Thursday 20 March 2008

Mongolia

On Wednesday, ENKCA’s steadily growing 50/50 lottery numbers were drawn by guest speakers, Eleanor and Martin Gledhill of Forfar.

First prize of £85.56 went to Laura and Chris Fyles, while Audrey and John Duffy and Fiona and Gordon Brown won the two consolation prizes of £10.71.

The Gledhills’ slide show of the drive to Mongolia took in the sublime views of spectacular scenery and the many ridiculous aspects of the trip. From their smartie patterned car to the plywood cut out ‘decoy’ police cars used to augment the limited number of squad cars available to the local police force in Kazakhstan; from the pic of Martin standing almost knee deep in a pothole on an urban highway to the memorable image of the mangled wheel rims on which one driver arrived, having completed the last stage of his journey on two pneumatically cushioned front wheels and two bare rims; from the image of two Aussie cyclists encountered traversing the Gobi desert, en route from Siberia, to the flower print patterned interior of the gair - equipped with a B&Q type kitchen unit - in which the Gledhills awaited the next passing lorry to tow their car out of trouble, the audience lived every moment of the journey with them. The prolonged questioning at the end of the talk attested to the fascination that the journey held.

Beyond the Gung Ho fun of the rally, most of the audience came away with the memorable image of a child gazing out of the Ulaan Baataar sewer in which she lived, and the hope that we can find ways of helping the Christina Noble Foundation for Children which helps the desperate children and adults who shelter in the warmth of the sewers. We need to find means of transporting goods to Mongolia.
Who can help?