The end of an epic journey!

We head for the border of Singapore in a 40-seater coach, with more than 2 seats each we roll along as a group for the final time. So much has happened in the last 6 months there is just no way to put it all into perspective. This blog and all the others put together could never catch the magic that happens on a long journey like this. It’s not always a rabbit that pops out of the hat, sometimes we find ourselves in for a spot of bother; a storm mid way through a BBQ, or getting the truck stuck down to the front /back/both axles, being caught on a public bus with no tickets mid eastern Europe... This is an expedition with so many days in different crazy places, you would be a fool to think it would run just as planned. But, all said and done, this has been a very successful trip, with only one detour around the pesky Turkmenistan (closed due to swine flue, the only country in the world to do so). The forced change to our route brought us to the incredible Aral Sea, and the opportunity to see Karakalpakstan, for most onboard a major highlight of the trip! Exploration and adventure is what we do, and it’s been one epic journey. To bring it all back we planned one final night.



Meeting up in the hotel “conference” room we had our final round of Odyssey Blue’s, cost price liquor from the restaurant we would be visiting later made this all possible (Singapore taxes alcohol like boxing taxes brain cells).

Not quite cocktail glasses, our plastic cups had umbrellas, cherries and straws to give the clunk of cheers a bit of a rev, mixed with all the skill mustered by two overland drivers, in the heart of the Colonial district these were going to be cheap drinks with a punch. Soon the sorry goodbyes became lively chat, not far off the first day in the back of the truck when we all first met, now nearly 6 months ago. Strangers then, friends now.


Walking down the jostling streets, Singapore has so much to offer. We had been limiting ourselves to the food halls which serve up a vast array of dishes at affordable prices, those heading home soon watching their spends nearly as much as those who plan to travel on further. But tonight we were going a bit more upmarket. Eventually we arrived at the infamous Raffles Hotel, no front door entry for us, we scampered around the back to the Long Bar to enjoy a 20 US dollar Singapore sling, this is a must do if you can do drink. Arriving in our shorts and flip flops (though the boys had their best shirts and the girls definitely didn’t look like they had been free camping for a week), I’m sure the staff were nowhere near surprised when a peanut fight broke out.

From there we headed across the street to a restaurant. Sitting down to our final meal together pawing over the menu, a photo appeared on the projector screen dated 12th April 2009. Who were these pasty looking people? Bumbling about this big blue truck not yet called home. On the photos went, experience after experience. If you hadn’t been on board the random photos drew little attention from the other diners, apart from the odd breathtaking view over mountain peaks and grass lands there was little that outsiders could relate to, but each photo bought back a memory now, maybe forgotten because of the others stacked on top.


It’s been a great trip, not everybody made it to the end, some folks just aren’t cut out for this type of expedition. But one and all this trip has changed all our lives forever, seeing things in oneself and others and the crazy world around us. It has been a trip of a lifetime. The faces of Odyssey 2009 below, now part of a rather exclusive club. London to Australia. Done properly. Odyssey Style.

This has been a great trip for Cher and I, we would like to thank all the guys in the back for their help and support along the road, we could not have done it without you.

We are currently running the 3 week Borneo add-on for 8 of the guys and will start posting the blog any day now, so far we have had a close encounter with a 120kg Orang-utan and boat hopped mid-river, so it is bound to be another good trip!