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TWBR has the ability to change a lot of things about you. TWBR has the ability to change the way you interact with people. TWBR has the ability to change the way you view the rest of the world. TWBR has the ability to change the way you look at yourself. Recently, I was looking through some of my identification cards and it became quite obvious that TWBR also has the ability to change to way you look period. Don’t get me wrong, I still look good…  had to throw that in there to let some people know that TWBR has not damaged my ego at all… and there are still no signs of any gray hairs even though I have now entered my thirties. However, it is kind of funny to look in the mirror from time to time ( in our case usually the rearview mirror) and see who is there.

For the most part, the "Metamorphosis of Bouey" seems to be tied directly to my hair. Whether is the hair on my head or the hair on my face, TWBR has contributed to a lot of experimentation and usually results in a good laugh or two. So, for all of you who have not been able to witness my various transformations, here are some photos for your viewing pleasure. I know Galuh in Indonesia will get a serious kick out of this since she is always making fun of my hair.

Ah, new Passport and apparently ready for the Army - 2004

Still keeping it clean in ‘04

Getting certified to dive must make your hair grow - 2006

No comment - February 07

Australia makes your hair shrink - April 07

The man with the fuzzy face - October 07

Wow, TWBR is really starting to work some magic - October 07

TWBR can also lead to mental problems - November 07

Getting ready to apply for a job at Blackwater - November 07

Beards are out in UZ but I’m bringin’ back the stash - November 07

I would like to take a moment to thank the people who have recently supported TWBR. Every little bit helps to fill the tanks with gas, pay for visas and afford to get by.

Thanks to:

Derek Yap

Hannah Megacz

Katie Shoppman

Tom and Judy Magara

All of these folks of recently helped us out with our ongoing funding problems.

We need all the help we can get, so please click below to find out how you can help us out. Even a couple of dollars helps and it is as easy as a click of a mouse.

Click below to donate a single amount via paypal.

Click below to sign up for an automatic monthly donation or to learn about the other [free] ways you can help us get funding.

Help Us Page

When I first came up with this scheme to drive around the world, it was a secret from my family for a while. I knew that my mom and sister would be worried, so it seemed better to get things in motion before getting their input. Months went by and then I decided to tell Katie (my sister).  Around this time I was still early in the planning phases of the journey.  Katie likely just brushed this off as another one of the silly ideas I tend to come up with on a regular basis.

Time went on and things were really rolling. We had ten’s of thousands of hits on the website per month and some potential sponsors. We were certainly nearing a point that the possibility of pulling off this wild scheme was eminent. This was probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 months from departure. It seemed appropriate to tell Mom about the idea now. Her first reaction was that it was the stupidest thing I had ever came up with and she was very upset.  She went on and on about how dangerous it was and the likelihood of me getting hurt or killed. We left it at that…she surely hoped that the expedition would not come to fruition.

Months later I went out to have some beers with my sister.  On the surface my mother gave the impression that maybe it was not the worst idea ever.  The thoughts she was putting in my sisters head were very contrary to my impressions. Katie and I finished a few beers and were having some great conversations about all of the things TWBR had in store. At some point the "going through 20 some countries on the state department’s do not travel list" did not set so well with Katie. Some crying ensued and I asked what bothered her so much. I found out that good old mom told her that I was going to die while on this expedition.

Since then I have obviously not died, my Mom is probably the biggest fan of the trip, and there is a lot less crying.  Katie and Mom have been two of my biggest supporters.  In fact, even though my sister does not make a ton of money, she gave us a pretty sweet donation before we left.  She has been doing all kinds of busy work and taking care of tons of things for us at home.

Not a day goes by that I do not think about her, she is the best sister around. TWBR would not exist without her. Even after all the times she has been concerned, even after being convinced that I might die, she is still giving money to us and wasting countless hours running around Denver keeping things in order. In fact, she is the only person so far that has taken the initiative to sign up for a subscription to the site.  So thanks sister, I probably would have given up by now if it was not for you.

This blog has posted today, but was written nearly a week ago:)

Tonight we ate our final dinner in Ulaanbaatar before we head west through Mongolia to Russia tomorrow morning. Chinzorig of Drive Mongolia and his wife joined us and we discussed the best routes to take west. No matter who you talk to, Mongolian or not, it seems that many conversations tend to lead back to the roads here. These talks are not concerning the condition of the roads, but more likely some other interesting info like where they lead to or how many days [not hours] it will take to get from point A to B. Due to the fact that normal day trip distances at home could take weeks here, roads are a major concern of most tasks.

