Soon after VirtualTourist had decided to participate to the first edition of this motor rally, I had been selected as the Team Leader and pilot of an unusual VT Machine to reach the Caucasus region from Budapest, Hungary. Budapest, Sep 28th - The flight from Italy took me to Budapest and what a great feeling it was to be there again and meet Joao right away. Sharing a common travel attitude, we immediately felt comfortable with each other.
Budapest, Sep 29th - After finally meeting and getting acquainted with Frank and Laurel in the city center, the complete VT Team was itchy to see the wonder VT machine. We reached the Memento Park with public transport by late afternoon and I received the package with VT gear, cards and stickers. There was only a minor problem: where is our car? We learned it was still undergoing a mechanical check-up and I wasn't sure whether this was good or bad news. Impatience soared while all of the other participating teams seemed very busy with their vehicles and stuff. At dusk, suddenly, a lawnmower-like sound accompanied the Moskvich as she was brought in. Everything but spotless, it was love at first sight!
Meet the MoskvichBudapest, Sep 29th - Despite the darkness we took care of a couple of initial things, such as using a borrowed mop and bucket to wash - at least - the glasses and the spaces to host some stickers. I made sure that the keys would work and got acquainted with under-the-hood key mechanical and electrical features and components. The hood doesn't lock, but the hinges are luckily in the front without risks of getting it kissing the windshield while driving at supersonic speed. The trunk lid requires a good punch or kick to be secured. Or two. A couple of window regulator cranks are repeatedly falling off. The door seals are well worn out and partly missing to provide good interior ventilation. The chassis and body are bent, making it hard to open and close a couple of doors. The more we find out, the more we love it!
The Beauty and the BeastMake: 1986 Moskvich (Russian)
Engine: 1.5 l, 4 in-line cylinders, 4-speed manual gear, rear wheel drive
Power: not much
Torque: even less
Mileage at race start: unknown. Thought to be ax. 400,000 Km (250,000 mi)
Color: rust and blue. The paint comes off when washing it
Sound: lawnmower-like
Smell: various
Charme: unbeatable
Special feature: one extra cooling fan, manually operated
Virtual Tourist stickers were all over, including the roof. Other stickers of any sort were added as we collected them along the way, including an Albanian flag and a Turkish flag on the license plate! Too bad we couldn't manage to mount our flags as all windows had to be down to withstand the high temperatures. Fulfilling the mission to spread the VirtualTourist philosophy, cards were given out at any occasion to the curious spectators and the omnipresent kids flocking around the alien machine.
The High SpiritOur VT Team was the highlight of the entire Caucasian Challenge race. Clown car and sparkling VT team made a real blast of it. We dragged clouds of people everywhere we stopped and the interaction with locals was fantastic all the way! The whole thing was an overall success.
We managed to take the odd VT Mobile through impossible road conditions and several failures. The tailpipe fell off on perilous Albanian roads. A puncture was repaired in Turkey.
I personally managed to fix the following:
- The broken ignition key system was replaced with contact wires pulled to the dashboard from the engine compartment.
- The engine idling was kept alive with a modification to the air filter.
- The driver's side wiper was fixed under a hailstorm.
- All lights went off and fixed with a piece of wire in the no-man's-land night.
We kissed the clutch goodbye in Tbilisi although it would keep going for a while.
*** LIVE UPDATE as of Sat, Sep 13th 2008 ***
While in Tbilisi I learned about a priority of mine at home and I reluctantly took the decision to fly back from there. By the time I reached the airport I was already missing the crew, the Moskvich, a couple of wonderful days to come and the satisfaction to reach Yerevan for the final party.
*** LIVE UPDATE as of Sun, Sep 14th 2008 ***
Joao just sent me a message from Nagorno-Kharabak. The car is still running despite clutch problems.
Finish line expected for tomorrow in Yerevan, Armenia. Go until the end!
*** LIVE UPDATE as of Mon, Sep 15th 2008 ***
I received a message from Joao and a call from Frank, they are in Yerevan! CONGRATULATIONS! Details to follow.
Local CustomsMaximum respect was always paid to the local people and their customs and traditions. We used our knowledge of several languages to spread the message of peace and blend in with all people we encountered, at times asking for precious directions through unmapped and unknown territories. Borders crossing was a lengthy practice at many places, with puzzled officials to deal with a Russian made, Hungarian plated car packed with Italian, Portuguese and US nationals. It all proved very easy though. We were the first racing team to proudly get into Georgia, this was the perfect occasion to ask the officers to give out our VT cards to the other teams to follow. And they did!
