ON THE ROAD INFO We’ve sent you this info by email but thought a bit of old school words­on­paper was necessary to make sure you know some really rather important stuff: Shipping Info: Make sure you have the right documents (including the documentation from the ​ Russian border when you enter) or you won’t be able to ship your car. Important Dates & Locations: A reminder of some dates and some places, including the glory ​ that awaits you at the finish line. Leaving your vehicle anywhere en route: What you need to do if the sky falls in and you can’t ​ prop it up with your windscreen wiper so you don’t get arrested, stuck at an airport or start an international manhunt. Tracking your Adventure: How to track your location using SMS messages and send blog ​ updates from the road to the Mongol Rally Live Tracking Map WARNING ­ REMEMBER THIS IS FUCKING DANGEROUS You’ve been farting about with un­necessary preparations and visa applications. Remind yourself that this is an unsupported adventure and all round really fucking dangerous thing to do. On the Road Info Motoring stupidity on a global scale Page 1 SHIPPING INFO The blunt version: if you don't have these things at the finish you won’t be able to ship your ​ car: ​ ● The original Temporary Import document filled in on entering Russia (this is provided by the border authorities) ● Original registration papers and license plates (teams that need the originals back will be sent them after the vehicle arrives in Estonia) ● A copy of the registered owner’s passport ● A copy of the registered owner’s visa ● The key to the car ● A minimum of 10 litres in the tank for loading and unloading. ● The vehicle must be empty of personal belongings ● Before you ship your car the owner will need to sign a contract with the shipping provider that alsofunctions as a Power of Attorney document in order to allow them to act on behalf of the owner. They'll also need to sign a condition report. More info: http://www.theadventurists.com/mongol­rally­vehicle­deposit/ IMPORTANT DATES Sunday 19th July: Brussels Pit­Stop A place to camp and a nominated bar ­ if you think Brussels to Prague in one day is a push for your stead you might want to skip this one and push on instead. A relaxed affair; hard­standing area to camp and a bar nearby to drink. Monday 20th July: Czechout Party, Prague A long­standing Mongol Rally tradition; celebrating making it as far as the Czech Republic with a massive knees up. Location: Nákladové Nádraží Žižkov ​ Time: Open from 4pm, kick out time is 11am on Tuesday ​ Camping: On­street (cobbled) with toilets ​ Tuesday 22nd July: Sibiu Pit Stop, Cotton Pub, Romania Wednesday 23rd July: Vama Veche Party, Pura Vida Beach Bar and Hostel On the Road Info Motoring stupidity on a global scale Page 2 THE FINISH LINE Location: Ulan Ude Central Square (by the statue of Lenin’s Head) ​ Rally HQ: Churchill Pub AKA Gril­Pub ‘Cherchill’ Address: Lenina, 55, Ulan­Ude 670000 ​ The finish line is in the middle of the city by the large statue of Lenin’s head. The finish line arrival registration and Mongol Rally HQ is across the road at the Churchill Pub. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TAKE ANY INSULTING OR DEROGATORY PHOTOS NEXT TO OR INCLUDING THIS STATUE . You risk arrest and also could cause a lot of problems for other teams on the rally. Monday 3rd of August: First date cars can be accepted for shipping ​ Monday 10th August: Finish line officially opens ​ Friday 14th August: The opening finish line party ​ Friday 21st August: The penultimate finish line party ​ Friday 28th: The final finish line party ​ Monday 31st: Finish line officially closes ​ On the Road Info Motoring stupidity on a global scale Page 3 Sunday 13th of September: Final day for accepting cars from teams for shipping ​ More info & locations for parties: http://www.theadventurists.com/mongol­rally­schedule ​ IF YOUR CAR BREAKS DOWN BEFORE THE FINISH As our old pal Churchill was wont to say K.B.O. Keep Buggering On. If you just keep moving to the finish line you won’t have to worry about import taxes, permissions, paperwork, public transport or the shame of failure. If the unthinkable does happen and there really is only one option left to you, you can’t just leave your car at the side of the road and catch the first flight back to the warm embrace of your bed and safety of your sofa. A car is not like an old book you can take into a foreign country and discard, give away or sell, it is an asset