4 days into the rally which only means 1 thing, less than 10 days before its over!
In terms of the work, its not got better, yes it is easier because I am used to being thrown curve balls now, but it doesn’t make it right nor allow me to perform at my full potential. I know I am so much better than I sound at the moment.
Theres a great myth and perhaps struggle with the Dakar, its one of the biggest adventures in the world but also a race. While most of the media have adapted from discovering new grounds (a reece team sets these course spending 3 months on the exact ground, the competitors are supposed to discover) TV still think its simply a beauty tour. Gone are the days where you can get totally lost, you must pass between 30 odd gates or waypoints per stage. So it’s a pure competition over some nice geography…. Surely the importance for me to educate viewers on the positions and why certain people are slow or fast? Instead I have been saying….i think this person is this fast today, but I don’t know! You’ll be more knowledgable to wait until the day is over and check the results on the website.
BUT I have to accept this is the way its done…if it making me too stupid then 2011 will be my only Dakar, best enjoy it!
It’s a shame we fly to each destination, we really don’t get to see where we are at all, you get no feeling of your surroundings apart from the TV pictures. Ok that’s a little fib… Last night we flew from Jujuy – who-hoy – over the Andies to Calama. Although we seem to be on a flat desert plain we are actually 2,400m up and my god did we notice. Having slept in at least 20 degrees for the first 2 nights in Argentina it was certainly single figures last night, in a tent I was fully clothed. Apparently because its so dry here (driest place in the world – Top Gear Stylie!) even if you do sweat it soon disappears. My tent is replacement number 2, they keep snapping when in transit… and what is good about tent number 3 is it is a 2 person camp…..now totally full of Sand! We’ve had dreadful storms today and while Dakar experts have wiped out their skiing goggles, I have taken to just walking round with my eyes shut!
I am slowly locating various English voices to speak to and being the Dakar there are genuine English accents out there! However what has really lifted my spirits has been the contact from home. Never thought I get home sick nor genuinely feel missing people, but this rally I really have and I got so much longer to go! By the way I don’t have a tan because work requires me to be inside and while I try to top up once I am done at about 5, its not working.
Next up is Iquique, the arrival site of the Top Gear special last year (the big dune Hammond ‘let’ his car roll down) beside the sea with a view of the special, looking forward to that and to perhaps something than other than Steak for dinner? too much to ask perhaps......
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