By Aydil Durgun

Charlie and Pam with their wheels

Two adventuring travelers Charlie Grosso and Pamela MacNaughtan passed through Istanbul.
Charlie Grosso and Pamela MacNaughtan are two female adventurers. Charlie is a photographer and art gallery manager; Pam is a travel blogger.Their keenness for adventure and travel brought them to Istanbul, but Istanbul is not their final destination, just a stopover on their journey. Their goal is to arrive in Mongolia. Pam and Charlie started out from London 10 days ago (it was their first meeting) and must complete the Mongol Rally in 38 days. In the end, they will donate money from sponsors to the Lotus Children Center, a charity for Mongolian orphans.

Before they get back on the road, we meet them in Yildiz Parc. They are intent on completing the rally, even though seventy percent of the participants do not. In doing so, they will pass through two continents and three deserts, driving approximately ten thousand miles. When our interview ended, they offered drop me off to Besiktas. Now I can proudly say that I was a part of this meaningful journey, even if just for a short while.

What is the Mongol Rally?

Charlie Grosso: Basically, it’s a charity driven adventure. We start out in London with a small car and end in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This yearly rally is a fundraiser for a local charity organization started in 2004 by The Adventurists and has earned three point five million pounds since it began.

How do you collect this money?

Charlie Grosso: There is a minimum amount, one thousand pounds, which each team has to collect. We sell our car in an auction when we arrive in Mongolia. That money is given to the Lotus Children Center. We are fundraising on our website smstowaway.com and receiving support from our sponsor Intrepid Foundation and Orta Blu.

Pamela MacNaughtan:
Intrepid Foundation donates one dollar for each dollar we raise independently. Lotus Children Center (LCC) is a home for orphans in UlaanBaatur. They have a capacity of one hundred and fifty children. The specific feature of LCC is that they bring up the children by traditional Mongolian methods. The children grow up in Yoruk tents. There is mother in every tent who deals with the children. They educate the children so they can live alone when they turn eighteen.

You have another goal during this rally, right?

Charlie Grosso: Yes. We will collaborate with one of our sponsors, a denim manufacturer called Orta Anadolu, with their Orta Blu Protect Water Project. We will share our experiences with scarcity and poor water quality on the road via social media. Orta Blu is a sustainability division of Orta and they want to draw attention to water management with this Protect Water Project. Water is one of the most valuable basic needs, in the following years it will become even more precious. More so, even, then gas or fuel. Nowadays, water is so polluted; it is nearly impossible to find potable water passing through the Middle East. We are not aware enough to protect what we’ve got. There is no sustainable life without potable water.

How has your trip been so far?

Charlie G.: Tomorrow, we’ll complete our first week. Everything’s been ok so far. Some days, it feels like nothing but endless driving. We’ve improved our ability to drive stick, we’re both used to automatic.
Pamela M.: We only took lesson before we started the rally. So driving a manual car took some getting used to. A little bit scary, but very exciting.

Where did you find the car?

Charlie G.: We have a Dacia Logan 2005, made in Romania. Our sponsor Intrepid bought us the car. We got it from Romania, which was a whole other adventure.

What are the properties of a Mongol Rally car?

Charlie G.: It has to be made in 2005 or later. We don’t want to arrive in Mongolia with an old, broken-down car since we have to sell it. It has to have a small motor. It wouldn’t be a challenge if you used a Range Rover!

Who buys the cars at the end of the rally?

Charlie G.: The Mongolian rules about importing cars are very strict. They do not produce cars either. There is a hand demand that is not being met and, therefore, everyone wants to buy our cars.

They don’t mind that the car has been used on these long and hard roads?

Pamela M.: No. Cars are a very serious problem in Mongolia and public transportation is under-developed. You can see tons of cars on the streets in Turkey, but when you go to somewhere like Mongolia most people have to share one car with others. For instance, our car fits five people, but you’ll find eight to nine people inside in Mongolia. They are like clown cars, when the car stops, countless people hops out. (Laughing)

‘’ We can get out of any situation by joking or flirting’’

What do you eat, what do you drink, and where do you sleep?

Charlie G.: Generally, we stay in hostels, but we have camped a couple times. Last night Orta Blu did us a huge favor and booked us our first real hotel. We will go to Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Mongolia after crossing the border of Turkey. The roads will be unpredictable after Turkmenistan. We will probably say: “That’s enough for today, let’s pull off the road and get some sleep’’ and just make camp.

How do people react when you tell your story?

Charlie G.: The taxi driver who took us to Turkmenistani Consulate thought that we are crazy. He told us that we need a man. (Laughing)

Aren’t you scared?

Pamela M.: No, on the contrary, a team of two women has a lot of advantages. The teams of men are disturbed more than us. For instance, policemen stops you looking for a bribe we will probably end up paying less then the men, if anything at all. Men are confrontational… But when you’re a woman, they become less aggressive. We can get out of any situation by flirting or joking. For example, we had a little crash in Istanbul.  If there were two men, the accident would be a big deal, but when you are two women, you can just act silly and no one gets mad.

Pamela M.: “Usually my Mom doesn’t care at all what I am doing, but this time she’s really excited. She tells the story to people she doesn’t even know!’’

‘’Before we get back on the road, I’ll get some humus’’

What do you think of Istanbul? How did you find the traffic, for example?

Charlie G.: It’s very difficult to drive in Istanbul. Constantly shifting gears with all the hills, and pedestrians who don’t care about traffic lights. (Laughing)

Did you enjoy any Turkish food?

Charlie G.: It was delicious! I especially love manti.
Pamela M.: I love manti too, but mostly, I love the mezes. Especially humus, tomorrow morning I’ll find somewhere to get some humus for the road. I also love kebab and I could survive just on that. If you ask me to choose between good kebab or a five star hotel, I would take the kebab. (Laughing)

source: interview with Aydil Durgun for Mylliet