. The contest featured character-development , Miss Venezuela, waves after Mendoza was segments on many of school for young chil- crowned as during the Miss Universe 2008 the nation's most popu- dren and has worked in Nha Trang, Vietnam, Monday, July 14, 2008. lar tourist destinations, with autism victims in (AP) such as Hue, Hoi An, the Texas schools. al costume and Miss El thought processes of Sapa and Ha Long Bay. The final five con- Salvador was chosen by men and women. The program set has testants included four her peers as Miss "Men think that the been dominated by icon- from : Congeniality. faster way to go to a ic Vietnamese images, Miss Mexico, Miss During her inter- point is to go straight," such as bamboo trees, , view with the judges, she said. "Women know conical hats and lotus Miss and Miss Mendoza was asked who that the faster way to go flowers. Venezuela. Rounding she thought has it easi- to a point is to go to the The tuxedoed out the final five was er in life, women or curves." Springer made a grand . men. The NBC show was entrance on a motorbike fin- "God made us to hosted by talk show star _ the vehicle of choice ished second behind share and have differ- and in Vietnam where the Mendoza. ences," she replied, then Spice Girl Melanie streets are teeming with Miss won highlighted what she Brown and broadcast millions of the speeding the prize for best nation- regards as the different live to hundreds of mil- two-wheelers.