Date: Monday 23rd August 2010

The China border exit procedure was handled by the Travel Company we are using.

It still takes three hours, mainly for the vehicle export.

We said our goodbyes to Andy and felt a little lonely after travelling with him for 43 days through China and Tibet.

This time we are not the ‘circus’ it is the Mongolian Uaz jeeps that entertain us. They come to China for cheep supplies and return very much overloaded.

It would seem that they cannot have anything on the outside or on top of the vehicle, (perhaps so the customs cannot see it). To the extent items are strapped below and we saw people carrying even a refrigerator as ‘hand luggage’ through customs.

The odd Y20 note seams to do the trick!

The Mongolian side is very much disorganised. Third party insurance was impossible to buy and finally I found someone to do the temporary import of the vehicles for us. The full procedure is described later under the tab: ‘How to Explore Planet Earth in a Vehicle’ - Mongolia: Overland from China

The road coming from China was a 6 lane freeway, within 3kms the Mongolian side was a multiple choice of no roads - just directions.

Heading off the directional roads we

turned west towards the setting sun and some big dunes we wanted to find in the Gobi Desert tomorrow.

Camp 77: First Night Mongolia Camp

Distance Today: 148 Kms    

Total Distance: 15,689 Kms

N44* 10.975  E111*03.680

Date: Tuesday 24th August 2010

Heading west we followed tracks until there were no tracks.

Michael is totally pissed off, because the Fuso front hubs will still not engage and it takes some 10kms of swearing before with the vehicle on full lock they finally lock in. He has had so many problems with his vehicle he is now undecided if he should take it on to the USA or return it to Australia for fixing.

The country slightly undulating with small rocks outcrops. Finally even those gave up and sand dunes dominated.  

Tyre pressures were dropped from road pressure down to 25psi.

That was good traveling as long as we kept to the ridges and did not finish up in a sand valley because that would have been impossible to drive out.

Out on an open plain again, and a vulture’s nest in a very lonely tree.

Inside a very large chick.

Heading further west and into the sand dunes again they are more powdery and dry with little vegetation.

Bill as lead vehicle sinks to the diffs.

We tried to snatch him out but I also sink to the diffs.

John attached to me but same again.

Now we have 3 vehicles bogged in the Gobi desert.

Out with the winches, and the old trick of burying the spare tyre as a ground anchor.

The difficulty was to bury the tyre in such soft , powdery sand. 

Finally with the tyres at 22psi and the winching we were all free again.

More winching to retrieve Bill from another soft patch.

It was good travelling on tops of the dunes as long as you avoided the ultra soft patches.

Recognising them was always challenging and responding very quickly as the front wheels sank. Stopping and reversing out to pick a new line.

Finally again onto a flat plain where the salty ground water provides a firm run and a bit of green cover.

The Gobi then open up to rolling gibber (stone) plains.

From memory of our last Mongolian visit we never saw a road sign, so this must be a rare one.

Lucky Lyn can read Cyrillic.

Camp was amongst the dunes as a few camels conveniently walked by.

Camp 78: Gobi Sand Dunes Camp

Distance Today: 108 Kms     Total Distance: 15,798 Kms

N44* 37.667  E110* 15.616

Date: Wednesday 25th August 2010

It was about an hours travelling from our camp to Sainshand, where nothing opened until 10am. The town nestled between two ridges was dry and windblown. The trees in the town you could count on less than one hand.

The time spent finding the Aimag (province) Museum was well worth the effort.

My most impressive exhibit was the large dinosaur eggs and the Khan Warrior breast plates and fighting implements.

Now that the shops are open, next was the meat shopping. Horse was mostly available but we found sheep and purchased two hind legs and a flap. About 8kg for US$2.70/Kg. The lady would not sell just the legs, but the quality was good so we accepted the flap as well.

Friendly local truck drivers.

Finally the tracks gave way to a good gravel road however the direction did not exactly match our GPS. After 30kms the reason was because this is a mine road leading to a large open coal cut.

From Ozzie Explorer we located our position on the Mongolia map that I had downloaded and calibrated previously. Then cross country and followed tracks to the town of Choir which is halt way between Sainshand and Ulaanbaatar.

