Beijing, China

We have arrived. This is an enormous city, looking forward to a shower and a few days relaxation before we head home on Sunday morning.

Finish Line, Ulanbataar

We have made it.

 Just.

After 7 River crossings, two radiator repairs, a new fuel pump, 5 punctures, a tow, a lift on a truck and a  shredded wheel, we crawled into Ulanbaatar with 4 hours to spare before our flight to Beijing. The Twister is falling to pieces. We are not far behind. 1200miles of sand and dirt tracks, no tracks, sand dunes and no roads has left the car without functioning headlights, tail lights, smashed air con radiator, dodgy suspension, repaired radiator, creaking steering column, no radiator fan and an engine that sounds like a helicopter. But it is tough as nails.

Off to Beijing to wash the dust and sand out of every pore and catch a bit of madness - chinese style.

Bayan Olgii, Mongolia

8Hrs at the russian border as they wouldnt let us leave without a piece of paper we didnt have. Eventually through to a closed mongo ** some text is missing **

Altai Republic, Russia

Vodka and beer with the russian champion of plane acrobatics last night, an extreme russian sauna and white water rafting this morning in the Altai mountains. This is a magical part of the world. Camping 120km from the Mongolian border, tomorrow it begins for real...

Barnaul, Russia

Have reached the motherland! En route to camp in altai mountains. Great DNA, scenery not too bad either. Will return!

Kazahkstan..

 

We are resting up in Kazahkstan after a 14hr drive into the night, conditions only really being trying to avoid death. It is mental on the roads out in the outback. Double overtaking, undertaking, cutting in front is the norm, aswell as no lights, road markings, thousands of large lorries on dirt track motorways and roads with holes the size of large watermelons, makes for an interesting drive indeed. Have spent the afternoon in Car City, buying new wheels, tyres and jerry cans getting ready for the push into the wilderness. Car city is a crazy crazy place. Thank you to Maksut for fixing things for us. Now off to Mad Murphys to catch the Arsenal game, come on you Gunners!!!!

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Heading 4 the border, and into the kazahk wilderness..

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

glad to be in a normal country. Of sorts. 5176 on the clock. Off to the capital Tashkent and the kazahk border.

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

So after waking up in no-man's land at 5am, we did not arrive in Turkmenistan until around 3pm. Border crossing at 1800m made life a bit cooler, but still a bit bemused as why to we need 7 pices of paper with numerous stamps on, but was expecting this, just surprised we didn't pay more than the $200 required.

So happy to be leaving Iran, we forgot that we were basically entering the asian equivalent of North Korea.  But life is good here. We have checked in to a hotel for a few days to catch up on some sleep, to rest and eat. It is 48c outside, so not really much else to do. Beer at the hotel, this country is a free for all, a mix of south asian, russian and persian is evident in the faces, and with police at every corner and the military marching around all over the place, it has to be said that Ashgabat is one of ther strangest and quirkiest cities in the world. 

Tomorrow we head for Turkmenabad on the Uzbek border, where I hear the crossing takes even longer than entering Turkmen. This time we will have our provisions. 

As usual no access to facebook, hotmail or telephone service, but hoping that this might pick up in Uzbek or Kazak. We have reached the proper desert, and it is time to see if our fine piece of japanese engineering can handle the heat

 

 

 

BÄjgirÄn, Iran

Camping in no-man's land on the iranian-turkmen border! At least we will be here when it opens at 8am ; )