A Sunday reflection with one week to go

Today being Sunday means that we have 7 days until the start of the event.
The packing is completed and we are ready to fly to Beijing.

Tomorrow we fly to Beijing and have a couple of spare days before the pre event activities begin

Thursday we have the Chinese Police briefing on “how to drive in China”, and where they lecture us on abiding by the local driving laws. We will see how that allows us to survive on the crowded roads.

Friday we collect cars and commence scrutineering and signing on. We also collect our Chinese driving licenses and number plates, having now been advised of how to drive.  Welcome cocktails and dinner follow that night.

Saturday we have paperwork and a competitor briefing from the ERA officials.

Sunday we are off to the Great Wall for the official flag off and start.

Two weeks till the start

So,  sitting at home this morning in Melbourne we note that it is only 2 weeks, 14 days or half a month until we drive off from the Great Wall to start the 14,000 km journey to Paris.  Final packing is taking place in the household, clothes are packed and then some are unpacked and discarded as surplus to requirements.  

There are plenty of clothes, objects, “things” and equipment that might be useful but with weight and space at a premium we decide on only what we believe will be essential and will in fact be used or worn.  The quantity of electronic goods and associated bits and bobs we travel with is astounding.

Prince Borghese of course knew nothing of these things and whilst he may have benefitted from them, he made it without them. He had no need of a vacuum flask and water heater and I am reliably assured that he did not travel with a Sat phone, vehicle tracker, laptop, ipad or digital camera and dash cam and probably had no need of various charging outlets and the accompanying octopus of cables.

In closing today, the start is nearing after 3 years of preparation and planning and in a week or so we shall be in Beijing going through the pre start formalities.

Further posts to follow, censorship in China and connections in Mongolia permitting.