20kms north of Choir is an old Russian air force base that has been left abandoned since 1992.

We explored the collection of derelict accommodation buildings and the surrounds.

Across the now grassed airfield were a vast collection of aircraft hangers. The gate was open so we entered the compound to explore. It was only moments before a man on a motorbike came across to us and said sternly ‘Ruski” and ‘Moscow’ and indicated us to leave the area.

We were hoping he was a ‘tour guide’ because we had heard that there were some abandoned Mig fighters here.  We drove around the large compound and he followed the trucks all the way just to make sure. We have made a mental note to ‘Google’ this place because something is going on and it has us intrigued.

Back on the now bitumen road to Ulaanbaatar, we turn off within 5kms and cross country to the top of an expansive plain for our evenings camp. In every grassy direction is only the flat horizon

Camp 79:  Secret Russian Business Camp

Distance Today:  315 Kms   

Total Distance: 16113 Kms

N46* 37.425  E108* 14.760

Date: Thursday- Friday 26th -27th August 2010

Now in Ulaanbaatar and have spent the last two days successfully organising access to the restricted areas in eastern Mongolia. For some time now, (at least for the last year we confirmed) these areas have been closed to foreigners and today we have the appropriate permits. (or at least will have them on Monday). We do have to travel with a local guide and currently we are waiting for him to arrive at the hotel for a meeting. Michael has a spare seat in his vehicle so it is convenient.

We will leave tomorrow morning towards the east. The Numrog is a wild and remote area where wildlife is abundant and its own unique ecological climate. Further south is an area of extinct volcanoes should be a real experience.

Camp 80:  Zaluuchuud Hotel Room Camp Ulaanbaatar

N47* 55.462  E106* 55.321

Date: Saturday 28th August 2010

Moogie, our guide was on time at 8am. Refuelled and food shopping at the Black Markets then some fire wood in each truck at T1,000/bag (US$0.75).

Just out of town this fellow was selling a hold of his eagle.

Heading east we are soon in the real Mongolia, vast open plains where sheep, goats, cattle and horses graze.

All are kept for meat but the goats also for angora mohair, and the sheep’s wool for making the felt for the ger tents.

The Mongols in traditional dress keep their animals in check from their small horses.

The plains and most of the mountains are devoid of trees. Only occasionally are there a few in the higher valleys.

Beside a small patch of trees we call camp. 

With fallen timber from the trees it is Bar-B-Q’ed Lamb steaks.

Camp 81:  Camp Fir Trees

N48* 00.135  E109* 14.837

Distance Today:  263 Kms    

Total Distance:16,572  Kms

Date: Sunday 29th August 2010

Awoke to a cold 5 degrees but a blue sky day as we travelled those vast open plains.

En-route to on old monastery we pass Khangil Nuur (Lake). This is Chinggis Khaan (correctly pronounced ‘Harn with a silent ‘K’) country. He was born, married and believed buried here. 

The Baldan Baraivan Khiid Monastery was built in the 1700’s and was the largest in Eastern Mongolia with over 2,000 monks.

In the 1939 the Russian Communists annihilated all of them and destroyed the Monastery. Today there are only two monks and a rebuilding project has begun to return it to its former glory.

Surrounding the Monastery valley are the remains of 10 carvings and some original stone buildings.

Scattered across southern Russia and Mongilia are these very rare Deer Stones.

They date back to the bronze age and mark the burial site of important people. They are granite rocks carved the sun and moon on the top then multiple deer carvings. Below the deer carvings would be carvings of tools. It was believed that the deer would carry the deceased to the next life and he/she would have also the necessary tools with them.

In this valley is also a commemorative plaque saying that this is where Chinggis met his best friend, who apparently became his arched enemy later in life.

These Ovoo’s are atop most high places. They predate both Buddhism and Shamanism, circling them three times pays gratitude to the spirits and the ancestors who protect the surrounding land.

Like Chinggis Khaan, it also brings you luck if you make an offering.

As the sun sets our camp overlooks those vast plains

Camp 82:  Open Plains Camp

N48*21.959  E111* 07.457

Distance Today:  217 Kms    

Total Distance:16,789  Kms