17. Across Europe to to the UK
22-30th September:
Our drive west to London started with the 4x4 track out of the Russian 4x4 competition area and continually improved from dirt roads, to country roads, two lane Russian highways with their usual unevenness, to Poland’s 4 lane toll freeway, then Germany’s 6 and 8 lane autobahns. The reality had hit us that the adventure was drawing...
16. St. Petersburg & The Vesskiy Forrest 4X4 Event
18-21st September:
St Petersburg is spectacular, and as I said with Moscow, a must see before you leave this planet.
The city was built by Tsar Peter the Great in the 18th century as his summer residence and as a showcase city to the word.
He achieved this and created perhaps one of...
15. Moscow & The Local 4x4 Competition
12-18th September:
Moscow is a dynamic city, It is a ‘must see’ (+ St Petersburg) in one’s life.
For Australia, white mans history is so recent, here buildings and events are dated from the 13 hundreds. What I find impressive is that so much history is still intact.
...
14. Into Russia, Barnaul, Yekaterinburg to Moscow
Tuesday 4-6th September:
Since leaving the GPS spaghetti roads of Mongolia, it is obvious we are back in a prosperous community. The two lane bitumen road arrived immediately at the Russian border, and has grown wider and smoother ever since. Into Barnaul and it had grown into a 6 lane freeway. The pace of society is reflected in the driving habits,...
13. Western Mongolia -Uureg Nuur, Achit Nuur, Olgly & into Russia
Thursday 30th August: What a beautiful start to today. The three horsemen of yesterday evening arrived into our camp on a camel train. We ‘talked’ and shared tea and jam on bread.
We were each very impressed with our respective ‘machinea’ (car in Mongolian / Russian); they in our vehicles and us in their camel train.
...
12. Northern Mongolia -Hovsgol Lake & The Boorog Desert
Thursday 23rd August: Last night, the temperature continued to drop to a very cold and windy 5 degrees. It is still raining and low cloud obscured any views of the mountains surrounding the lake. Occasionally the sun would break through and show us the light dusting of snow on the hills not so far from where we camped. No point staying here, so after studying the maps we think...
11. Central Mongolia-Bayankhongor, Khujirt, Karakoram, Tsetserleg
Saturday 18th August: The sun is shining this morning, but fog is slowly drifting across the plain below us and up to Black Rock Ridge. The sweeping views of the horizon and Red Bluff disappear.
With breakfast over we head out across the flat plains. Today, there are camels everywhere, sometimes in herds of 50 plus at a time.
...
10. Across the Gobi Desert -Mandalgov, Dalanzadgad, Flaming Red Cliffs, Khongoryn Els to Bayankhonor
Saturday 11th August: Off to the Ulaanbaatar markets.
60,000 people visit these markets each day and they are as diverse as they are dynamic. You can buy anything from a gur tent and all the appropriate furniture, chain saws, butter wrapped in sheep intestines (as a container), antiques, ropes, and solar panels. We found everything very cheap. A $700 solar...
9. Ulan Ude to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia
Tuesday 7th August 2007: From information we obtained at the Mongolian Consulate in Ulan-Ude they do not issue visas on a Tuesday, hence we had to fill in a day. We wandered around the shops, Gay and Lyn managed to buy new sandals to replace the ones that were stolen at Lake Baikal.
The buildings are a mixture of original old log...
8. Chita to Lake Baikal via logging tracks
Wednesday 1st August: Chita, with a population of 370,000 is a diverse city with varying architecture.
A mix of old log buildings, now typical Russian concrete apartment buildings and some modern newer style living accommodation, that would do proud in any city. In the city square and surrounding the always present statue of Lenin,...
