Thessaloniki is the final city visited by the Great Balkan Ride, The cultural capital of Greece, Thessaloniki, is the final city visited by the Great Balkan Ride. The minimal assistance rally will depart from Sarajevo, traversing Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania, before reaching Greece. Teams can celebrate the end of the adventure in the beach paradise of Nea Kalikratia, not far from the city. What makes Thessaloniki special is that it offers everything you could possibly want from a city break. You can relax in the sun, eat till your heart's content, or party all night long. That's not all: Thessaloniki is packed with history, art, and culture. Here's what makes Thessaloniki special. (Photo by Konstantinos Kolimpa) The History Thessaloniki has been around for a long time, well over two thousand years, and you can tell. History surrounds you as you walk the streets. All over the city there are ancient remains, with more being discovered all the time: look around (and down!) as you walk, and you might see live excavations. You don't need go to a museum to get a sense of the city's long history, important sights are everywhere. You will inevitably pass the imposing Church of Hagios Demetrios, constructed in the 7th Century. And while the Hagia Sophia isn't quite as impressive as its Istanbul namesake, the church (and former mosque) is still pretty impressive considering it was built in the 8th Century. Not far away are two even older relics: the Arch of Galerious and the nearby Rotunda date from the early 4th Century. They used to be linked as part of a grand imperial complex: admire the arch's intricate engravings and ponder Thessaloniki's Roman past. History with a View Even better, some of the historical monuments that make Thessaloniki special offer impressive views.
Thessaloniki is the final city visited by the Great Balkan Ride, The cultural capital of Greece, Thessaloniki, is the final city visited by the Great Balkan Ride. The minimal assistance rally will depart from Sarajevo, traversing Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania, before reaching Greece. Teams can celebrate the end of the adventure in the beach paradise of Nea
Photo by Michał Huniewicz We tell you what to do in Sarajevo, the starting city of the Great Balkan Ride. Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, is a historical gem right at the heart of the Western Balkans. Fittingly, it's the starting city for the Great Balkan Ride minimal assistance rally, which will explore the wild side of Europe, beginning on August 5th. Smart teams will arrive in plenty time to explore the city's rich culture, varied architecture, and haunting past. Though memories of the longest siege in the history of modern warfare, from 1992 to 1996, still linger, our guide on what to do in Sarajevo shows that there is much left to celebrate. Try Bosnian Coffee All across the Balkans people start their day with Bosnian coffee, usually served in traditional style: in a pot called a džezva, on a intricately designed plate, and with a little lokum, a small sweet similar to Turkish delight. Sit with locals in the old quarter, enacting a custom played out for centuries. There is a noticeable Turkish influence on local cuisine, with the local baklava being particularly delicious. When it comes to savoury food, burek (filled pastry) and ćevapi (small grilled mincemeat sausages) are found all over the Balkans, but Sarajevo has the best. Proper Sarajevo burek, known as pita, is filled with meat, though options of cheese, spinach, and potato, are available. Be prepared for very large portions! Try the ćevapi at Željo, often said to have the best in the city. Or Drink Something Stronger... For a stronger drink, and nostalgia for a slightly more recent time, head to Cafe Tito, a venue entirely dedicated to the legendary leader of Yugoslavia. However, the best night out to be had in Sarajevo is undoubtedly at Kino Bosna, the former cinema now raucous
Photo by Michał Huniewicz We tell you what to do in Sarajevo, the starting city of the Great Balkan Ride. Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, is a historical gem right at the heart of the Western Balkans. Fittingly, it’s the starting city for the Great Balkan Ride minimal assistance rally, which will explore the wild side of Europe,
