Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
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Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
two ambulances we overtook 3 days ago, just showed up: 'I can't believe you two are here. When you passed us, you were in mid-air, and we all said- those two aren't gonna make it!'
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
so this morning, this scenario occurred: 5 englishmen woke up in a field in mongolia. An irishman then landed on the road with his paraglider, and a scotsman in a rally car drove past and asked 'what's the joke here then?!'@
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
We've done it! First to arrive at the finish line today, 96th on the whole rally. All of a sudden feeling very tired, but important things to do like sort out flights, car registration, hotel and then hopefully, tuck into a beer. Tomorrow there's a football tournament. Well, the fun just doesn't stop! The car, tired and hurt, is currently in a secure compound next to the finish line. We have completely ragged it in all honesty, but the engine and everything under the bonnet sounds exactly as it did when it crossed the line at goodwood a month and 2 days ago. What an awesome car.@
Tov, Mongolia
well, should have been smooth getting to ulaanbaatar, but last night we decided to see how far we could get up a hill compared with the landrover. We finished second and with a blown tyre, and a slow puncture. Why make life easy eh? Stopped to take a photo of a high tech ger with satellite and solar power... But got invited in for a drink of carbonated camel's milk, and the lady wanted us to marry her daughter- well she was pretty enough that i'm sure some rich person will stop by and make them happy some day- not today though, cheers for the milk. Almost there now...
Ovorhangay, Mongolia
arrived in a town filled with tarmac roads! Apparently it's tarmac all the way to ulaanbaatar now, which means we've effectively done it unless some pothole takes us out. Convoying out of town with 'bristol to baatar', who are driving a landrover ambulance. We're all going to camp up on a mountain together...
Bayanhongor, Mongolia
so having made it here to bayanhongor, bought 2 new tyres so now we have spares, and a new hydraulic jack. Also found a local bathhouse so we had a proper shower. Met up with some rally teams who we saw parked up at a hotel, and we decided not to leave town as there's a river to cross as soon as we get out. Would be better to do that in daylight. I can't believe it but the car has had no problems in the last 300km. Oh no wait, the rear suspension fell out again.
Bayanhongor, Mongolia
Left altay a couple of nights ago and headed into the desert to camp, but burst another tyre on the way. This morning another tyre went leaving us with no spares, and the jack crossthreaded too. All that with 300km to go, but we managed it. Also helped a man change a lorry tyre for a carton of apple juice. Managed to almost write olly's ankle off when i smashed it with a sledgehammer, but a bit of cream and a plaster made him A.O.K. Also found a man stranded with his wife on top of a big hill in his ford scorpio, needing some coolant top up, so we saved his day too- though quite why he drove up there is beyond me. Just had a brilliant man describe the sound of bad mongolian roads compared to good ones!
Altay, China
2 new dampers fixed in by ourselves, they had a new damper at the garage, and we were carrying a spare. Also got 2 tyres replaced. Full of confidence now. Time to hit the road!
Hovd, Mongolia
surely all you english hunters with your guns and your hounds need to 'man up' knowing that the mongolian hunters use trained golden eagles at high altitude in the mountains?! so our usual convoy hasn't turned up, and we don't know where they are because there's no signal in the mountains. Last night listened to some traditional mongolian music- not sure i'll buy the album, but that's another tick in the box. Also net some locals in a tent who fed us some very raw mutton soup... Infact they got drunk and overexcited by our presence and tried to get into our tent when we were asleep... Just like being back at work really... Oh well the adventure continues...@
