Windy 500 Trans Europe Rally

There's a charity driving event in June 2013 happening that I've put my name down for. Here's the website:

http://www.windy500.co.uk/

It's called the Windy 500. The basic premise is to buy a car (for £500 or less) and drive it from Weymouth, England, to somewhere in Romania over the course of 23 days with a few friends. All 50 places are filled but I'm 7th in line on standby, and the organiser said he'll probably be able to get a few more places in.

I'm actually REALLY FUCKING KEEN for this. Like stupidly keen. I've got one person on board and hopefully another once I've got hold of him. It will probably be a bit rough, I'd imagine we'll be camping to save on money for quite a few of the nights but hey, you got to take the bad with the good.



Thoughts?

I think it's a great idea. The sort of thing you'd regret if you didn't do it. It'll be hard work but, if you'd prepared for it then you'll have a scream.

I agree with Myron. I think it's an absolutely brilliant idea, and definitely something you ought to do. Getting a chance to do something like that on those roads will be very special and a lot of fun even in a crap car- possibly more fun actually.

It'll be rough with the camping (which is why I wouldnt do it with you!) but well worth it

You've got one sponsor here if you manage to get on.

Same here. When you get it going, let us know. I'll sponsor you

Hahaha, cheers lads! Like I said I'm on standby at the moment so it's not set in stone, although with the opportunity here it would be crazy to back out. It means I will miss the festival but I'll happily miss a year if I can do this.

I'd imagine it would be a bit like the festival - you slug it out in pretty rank conditions but as soon as you step into your house, "Ahhhh that was so worth it!". It's possible to stay in hotels and hostels along the way but might as well do it as cheap as possible, maybe once a week stay in a hostel with a real bed or something.

The charity it is for is Julia's House, a children's hospice in Dorset: http://www.juliashouse.org/

The minimum you have to raise for the charity is £100 but I reckon I could do a lot better than that. BT have a budget for charity events, they love good PR so I'm hoping if I offer to slap a few of the BT van transfers on the car they'll give me a bit of help

I've got to start saving big time now. Zimbabwe in September '12, hopefully south America December or January 2013 and this rally which is June 2013. It's gonna get expensive!

£100 is nothing. You'd easily get several times that.

As for "you might as well do it as cheaply as possible" - you and I have SUCH opposing views on the whole travel thing. If its not got at least four stars, I'm not interested. :0)

Tbh when I was doing the rounds a few years ago while I did mostly stay in hostels, I did occasionally do a hotel for a few nights, like with a private room, double bed, cooked breakfast in the morning etc. because sometimes you just NEED to, but the main attraction to hostels for me was the masses of people you meet. When I got to Mendoza, Argentina, I arrived about 8am straight off a 15 hour bus journey from Buenos Aires. As you can probably guess I was unfed, unwashed, tired, sweaty and generally uncomfortable. So I get off the bus and pick up a tourist map, and walk about 20 minutes into town. When I found my hostel, I went in and this fit Aussie girl behind the desk said "ah your room isn't ready yet, but there's a few things you can do here while you wait" I ended up doing paragliding with some people who I'd met there, then afterwards, checked in, met some more people and went out in a mob of people out on the lash and had a smashing time. My point is that if I had stayed in a hotel I wouldn't have done any of that or met half the people I did. It's worth slumming it sometimes just for kicks, and I generally have a funner time in places I do slum it.

Yes, I can totally understand the social aspects of doing it that way, and in that sort of location, and I can completely see your point.

But I have definitely developed a taste for the luxury life on holiday. TBH, I'd not have been doing a 15 hour bus ride anyway, but if I had, the last thing I'd then want to do is go paragliding - I'd want a long hot shower, a very nice meal, a good bar, and a comfy bed. Sod having to talk to people :0) I think I was spoilt when I was 21 and did the first USA trip and it was all posh hotels and helicopter trips :0)

It does mean my holidays will cost me more, and I can see the point that you will probably get to see and do more stuff and go to more places -your holiday money will take you further.

Still, I've not done badly over the years.

Hahaha, yep. When I'm older and uglier I'll probably develop the same tendencies as you, but for the meantime I kinda like slumming it. That's not to say I don't like classier things or spending money on expensive stuff though, but if you're doing something like a continental overland sprint then you might as well do it properly

Paragliding was a killer... It so goddamn cold at the top of this mountain we drove up (it was off of one of the Andes) and I was in the back of a pickup truck. I was frozen.

The next day I went climbing up this other mountain in a warmer part of the Andes and as I came down the mountain I tripped up and landed in a cactus patch with this big thick thorn sticking out of my finger, just underneath my nail. I carefully pulled it out and it snapped, but I cleaned the wound out in the swimming pool we went to afterwards and left it. Two weeks later when I was back in Buenos Aires, the thorn had been pushed up the the surface of my skin and I grabbed it with my teeth and pulled it out... It must have been an inch long, ripped out of my finger... Ugh. I'm lucky it didn't go septic.

I've done pretty well so far in 22 years. I've been to these countries: UK (duh), France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, USA (California, Nevada & NY), Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Egypt. Hey 22 is pretty good actually.

Yeah, I'd say that's a pretty good list! ;0)

You've been to the UK? What was it like?