The Great Balkan Ride offers the chance to see some of Europe's most underrated countries. The Balkans are almost* certainly Europe's most underrated region. This tightly packed peninsula of small nations has it all: you can explore untouched nature, relax (or party!) on luscious beaches, discover the area's complex history, or be welcomed by the locals' culture of extremely generous hospitality. Joining the Great Balkan Ride is the perfect way to explore: with everything so close together, it really pays to take the scenic route. We know all the most astonishing mountain roads, testing the limits of what your car can handle, and what your eyes will believe! Here's our brief guide to the sights you'll see on the way: (*The "almost" depends on whether you think the Caucasus are in Europe!) Bosnia The Great Balkan Ride sets off from Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia. Only two decades ago this city was crushed by the longest siege in the history of modern warfare, and the country as a whole suffered terribly through brutal conflicts with its closest neighbours. There are various tragic sights which should be on any tourist's itinerary, including Gallery 11/07/95, a photo exhibit remembering the terrible events at Srebrenica. And from further back in history you can see the Latin Bridge, beside which Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot in 1914, sparking the First World War. Though dark memories linger, there is much more to Bosnia than its troubled past. Sarajevo's historic Ottoman quarter, home to a vibrant outdoor bazaar, is a reminder of many centuries of peaceful multiculturalism. The city was host to the 1984 Winter Olympics, and you can walk along the now-abandoned bobsleigh track. The Bosnian countryside is also worth celebrating: the rally passes the supposed pyramids of Visoko. You'll have to decide whether they are
The Great Balkan Ride offers the chance to see some of Europe’s most underrated countries. The Balkans are almost* certainly Europe’s most underrated region. This tightly packed peninsula of small nations has it all: you can explore untouched nature, relax (or party!) on luscious beaches, discover the area’s complex history, or be welcomed by
This year's Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run was as successful as ever. From Chennai all the way down to the tip of Southern India, the Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run was filled with laughter and adventure. Teams traveled almost 1000 km, experiencing the region's incredible food, fascinating history, and stunning scenery. There were challenges too: the busy Indian roads, rickshaws breaking down and, of course... hangovers. Forty-six participants (from ten different countries!) took part, and since everyone was together for New Year's Eve and the 10th anniversary of the Travel Scientists, there was always a reason to celebrate! Here are some of the best memories of this year's Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run: The incredible costumes "Bonkers Award" winners The Cock and Pullet were always making people laugh with their outfits, but they weren't the only ones... It's always great to have outfits, rickshaw design, and team name all match! And everybody enjoys a team who stand out from a crowd! Practice makes perfect Driving over 500 miles in an auto tuk-tuk can be daunting experience, but training in Chennai prepared all the teams to face the Indian roads. But breakdowns happen... Of course, rickshaws are temperamental beasts. Luckily, the boys from Chennai Garage boys are always ready to fix any problem in no time. Making friends Even with policemen! Lots of friends Here is Jale from Team Magic Bird, the Classic Run overall winners, meeting the locals in one his team's many different outfits! There are always smiling faces on the road Even if they don't have seat-belts... The stunning scenery The Classic Run takes teams to some great places to relax. ... and enjoy the view. All the history A trip to India wouldn't be
This year’s Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run was as successful as ever. From Chennai all the way down to the tip of Southern India, the Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run was filled with laughter and adventure. Teams traveled almost 1000 km, experiencing the region’s incredible food, fascinating history, and stunning scenery. There were challenges too: the
We talk to Johnny, from Team Wildsome Volvo, who participated in this year's Baltic Run. Now the Baltic Run is over, it's time to relive the memories with some of the contestants. After interviewing the overall winners, we caught up with Johnny from Team Wildsome Volvo. This team were involved in many of the most memorable moments from this years event, including when they broke down (see Johnny's "craziest experience", below) and had to fix their car with chewing gum! They were also very committed to going the extra mile for the various fun challenges, ending up as joint winners in the photo competition. All the photos below are their own! Why did you sign up for the Baltic Run? After Caucasian Challenge in 2014 we decided that we would also go on the Baltic Run. When we saw the 10 years anniversary offer we just had to sign up now :) How did you hear about the Baltic Run? After the Caucasian Challenge we regularly look at the offers from Travel Scientists. What did you expect and what did you get? I expected lots of snow, driving on roads that hadn’t yet been plowed for traffic. I got less snow than I expected, but this event had a great social aspect. What was your craziest experience during the Baltic Run? Losing the light on the car on a highway while it was dark, snowing an very low visibility. What was your most positive experience during the Baltic Run? The great social aspect every day and night. Its almost like being a part of a special family for 2 weeks. Describe the Baltic States in one sentence! Beautiful nature with friendly people. Would you join this or any other of the rallies
