Following the Mongol Rally

Four travel bloggers. One car. 10,000 Miles.

The Mongol Rally first began in 2004 with six teams and has grown in numbers and gained popularity as an adventurous road rally starting in London and ending in Mongolia. This year, a couple of my travel blogging friends (@RickGriffin & @OttsWorld) have joined forces with @ThePlanetD to share the journey while raising funds for a worthy charity.

I’ve been following their misadventures adventures since July 23, 2011 and admit that it is quite fun to travel vicariously through this group. I watched them prepare for the journey for over a year, gathering sponsors, gear, and setting things up through social media. Their official team name is The Social Media Syndicate and you can follow along as they travel to their destination, where they will donate their vehicle and money raised along the rally to the Christina Nobel Children’s Foundation. This charity assists homeless and abandoned children of Mongolia.

Here are some of the entertaining entries from their journey:

Sherry Ott learns to drive on the Autobahn – Ever thought afternoon traffic was scary? Try driving the Autobahn.

Rick Griffin eats a Belgian Waffle in Belgium – I have a bucket list and so does Rick Griffin from Midlife Road Trip. He finally gets to check another item off of his bucket list. He even has it on video.

ThePlanetD documents the Odessa Hotel Fiasco – Have you ever been on a road trip and played it by ear? Sometimes, the guidebooks just don’t offer the best information, like hostels that are still in business. The team couldn’t seem to find an affordable lodging option in Odessa.

You can follow all of their posts and updates at The Social Media Syndicate. Best of luck to the entire team and have an amazing rest of your adventure in the Mongol Rally. If you’re on Twitter, you can follow their hashtag #MongolSMS.