PHOTO GALLERIES:
• China Border
• The Start
• Mongolia, The Gobi Desert
• Syberia, Russia
• The Red Square in Russia
• Outside the Red Square
• The Kremlin in Russia
• Hotel Cosmos in Russia
• The Drive to St. Petersburg
• The Hermitage, St. Petersburg
• Sea of Finland
• Estonia
• Latvia
• Poland
• Germany
• France Reims
• Paris - The Finish
• Place Vendome in Paris

ROGER JAMES' DIARY:
• Diary: Part One

PEKING TO PARIS LINKS...
• View Navigation Map
• 1907 Peking to Paris
• Peking to Paris website

RESTORATION PHOTOS:
• Series 1
• Series 2
• Series 3
• Series 4

Mr. and Mrs. Roger James at the Place Vendome in Paris.

THE CAR LOOKS GOOD, JUST AS IT WAS LOADED IN NEW CARLISLE, OHIO, AT THE END OF MARCH. WE DROVE TO THE HOTEL FROM THE WAREHOUSE. ARTHUR HIRES A CAB TO LEAD US TO THE HOTEL SHANGRA-LA.

SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2007
ALL THE CARS MUST PASS INSPECTION BY THE FIVA OFFICIALS BEFORE THEY WILL BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE ON THE RALLY. SOME OF THE FOLKS DID NOT BOTHER TO INSTALL MUD FLAPS AS REQUIRED BEFORE LEAVING HOME. I HEAR THERE IS QUITE A FEW RUBBER BATH MATS MISSING FROM THE HOTEL.

SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2007
WE ARE UP EARLY THIS MORNING (5:30 A.M.). WE HAVE A BITE TO EAT AND IT‚S OFF TO THE GREAT WALL NORTH OF BEIJING. WHAT A SIGHT!! I CAN‚T BELIEVE WHAT I AM SEEING. A WALL BUILT UP ALMOST VERTICAL CLIFF. WE ARRIVE ABOUT 6:30 A.M.. AT 7:00 A.M., THE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP AT THE GREAT WALL VISITOR‚S CENTER PUT ON A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE FOR OUR GROUP. IT WAS CALLED "THE DANCE OF THE DRAGONS". I HAVE SEEN THIS ON TV, BUT SEEING IT IN PERSON IS REALLY SPECIAL. I WAS SO TAKEN BY THIS, IT IS HARD TO PUT IN WORDS. THINKING OF WHO I AM, WHERE I CAME FROM AND HERE I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF CHINA WATCHING THE "DANCE OF THE DRAGONS" (LIVE) - VERY EMOTIONAL. WE DEPART THE GREAT WALL WITH GREAT FAN FARE AND A WAVE OFF WITH THE CHECKERED FLAG. AS WE TRAVEL ALONG, I AM SHOCKED AT THE TRAFFIC BY SEMI TRUCKS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS AND ALL CARRYING THREE TIMES THE WEIGHT OF A TRUCK IN THE U.S.. TRUCKS ARE BROKEN DOWN EVERYWHERE. SMOG IS VERY HEAVY AND IS A BLUE HAZE.

WHEN THE TRUCKS BREAK DOWN, THEY DON‚T HAVE CONES. THEY USE ROCKS AND WHEN THE TRUCK IS REPAIRED, THEY JUST LEAVE THE ROCKS. NAVIGATION WILL NOT BE A PROBLEM TODAY. EVERY TURN, EVERY JUNCTION OR ROUNDABOUT THERE IS POLICE DIRECTING YOU WHICH WAY TO GO. EVERY TOWN AND VILLAGE WE GO THROUGH, THERE IS BIG CROWDS AWAITING OUR ARRIVAL. SEEMS EVERYONE HAS A CELL PHONE WITH A CAMERA. THEY ALL KNOW HOW TO SAY "HELLO". THEY ARE VERY FRIENDLY. WE SEE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LINING OUR PATH ON THE WAY TO DATONG, CHINA. WE STOP AT THE HUNYUAN MONASTERY - THE HANGING MONASTERY. (SEE PHOTO GALLERY TO THE LEFT)

MONDAY, MAY 28, 2007
DATONG TO SIZIWANGQI - THIS WAS A HARD DAY OF DRIVING. IT SEEMS THAT THE POLICE CLOSED OFF PART OF THE ROUTE AS UN-DRIVABLE AND REDIRECTED THE GROUP ON ANOTHER ROUTE. OH, BUT NOT FOR US, WE NEVER SAW THE POLICE AND TOOK THE ORIGINAL ROUTE (THE UN-DRIVABLE ONE). THEY WERE BUILDING A NEW ROAD AND NEW BRIDGES, SO WE ENDED UP DOWN IN THE RIVER‚S BED, CROSSING RIVER‚S GOING THROUGH FOOT DEEP MUDDY SOFT SAND. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE ARRIVED AT OUR CAMP LATE. SURELY, MONGOLIA CAN‚T BE ANY WORSE THAN THIS??? FOOD WAS OKAY. TOILETS REALLY SPECIAL!!

