10th August
It was raining when we left Ulan Ude, and rained all day, freezing cold. Two hours to get through the border, and then Lyns battery went flat when we finished Mongolian customs. The bike wouldn’t push start, so we borrowed some jumper leads from a truckie and jump started it from his truck, thanks mate. We got in to Darkhan around 7.00 pm, booked into a hotel for the night, the hot shower was something special. Tired after a big day, ate in the restaurant and had an early night. Not a very exciting start to what we hope will be a special country to visit.
11-13
Lost an hour as Mongolia is on Daylight saving, so we weren’t as early as we thought we were, Lyn’s bike started OK, I think the heated grips weren’t turning off like they should, and flattened the battery. Headed off to UB, fairly good road all the way. Ran out of chain spray yesterday, and the rain washed the chains clean, so lubed them with a bit of engine oil to get to UB. Cold and cloudy all the way, but no rain. Booked into the Oasis Hostel, seems to be the place where all the overlanders go, and there was a few there, but we thought it was expensive for what it was, and the wifi was a joke. We ended up staying two nights, but because of the people, not so much the place. Next door, and working with the Oasis, is a good bike workshop, run by a Japanese guy who knows his stuff, I changed the oil and filters on the bikes there, and welded up my pannier brace again. I wanted to build a new one, but couldn’t get the right steel, so just patched it up until I can find what I need. A few of us rode out to the giant statue of Chinggus Khan about 50 kms from UB, This is huge, and you can go up to the horses head and check out the view of the surrounding countryside. We met some great people at the Oasis, another aussie named James, a kiwi named Chris, Pavel, a Russian from St Petersberg, and a crazy french guy travelling with his girlfriend and another girl in an old french ex army truck. All great people, and on the second night we all partied a bit too hard, nailing quite a few bottles of red wine between us, made for a very slow start the next day. We had planned to head south into the Gobi Desert, but didn’t get away until after 2.30 pm, and were hungry and thirsty by the time we got 30 kms down the road, so stopped at a restaurant for a feed. We then realised we didn’t have enough cash, so Lyn rode back to an ATM, and by the time we were ready to leave it was after 5.00 pm, we discovered we needed water, so headed back to the Atlas Hotel, we had seen on the outskirts of the city, and booked in there. A really nice room with ensuite, fast wifi, undercover parking for the bikes, and a lot cheaper. The manager spoke really good english, she had lived in the US for quite a few years, so that made things a lot easier. We will try again tomorrow, leaving early, with water………
It was raining when we left Ulan Ude, and rained all day, freezing cold. Two hours to get through the border, and then Lyns battery went flat when we finished Mongolian customs. The bike wouldn’t push start, so we borrowed some jumper leads from a truckie and jump started it from his truck, thanks mate. We got in to Darkhan around 7.00 pm, booked into a hotel for the night, the hot shower was something special. Tired after a big day, ate in the restaurant and had an early night. Not a very exciting start to what we hope will be a special country to visit.
11-13
Lost an hour as Mongolia is on Daylight saving, so we weren’t as early as we thought we were, Lyn’s bike started OK, I think the heated grips weren’t turning off like they should, and flattened the battery. Headed off to UB, fairly good road all the way. Ran out of chain spray yesterday, and the rain washed the chains clean, so lubed them with a bit of engine oil to get to UB. Cold and cloudy all the way, but no rain. Booked into the Oasis Hostel, seems to be the place where all the overlanders go, and there was a few there, but we thought it was expensive for what it was, and the wifi was a joke. We ended up staying two nights, but because of the people, not so much the place. Next door, and working with the Oasis, is a good bike workshop, run by a Japanese guy who knows his stuff, I changed the oil and filters on the bikes there, and welded up my pannier brace again. I wanted to build a new one, but couldn’t get the right steel, so just patched it up until I can find what I need. A few of us rode out to the giant statue of Chinggus Khan about 50 kms from UB, This is huge, and you can go up to the horses head and check out the view of the surrounding countryside. We met some great people at the Oasis, another aussie named James, a kiwi named Chris, Pavel, a Russian from St Petersberg, and a crazy french guy travelling with his girlfriend and another girl in an old french ex army truck. All great people, and on the second night we all partied a bit too hard, nailing quite a few bottles of red wine between us, made for a very slow start the next day. We had planned to head south into the Gobi Desert, but didn’t get away until after 2.30 pm, and were hungry and thirsty by the time we got 30 kms down the road, so stopped at a restaurant for a feed. We then realised we didn’t have enough cash, so Lyn rode back to an ATM, and by the time we were ready to leave it was after 5.00 pm, we discovered we needed water, so headed back to the Atlas Hotel, we had seen on the outskirts of the city, and booked in there. A really nice room with ensuite, fast wifi, undercover parking for the bikes, and a lot cheaper. The manager spoke really good english, she had lived in the US for quite a few years, so that made things a lot easier. We will try again tomorrow, leaving early, with water………
Some people spend big bucks on their overland trucks....