The idea of where a road leads is somewhat different here.  As Chinzorig brought up this evening and we learned while we were in the Gobi, one road may end up at your destination, one may lead to a mine, the other may lead to a Ger camp, while all the rest of the roads lead to nowhere.  The problem is that all these roads tend to look the same.  The advice from our seasoned Mongolian driver…follow your compass. It was the same in the Gobi. Each time we would try to follow a track that seemed right, we would end up driving miles out of the way and look to the trusty compass to get back on track.

Our learned behavior tends to steer us to the most trodden path, but here sometimes that path is the same one that everyone else made the same mistake on.  The only reason it looks so used is because so many people were fooled by it. Chinzorig even admitted this evening that he gets lost from time to time as well. It does not exactly promote confidence when most Mongolians you meet even admit that the roads are difficult. On Bouey’s trip out the wedding, even the locals heading out to the same camp they had been to before led the group down some wrong roads on the way.

We are confident, we have our supplies, our new shocks, some traditional Mongolian overcoats and even down jackets from Marmot. Our camping gear is state of the art and our sleeping bags should do a fine job of keeping us warm in the below freezing temperatures. However, it is still hard to convince your self that heading out into the middle of nowhere is a good idea when snow is dusting the ground and there are no real towns, no real roads and even the locals laughing at the difficulty of the task. For the next week we will be meandering around the Mongolian countryside with our binoculars and compasses trying to find our way to Russia. So if you find yourself asking where the blogs are in a week from now, it probably means that we got our bearings wrong and are still wandering amongst the Gers.

The Thundra looks cold, brrrrr.

Cry? What? Most people who know me must be thinking; what is it that would lead a hardened individual, molded and forged in the fires encountered while driving a couple Toyotas around the world to be driven to tears. Well, simply put, it is the simple gestures and words of encouragement from people we meet along our journey who move me in such a way that my only natural response is to cry a bit… although I try not to let them see it.

Most recently, we were invited to a traditional Mongolian wedding out in the countryside. We jumped at the opportunity to be a part of this truly unique cultural experience and without hesitation, hopped in the Thundra along with eight other Mongolians and a British ex-pat (that’s right, we had 11 people in and on the Tundra) and headed west. Obviously, the main focus of the wedding and the ensuing weeklong celebration was the wedding itself, but we also became the subject of attention after arriving in our strange machine.

We have been starting to get local’s to write words of encouragement on the roof rack of the Thundra and it did not take long to find someone who could write in the traditional Mongolian script, as opposed to the contemporary Russian-style Cyrillic alphabet, to add to the collection. In fact, after seeing the Chinese writing on the rack, the Mongolians were more than happy to add their own words directly above the Chinese characters. There is a degree of tension between Mongolians and the Chinese and the Mongolians are always looking for a way to one-up the Chinese even if it is simply writing their phrase above one from their neighbors to the southeast. Even though the blank space above the Chinese characters was limited, the Mongolians would not have it any other way.

Anyway, the writing was cool, but it did not make me cry. At the wedding itself, there were some very well respected herders and local political bosses in attendance and the elders soon took a keen interest in what we were doing and made a point to wish us well with each round of Vodka that came our way. There was one particular gesture of good will though that sticks out above all others. On the night of the wedding, the father of the groom seemed to be especially proud that the presence of scruffy TWBR foreigners was making his son’s wedding an even more memorable occasion. As you know, we have been soliciting donations to help us out on our quest around the world and many of you have helped us out and for that we are truly thankful. However, that night we received the most significant and meaningful donation to date.

After many hours of eating, drinking and celebrating, the father of the groom approached us and offered us a bowl of fermented mare’s milk. Ayrag is a very special drink in Mongolia and is offered as a sign of welcome and in particular flows in great volumes at special events and celebrations. Through an interpreter, the father wished us good luck on our journey and upon receipt of the bowl of ayrag, passed us 2,000 Togrog to help ensure that the expedition would be a success. 2,000 Togrog amounts to only about $2 but this is a large sum of money in Mongolia. In a country where the average monthly income is about $100 in Ulaanbaatar and even less in the countryside, this represented a significant personal contribution and an even greater gesture of encouragement and support.

Maybe it was the combination of ayrag, vodka and homemade alcohol in my system that made me cry when this man passed me the worn and tattered bills. Maybe it was a sign of respect from one nomad to another… from the days of Chinggis Khan, Mongolians have been known for leading a nomadic lifestyle and this is a tradition that is still carried on today by the herders who carefully watch over their horses, sheep and goats. Ultimately, I think it was the fact that this complete stranger who welcomed me into his home and family and shared food and drink with me was willing to give me a gift on this very special occasion.Whatever the reason for his donation was, it was obvious that it was genuine and proved that I still have some soft spots left beneath my bearded exterior. Oh yeah… I have a beard now too for the first time in my life. I think it may be my attempt at portraying a tougher than usual appearance going into Siberia or it is possibly a sign of an impending mid-life crisis having recently turned 30.