We talk to Johnny, from Team Wildsome Volvo, who participated in this year’s Baltic Run. Now the Baltic Run is over, it’s time to relive the memories with some of the contestants. After interviewing the overall winners, we caught up with Johnny from Team Wildsome Volvo. This team were involved in many of the most memorable
This year's Baltic Run winners answer our questions. The Baltic Run is over for another year, so we took the chance to interview this year's champions: Team Oachkatzl. They excelled at the various challenges set throughout the Baltic Run, and for their victory were presented with a remote-controlled car. We caught up with Christina and Christian a few days after the rally. Hello! How are you? Christina: Christian and I arrived safely in our snow-covered home in Austria and now I want to thank you again for those unforgettable, adventurous days we spent with you on the Baltic Run. It was GREAT ! Why did you decide to do the Rally? Christina: We are still in contact with participants of previous rallies, and we knew that Annie and Simon, as well as Dirk, wanted to participate, so we thought signing up for the "Baltic Run" would be a nice occasion to meet them again. Christian: And we visited the Baltics including Kaliningrad in the summer 2015 and we wondered what it might look like in winter and it definitely was worth a second visit! Were the Baltics what you expected? Christina: We knew the beautiful Baltic States already from a holiday in May and June, so we were afraid of the dark, long winter-nights and thought we would miss the blooming meadows and the sun. Instead we were surprised how wonderful it was in winter: we enjoyed the Christmas decoration in the lovely towns, the snow-covered backroads and all the interesting sights we got to visit. What was your craziest experience? Christina: The stay in the Hotel "Fontaine Royal" in Liepaja [where the owner was a very eccentric, but generous, host]. Christian: We even spend Saturday night 3 more hours in the Fontaine-Lobby waiting for our ferry. Regrettably, Louis didn't show up. Kaspar was disappointed and
This year’s Baltic Run winners answer our questions. The Baltic Run is over for another year, so we took the chance to interview this year’s champions: Team Oachkatzl. They excelled at the various challenges set throughout the Baltic Run, and for their victory were presented with a remote-controlled car. We caught up with Christina and Christian a few days after
The latest Baltic Run is over, so it's time to look back at the highlights! After a terrific 9 days, travelling over 2600km all the way from Krakow to Tallinn, the latest Baltic Run is over for another year. The teams -- "Wildsome Volvo", "Hakuna Matatu", "Barfeeli", "Deepzone", "21", and "The Road Blockers" -- came from all over the world to enjoy the winter wonderland of the Baltics. And they weren't disappointed: here's what we learned on the latest Baltic Run! There was a lot of snow... The minimal assistance rally started off without snow, but that soon changed. Within a few days the coldest winter in years had arrived in Eastern Europe, which meant plenty chances to test the participant's winter driving skills! Sure, it meant taking the driving slow, but who wants to speed past the stunning scenery? And plenty ice... While it was a hazard on the roads, participants got to see beautiful frozen lakes, if (like pictured above) they were brave enough to face to cold! When even water bottles are freezing, you know it's cold. But the Danish team didn't feel the cold! Unbelievably, even while spending most of the week in temperatures below -10°C, some hardy Baltic Run participants (pictured above) claimed to not even need a jumper! However, trying to escape the cold has its dangers... when another team, "Barfeeli", attempted to warm up by visiting a spa in Lithuania, they couldn't understand why the lady at the reception, who spoke no English, seemed so surprised to see tourists. They soon understood: on arrival they encountered a thermal bath absolutely packed with naked Lithuanians. Was arriving in the spa town of Druskininkai on "naked Friday", celebrated monthly, was lucky or unfortunate? It's up to you! Breakdowns are Unavoidable The latest
The latest Baltic Run is over, so it’s time to look back at the highlights! After a terrific 9 days, travelling over 2600km all the way from Krakow to Tallinn, the latest Baltic Run is over for another year. The teams — “Wildsome Volvo”, “Hakuna Matatu”, “Barfeeli”, “Deepzone”, “21”, and “The Road Blockers” — came
