The last lorried adventure becomes to a very special experience.

In the summer of 2010, we heard something about the Allgäu-Orient-Rally in the radio. I tsounded very interesting. Soon we found our team, 5men and 1 woman. And on the 7th of july 2011 at 3:33o´clock we recievd a starting place. We bought our race cars, three Audi Quattro 100 and fixed them drivable. The goal of the race was to drive the cars to Jordan, and the benefit will be donated. Finally it become april, and the cars were ready. We´re really looking forward to the 30th of april 2011, for the start in Oberstaufen. But because of the demonstrations in Syria with lots of violence, we´re very critical of riding thru the country until the Office of Foreign Relations gives out a travel advisory/warning for this country. And so we already knew, that we don´t drive to Jordan thru this country. But than came an allright from the organizers of this tour and we were quiet more hopefully to reach our target-Jordan and so, we made up our way at the 29th of april 2011 to Oberstaufen, to be there for the start the next day. Our 21 years old Audi got a mileage of 371619km and the travel to Oberstaufen is no problem for him. A little bit late, we started at 8:50o´clock from the launch pad, with a wonderful mood. Pirate Nils fullfilled the first duty: up at the Alp-lake, we received our roadbook with the duties and responsibilties of the rally. But we haven´t though about taking the first pictures of the rally in a car-station, at 11:00o´clock we´re back on the road, because we wanted to win the race, and the first prize is a camel, alive…At 16:30o´clock we reach the border of Austria, and because its getting dark outside, we decide to stay here on the parking lot of a big mall. Luckily, we built very much inside the cars and we got tons of canned ravioli in our car-cellar. 01.05.2011 Out team capt´n Thomas wakes us at a not really christian time ( 6:15o´clock). Slowly we start that day and we didn´t get ready to start before 8:00o´clock. The first job of the day is, we gotta take a picture of us 6 with 3 new companions- 3 stones marked with the rally logo, in a telephone box, with the door shut. I didn´t even dream about it, that all six of us fits in a telephone box. At 11:00o´clock, we reached the borderline of Austria-Hungary, we ´re really looking forward for a jump in the waters of the Lake Balaton, because the last shower we took, was days ago. But sadly, the temperaures outside are only at 13degrees and it rained, so noone wanted to jump into the lake. We drive on and the rain becomes harder and at 18:40o´clock, we reach the border of Romania, we haven´t thought about, that we only drive 611km on one day, finally at 20:00o´clock we´re looking for a hotel, because we all are in the need of a shower. But the hotel mustn´t cost for than 11,11€ per person. The dinner is…but the Ursus we drank is allright. 02.05.2011 We started very early with an undesired sightseeing tour thru Arad. We refuse to obey the duites of the day in the roadbook, we will win the camel anyway. J We don´t see any other teams, that means, that were first, for sure ;-). And because of our advance we decide to get of the road and try our cars if they´re really capable for the raly, on gravel ways, pure fun, but the fun became some more work, a broken exhauster. The days become longer and at 21:30o´clock we reach Bulgaria and because it is already dark and the streets really bad and the dogs of each town are trying to catch and bite us, we decide to roll on to find a suitable place to sleep, and have ravioli again. Toady we go the first contact with the police, we drove to fast. And with hands and feet we try to explain the cops, what our duty is, and so we got away, without being punished. 3.5.2011 This time Thomas wakes du at 6:00o´clock, now we see, that we slept in a cannabis plantation. It´s still rainy and really cold with 11degrees. The main roads are in really good shape, but we decide us for a shock absorber test and to drive on the side roads and at 12:00o´clock we reached the border of the Turkey. For the first time we gotta fulfill every formalities and that lasts. When we reach Erdirne, we make a „ Döner-break“, than we go on to Istanbul...traffic jam. And at 20:50o´clock, we rach the paddock at the blue mosque and are a little bit disappointed, because we are not first, but the mood is still allright. 4.5.2011 Heavy rain falls, but the we´re all in a good mood. And our m,ood will become better after the official announcement, for a 2nd plan, because on the road is a trip thru Syria towards Jordan not possible, and the organizer told something about the possibilty to ride with a ferry thru Israel. We´re really thrilled and hoisted our colors at the mass start near the blue mosque. Addionally we receive some tickets for the soocer game: Turkey vs. Formula 1 drivers. So, we getting over the >Bosporus and drove to the stadium. When we gor their, they laugh about us, because there are no-free-tickets. Good, the first disbelief are coming up, how they are able to get a ferry for 600 people and 300 cars to Israel, if they aren´t able to organize free tickets???Today we were looking forward for a shower, but because of the Formula 1 race in Istanbul is every hotel totally booked-out, so we slept in out cars again. But still in good mood, we´re celebrating today the birthday of a team mate. 5.5.2011 It´s still raining and nothing with the promised breakfast of the organizers. Today we heading to Ankara and we reach the paddock lying on the 4th place, still near to the front. Our temper is still good and we decide today to diclaim of a shower again and to stay in the paddock. Than we receive some new informations, they organized the ferry to Israel, for only 330€ per person. We still got some disbeliefs, reaching Jordan on this way, but we decide to go on, we still want to win the camel. 