while others are a little more budget conscious.
Lyn and I at the statue, those dots on the horses head are people.......
View of the area around the statue, taken from the horses head
Lyn leaving the complex, with Pavel behind her.
14
Coming down to the carpark the next morning, we found a goat skin on floor, along with its head, liver, some intestines, and other bits and pieces, not the sort of thing we are used to back home, but the norm here. The rain had gone, but it was still nice and cool for the ride south. It was along here we clicked over the 70,000 kms for the trip since we left Australia. It was a good road to Mandalgobi, where we booked into a hotel, then went for a walk through the town, but there wasn’t much to see, it reminded me of one of those towns you see in a wild west movie, on the edge of the desert, with tumbleweeds blowing along the street. Opening the window, the handle came off in Lyn’s hand, the advertised wifi didn’t work, and the horsehair mattresses were about an inch thick, and as hard as the boards they were sitting on, so we ended up getting the expeds off the bikes and putting them on top of the mattress, so we could get some sleep. We ate in the hotel restaurant for tea that night, as it had a menu with pictures, and by pointing we could see what we were ordering. Funny how what turns up on your plate never looks anything like the picture……….
Coming down to the carpark the next morning, we found a goat skin on floor, along with its head, liver, some intestines, and other bits and pieces, not the sort of thing we are used to back home, but the norm here. The rain had gone, but it was still nice and cool for the ride south. It was along here we clicked over the 70,000 kms for the trip since we left Australia. It was a good road to Mandalgobi, where we booked into a hotel, then went for a walk through the town, but there wasn’t much to see, it reminded me of one of those towns you see in a wild west movie, on the edge of the desert, with tumbleweeds blowing along the street. Opening the window, the handle came off in Lyn’s hand, the advertised wifi didn’t work, and the horsehair mattresses were about an inch thick, and as hard as the boards they were sitting on, so we ended up getting the expeds off the bikes and putting them on top of the mattress, so we could get some sleep. We ate in the hotel restaurant for tea that night, as it had a menu with pictures, and by pointing we could see what we were ordering. Funny how what turns up on your plate never looks anything like the picture……….
Not what you normally find on the garage floor.........
Countryside is starting to get a bit more barren as we head into the gobi
15
Rode to Dalanzadgad, good road, good weather, plenty of camels, flat country, the further south we got the sandier and drier it got, we were now in the Southern Gobi area. Went looking for Yolyn Am Canyon, but couldn’t find it, so tried for accommodation in one ger camp along a shitty track but it was too dear, so we found another one, up high on a hill, along an equally shitty road, where Lyn dropped her bike in a bad soft patch, but no injury or damage done, only going slowly. We booked in and stayed the night, along with a group of Korean tourists, who were interested in our trip. One of the guys could speak english, and their Mongolian guide could speak Korean, so between us we could translate to Mongolian and Korean. It made for long conversations, but the night passed fairly quickly! There was a really strong wind blowing, but the view was great. Not a bad night, but it was fairly expensive for what it was.