Meet Hungarian Team Wonderlust King, who've just completed the Caucasian Challenge 2016 in their rusty, old but still trustworthy Subaru Justy. It didn't only carry them all across the Caucasus, but it also served as a hotel room for the team on several occasions. Let's see what the winners of the sought-after Bonkers Award have to tell us! Hi there, Team Wonderlust King. You are András and Ádám, aren’t you? András: We are. Ok, ready to roll? What drove you to come and take part in this rally, and what expectations did you bring to it? András: Our expectations? Well I first saw Caucasian Challenge, the very first one, on TV, on RTL klub it was I think. I loved the idea, so told Adam all about it at school the next day, and that we had to go and do it. You were still at school then? András: Yeah, high school. But I kept saying that we should get a dodgy banger or something and just go. I’m a born adventurer at heart, and love driving too. As for our expectations...we expected ourselves to complete the challenge, that’s all. We tried to get a car as cheaply as possible, any old rustbucket would do basically. In the end we found one for 120.000 Fts ($450), and well, prayed that it would make it to the end. And how did reality compare to your expectations? Ádám: I hadn’t expected it to be quite this amazing to be honest, it was a great surprise that it turned out to be this fab. I thought it would be sleeping in tents and roughing it all the way. But no, it was, well organised and totally awesome. What was the scariest part? Did you encounter any bears? Ádám: No, no bears,
Meet Hungarian Team Wonderlust King, who’ve just completed the Caucasian Challenge 2016 in their rusty, old but still trustworthy Subaru Justy. It didn’t only carry them all across the Caucasus, but it also served as a hotel room for the team on several occasions. Let’s see what the winners of the sought-after Bonkers Award have
The Caucasian Challenge 2016 has ended a while ago and it's about time to ask our Caucasian Challenge 2016 World Champions Tony and Rob from Team Llanfair Railway a few questions about their time on the road. They are quite special pair and it's not that easy to have a serious conversation with them, but see yourself! Why did you decide to sign up for the Caucasian Challenge and what did you expect from it? Tony: I came last year and I missed a lot. My car was lousy and I had several breakdowns. So I wanted to come again, to make sure that I had the full experience. Why I came in general is first of all my experience with the Central Asia Rally, which was absolutely wonderful. I liked the whole concept of the Travel Scientists. Also, the Caucasian Challenge is coming to countries, Armenia and Georgia, which I had no experience of. And when I mentioned to Rob that I was going and if he’d be interested, he said yes. Rob: I am just as crazy as Tony, travelling a lot. He is a big inspiration, travelling all over the place. He spoke to me about it and I just fell in love with it straight away, thinking “Yap, all we have to do is convince his daughter” (Editor’s note: Rob is basically Tony’s son in law.) Tony: And my wife! What was your scariest experience on the road? Rob: Personally for me, it’s probably Tony’s underpants. Tony: Which ones? Rob: The ones that are hanging above my bed. Tony: This is very personal... Rob: No, there was nothing scary about it. It was just really enjoyable. Tony: Nothing. I like taking risks. I like adventure. But I wouldn’t do anything which is stupid. There is nothing in
The Caucasian Challenge 2016 has ended a while ago and it’s about time to ask our Caucasian Challenge 2016 World Champions Tony and Rob from Team Llanfair Railway a few questions about their time on the road. They are quite special pair and it’s not that easy to have a serious conversation with them, but see
After 10 short days already the last day of our 11 day adventure across the Caucasus had come. It started with high hopes for Belgian Team Care Bears, whose tank had started leaking the day before, but miraculously stopped doing so overnight. But the joy only lasted till someone pointed out that it was probably just empty by then. In the end it turned out, that the tank is only leaking, when there are more than 25 l inside. So no need to fix it, just to plan the gas station visits during the last day very well. Lucky Team Care Bears! The last cultural highlight of the Caucasian Challenge 2016, before heading to Yerevan for the Award Ceremony in the evening, was a visit in the 9th century monastery Tatev, sitting on a plateau high above the Vorotan River. The teams had the choice between driving up the steep, winding mountain road all the way or to take the “Wings of Tatev”, an almost 6 km long cable-way to the monastery, offering spectacular views over the valley. The last part of the road lead across two spectacular mountain passes, giving Armenia’s rugged landscapes a last chance to show off. Latest when passing by Mount Ararat in the distance, while the cloud cover just opened up over the majestic mountain, even the last participants could not help but give Armenia a special place in their memories. In the evening, the Award Ceremony and Finish Party with lots of wine, food, medals and fancy prizes took place in an open air space in Yerevan. The popular “Bonkers Award” went to Hungarian Team Wonderlust King for completing the challenge in their old and rusty Subaru Justy and sleeping in the same many of the nights. How about getting a shower now, guys! The award as
