Hi Andrea - your husband sounds like he had a fantastic sense of adventure. I'm so, so sorry that he's gone. Sounds like he took some of the route we might be on - we're definitely going through Kyrghzstan. I can barely spell, let alone pronounce Kyrghyzstan.

Yeah, we've been warned that border guards and police basically expect bribes, but we were told to play dumb to see if we could get away with it rather than pay up, otherwise they'll be hitting every car in the 'rally' (not really a rally cos it's not a race and there's no support vehicles) for quick cash fixes.

One of my teammates (the one I've not yet met) wants to bring his guitar, so there may be impromptu border performances to wow the gurads. Apparently this has worked before!

If only we had diplomatic immunity...sigh. I hope an Irish passport and a my female charm (ha!) is the next best thing.