Rode to Dalanzadgad, good road, good weather, plenty of camels, flat country, the further south we got the sandier and drier it got, we were now in the Southern Gobi area. Went looking for Yolyn Am Canyon, but couldn’t find it, so tried for accommodation in one ger camp along a shitty track but it was too dear, so we found another one, up high on a hill, along an equally shitty road, where Lyn dropped her bike in a bad soft patch, but no injury or damage done, only going slowly. We booked in and stayed the night, along with a group of Korean tourists, who were interested in our trip. One of the guys could speak english, and their Mongolian guide could speak Korean, so between us we could translate to Mongolian and Korean. It made for long conversations, but the night passed fairly quickly! There was a really strong wind blowing, but the view was great. Not a bad night, but it was fairly expensive for what it was.
Wild camels near the road
Went looking for the dingo, but couldn't find it............
Office and restaurant at the camp
Home for the night
View from the camp
16
We were going to ride to Bayanzag, but turned back after my bike started overheating in the slow going, and the following wind didn’t help the airflow through the radiator. The radiators in both bikes have a lot of mud and dirt in them from all the shitty wet roads we have been on lately, but it is difficult to find a hose to use. The bikes are filthy, and really do need a clean. Booked into a hotel in Dalanzadgad, and, walking back from a restaurant, we met two french couples who wanted someone to share the costs on a 3 day tour they were trying to arrange, which worked in with us perfectly. We organised it and left the next morning.
17-20
We met Tumee our driver at 9.00 am, piled into his 4wd Mitsubishi minibus, and headed off to Yolyn Am Canyon, which was the one we were looking for the previous day that didn’t have any signs up! It was OK, but basically just a small gorge you could walk through. Normally there is a section of a spring that stays frozen all year, even through the summer, but it had been especially hot this year, and it had melted. Bloody cold in the gorge though! There were a lot of little mouse like creatures running around, cute with big ears and eyes, like a bilby in Oz. From there it was up to Khongoryn Els, where we spent the night in another ger at a tourist camp. There were two choices for the evening meal, eat it or go hungry. It was a slow trip, after the bitumen stopped the road was reasonable to Bayandalai, then bloody awful to Khongor. I’m glad it was his car and not mine, the corrugations were horrible. Khongoryn Els is the location of the highest sand dune in the Gobi, at 300 metres high, so of course we had to climb it. It doesn’t sound much, but there was lots of breathers on the way up, and it took nearly an hour, as it was too steep to walk up, you had to crawl, and the sand moved down as you tried to go up, so progress was slow. A great view from the top though, worth the effort. From there we drove back to the camp, where Lyn went on a camel ride, and then the marathon drive over rough, rocky, corrugated tracks to Bulgan, near Bayanzag, where we would camp for the night. On the way, Tumee would keep looking out of the window to check his tyres, and would look in the mirrors and get me to check the passenger side, as I happened to be in the front seat for that leg.The original camp we tried was full, so Tumee found us another than could sleep two of us in a ger, with the others in their tents. Lyn and I got the ger, because unfortunately I had forgotten to put the Expeds in the van, so we had nothing to sleep on. Our ger was also the home of a nocturnal animal like a hedgehog, but with coarse fur instead of spines. We woke up to the sound of little feet paddling around on our lino floor, and despite our best efforts, the little beastie would not leave through the open door, so we gave up and went back to sleep with it hiding under Lyn’s bed. The morning bought a visit to the Flaming Cliffs, then back to camp to load up, and the drive back to Dalanzadgad. It was a good three days, but Tumee had been coughing a lot and was obviously not well, and now it looked like Lyn had caught it, she wasn’t feeling good that night at the dinner we had arranged with Fred and Rebecca, Siri and Marjorie, our french travelling companions for the trip. She was coughing and with a sore throat, and still not well in the morning, so we made the decision to stay another day and rest in the hotel, and head off the following day.
We were going to ride to Bayanzag, but turned back after my bike started overheating in the slow going, and the following wind didn’t help the airflow through the radiator. The radiators in both bikes have a lot of mud and dirt in them from all the shitty wet roads we have been on lately, but it is difficult to find a hose to use. The bikes are filthy, and really do need a clean. Booked into a hotel in Dalanzadgad, and, walking back from a restaurant, we met two french couples who wanted someone to share the costs on a 3 day tour they were trying to arrange, which worked in with us perfectly. We organised it and left the next morning.