TUESDAY, MAY 29, 2007
SIZIWANGQI TO ERENHOT - TODAY WAS AN EASY DAY WITH GOOD ROADS. THE CARS WERE ALREADY HAVING PROBLEMS, BUT OUR LITTLE FORD IS RUNNING FLAWLESS.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2007
BORDER CROSSING - ERENHOT TO SAYNSHAND. OUR FIRST CAMPSITE. IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO CROSS THE BORDER FROM CHINA TO MONGOLIA. WHO WANTS TO BE IN A HURRY? WHEN WE CROSSED THE BORDER, THAT WAS THE END OF THE ROADS. WE SET OUT ACROSS THE GOBI DESERT. HOW YOU COULD HAVE SUCH A CHANGE AT THE BORDER. HERE YOU WILL LEARN TO NAVIGATE. FOLLOWING TRACKS, AT TIMES, WE SET OUT ACROSS THE DESERT (WHAT A GODFORSAKEN PLACE). WE DO THIS ALL DAY. CARS ARE BROKEN DOWN EVERYWHERE. IT‚S SO ROUGH, YOU CAN‚T DESCRIBE IT. IF THAT‚S NOT BAD ENOUGH, AFTER A LONG DAY OF ABUSE, IT‚S GETTING DARK AND I SEE A SAND STORM APPROACHING. A BROWN WALL AND I WOULD ESTIMATE IT TO BE 5,000 HIGH. WHEN IT HITS, YOU CAN‚T SEE 10' IN FRONT OF THE CAR. NO TRACKS TO FOLLOW, SO WE SET OUT ACROSS THE DESERT VERY SLOWLY. THERE IS EVERYTHING IN THE DESERT, ROCKS, BOULDERS, SOFT SAND AND DRY SURFACES. WE HAD TO USE OUR GPS SYSTEM TO NAVIGATE. I CAN‚T BELIEVE THAT THE CHECK POINT IS UP AHEAD. THE RALLY FOLKS ARE THERE WAITING. NOW IT‚S REALLY GETTING DARK. JUST AFTER WE LEAVE THE CHECK POINT, WE COME UPON THE AMBULANCE THE RALLY HAS PROVIDED. IT IS UPSIDE DOWN IN A RAVINE (VICTIMS OF THE SAND STORM). WE STOPPED TO LEND ASSISTANCE. IT HAD JUST HAPPENED, BEFORE WE ARRIVED AND EVERYONE IS OKAY. THEY HAD CALLED FOR THE SUPPORT TEAM TO PICK THEM UP. THE STORM HAS SUBSIDED SOME. WHAT NOW!! WE CAN SEE THE TOWN WHERE WE ARE SUPPOSE TO REFUEL BEFORE GOING TO CAMP. WE FINALLY MAKE IT TO CAMP. IT HAS TURNED COLD. THE WIND IS BLOWING, LIGHTENING AND RAIN IS ALL AROUND US TO SET UP CAMP. I SET UP ARTHUR‚S TENT AND I ELECT TO SLEEP IN THE CAR. I AM SO TIRED, I DON‚T EVEN EAT, JUST WASH UP AND GO TO BED. REMEMBER WHAT I SAID BACK ON MAY 28TH ˆ HA!! WE HEAR LATER THAT SEVERAL CREWS HAD TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN THE DESERT WITH THEIR CARS. REMEMBER, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BRING EMERGENCY FOOD AND WATER. YOU REALLY NEED IT. WE DISCOVERED ONE CAR WAS LOST AND NOT FOUND FOR TWO DAYS.

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2007
SAYNSHAND TO ULAAN BAATAR - AGAIN, MORE ROUGH TRACKS, WHICH WERE DAMAGING CARS. WE PASSED CAR AFTER CAR. WE SEE CARS ON TRUCKS BEING CARRIED TO ULAAN BAATAR. THE LAST 100 MILES IS A BEAUTIFUL ROAD. COULD THIS BE THE LAST OF IT?? WE HEAR THE RICH FOLKS ARE FLYING IN THEIR MECHANIC‚S AND PARTS TO REPAIR THEIR CARS. I MIGHT ADD - AN IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE RULES. THE LITTLE FORD IS STILL DOING WELL. IT HAS NOT MISSED A BEAT. WHILE SERVICING THE CAR, I DISCOVER WE HAVE BROKEN A SHOCK MOUNT ON THE FRAME. WE TAKE THE CAR TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR THE WELDING REPAIRS. TOMORROW IS A REST DAY - THANK GOD!! I DON‚T THINK THERE WILL BE MUCH REST FOR MOST OF THE CAR CREWS. ARTHUR AND I WORK TRYING TO CLEAN OUT THE GOBI DESERT FROM THE CAR.

FRIDAY, JUNE 1ST, 2007
WE CONTINUE CLEANING THE CAR OUT AND GET A LITTLE REST.

SATURDAY, JUNE 2ND, 2007
ULANN BAATAR TO KHAKHORIN - WE START THE DAY IN THE MANI SQUARE IN ULANN BAATAR. THEY GIVE US A GRAND SEND OFF, INCLUDING A BRASS BAND. THESE ARE WONDERFUL PEOPLE AND ARE VERY FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL. THEY SAY WE HAVE ROADS TODAY. WE FOUND AT TIMES, IT WAS BETTER TO DRIVE ALONG SIDE THE ROAD IN THE DESERT. THE CAR IS RUNNING WELL.

SUNDAY, JUNE 3RD, 2007
KHAKHORIN TO BAYANKOHGOR - WE ARE OFF THE ROAD AGAIN AND WE ARE TOLD THERE WILL BE NO ROADS UNTIL WE REACH RUSSIA. WE ARE ON GRAVEL ROADS OR SO THEY CALL IT. THESE ROADS ARE SO ROUGH, YOU CANT ESCAPE WASHBOARD ROADS FOR HUNDREDS OF MILES. BECAUSE THINGS ARE SO BAD, THE RALLY HAS BEEN SUSPENDED FOR TOMORROW. I THINK NOW THE FOCUS FOR EVERYONE IS JUST TO GET OUT OF MONGOLIA.

PART TWO IS COMING SOON!

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