Team 79 Update Phuket

Published May 3, 2006 in Gumball 2006, Gumball 3000, Gumball 3000 News, Gumball 3000 Pictures, Gumballers

We’ve hit the mid point of the most amazing rally ever conceived.

Here is a picture from the reception in Serbia, I have many more, but I hope this begins to give you an idea of the madness.

99% of the cops in Serbia and Hungary were waiving us on to ever-higher speeds. We probably hit our highest speeds of the rally even though the roads and the traffic were not the best. Some of our fans were so enthused they were driving exceptionally dangerously around us. To my knowledge no one was hurt. A Phantom was totalled on the journey however.

I did some more autograph signing and gave a few interviews. Most likely I will never know the outcome of them, but what that is not why I did them. Hopefully no harm was done to international relations.

We survived the stop over in Abu Dhabi and landed to a warm reception in Thailand. We all smelled of fresh flowers as we were shuttled to our beautiful resort. The Amanpuri is simply the best resort in Thailand and most likely one of the best in the world. It is hard to believe we’ve just been on half of a very grueling exercise and are about to launch off for even more.

Amanpuri, Thailand:

Resort Phuket

Ok. But the flight over. Absolutely insane.

We took 3 bottles of wine, 3 bottles of vodka to our six little seats. We figured it was impossible for a 757 to hold enough liquor for 200+ Gumballers.

However, the beautiful Icelandic air crew was not willing to let us have a corkscrew. In retrospect I can’t really blame them, but we Gumballers have our ways of getting even. The deal became that we’d take all the bottles of wine we wanted as needed…self-service. They would make sure there were enough open bottles to meet our needs.

Hilda, one of the beautiful Icelandic blonde flight attendents, assured us that she’d heard it all/seen it all… Even what I was thinking. Good thing she got off at Abu Dhabi when we refueled. By the time I was solidly buzzing I am sure I could have shared something she’d never seen before. Those of you who know me personally can imagine the odds she had seen what I was going to suggest.

There was a food fight on the plane.

There were traffic jams going up and down the aisles, people sitting on armrests.

The plane was trashed. Piles of debris were knee-high.

We are flying out on it (again) on Friday. The Thailand passport control people kept our passports to ensure we leave the country on Friday.

Can’t say that I blame them either.

Apparently the Four Seasons Hungary in Budapest looked like Grand Central station at around 4am…with all of the young ladies leaving the hotel. I wasn’t awake, so I have no way to confirm or deny it. Judging by the initial reports in Thailand, I can’t say that I expect much difference here.

And to leave on a note that only an official Gumballer would have.

Here is a picture of one of the Russian Antonov “Bear�?s with some cars straddling the space in between — loading up for the trip to Thailand.