17-20
We met Tumee our driver at 9.00 am, piled into his 4wd Mitsubishi minibus, and headed off to Yolyn Am Canyon, which was the one we were looking for the previous day that didn’t have any signs up! It was OK, but basically just a small gorge you could walk through. Normally there is a section of a spring that stays frozen all year, even through the summer, but it had been especially hot this year, and it had melted. Bloody cold in the gorge though! There were a lot of little mouse like creatures running around, cute with big ears and eyes, like a bilby in Oz. From there it was up to Khongoryn Els, where we spent the night in another ger at a tourist camp. There were two choices for the evening meal, eat it or go hungry. It was a slow trip, after the bitumen stopped the road was reasonable to Bayandalai, then bloody awful to Khongor. I’m glad it was his car and not mine, the corrugations were horrible. Khongoryn Els is the location of the highest sand dune in the Gobi, at 300 metres high, so of course we had to climb it. It doesn’t sound much, but there was lots of breathers on the way up, and it took nearly an hour, as it was too steep to walk up, you had to crawl, and the sand moved down as you tried to go up, so progress was slow. A great view from the top though, worth the effort. From there we drove back to the camp, where Lyn went on a camel ride, and then the marathon drive over rough, rocky, corrugated tracks to Bulgan, near Bayanzag, where we would camp for the night. On the way, Tumee would keep looking out of the window to check his tyres, and would look in the mirrors and get me to check the passenger side, as I happened to be in the front seat for that leg.The original camp we tried was full, so Tumee found us another than could sleep two of us in a ger, with the others in their tents. Lyn and I got the ger, because unfortunately I had forgotten to put the Expeds in the van, so we had nothing to sleep on. Our ger was also the home of a nocturnal animal like a hedgehog, but with coarse fur instead of spines. We woke up to the sound of little feet paddling around on our lino floor, and despite our best efforts, the little beastie would not leave through the open door, so we gave up and went back to sleep with it hiding under Lyn’s bed. The morning bought a visit to the Flaming Cliffs, then back to camp to load up, and the drive back to Dalanzadgad. It was a good three days, but Tumee had been coughing a lot and was obviously not well, and now it looked like Lyn had caught it, she wasn’t feeling good that night at the dinner we had arranged with Fred and Rebecca, Siri and Marjorie, our french travelling companions for the trip. She was coughing and with a sore throat, and still not well in the morning, so we made the decision to stay another day and rest in the hotel, and head off the following day.
Tumee, our driver and Lyn, with the van
One of the little bilby like critters at the gorge, they live in holes in the ground
Yolyn Am Canyon
One of the many yaks grazing near the canyon
Part of the "road" to Khongor
View from the top of the dune at Khongoryn Els, tallest dune in the Gobi
Looking down at those trying to climb the dune, the dots in the centre left are vehicles parked at the bottom
Sunrise at Bayanzag
Kids at the ger camp, near Bayanzag
That camel does have two humps, but not two heads........
Lyn on her trusty steed
The Flaming Cliffs, Bayanzag
Myself, Lyn, Marjorie, Siri, Rebecca, and Fred at the Flaming Cliffs
Lyn and I at the cliffs
Camels at the waterhole, with the camp in the background. This was not the camp we stayed in, just nearby.
Just cos I'm wearing dad's boots shouldn't mean I have to do all his chores.........
21-22
The sky was threatening rain when we left, and there were storm clouds to the north, which was were we needed to go, but we headed off, and were lucky to just catch a few drops here and there as we dodged most of the rain all day, right up until we were about 10 minutes from the Atlas Hotel at UB, our destination for the day. We had stayed there on the way down, so knew what it was like and where it was. There it pelted down for a few minutes, and the last bit was in light rain up to the hotel door. We rode about 500 kms that day, stopping for lunch at one of the many little huts beside the road run by the women trying to earn a few tughriks to survive. The ride was uneventful, and luckily with a following wind most of the way, but we were both tired at the end, and Lyn was not the best, so we ended up having another rest day the day after, and the weather forecast was better then as well. The manager at the Atlas was great, she had lived in the US for quite a few years, so spoke good english, and even took our washing home and did it for us. Great service, highly recommend the place.