Evident signs of devastation from the recent conflict are visible in and near Gori, Georgia. This building was in much different shape exactly one month before we got there.The surroundings bear unspoken signs of terrible occurrences, but it is the fresh stories of brutalities heard from locals to strike me most.
International press and Red Cross vehicles (Italian Emergency Service) filled the main square in Gori, as the Georgian president was about to have a speech by the time we hung around the massive statue of Stalin.
THE RACEThe race was based on challenges to be found along the established route. These were distributed every morning to all teams by the organizers. A list of questions with answers to be sought and found at given geographical coordinates with the aid of a GPS unit. Each question would correspond to a specific score based on a point system, and all answers were to be turned in within a time limit - usually 8 PM - at the end of each daily stage.
Day 1 - Start line - Budapest, Hungary to Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Day 2 - Mostar to Pec (Peje), Kosovo
Day 3 - Pec (Peje) to Ohrid, Macedonia
Day 4 - Ohrid to Lake Belmeken, Bulgaria
Day 5 - Belmeken to Istambul, Turkey
Day 6 - Istambul to Konya, Turkey
Day 7 - Konya to Kizkalesi, Turkey
Day 8 - Kizkalesi to Nemrut Dagi, Turkey
Day 9 - Nemrut Dagi to Gevas, Turkey
Day 10 - Gevas to Akhaltsikhe, Georgia
Day 11 - Akhaltsikhe to Potskho Esteri, Georgia
Day 12 - Potskho Esteri to Kutaisi, Georgia
Day 13 - Kutaisi to Tbilisi, Georgia
Day 14 - Tbilisi to Noyemberyan, Armenia
Day 15 - Noyemberyan to Vank
Day 16 - Vank to Kapan, Armenia
Day 17 - Kapan to Yerevan, Armenia - Finish line
No matter how hard I try, my words are insufficient to praise and describe the wonderful people we encountered in every country through the entire journey.
Day 1 - August 30th, 2008 - 9 AM, the race is on!A couple of honks to greet the cheering crowd and here we go!
The inflatable start gate symbolizes the wide open window on our expectations while I'm shifting to second gear. The Moskvich has quite some distance to cover for the first day, mostly highway. The steering wheel has a consistent slack which makes it difficult to keep in lane for the next couple of weeks. It doesn't take long to realize that on a smooth, perfectly paved highway, the suggested safe cruising speed can't exceed 85 Km/h (53 mph). The rear of the car is sitting very low under the weight of ourselves and the luggage which is strategically taken in and out with a precise sequence. The leaf springs are working hard already. Nevertheless, we also have two spare wheels underneath along with a toolbag that also contains a bicycle-type manual pump. We have two border crossings today, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. It's dark already and the city lights is all we can see of Sarajevo. We reach Mostar just past midnight. It's a fun day and we're excited to have accomplished all challenges, it doesn't matter if we are the last team to reach the hotel as no team could make it within the deadline. What we did today, that is eating while driving, became the rule for the rest of the race ahead of us. No time for stopping, therefore fuel stops would also serve for personal time and food/beverage sourcing.
Day 2Today we drive through Montenegro and enter Kosovo, the youngest country in the world, to reach Pec - now Peje as the local official language is Albanian. The scenery in and around Montenegro's Durmitor National Park is stunning.
The pride of Kosovo's people fills the air and we collectively hope and believe it won't take long for the new country to reach better standards. Our beautiful hotel proves the change is in progress, the nearby pedestrian area teems with locals enjoying loud music and eateries. Even when the power shortage comes in, as the thump of generators keeps the business alive.
Day 3Leaving Peje we see several Italian Army peacekeeping force vehicles, too bad I couldn't share a couple of words with my committed fellow citizens.
We learn there are two places to cross into Albania because at first we head towards the wrong one. Today's stage requires extremely careful driving as the mountain roads have sharp unprotected bends overlooking gulches, ravines and precipices. Large rocks and rough terrain bring our Moskvich near the limit for endless hours. Suddenly, a "performance" engine sound notifies us that the whole tailpipe lays a few yards behind. Violent shaking has broke it apart from the muffler box, leaving a good 3-inch hole in it that faces the bottom of the car. After this, not only we could feel the backseat overheating (!!!) but the exhaust fumes pervaded the passenger compartment to pose near-risks of intoxication. From now on we must drive with all windows down. Luckily, the gas tank is not too close to the new heat source. Although the trunk was well packed already, we managed to find more space to take the long tailpipe with us in case it could be later get fixed. It stayed there for the entire journey instead, wrapped in paper and kind of looking as a concealed weapon through future border inspections but eventually inspiring good laughs.