After 10 short days already the last day of our 11 day adventure across the Caucasus had come. It started with high hopes for Belgian Team Care Bears, whose tank had started leaking the day before, but miraculously stopped doing so overnight. But the joy only lasted till someone pointed out that it was probably just
Day 9 led our teams of the Caucasian Challenge 2016 into Nagorno-Karabah, a disputed territory, which is officially part of Azerbaijan, but basically independent with its own government and supported by Armenia. There is kind of a border check point, but the officers usually more busy with enjoying life (and a drink) than with bothering innocent tourists. After a couple of cars with foreign license plates and our Caucasian Challenge 2016 stickers had passed through, they remembered their job and stopped Team Deepzone – but probably more out of curiosity than sense of duty, since soon they were waved through, with some good wished on their way. The winding mountain roads of Nagorno-Karabakh had a unpleasant surprise for our teams: what has been a gravel road just a few years ago, is now a brand new asphalt road almost all the way through. But on the other side, like this, our teams had plenty of time to visit the 9th century monastery Dadivank and to relax at the hotel’s swimming pool in Vank. Oh, and how we would love to tell you about the next day’s special adventure, but we’ve promised our new friend of the local KGB to keep the secret. And since we want to offer next year’s teams the same opportunities, we need to keep this promise. Just that much: it involved a forbidden area, a military checkpoint and a lot of negotiation skills. What we can tell you, is that our trip led us deep into the no man’s land between Karabakh and Azerbaijan, heavily scarred by war and destruction. Till today the region is frequently a location of armed conflicts between both militaries. Driving through the mostly uninhabited ghost towns made our teams feel a bit like they had survived a zombie apocalypse and acting unsuspiciously passing by
Day 9 led our teams of the Caucasian Challenge 2016 into Nagorno-Karabah, a disputed territory, which is officially part of Azerbaijan, but basically independent with its own government and supported by Armenia. There is kind of a border check point, but the officers usually more busy with enjoying life (and a drink) than with bothering
Another border was waiting for the teams of the Caucasian Challenge 2016. After initial desperation and panic attacks remembering the long wait at the Turkish-Georgian border, it turns out that the Georgian-Armenian border is comparatively a real pleasure to cross – if there was not this darn bureaucracy for bringing a car into the country. Car tax, road tax, car insurance, all want to be signed and paid and of course this needs three different queues. Luckily queuing needs just one person, so the other team members could enjoy a drink or two in the border bar. Nevertheless, all teams could leave the border behind after about two hours. After a hearty group lunch under the burning Armenian sun, the temptation to set up a camp site right in front of the restaurant to have a little nap was great, but all teams headed towards Lake Sevan, one of the largest high altitude freshwater lakes in Eurasia, with an altitude of almost 2000m. The road offered great mountain views, but was relatively easy to drive, so soon the lake appeared through the windshield. This day should be a special adventure: wild camping was planned, with bonfire, good food, wine, great company and a million stars as blanket. After successfully navigating to the dedicated campsite and taking a couple of wrong turns before that, Team Deepzone and Team Wiredmango were determined to make the romantic fantasy reality - till the temperatures started dropping drastically and everybody chickened out, escaping to the luxury hotel just a couple of kilometers away. Only team Wonderlust King turned out to be real adventurers who can be scared neither by cold nor by a lack of toilets. We’ve been told that also the Care Bears did some wild camping in another place. But since we haven’t seen
Another border was waiting for the teams of the Caucasian Challenge 2016. After initial desperation and panic attacks remembering the long wait at the Turkish-Georgian border, it turns out that the Georgian-Armenian border is comparatively a real pleasure to cross – if there was not this darn bureaucracy for bringing a car into the country.
