The basic idea of the trip / presentation

For years, I have been planning a month-long trip with an old car. Originally, it was supposed to go to Greece, but later Turkey was also on the agenda. Based on the experiences of the past years, it will now go deep into Asia. In particular, Georgia and Armenia, and perhaps the neighboring countries as well, are of interest.

From my original several companions, no one remained in the end, so I finally decided to go through with the project alone. However, I have kept the option open to still take someone who has a similar mindset.

The plan is to drive with an old car directly to Turkey, the first major stop will be in Istanbul. Then, I will continue to Georgia, and there will surely be a lot to discover along the way. After a drive through Georgia (Batumi, Tbilisi), I will head to Armenia. Yerevan and the Armenian highlands must be visited.

Then it becomes a bit blurry. We will have to see how much travel time has elapsed. If there is still time, which I hope, I would like to travel to the neighboring countries.

"Hit, stay where it's beautiful, and continue...”

Otherwise, sleep wherever you fall, motel, hotel, guesthouse, in the car, on the beach, whatever presents itself along the way...

The whole trip is planned "one-way", which means going to the destination with the vehicle and returning by plane. This also means that as long as the old car holds up, you can go to foreign lands, but there should be an airport or another fast means of transportation nearby for the last few days.

In the last country, the vehicle will be sold or given away to the locals.

Regardless, I will bring various items such as tools, sewing kits, toys, etc., which will be given to people along the way or to corresponding institutions (church communities, charitable organizations, children's homes, etc.) if they are sympathetic.

As for the vehicle, I have my eye on a VW T3 Transporter or a Mercedes W124 or W126. They are all cars that I have some knowledge of and, apart from that, I consider them stylish.

I want to carry out the necessary repairs in my small hobby workshop. The technology must work reliably, the appearance is secondary to me. The car can evoke pity, but it should also be fun. Apart from that, I want the car to cost as little money as possible... Not because it can't be done, but because I don't want it. Expensive off-road vehicles with sticker tuning and painted bumper covers, bolted-on skid plates, and air conditioning are not my style...

Regarding myself: I am a 43-year-old native of Dresden, a mechanical engineer by profession, and I have been tinkering with things for as long as I can remember. Furthermore, I enjoy driving anything with an internal combustion engine, and arriving at the destination is the main goal.

My core competencies include poor English, even poorer Russian, and a few words of Portuguese, general sociability, a penchant for makeshift repairs, and an unwavering determination to make it to the destination.

My previous car trips have taken me to the Baltic States and Kaliningrad with a Trabant, to Denmark and Sweden with a T3, and to Ukraine and Romania.

Frequent technical breakdowns are part of the experience for me and have been almost always fixed with my own resources, but my helper syndrome regularly compels me to assist other road users along the way.