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It wasn't all plain-sailing from there since Dam's car had a flat.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030709-L.jpg And as Daniel rode into Ulaangom alone, he discovered that the truck had got stuck in the sand. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030715-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030719-L.jpg |
X-rays at the local hospital show, as suspected, nothing was broken and I'm prescribed an interesting cocktail of supplements and painkillers.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...IMG_1034-L.jpg Whilst I'm at the hospital, Dam's brother, Baathar appears with two large gentlemen and escort me to the dispensary and then to a hotel. It's the State Festival in Ulaangom and no hotel rooms had been available but they have found us a room in a guest house. One room, two beds, shared toilet, no shower. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030724-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000103-L.jpg |
Dam tells us that he'll return at 10:00 the next morning. We enquire at midday and he messages that he has a busy day and can't come. The challenge that we have is that we don't know where my motorcycle is. Baathar texts at 14:15 that a driver will be with us within the hour. The driver never arrives. We chase at 18:00, resigned to spending another night in Ulaangom. No response.
We go for dinner but, due to the Festival, no restaurants are open. We discover that the bike is at Autoservice Badaa but there's no addresses or street names in Ulaangom and no one, not even the police, know where it is. We buy Kimchi and eat at 21:00. A frustrating day but these people wouldn't let me pay for anything yesterday; their hospitality knows no bounds. |
166 miles from Ulaangom towards Burgaasatyn Ortoo (only 23 miles from each other)
At 00:47, there's a knock on our hotel room door. It's Dam. He says, "We get motorcycle now". And we did. Autoservice Badaa was less than a mile away.
Dam had been racing that day as part of the Festival and Daniel and I fully understand. He'd come back to his home town from Moscow, where he works, to participate in the festivities. He was beautifully dressed in white silk with a broad-rimmed hat and leather riding boots. After we collect the bike, he takes some photographs and we hug and kiss (a local custom). I'm very grateful that this gentleman became a part of our life. The next day we find pristine tarmac. Pretty soon I realise that my steering is not right. I'd noticed and commented to Daniel on a "clunkiness" over previous days but under heavy braking on a paved road, the bars wobble uncontrollably. Daniel takes a ride and it's clear that my steering head bolt is loose. I'd had new steering head bearings fitted immediately before leaving on the trip. Had the bolt shaken loose or was it not properly tightened in the first place? We'll never know. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030739-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030740-L.jpg |
We got carried away with the paved road, in the hope that it was heading where we wanted to go which was south. It wasn't showing on any map or GPS being so new. Unfortunately, the road slowly turned east. We headed back and stopped at a great little cafe and met lovely people.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030743-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...PICT0069-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030745-L.jpg They showed us a shortcut to our destination. Just follow the telegraph poles was the clear message. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030746-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030755-L.jpg It soon became clear that whilst this was a great shortcut for lightweight bikes, ours were struggling as the terrain became more and more ... you've guessed it ... sandy! Daniel rode on to see if it improved. He returned to say that it got worse so we turned back after 5kms. As we headed back towards town. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030766-L.jpg Daniel's first drop of the trip although, in his defence, he was now carrying my heavy bag and I, his lighter one. That's what good riding buddies do! |
After another brief stop at the cafe, we headed back and found the right road.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030783-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030808-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030812-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030822-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030844-L.jpg I was exhausted and Daniel was bored. We stopped for the night, aiming for an early start in the morning. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000106-L.jpg |
135 miles from Khovd to Ulgii
As we head out from Khovd on our last full day in Mongolia, there's more of my least favourite surface.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030955-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030954-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030957-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030956-L.jpg But it soon gives way to some stunning tracks. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030958-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030960-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030959-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030962-L.jpg We meet a Hungarian guy coming in the other direction. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030977-L.jpg |
We get our only, "Over the boots" water crossing.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030985-L.jpg |
And some fast, open tracks. Great riding.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000119-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000121-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000123-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000124-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000125-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000126-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000128-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000127-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1040016-L.jpg |
Ahem.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1040018-L.jpg Believe it or not, the wind blew me over. Honest. The last 60kms into Ulgii are paved. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1040046-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1040049-L.jpg |
2 days, 715 miles from Ulgii to Rubtsovsk
After a Turkish meal in Ulgii (the Turks are doing a lot of business in Mongolia), it was an early night and an early departure to the border.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1040053-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000132-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000133-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1040054-L.jpg Two days through the Altai. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1040064-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1040059-L.jpg |
Our first nights stop in the Altai was at a great little guest house by the river.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1040086-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1040089-L.jpg Our host. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1040091-L.jpg For the second night, we were given what seemed to be the bridal suite, mirrors on the ceiling and deluxe bathroom. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...IMG_1038-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...IMG_1037-L.jpg |
3 days, 948 miles through Kazakhstan to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan
We put in some big miles so as not be rushed at the end. Three days of dodging potholes, thunderstorms and the notorious Kazakh police.
We made it. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1040120-L.jpg |
Dropping off the bikes in Bishkek.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1040123-L.jpg A group of Italian riders had just arrived to start their trip from Bishkek. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...IMG_1062-L.jpg One of them was 80 years old. Inspirational. |
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