After an exhausting day five, a rather relaxed day was waiting for our teams. First, we headed to the city of Gori... Birthplace of Stalin In this center of his still-ongoing personal cult, we could visit his birth house, by now enclosed and protected by a shrine - like building. Also nearby is the Stalin Museum, where you'll hear less about the horrors of his regime, and rather more about his charisma and good intentions. (By the way, did you know that young Stalin was actually hot?) For some of us, the most entertaining part of the museum was the souvenir shop, where you could acquire little Stalin-shaped trinkets filled with – you got it - chacha. Well, as the saying goes: you can take a man out of Georgia… But anyway. For diehard fans of the man, who’d never be content with such Stalin-lite fripperies, there’s also an option of a long stroll down Stalin Avenue, with or without a bottle of his favorite wine – the blood-red Khvanchkara - in hand. Tbilisi Party Preparations - Team LR on Form Again! Team Wired Mango rushed ahead to our destination in Tbilisi, to do a quick reconnaissance of the lay of the land re possible party venues. Guess who was already expecting them in the hotel – yup, the rally’s unchallenged champions of efficiency and punctuality, Team Llanfair Railway – a.k.a. the “No-Faffing-Zone”, as they like to call themselves. We are quite sure that even in the event of an imminent apocalypse, these guys would find time to brew a cuppa on their gas stove and would still not be one minute late for the spectacle. Party with a Plot Twist... In the evening, teams and organizers, once again, had a great party, but this
After an exhausting day five, a rather relaxed day was waiting for our teams. First, we headed to the city of Gori… Birthplace of Stalin In this center of his still-ongoing personal cult, we could visit his birth house, by now enclosed and protected by a shrine – like building. Also nearby is the Stalin
Day Five should be one of the highlights of the Caucasian Challenge 2016: driving up the narrow and winding mountain roads to Ushguli, one of the highest-altitude continuously inhabited villages and, after that, crossing the 2600-meter high Zagor Pass. A Strange Crew on a Strange Brew: a Few Hiccups in Fluidity But first things first: a significant number of party-maniacs, especially members of Team Care Bears and Team Llanfair Railway, had to get over last night’s hangover. We are not sure if the advocates of a newly invented chacha-rum cocktail (50 % chacha, 50% rum. Don’t try this at home, except if you are a professional!) would still defend the genius of their idea as vehemently as they did the night before… As if to mirror the experimenters' inner weather, the asphalt road out of Mestia gradually gave way to potholed gravel roads, often interlaced with clear mountain streams and populated more by cows than by cars. The view of old houses and defense towers on both sides in lush meadows hinted at what more was to come. Ushguli: Majestic Mountains and a Spot of Folk Wisdom When the valley to Ushguli finally opened up, the teams were taken aback by the majesty of the ancient town, skirted by lush green mountains and snow covered glaciers. Having come to terms with the sheer beauty of it all, some stopped for a leisurely lunch, while one person decided to take their still-lingering hangover to the strategically placed magical pillows just a few steps away that came cleverly disguised as the stairs of the local grocery store. Then the shop owner came out. Luckily, not to shoo the poor soul away to kick his professional reputation back up the few notches the spectre of his drowsy doorstep-dweller had
Day Five should be one of the highlights of the Caucasian Challenge 2016: driving up the narrow and winding mountain roads to Ushguli, one of the highest-altitude continuously inhabited villages and, after that, crossing the 2600-meter high Zagor Pass. A Strange Crew on a Strange Brew: a Few Hiccups in Fluidity But first things
The day started with a challenge right away, even before the teams had gotten into their cars. Overnight, a busy marked had popped up on the streets, making any movement of the cars impossible. But luckily there is no problem, that could not be solved with a lot of gesturing and smiling, so soon they were on their way, with just a little delay. First stop of the day was the Enguri Dam, the world’s second highest concrete arch dam in the world. After a failed attempt to convince the guards to let them drive across the dam, our teams had to be content with admiring the spectacular view over the turquoise water masses from the designated viewing point. The day’s final destination was Mestia in the Svaneti region, the highest inhabited region of the Caucasus Mountains. It is famous for its century old towers and with its relaxed atmosphere it is one of the highlights of the Caucasian Challenge. In joyful anticipation of a well deserved beer, the teams went straight for it, without losing any further time. Mestia, only accessible through narrow valleys, has been a center of Georgian culture for centuries. The typical towers, which have been erected between the 9th and 12th century, are a defining feature of the whole Svaneti region. The brave ones can even go inside and climb up to the roof, on ladders which defy every security regulation, while the lazy ones can enjoy a beer or a chacha, the local fire water, with a view across the medieval town. Overlooking the snow covered peaks surrounding the valley, the day ended with a great party on the terrace of the guesthouse, which led for some of the participants to a sleepless night just before one of the most difficult parts of the
The day started with a challenge right away, even before the teams had gotten into their cars. Overnight, a busy marked had popped up on the streets, making any movement of the cars impossible. But luckily there is no problem, that could not be solved with a lot of gesturing and smiling, so soon they
