Days 5 & 6: One Challenge Down, One To Go!

Lulea to Helsinki!

Saturday was Alex and Simon’s final day of driving with their UNDY 500 team mates.  They just needed to make it from Lulea in Sweden to Helsinki at the far south of Finland – another 500+ miles. 
They are so far north, on the edge of the arctic circle, and it is already early winter; luckily they’ve not encountered any snow yet, but it’s very cold!

By early morning they’d made it to Finland!  Just another 8 hours to go to Helsinki!

THEY’VE DONE IT!!  After 5 long days and more than 2,500 miles, 6 of the 7 cars made it to Helsinki!  Here is Simon reminding everyone how far they’ve come.  And what a place to celebrate… a car park converted from an old nuclear bunker, left over from the Cold War!



Don’t worry, they had bigger and better plans for their final night.  Here are TEAM UNDY all having a well deserved glass of bubbly!

They’ve all completed a great challenge, and come out with big smiles!  What’s even better, is that they have raised over £10,000 for The East Anglian Air Ambulance and St Elizabeth Hospice.  Good work guys!!  There is still time to donate, just click the link above.

Arctic Challenge: Completed!

 

Best of Suffolk Baltic Challenge: Just beginning!

 

So whilst their team mates recycled their bangers, each raising another £200 for their chosen charities, Alex and Simon’s second challenge was just beginning!  They have another 3,000 miles and seven more countries ahead of them.  This time it’s all in aid of The Best of Suffolk Charity Fund!  And from now on it’s just them and the car!
What’s more, the car is starting to struggle.  The brakes are making noises and getting very juddery, they’ve got a cracked windscreen, lost the petrol cap, and headlights have blown.  So the first challenge for Sunday was to ready the car! 
At least Morris is ‘on top of the world!’

Now all they had to do was make it into Russia, to their hotel in St Petersberg.  That’s only 250 miles – an easy day by UNDY standards – but the real challenge was crossing the border and getting into Russia!

Here they go… wish them luck!

Here they are….still stuck….

 
After 3 hours of queuing, passport showing, form filling, paperwork losing (only temporarily!), more passport showing and more form filling they finally crossed the border!!

Россия – Russia!

The evening was spent in St Petersberg; and, as is becoming tradition, they’ve been to visit a ship!  Meet Aurora; a shot from her forecastle gun began the Bolshevic Revolution in 1917.

And check out their hotel…

….Not really, this is The Hermitage Museum, the former state residence of the Russian emperors!

Don’t forget, we are now taking challenges for Alex and Simon to complete over the next few days!  To set your challenge, make a donation to The Best of Suffolk Charity Fund and set your challenge in the comment box!

Today they have 2 challenges to attempt:

 

 Good luck Alex and Simon!! We’re looking forward to the photos!!