6 June — the report from Day 20.
At yesterday’s campsite I let myself go down with heatstroke, which was careless of me.
A miraculous recovery — the morning I got myself back
Never underestimate an adventurer’s will.
By day the heat and dehydration had finished me completely, but when the temperature dropped sharply at night my body eased, bit by bit.
In the end it does rather feel as though sheer will got me through.
Not even half the adventure is behind us, so this is no place to end.
I had been so taken up with the car’s troubles that I neglected looking after myself, and I am thoroughly sorry for it.In an adventure, managing your own condition really is the first priority.
Up early, watching the sunrise, bracing myself again for the journey still ahead.
The diarrhoea has not stopped, but I have to eat even if I force it,
so I let the nutrition soup I brought from Japan soak into me.
A tent that was too big — the unexpected enemy of a good night’s sleep
Last night I was given a spacious tent, and I foolishly assumed I would sleep soundly.
The cramped tent I always use is somehow more settling. Too much space felt wrong instead, and I did not sleep at all.
A night that taught me bigger is not automatically better. As for the usual lack of sleep, I am used to that by now.
The last Kazakh sunrise, and getting the spirit of adventure back
Today is our last campsite in Kazakhstan.
The sunrise was extraordinarily beautiful. Being able to see something like that is thanks to this adventure.
Taking yesterday’s lesson properly, I ate well and got ready for the next stage. Refreshed in body and mind — and off towards the Caspian.
Proof of recovery? A burger and a Fanta for fuel
The road to the port for the Caspian crossing ran through modern-looking towns.
Filling up, we found burgers and orange Fanta at the petrol station.
And they were good enough to blow away everything that had been hard until yesterday.
The driver was exasperated — “that’s too fast a recovery” — but good food really is where energy comes from.
Condition restored, batteries charged.
I had rather hoped a punishing adventure would take the weight off, and here I am eating far too much sugar.
The Caspian takes the breath away — reaching Aktau with the open sea in front of us
And so, safely, to Aktau.
The great expanse of the Caspian in front of us. It feels like a moment I have been waiting for a long time.
The Peking to Paris Motor Challenge planned for 2022 had its route changed by the war in Russia, and this new route crosses the Caspian — something never done before, and a rare thing to experience in the middle of a rally.
The cars go ahead by ship to Azerbaijan and we follow by air tomorrow.
The moment I saw this view, all the hard road behind us felt repaid.
A resort to recover in — the reward for a punishing rally is a smart hotel and cold beer
At the port, local people were waiting to sell cold beer.
About ¥1,000 a can — and everyone fell on it regardless.
There are sharp traders in every country.
And after driving roads like those, a cold beer really is something else.
The Aktau Hotel where we are staying is like a luxury resort, and staying somewhere like this in the middle of a rally feels like a dream.
This view really should be seen on video.
With a wonderful Caspian sunset (video)
On to Azerbaijan — getting ready, and looking forward to it
Tomorrow, Azerbaijan.
Travelling by air in the middle of a car rally gives the whole thing a different kind of scale.
My chest is full of anticipation about what the next stage holds.
Today I mean to take it slowly at the resort and turn my mind towards the next stretch.
A day built around a miraculous recovery from heatstroke and the road to the Caspian. Arriving in Aktau and being moved by that sunset was enough to make me forget everything that had been hard.
And a night at a luxury resort really is the rally’s reward.
I can hardly wait for the Azerbaijan chapter.
Continued in Day 21 …