[singlepic id=1475 w=200 float=right] The F1 Grand Prix didn’t quite turn out how I expected.  Almost every day here, in the late afternoon, it deluges for a good 30-60 minutes.  Yesterday was no exception.  But, I am getting ahead of myself.  The story starts on the bus ride too the track…

The track it self is about an hour away by bus.  I got on the bus at 2:00, thinking I would be there well before the 5pm race.  Then we hit the traffic. It might not have been so bad, except for the motorcades that kept coming through.  Every 20 minutes a motorcade with police, range rovers, and some ridiculously expensive car (Porsche, Bentley, Ferrari) would come along trying to get through.  All the cars would have to move off to the side to make way and then everyone scrambled back to fill the empty lanes.  It was a nightmare.

I missed the start of the race, but only by about 5 minutes.  For roughly the first hour, it was fine.  The race was very exciting, but off in the distnace you could see that rain was coming.  When the rain arrived, they had to stop the race as the track was flooded in several parts.  Lightening was hitting the grand stands and the TV tower (remember I am sitting on top of a big hill!).  Finally they cancel the rest of the race and everyone leaves the track.

After the race there is a free Jamiroquai concert.  I don’t even like the band, but its better than waiting in the 2 hour line for a bus back to the city.  So I wait 45 minutes to get into the concert.  It is held in a big field next to the circuit and predictably is a HUGE mud puddle.  It starts raining again.  After getting soaked through a second time and also covered with mud, I leave to go wait for the bus.  Luckily I was able to find a rouge bus company operating just down the street from the official bus.  This prevents me from having to wait in the 2 hour line.  The ride back, due to traffic again, takes almost 2 hours.  I arrive back at my hostel, wet, covered in mud, and exhausted around 11:30.  Quick shower and I am asleep.

I think next year the FIA will think twice before having a late afternoon start time.