23
Fog and light drizzle when we left the hotel, but the sun was burning it off until we got further north, and then it turned really cold. Heavy cloud, but no rain, just cold riding. We were in two minds whether to stop at Darkhan, but it was 2.00pm when we got there, so decided to push on to the border, and try to get through for a fresh start the next day. We hit the border at around 3.30, and it took until after 7.30 to get through, most of the delay on the Russian side. Buses get priority, we had to back up, along with 4 or 5 cars, to let one come through from behind us, and all the passengers got off, with all their luggage, and went inside the customs building to be processed individually. It was still cold, and Lyn’s bike needed to be jump started again, it doesn’t like being started for about 30 seconds, then switched off as we creep through no mans land one car at a time. During these progressions, I managed to forget to put my stand down, and dropped the bike and myself heavily onto the concrete, breaking the peak on my helmet, but fortunately no other damage. Felt like a right dickhead, and was sore for while, but nothing serious. We found a hotel in Kyahta, on the border, with secure bike parking for an extra fee, and settled down for the night.
So, Mongolia, what did we think? The countryside was barren but not boring, the language harder than Russian, so impossible for us, the people generally friendly, but a lot see you as a rich tourist, and treat you accordingly. They don't mind pushing in in front of you, similar to other asian countries. A poor country, but it has a lot of potential for the future as a tourist destination. The main roads are pretty good, the others bloody awful! The food is very bland, and not a good place to be a vegan.
The sky was threatening rain when we left, and there were storm clouds to the north, which was were we needed to go, but we headed off, and were lucky to just catch a few drops here and there as we dodged most of the rain all day, right up until we were about 10 minutes from the Atlas Hotel at UB, our destination for the day. We had stayed there on the way down, so knew what it was like and where it was. There it pelted down for a few minutes, and the last bit was in light rain up to the hotel door. We rode about 500 kms that day, stopping for lunch at one of the many little huts beside the road run by the women trying to earn a few tughriks to survive. The ride was uneventful, and luckily with a following wind most of the way, but we were both tired at the end, and Lyn was not the best, so we ended up having another rest day the day after, and the weather forecast was better then as well. The manager at the Atlas was great, she had lived in the US for quite a few years, so spoke good english, and even took our washing home and did it for us. Great service, highly recommend the place.
23
Fog and light drizzle when we left the hotel, but the sun was burning it off until we got further north, and then it turned really cold. Heavy cloud, but no rain, just cold riding. We were in two minds whether to stop at Darkhan, but it was 2.00pm when we got there, so decided to push on to the border, and try to get through for a fresh start the next day. We hit the border at around 3.30, and it took until after 7.30 to get through, most of the delay on the Russian side. Buses get priority, we had to back up, along with 4 or 5 cars, to let one come through from behind us, and all the passengers got off, with all their luggage, and went inside the customs building to be processed individually. It was still cold, and Lyn’s bike needed to be jump started again, it doesn’t like being started for about 30 seconds, then switched off as we creep through no mans land one car at a time. During these progressions, I managed to forget to put my stand down, and dropped the bike and myself heavily onto the concrete, breaking the peak on my helmet, but fortunately no other damage. Felt like a right dickhead, and was sore for while, but nothing serious. We found a hotel in Kyahta, on the border, with secure bike parking for an extra fee, and settled down for the night.
So, Mongolia, what did we think? The countryside was barren but not boring, the language harder than Russian, so impossible for us, the people generally friendly, but a lot see you as a rich tourist, and treat you accordingly. They don't mind pushing in in front of you, similar to other asian countries. A poor country, but it has a lot of potential for the future as a tourist destination. The main roads are pretty good, the others bloody awful! The food is very bland, and not a good place to be a vegan.