6.5.2011 Massstart in Ankara. On the way to the launch pad, we got to bypass a car. We don´t fulfill the duty and stage of today because of the petrol prizes in the Turkey, to ride for hours for just taking a picture, instead we go on towards Mersin, to the ferry and take a look at the jelly bag caps in Goereme. And we got a wonderful turkish lunch and a shower. 7.5.2011 We got time, because ist not far to Mersin and so we drove to the mountains, this stage will be the most wonderful and most technical stage of the whole journey. The drivers behind their Quattro bars, are showing what they´re made of and got lots off things to do and handle and Ute, are in need of some “ JÄGERMEISTER”, for her nervs. 8.5.2011 Mersin: The sun is burning and the ferry to Israel starts in the evening and we spent the whole day at the beach. The character of the rally is lost, now just wait. On the way to the harbour, we crash a tyre, but no problem, we´re fast in changing tyres. Than…In the harbour, nothing seems to be allright. Someone gives us a piece of paper, with the words, that there´s no ferry from Mersin to Israel, but next day there´ll be ferry from Tasucu across Cypres towards Egypt.This is not funny anymore and our temper is going slowily down. At this point we already knew, that we don´t get our flights back home because of one more day in the harbour and the longer ferry trip. And now??? The ferry is already paid and we decide altogether to go on and for our own safety we delay our flights and informed our employer, that we maybe arrive a little bit later.   9.5.2011 We receive a short message from the organizer, that the ferry will depart from the harbour of Tascusu at 15:00o´clock towards Cypress and theat the meeting point and time will be at the harbour at 13:00o´clock. At Cypress they arrange an alternative programm, before we go on with the 20h lasting trip to Egypt. Hope comes up. We are back in the harbour and waisting time by drinking some beers and talked as well with the other participants. In the meantime lots of things happened in the teams, crashes, hospitl visits and a lot of more stuff to talk about. And this is good, because the departure is delayed again for 23:00o´clock. Finally at 3:00o´clock the next day,we leave the harbour. 10.5.2011 Cypres: We don´t feel like to do anything more from the orders of the organizers because of the large amount of failures and mistakes of them, so, we took the day off, and planned it, our way. We just drive across the turkish part of this island. Somewhere we ate lunch, visited the beach and took a shower. After all this, we´re heading for a shop, to refill our inventory for the upcoming 20h ferry ride tomorrow. We receive our parking lot on the car-ferry, but we cheated us on the car/people ferry, and this was the better descision. Even on Cypres, the ferries leave delayed at 3:00o´clock. 11.5.2011 Our colors hoisted high in the air. The beer taste good and we´re doing the best of this day. By the way, during our travel, we were being informed that our journey will last at least 36h and not 20h. On the car deck, some of the guys, hold up a “car-race”, they run over all cars and leave some bumps, like a bird bath on the bonnet. 12.5.2011 We slept the night in our cars, pure luxury. Lots of the are sleepeing on their chairs and they didn´t even got a sleeping bag or clothes to change. One of the engines of the ship broke down and the water flush won´t work anymor. The sea becames harder and many of the other started to barf. Luckily, we, the Pirates are waterproof, seaworthy. Normally we should arrive at 15:00o´clock, but now at 17:30o´clock, the sea calms down again and we´re waiting for the permission to enter the harbor in Egypt. %hours later, we are atill on the ferry and are 40km away from the shore, than news, no allowance to enter, we´re heading back, to the Turkey. Now the on-board shop is almost empty and the last buys for water and chips were being made. Friday, the 13th  The sea gets wild again. But the organized some need supply. Small ration of rice and noodles, looks like a real supply for really bad crises., Thank goodness, we still got some cans of ravioli left in our cars, and of cause a camping stove.. 14.5.2011 Without taking a break on Cypres , we reach the harbor of Tasucu/ Turkey. The organizers, won´t organize anymore, and so the teams got to plan the rest of the journey by their own. Some of the wifes of the participants already flew to Jordania to welcome their husbands, but there wasn´t any possibiltiy on the ferry to contact them. No signal… Now lots od the things are planned quiet spontaneous: -         flying from the Turkey to Jordania, to get our home flight or maybe to stretch our hoilidays, and the cars stay in the Turkey? -         Or we driving back home with the cars? This will mean, to spent more time and money. -         Or flying back home from the Turkey, because we´re not sure, if our cars will make it and we´ve to be back at our work at the 16th of may 2011.   The organization told  us a gathering point for the cars and promise us, that they will be disposed by the customs, and they will help us with the work to get the cars of our passports. If all these things already happened, we don´t know, and if the donated the money for a good thing, we don´t know either, and we don´t want to know it. . Conclusion: We haven´t won a camel, and we haven´t donated our cars for the United Nations Worls Food Program…but us Pirates won some experience. And one thing for sure, we´ll never forget this unique journey.   Greetings – Ute and Nils

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