which is subject to import taxes and must be dealt with accordingly. If you’re forced to leave your car anywhere between Europe and the finish line you need to do so within the letter of the law; each country has different requirements of paperwork and taxes necessary to dispose of said vehicle. Because these rules change from country to country and year to year, it’s down to you to find out what you need to do to satisfy the authorities of the country you’re in. If you get it wrong, you could face fines, imprisonment, deportation or worse. If you’re in any doubt ask your consulate for the exact procedure and paperwork required. BASIC RULES Do not leave your vehicle in Iran, Mongolia, Turkmenistan or Azerbaijan. Under any ​ ​ circumstances. We will say this again; Do not leave your vehicle in Iran, Mongolia, Turkmenistan ​ or Azerbaijan. Even if you have to drag it out of there piece by piece. Failing to follow this advice will unleash a shit­storm of inconvenience upon you and possibly us, which we’ll have no option but to direct back to you. When we say shit­storm of inconvenience we obviously mean financial and legal troubles. Make sure you obtain the necessary evidence of the legal disposal of your car. Ideally on ​ headed paper with stamps, seals, crests and signatures. The best ones are from the police or customs office. Under no circumstances leave your car without getting receipts, police reports, sales documents, or import tax certificates, otherwise you’ll face serious difficulties leaving the country and getting back your deposit. Take photos to back up your paperwork. On the Road Info Motoring stupidity on a global scale Page 4 IF EVERYTHING REALLY GOES TO SHIT If there is a total emergency we still won’t be able to help you. This is what you signed up for; Adversity and Triumph. You might want to give us a shout anyway so we can coordinate the consular office and insurance companies, and if you so choose your next of kin too. IF YOUR CAR DIES BEFORE THE FINISH Rule number one is, you’re on your own. Your shitbox car may have cost £60 to buy but it ​ could be about to cost you a hell of a lot more unless you get her to the finish line. Having entered a country with a vehicle, you will need a paper trail of what has happened to it in order to leave that country without it. On most borders your passport will be stamped to say that you entered by car and you need supporting documents, in order to get through customs on the way home again. “Giving” it to a local and hitch­hiking onwards won’t cut the mustard unfortunately, as you won’t get any such supporting documentation. As far as customs are concerned this would look like a permanent import of your vehicle, which could cost you over $6000 in import ​ taxes depending on the vehicle and the country. ​ Rule number 2 is, don’t despair; tow it, truck it, bodge fix it. ​ Use Adventurists Chivalry; if you see another team man­down, don’t just drive past them ­ can you tow them to the next town for repair, or all the way in? These are the episodes that glory beers and (occasionally) babies are made from. So that’s a carrot. And here is a stick, nay, several sticks that you could come across if you dump your car where you shouldn’t: ­ Having broken the law you could be arrested for attempting to illegally abandon a vehicle. There will be little your Embassy will be able to do to help. ­ You might not be allowed to leave the country. The authorities may stop you at the border and demand payment of the import fees. ­ The border authorities could also ask you to retrieve your vehicle, sort the paperwork and pay the import taxes before letting you leave the country (this probably won’t be quick). On the Road Info Motoring stupidity on a global scale Page 5 LIVE TRACKING MAP UPDATES We’ve bullied a digital monkey into building us a tracking and blogging platform. Your friends and family will almost feel they’re stuck in the car with you ­ minus the smell of BO and diet of instant noodles. The link you need to be sharing with your friends, families and Kazakh supporters along the way is this one: tracking.theadventurists.com and they can choose Mongol Rally 2015. ​ ​ (Direct link: http://tracking.theadventurists.com/#mongolrally/mongolrally2015 ) The place you need to go to share your adventure with the world is here: http://blogging.theadventurists.com UPDATING FROM THE ROAD You can either update directly from the blogging page above, or you can do so by mobile phone.