Azerbaijan

We where only allowed to have the truck on the roads for 72 hours so we had to get to Baku in that time for the truck to get into customes. So we only had a couple of days in the country first of all we stop in Seki and had a look around a loverly old palace, the walls inside had so much detail on them we had to wear funny blue shoe covers and the guide was very keen to tell us what had been restored.
Next we where to head for some mud volcanoes except the road we needed to go on was close due to land slides we kept driving and some other mud volcanoes where found I dont know what the other ones wouldd have looked like but these ones where prety good.

We then drove to Baku, it still had all the euro vision posters up it looked like they had a great time. We needed to get on a ferry across the caspin sea but it turned out we needed a visa for Turkmenistan before we could get tickets even though they would let you get a visa the other side. So the next day we all got into a little bus and the driver started to take us to the embasey, now I some off us haven't had the best of luck with taxi rides when we have been in a taxi together and today was the worst. Instead of going where he should of taken us the driver thought it would be a good idear to go where the embasy use to be ( not a good start). He then took us to where the new embaey is but didn't have a clue where it was so we drove around for a bit hoping it might just turn up.

It did in the end but only when people got out the bus and run a round looking for it so we waited for ages and then had to re fill the visa form again and we where done Rogan only had to wait round all day for our passports. We got the ferry that night, we left the hotel at 9 o'clock at night to get the ferry that was surpose to be thier at 10 o'clock it turned up at 2:30 when your not feeling well sitting around a port in Azerbijain is not much fun.

We had all heared stories of what the ferry could be like but it was fine we all had a lovery cabin with very comfey bunks, toilets that flushed had loo roll we even has showers with hot water!!!

It took us about 12 hours to get across they then put the anchor down and we waited for another 12 hours till we where able to get into the port apparently there was the wrong type of wind.

Georgia on my mind

Well that was a tad cheesy but that's alright because their is a lot of cheese in Georgia.They seam to sell it everywhere and it comes in smelly or smellier, they also like to put it in bread, yum warm cheese bread.

We spent about 2 weeks in Georgia with a couple of days in Armenia. The 1st stop was in Batumi on the coast of the Black Sea, its mainly a sea side town with some very large hotels being built right next to the old blocks of flats which are covered with corrugated iron. That night was spent on a boat having a Georgian dinner, the wine was very cheap and everybody had a great night dancing especially Nick.

The next town we stayed in was called Kazbegi we stayed in a home stay is was great more like a hotel and it had a great view over the town as it was right up on top of a hill. That afternoon we had a look around the town, the drivers have got steadily worse the more east we go and at one point I saw a man cross him self before he crossed the street, I didn't follow him, to get into town we went on the cable car it must be one of the cheapest in the world only costing 1 lary.

We next visited Gori the birth place of Stalin, we went to his museum you can see the house he lived in till he was 4 and the train carrage he used to travel in because he didn't like flying. He even had a bath on it. The museum didn't exactly cover all the terrible things Stalin did, but there was a small room that motioned about it just, it was added a couple of years ago and I think before it may have been a broom cupboard.

After a bush camp on the way we drove up the Military Highway to northern Georgia just south of the boarder with Russia we had to drive throught the mountains and they where very pretty. We climbed up to a monastery, it was defiantly worth the walk even though it took me 2 hours.

We drove back down through the mountains for a couple of nights in Tbilisi the capital of Georgia it a lovely city but the people in the countryside of Georgia are very poor and in Tbilisi they have spent money on a very fancy bridge that contains a small light show.

We had one last bush camp in Georgia before we went to Armenia for a few days, it was up a very narrow muddy track and at the top was an old abandoned village that over looked a massive canyon and the other side was just countryside not a man made structure in sight. That night we had an amazing thunder storm the thunder was so loud and went on for longer than I had ever heard and you could feel it thorough the ground. That night I went to sleep watching the lighting through the tent and listening to the rain on the tent. In the morning everything was muddy and the truck got stuck it took a while for it to make it down the track and apparently walls where taken apart in another field so a 3 point turn could be made.

The next stop was Armenia we had all tried to complete our visa's on line but nobody had revived an e-mail to say it had worked so we all stood in line and completed a visa form, half way through the group they decided that our online visas had just come through so they just stamped the rest of us through. We had two nights bush camping in Armenia we where suppose to camp by a lake the 1st night but because we got stuck in the morning and the roads where steep we couldn't make it. We found a village and camped in a field just outside it which was full of wild flowers and later a few of the locals arrived with some Armenia Cognac. The next night we spent in Yerevan the capital of Armenia it was very nice and I got my hair cut for £5. Are last night in Armenia was spent by the lake we where suppose to camp by on the 1st night only about 2 hours from the capital the weather was awfully and its not the best lake we have seen on the trip so far.

Are last few days in Georgia where spent bush camping near a monastery where Zara our guide was married. That afternoon we where sitting around when all of a sudden the wind got really strong and it didn't stop all night there was another thunder storm which we watched from inside the truck and in the morning we woke up to find that the tarp on the side of the truck we use when it rains had riped a bit, but the good news was that the toilet tent had survived YAY. The next stop was in a town that seamed to have every road dug up it was Georgian independance day and eurovison. We tried watching but it didn't start till 11 o'clock. The next day we left just before lunch and that afternoon we had wine tasting most people where very happy when we left there was a small party on the truck on the way to the bush camp and Shelagh even did some pole dancing.

That night some locals arrived and they brought some cha cha with them its not the nicest drink in the world but is quite impressive when but on a fire.

Two days later we crossed the boarder in to Azerbaijan and as we where leaving Georgia the sign said Good Bye and Good Luck.

