So whats this all about?
Essentialy two slightly crazy kiwi guys, in a converted Russian military truck, travel from Mongolia to South Africa and film their journeys, adventures and camaraderie.
The Route
Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Iran, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and finally South Africa.
Like this, at least – that’s the plan.
The Truck
The Gaz 66 truck (Gorki) is capable of traversing the roughest of terrain, it is complete with GPS, Satellite Tracking and communication and has the capacity to travel up to 2,000 kilometres without refuelling. Almost indestructible, it has been custom designed to function as a mobile home, mechanical workshop, and media production studio.
Why?
Rikki and Alex have both done their fair share of travelling, and what they have both become aware of is that the sights and places of the world may be incredible to see , and drive you to travel to see them, but really its the people and the connections formed with the people that are met along the way that really provide the greatest reward. In essence this is the reason for the trip, overland travel in your own vehicle allows, and at times forces interaction with the local people and cultures of the places you travel , and for us thats what its all about.
Of course we are not selfish people and so we felt that the whole trip should be documented through film, audio, photography and writing and openly shared on our site and through the popular social platforms on the net, you can find us in all these places. trucktheworld blog, facebook, twitter, youtube, picassa, and soundcloud.
Who are these people?
Alex and Rikki Tikki have been friends for years. They’ve already travelled together through a few countries together, Thailand, Morocco, lots of Europe, and even more countries separately.
Alex comes from a media background. He worked extensively in the television, radio and music industries in New Zealand. In 2004 he left NZ, curious as to what all the other colours on the map looked like. He took his time, spending over a year in Asia and the sub continent before crossing overland to Europe through Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. Since the conception of Truck the World he’s been working his ass off in Australia saving enough money for the journey ahead.
Rikki Tikki’s background is slightly more technical. A self-taught computer nerd, somehow in 2005 he landed a job setting up a network for a mining company in Mongolia. Seizing the chance to broaden his horizons, he’s been based in Mongolia now for three years, running logistics for a coal exploration company. The job has provided him with many travel opportunities, frequenting Japan, USA and many parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe. In 2008, he began to think of his next move, and Truck the World, moved from dream to reality.
How is this possible, who is paying for it?
This didn’t come about overnight, a lot of a hard work has gone into this already, and the truck hasn’t even left Mongolia. This is self-funded; there has been no corporate involvement, no government grants, no promises, and no safety nets.
At this stage there is enough budget to cover fuel, food, and visas for the proposed trip. There is no formal time frame associated with it; it will take as long as it has to.
The journey will be filmed and shared, regardless of success, failure, time, distance, or breakdown (mechanical or emotional).
Here is a clip from one of our testing trips in Mongolia at the end of 2009.