Adventure much?

I haven't even left for Burning Man yet, but already have this unwarranted, inflated, self-important "ain't no desert/crazy cracked-out naked hippy person gonna get the best of me" attitude. Thus I'm thinking ahead to what other extreme adventures I can subject my body and mind to. Imagine my glee when I found the Mongol Rally. Unlike the Gumball Rally, you're not speeding through Europe at 210 mph in a $500,000 exotic sports car (although that sounds like a blast, too). You're driving in a compact car or mini van through foreign lands in demanding conditions. It's rough, dirty and unglamorous. You may have to bribe your way out of a situation or your car may run out of gas/break down in nowhere Russia or the middle of the Kazakh desert. There is no route you follow. There's the start: a large European city and there's the end: Ulaan Baatar, the capital of Mongolia. Everything in between that (roughly) four week period is up to you. Starting September 1, you can sign up for the 2011 Rally right here. 

Now, if four weeks is too much time to take away from your cubicle, I offer you this: the Rickshaw Run. It takes place in the Indian Subcontinent and lasts about two weeks, taking you through 5000km of dirt tracks, tropical jungle, monsoons, and either the Himalayas or the Rajasthan desert. If you're not familiar with a rickshaw, imagine the fastest, safest all-terrain vehicle and then imagine the complete opposite + one less wheel. There are three runs from which you can choose.

I absolutely want to do both of these races. Who's with me?

Caroline


PS I just burnt my tongue on tea and I'm crying.