I heard it's nice in the South, but an absolute shithole north of the Watford gap.

I give you Croydon (and you can keep it!), the greyest place on Earth. The only place a riot and fire actually improves!

Croydon is the exception that proves the rule.

I'd suggest using it as an Escape from New York style prison...but would anybody really notice the difference???

The UK's not too bad. I've never been up to the lake district but I'd like to go there. The Cotswolds are also nice. Not a fan of big cities though.

I went to Croydon once, can't remember what it was like though, it was only for a conference.

I think my least favourite place I went to was Paris. What a shithole and it's full of French people. Worse than Croydon!

I actually love travelling in the UK. We do a lot of camping around this area and some of the places are just stunning. I also like city stops too - which ios why I'm planning to do York, Lincoln and London by the end of the year.

East Croydon is full of Home Office buildings and the like. Which makes for a very bland place. West Croydon is very run down and, apparently, high in gangs. So it's not a pleasant place to go at all.

But funnily enough, there are still bits that officially come under "Croydon" which are still very nice. Its a weird place in that it goes from complete crap hole to nice suburban area in about 2 minutes.

But I also love the UK, and have had some brilliant holidays here. I especially love Scotland, and am planning a major trip back next year.

That's true. Sadly we don't get to see the other bits often enough.

Scotland is fantastic. It's another place I'd love to go back to. Which bits are you planning on doing, DS?

I've never been to Scotland or Ireland. I've been to Wales once or twice though. Scotland I quite fancy though I've heard nice things about the place. TBH I don't thik I'd be able to understand what they say.

Jordan - Yes you would, especially once you get out of Glasgow and up into the Highlands. Its a fabulous place, you'd love it.

Myron - The plan is to drive up and stop in the Lakes on the way, then on to Stirling for a couple of days. From there to Oban for a few days, and use that as a base to explore some of the Western isles. Then up the Western side and across to Inverness. Stay in Speyside (probably Aviemore) for a few days, then across in Aberdeenshire, down the east side back through Edinburgh and to Berwick. From there we'll stop at a couple of places on the way back down - really want to do Lindisfarne, and may have a night in York.

Actually Jordan, you should seriously think about going to Aviemore. Good hostels up there, so loads of people about in the winter and Summer, good evening drinking scene, fantastic range of winter and summer sports run out of there so no end of stuff you can get involved in doing. Plus you are near some fantastic whisky distilleries, amazing pubs, and great restaurants. On the back of that you have spectacular scenery. Its all good.

That sounds like a great plan, DS. I love Scotland. Haven't been, apart for work, for an age. But when I have been I've always found it a lovely country filled with friendly people.

York too is a fab idea. I love wandering around the lanes there. Plus it has my fave sword shop there!

I've just got an email saying I've got a place, so I need to put down the initial £300 deposit then look at getting a car. Luckily we have a garage I can put the car in but I want to get one sorted so I have enough time to buy spares, get it serviced, make sure the clutch or gearbox or other important stuff isn't gonna fuck up on me, give it a custom paint job etc.

I'm thinking of going for a Vectra 2.0 TD Estate. That way we can fit the spares, tents, sleeping bags, food & whatever else in the boot and bolt spare wheels to the roof. Shouldn't be too bad fuel wise as well. Gonna see if my dad will lend me a digital video recorder so I can tape the whole thing (hopefully we'll be able to charge it on a USB car charger).

We also need a team name so open to suggestions

Vectra is a good idea, because they are pretty reliable and cheap to fix if anything goes wrong, plus they are a decent size.

Team Joxide has the right sort of ring to it, and no-one except you will know what it means.

Excellent that you got in though, and I'm serious about sponsoring you when the time comes.

shorten it to Team Jox.


that just has a ring to it, even to those not familar with the name. It just sounds "cool".

...20% cooler, in fact.

...not that I know anything about these things, but still. :F

Team Jox is a good idea

Yeah sounds good to me, but I'm with two others, I was thinking more kind of group representing, not just me. No particular theme but preferably humourous

How about "Team 'this is the best car we could afford after be bailed out the Greek economy'"

(ooh, little bit of politics)

Maybe something that plays on the Windy theme...there's got to be a bottom gag in there somewhere!

Haha yeah, I was thinking something along those lines. I think it's W-eye-ndy as the picture on the website shows a long winding Top Gear-esque road but I dunno. I just say windy as in, goddamn it's windy out here.

Good suggestion about the Greek bailout, however this race is in June 2013 so by then I'd imagine that there will be more bailed out countries than Greece & Italy!

The 3 Gasketeers I just thought of. Not bad, eh?

That works actually.

Yeah, that one does have a certain ring to it.

Probs would have been a good one, but we have 4 people on the team now so I guess I'll have to think again!

Simples...there was a Four, you just have to be D'Artagnan!

Hahahaha, yeah could do!

My step dad suggested doing the car up to look like this:



and dressing up as Ghostbusters which I thought was a pretty good idea.

I suggested "Berlusconi's Bunga Bunga Boys"

You could do the Anthill Mob!

I dunno mang I don't think they're my type. Besides there's like 8 of them. I dunno if I could do them all one after another. I'll give it a shot though

Scooby Doo and the gang? Two of you would need to drag it up, and you'd need to buy a stuffed toy dog, but it could work.