In a big balloon.

So the day after my last post I woke up at 4:30 and went hot air ballooning over the fair chimneys it was great I really enjoyed myself. We left the campsite the next day after meeting another group like ours travelling overland to Oz. We drove through the mountains of Turkey an had our 1st prober bush camp on the side of a lake and in the morning the water was so clear it looked like a mirror. We then stayed in a campsite, it was in the garden of a restaurant and the shower was next to the kitchen, and visited the  Sumela Monastery it is on the top of a  cliff and is a bit of a walk but defiantly worth it. The next day we drove along the coast in the afternoon to find a bush camp near the boarder with Georgia  so we could get over early in the morning. A bush camp was found up a little track and it was a little stoney but it was ok till the trucks started turning up, they only wanted to add some more gravel  to our make do camp site. We quickly moved the tents and waited for the lorries to turn up and then leave again they then made the area nice and flat for us which was great. The next day we drove to the Georgian boarder it didn't take long to get thought the boarder. So we are now in Georgia and I will let you know what I do here later. 

Goreme, Cappadocia

So we left Istanbul at about 6:30 in the morning because we had about a 12 hour drive to Goreme. We arrived after our long drive to find a lovely campsite overlooking the whole area.

Yesterday we had a guided tour of the area 1st of all we went to one of the many underground city's in the area. They used them for protection from invaders the one we went to was capable of having 5000 people in it at one time. Don't worry we didn't lose anyone. We then went and had a look at the fairy chimney's that are all around Goreme and a local pottery maker it was all very nice I didn't buy anything because it was all a bit expensive so basically don't touch or break anything. We have 1 more day here after today so will let you know what I get up to later haven't done much today just some washing which is now wetter than when I washed it because there has just been a little thunder storm and I had walked into town never mind.

Istanbul

Hello, hope everyone is ok.

So we left Greece for Turkey and we got thorough the boarder with out any problems. We arrived in Istanbul in the afternoon and after putting my stuff in the hotel room (1st of the trip) i had a look around the city. Istanbul is crazy the drivers love to beep there horns at anything, I don't think anything ever shuts in Turkey if you want something you could probable find someone who could do that for you.

On the 2nd day some of us needed to go and get our Uzbekistan visas from the embassy, we didn't know how long it would take so left at about 9 in the morning. We where back in the city by 12:00 as Helen was able to wait and collect our passports for us (thanks Helen).  Over the next 2 day I had a look around the Blue Mosque which was amazing, the Spice Market, Grand Bazaar both very busy and noisy with everyone trying to get you to buy something, went on a boat trip around the city and went down the Cistern which is the city's old water tank built by the Roams (I think) which was fantastic it is massive and has loads of columns keeping the roof up and most of they have been carved at the top.

I really loved Istanbul in fact I know I will be coming back as soon as possible. 

Its a hard life.

Hello

At the moment I am in Greece in a town called Alexandropolis  we arrived here 2 days ago, the campsite is right next to the beach and have spent most of my time on the beach or in the shade around the truck. Laura, Gill and me walk along the beach this morning to look around the town it was very nice and has a little port and harbour we brought some food for the group picnic Jody had suggested and everybody brought lots of different local food and they where all lovely.

This afternoon was spent on the beach having a little paddle and the sitting have a drink in the bar by the beach. I'm on cook group today so will have to start helping to cook dinner in about an hour.

Tomorrow we are driving to Turkey, we don't know how long it will take because sometimes the boarder crossing can take a while. Hopefully it won't take that long and we can get to Istanbul with out any problems.

Its warm!!!!

Hello

We left Romania this morning and we are now in Bulgaria. Yesterday we spent the day looking around Bucharest its not the greatest city in the world but it didn't help having one of the worst taxi drives into the city. The man at the campsite asked the taxi driver to take us to the tourist information centre but he just dropped us of on some street in the middle of the city. We asked a few people where the tourist information was and they said there was no tourist information this is Romania no one whats to come here well we are here. So we stated walking down the street brought as map and found are way to the parliament building which is the 2nd largest in the world and the heaviest in the world, it was closed its only open at weekend so we couldn't have a look around. We spent the rest of the day woundering around and siting in cafes and pubs.

We now in a very nice campsite and I am going to do my washing in a minute.

Hello from Romaina

Hello sorry I have been a bit bad with the blog but here we go. At the moment we are in a campsite 10km outside Bucharest when we got here it was lovely and hot but now its a tad windy. So far we have gone through France Belgium Germany Czech republic Hungery and then Romaina. We stopped of in Colone and Bamberg in Germany and then we went on to Prauge and then Budapest. Where me and Cher went on an excellent free walking tour of the city. For the last two night we have been in Truda Gorge in Romaina which was lovely, yesterday whist having breakfast the sheep wandered through the tents. Most of the group then went of for a short walk (5 hours ) I stayed in the camp and went for my own little walk down the gorge. Camping is a lot of fun we have a campfire most nights and last night we cooked on it. Tomorrow we are of in to the city to have a look around.

5 Days to go

It's now 5 days till I leave the country with a group of strangers. I'm sure everyone is getting a bit nervous but I'm sure it will all be fine once we meet up on Sunday morning . The last couple of weeks have gone very quickly, I now have my passport back only with two visas instead of the three I applied for but we can get the others on the way so no need to worry. My bag is now pack and looks very small for what could be up to a year away from home. I'm off to London tomorrow to spend a couple of days with my family before I go away.

Getting ready.

So it's 5 weeks till I leave work and begin the trip. I'm getting excited now but there is still so much to organise and do. Main thing is visas have been sent off and I have had all my injections.