ROMANIANS AT MONGOL RALLY Maps, stories, two cars and one bike, at going away party

Some left because they wanted to travel upon a bike named Doyle and stories to tell, others because they wanted to live the adventure and fish on the road there, while others to enjoy a seven-week break from work, and some blaming mid-life crisis.

What is important is that on Thursday they met at an open-air party at the Animal Farm. People who have already taken or are to take the road to Mongolia, with no plane reservations, no all-inclusive treatment and not a lot of luggage.

Two of the three Romanian teams that have announced their participation in the Mongol Rally — Dracula Khan and Mamaliga Warriors (Polenta Warriors), have met with the competitors of the Mongol Rally from previous years: Paramongols (2011), Daciots until Mongolia (2012) and Mongolification (2013).

They were joined by Mihai Barbu, the photo-reporter who put Mongolia on the Romanian adventurer's map after traveling with his bike named Doyle to Ulan Bator. To finance his trip, Mihai put up his trip for sale in parts. The story of each part of the trip would be written to the buyer before departure. With Doyle quietly behind him, bearing the stickers with the names of donors, five years after the trip, Mihai Barbu says that he left simply because he wanted to go on a trip and has a suggestion for those about to head to Mongolia: "The most important thing is to enjoy every moment of the trip and think that it is the last time they are doing this thing".

The Bucharest — Ulan Bator adventure lived by Mihai Barbu was the subject of the book "Selling kilometers" that in turn was inspirational for one of the members of the Dracula Khan team. "Mongol Rally was a dream after reading a book. I thought maybe I'll get to do this too", said for AGERPRES...