About one third of vehicles in and around Kukes have an Italian license plate and some people even speak my language.
Today's destination is Ohrid, Macedonia, where we stay at a comfortable lakefront large hotel.
Day 4Into Bulgaria, we camp at Lake Belmeken for the night at 2,000 m (6,600 ft) elevation. Very cold there. Needless to say, late arrival in the total darkness to greet the other teams and their bonfires with the "performance" sound. I pitched my tent away from the organizers' area as I felt their party would go on through the night. They just went to sleep when we left in the morning at 5:30 AM with the forever familiar "performance" sound salutations. Too bad we couldn't enjoy this beautiful area with daylight, as we adopted the strategy to leave a few hours ahead of the other teams to pay a visit to Istanbul in the afternoon. Good thing the VT Mobile is not too thirsty because the price of gas is U$11.00 per gallon in Turkey.
Day 5Smooth drive through Bulgaria up to the Turkish border where endless lines of waiting trucks take advantage of the narrow road. We have to get around these despite the incoming traffic of German-plated cars heading home, the border location is being renovated and it will certainly improve in the near future. Traffic intensifies when approaching the 10-million people urban area and we find our way to the Otogar - Bus Station. We're still on the European side of the fascinating Bosphorus and the hotel location, although very busy, was chosen for our racing vehicles can spend the night in a guarded parking lot. From here we're a subway plus tram ride away from the beautiful Blue Mosque in city center. Our early arrival proved the right strategy to pay a visit here!
Day 6
Next stop: Konya and its beautiful mosques and churches, joyful kids at play in the narrow alleys. It's getting warmer and warmer, the VT Mobile keeps purring through the arid Antalya Plateau and asks for the addition of some fresh oil. As we stop for a race challenge, one tire shows signs of deflation and we quickly reach the nearest tire shop. One of the thousands rocks on the long stretches of roads under construction had pierced through the sidewall. The tire guy did a quick, excellent and moderately priced job under the learning eyes of his children as he repaired both the tube and the large hole in the tire sidewall.
Day 7It's going to be beach time in Kizkalesi, today's drive is the shortest of the entire race. It's meant to be a half-day of rest but it's otherwise hands-on for me as the ignition block fails. I connected and routed two electric wires to the dashboard, taping down the external portion of these with patches from a leftover VT sticker. From now on, it's additional fun to start the car with a little spark from the contact wires! It's way too hot and humid here for our comfort, but at least we can have dinner together with the other teams and share opinions and shortcomings. Will our mighty Moskvich survive?
On the way to Kizkalesi we opted for a cultural detour and visit the excavations at the Neolithic archaeological site of Çatalhÿoük. If we survive being baked in the car, we may now roast under the unforgiving scorching sun.
Day 8
It's culture time and we're excited to spend the night at Nemrut Dagi. This Hellenistic UNESCO site dates back to the first century B.C. and features ruins of a temple in front of a man-made king's burial mound. The ruins of statues and the view are stunning, this site is located on the summit of Mt. Nemrut and our camp sits only a few kilometers of road below. The access road to the camp is very steep and our Moskvich overheats until it stops. It takes to wait in the darkness for it to cool down before proceeding and we are happy to rest after another long racing day.
Day 9
As long as this leg develops, it's dark again and we decide to drive past the given destination for today as we want to pull ahead of the others. All over Turkey our phones don't work and we can't communicate with the organizers. Unlike other teams, so far we have always made it to the daily meeting point and we believe it won't be a matter of concern for the organizers if we don't show up. Instead of the southern shore of Lake Van we take the northern route to stop in Çaldiran, near the Iranian border. Our stay for the night is not the best hotel on Earth but actually the only chance around. Not that I mind though.
Day 10Another early leave. We don't mind getting out of the hotel but we're locked in, we had paid already but we must wake the host up to sneak out. The landscape around us shows nothing but a beautiful, barely inhabited harsh environment. Signs of scattered civilization have the shape of temporary camps. Suddenly, a lush, peaceful valley develops before our eyes as we are getting closer and closer to the massive figure of snow-capped Mount Ararat. After passing only a few yards away from the Armenian border, we head north and reach the border point to enter Georgia. It takes a while to clear the Turkish side alone and move in between two electrified gates. There are no other vehicles in sight and our hopes for the squeaky Georgian gate to open become reality in a matter of seconds. The procedure is here is lengthy. All other teams are hours behind us and we are the first-of-a-kind the border officers are dealing with. These friendly guys take good care of us and one of them even asks to buy our car! Meanwhile, we start leaving the VT cards everywhere through the 4-step procedure. Passport and documents inspection, passport stamping, customs and finally luggage inspection. The best part is handing a stack of VT cards to the customs guy, he accepts to give these out to all other teams to follow! What a good option to confirm that our team is first to cross into Georgia!
