My Mongol Rally travels have taken me to three countries just on Day 5. I started in Austria, took a short detour to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, and ended up in Slovenia for the night. My country count is at nine, not too shabby only five days into the rally.

Only 13 countries left on our 10,000-mile road trip.

I managed to get stopped by the Slovenian police for speeding. I didn't even know my car--a Nissan Micra, the 1.2-liter-engine wonder--could speed. I got let off with a caution after it became evident that neither of us could understand what the other was saying.

Apart from the mishap with the Slovenian police, my day has been dominated once again by visa shenanigans. First, the good news: We finally managed to pick up an Uzbekistani visa for friend/cameraman Steven Priovolos after a few moments of sheer panic. The adventures can continue.

Or can they?

Because here is the bad news. I received a phone call from the chaps at visa headquarters informing me that there's a problem with the Tajikistan visa. Tomorrow is Tajikistan visa D-Day.

My friends, I'm determined that this journey is not going to end at the Tajikistan border with a congratulatory swig of whiskey among a motley crew of Tajik border guards. I am determined that this journey is going to end gloriously as I march into Ulan Bator, Mongolia, having triumphed over the perils of bureaucracy and happy to be alive.

Tomorrow: Visa, visa, who has Leon's visa?



Photo: Steven Priovolos, Logothetis' cameraman, shows his newly acquired Uzbekistani visa. Credit: Leon Logothetis

Logothetis is a TV host, producer and author. His new book, "Amazing Adventures of a Nobody," debuts Oct. 3. Follow him on Twitter @LeonLogothetis or visit his Facebook page.

"The Mongol Rally is a dangerous journey, Leon."

I can't tell you how many times I've heard this about our 10,000-mile road trip from Britain to Mongolia, but it's just now sinking in. Danger lurks in the shadows, but it's more than a threat to my physical health. It's the threat of something else: the mental collapse.

On the night of Day 3, we got lost in a Czech Republic mountaintop village, ran over a German raccoon and partied the night away with an assortment of crazy characters. So far, so good

As I write this, we are driving to the beautifulAustrian city of Vienna, the spiritual home of Mozart and the Viennese waltz. Still, so far, so good.

But I'm having a bout of anxiety, and here's why: The Uzbek Embassy was late in processing the visa of my trusted friend and cameraman, Steven Priovolos, so he was forced to travel across Europe on his Greek travel documents because his passport is at the Uzbek Embassy. As long as we are in the European Union, Steve can travel. If we don't get that visa (or Steve's passport), our plans are toast.

Goethe once said, "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." We certainly began it. Let's hope we can finish it.

Tomorrow: Will the visa prove elusive and game-ending?

Photo: Leon Logothetis rests below a statue of German writer Goethe in Vienna. Credit: Leon Logothetis

Logothetis is a TV host, producer and author. His new book, "Amazing Adventures of a Nobody," debuts Oct. 3. Follow him on Twitter @LeonLogothetis or visit his Facebook page.

Day 3 of the Mongol Rally, the 10,000-mile road trip from Britain to Ulan Bator, Mongolia, was all about getting to the "castle of dreams" nestled in the quaint Czech Republic town of Klenova. It was here I hoped my dreams would come true: the dream of passing the first and only checkpoint of the rally, partying the night away with a bunch of random Mongolia-bound adventurers and finally being let loose on the adventure in earnest.

So far two of those dreams have come true. "Why only two?" you may ask. Well, I made it to the checkpoint, and as I write this, I am sitting atop a turret on the magnificent Klenova castle looking down on the festivities unfolding below.  The costumes.  The madness.  The drinking.  It’s all happening down there. People enjoying a moment of glory.

My last dream will materilaize when I put the key in my car and drive off in an attempt to reach the promised land: Ulan Bator, Mongolia.

But first I have to remember where  I parked my pesky little car.

Photo: Leon Logothetis, in the Czech Republic, reaches the Mongol Rally's only checkpoint. Credit: Leon Logothetis.

The day was finally upon me. And what a day it was. Musing about driving across a third of the Earth's surface in a car that will probably explode before I reach my destination in the Mongol Rally, the London-to-Ulan-Bator trek, is one thing. Actually going ahead with it is another. On Saturday, I took a leap of faith and drove off from Goodwood (about 65 miles from London) racing track in England.

Along with more than 400 other adventurous teams, we did a lap of honor around the course and revved our little engines in a cacophony of sound. There were banged up old ambulances, three-wheeled cars, motorbikes and anything else you can think of, all eager to do battle with the elements and the Turkmenistan border police.

After a few hours of driving, I found my way to the channel tunnel and left behind the rolling green hills of Britain.

By the end of my first day, I completed 193 miles. This leaves approximately 9,807 miles to go. To some, this may seem daunting. For me, it hasn't sunk in yet.

Oh, and finding a hotel seems to be quite a challenge. I am writing this post from the road because the picturesque Belgian town of Tournay seems unwilling to embrace this tired and disheveled Englishman. Today has been the beginning of something epic, but truth be told, I just want to avert a rat-infested hotel room and find a nice bed to collapse into.

Tomorrow: Approaching the "Czech point," the last check-in before heading off into the unknown.

Photo: Leon Logothetis enjoys a moment of rest in Luxembourg just outside of Berlin. Credit: Leon Logothetis.

“10,000 miles of adventuring bliss through deserts, mountains and steppe tackled in a car your Granny would use for shopping. The Mongol Rally is hurling yourself at one-third of the Earth's surface in woefully unsuitable vehicles to see what happens.”

--Mongol Rally HQ

I remember the precise moment I decided how I was going to spend the summer. It was 9:24 p.m., and I was lounging at home, feeling sorry for myself. Boredom had set in. Boredom and I are not friends. We do battle from time to time--epic battle. So when boredom comes knocking, I fight back.

I peeled myself off the couch and embarked on a mission: code named "Seek Out Extreme Adventure." It didn’t take long to find. I soon stumbled across what is, for me, the holy grail: the Mongol Rally, a 10,000-mile road trip from London to Ulan Bator, Mongolia. It begins Sunday. I was hooked and cured of my boredom. I electronically signed my life away to the chaps at Mongol Rally HQ. I was elated. Boredom had vanished.

The next morning, I realized what I had done.

Why would anyone choose to navigate through the treacherous landscapes of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia, hobnob with the Revolutionary Guard in Iran, swap stories with Kalashnikov-wielding Russian border soldiers? These are all good questions--questions I should probably have asked myself the night before.

But when an adventure of such epicness (I think I just made up that word) presents itself, something in my blood won’t let me pass up the opportunity. To further confuse my rational self, which was screaming for me to back out, I called my trusted friend and cameraman Steven Priovolos to join me on this trek. His quick acceptance heartened me while also making me question his state of mind.

"Hopefully this adventure won’t be the end of us," I told him. I was greeted with silence

I understand why. This little jaunt does seem like a fool’s folly, but every so often when you are faced with such daunting odds and the prospect of great exploits, you must throw caution to the wind and go for it. More than 400 teams--including one with Steve and me--will meander our way down to launch day in Goodward, Britain, and begin our journey into the unknown.

This rally really is not about who finishes first. This rally is about who finishes at all.

You finish. You give up. Or you die.

During the month or so I'll be on the road (if there are even roads where I will be going) I will be writing daily updates of my adventures. I will also be uploading video footage of my escapades for you. If by any momentary bit of bad luck I end up in a jail cell the updates will be delayed.

Photo: Logothetis poses with his car as he prepares to embark on the Mongol Rally. Credit: Leon Logothetis.