The long journey has taken us into Georgia. Although we don't feel it, the tension is in the air as portions of the country are under dispute and international concern. We reach Akhaltsikhe, secure our rooms at the selected hotel and go take a look around while some local servicemen exercise through the main street. It's also time for us to have a decent meal at a nearby restaurant, where I ask to use the phone and contact the race organizers. Some teams are way behind and can't make it into Georgia as the border closes by 8 PM.
Day 11The organizers advise that today's stage is meant to be impossible for 2-wheel-drive vehicles due to the demanding road conditions. We plan for an alternate option and try our way towards Tbilisi with a chance to explore some of the many ancient monasteries and churches dotting this area. A briefing with supportive guys in camo uniform helps us to locate and select a few spots. Despite we are in possess of a decent map, some of the marked roads do not meet our expectations and it's adventure time again. We take some wrong tracks here and there. At times we need to turn back as the rocky unpaved roads worsen to a donkey-only accessibility limit.
If and when we find humans around, we stop and ask for directions although we mostly rely on our navigation skills. Among several other sites such as Khertvisi, Stone Gate and a good number of churches, where we hike and climb even through private orchards, our reward includes the chance to visit the suggestive rock-cut complex of Vardzia. Excerpt from UNESCO description:
"Vernacular architecture, monk cells, subsidiary and public structures. Rock-cut monuments preserved in Vardzia-Khertvisi gorge comprise quite vast chronological limits - from the 8th-9th cc. up to 15th-16th cc. - to trace development of the type from simple caves up to grand, multi-tiered complexes. This gorge has preserved rock-cut villages with the unique samples of dwellings, minor and great monastic complexes, with the masterpieces of the medieval mural painting, as well as epigraphical monuments containing important historical records".
We aim to Tbilisi across an unpaved road in rural central Georgia and here is where our lights go off to require an electrical fix to proceed in the darkness. This track is bad enough to allow a faster pace than 15-25 Km/h (10-15 mph). A cluster of homes reveal human presence where we learn we have some 150 Km (90 mi) to go on this road. At low speed, the Moskvich exhaust fumes wrap and inoxicate us so we decide to tread the same way back to Akhaltsikhe to opt for a different route by tomorrow.
Day 12
Our decision proves good and this time we hit the major road towards the capital city. Plenty of suicidal drivers on this busy road as we reach Gori, a place we all heard of daily through TV news during the last month. Next to recently destroyed barracks we pass a steel-frame freshly rebuilt bridge and enter Stalin's birthplace city. A huge statue of him stands atop a tall column above several Italian Red Cross trucks parked in the main square.
The Teams15 teams, with 33 participants from 8 different countries - Norway, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Serbia, Italy, Portugal and the US.
The road conditions were meant - and proved - to be severe in many areas and several teams could count on their modern SUVs. Along with our VT Mobile there were other vintage vehicles such as another Moskvich, a Lada and a Dacia although their general appearance seemed to be much better than ours. We were definitely the underdog and, of course, the most appealing team.
It was just funny to see our blue beauty parked next to the modern, big and aggressive cars. The unbeatable pride of taking this epic journey with the least possible means.
The Incredible MoskvichDespite most of the participating vehicles were newer and definitely more suitable for this race, our Moskvich proved to be an excellent machine. With obvious limits. We couldn't ask too much and we definitely had to take good care of it and dirty hands to keep it going!
Some cars had severe problems urging parts replacement and costly garage stops. We otherwise kept pace at slow speed and did the necessary repairs by ourselves, fixing the failures upon occurrence. No matter if we at times left very early in the morning, we hardly reached the daily destinations within the time limit and our overall score is therefore yet to be determined.
Our highway cruising speed was up to 85 Km/h (53 mph) when good pavement allowed. going faster would not only prove dangerous due to the handling, but it would pose potential risks of fire. How fast we could go was dictated by the perceived temperature of the backseat, which was really hot and, considering the high temperatures encountered in southern Turkey, we can say we were slowly baked inside the car!
A unique, fabulous adventure off the beaten path.
- To be continued -
