Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
We have MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! We still can't believe it! 15,500km's!!! The couple cold beers we have had here have gone done oh so sweetly!!!
6 weeks and 1 day to go through 20 countries (one of which was a mistake from my wrong turn - oh well at least we got to see a bit of the Netherlands).
Our car was also sold as soon as we handed it to the charity!!! £1500!!!!!!! We only paid £1700 for it in England! It was actually a little sad to see it leave, we have become a bit attached to our portable home!
We also gave all the orphans heaps of little toys and kites that we bought along the way along with all our practical stuff like cookers, sleeping bags, air mattresses, heaps of food, clothes etc etc etc!!!
Heading to Seoul tomorrow morning for 4 days before coming home on Friday! We are looking forward to seeing everyone!!!
Thanks to everyone who has been following us! We have had an absolutely amazing time and met heaps of new friends along the way!
Koppl and Sam.
Ovorkhangai, Mongolia
We decided to not push through to UB tonight as it is so dark on these roads and so easy to get lost or damage car! We will miss the finish line party, but who cares! Better to make it late than to not make it at all is our motto!
We have showered and we both feel like a million bucks! Early night and we should make it to UB by tomorrow lunch time.
Koppl
Bayanhongor, Mongolia
Sourcing a new tire as we had a big blowout in the Gobi Desert this morning, scary driving for 200kms over big sharp rocks with no spare and no people for miles! Did our biggest river crossing today, it was awesome, water over the bonnet!!!! But we made it to town and it looks like we are getting tire replaced Woooo!
We have about 250 kms of no roads and then 400 kms of sweet sweet bitumen road to UB!!!!!! So close, yet so far away!
4 days showless now and still going strong! I have a massive hole in my pants and everyone can see my bum, but what are ya gunna do??!
I can almost smell Ulaanbaatar, no wait, that's Sam and I.
Koppl
Govi-Altai, Mongolia
6 hours in mechanic and we have new bearings and we're back on the road!!! We're on Perth time now so we can tell we're getting closer to home!
Koppl.
Govi-Altai, Mongolia
We have decided our back left wheel is about to fall off so we are back in mechanics to hopefully once and for all fix this bloody bearing!! Ulaanbaatar is looking further and further away by the minute!
Koppl
Altay, China
Day 3 with no shower now, and loving it! Joined up with a convoy aptly named 'Mongvoy' which is 2 ambulances and 2 small cars like ours, all good blokes!!!. Having a few minor car probs but our onsite mechanics are getting us through! After repairing our oil sump in Khovd (for the second time) and getting a bash plate for under car we were pretty disappointed when a couple hundred kms down the road (20 hours) with not much bottoming out we were all of a sudden losing all our oil!!! With no mechanic insight we took the newly installed bash plate off, which proved quite tricky with the stripped, dirty rubbish bolts he used, and saw that we didn't have another crack, the bloody sump plug had come out!!!! Dammit! Actually an easy fix as one of the boys had some liquid metal. It just means the oil can never be changed again and it was our 3rd "oil change" in about 2 weeks haha!
The 'fixed' wheel bearing is absolutely stuffed and it is deafening to be in the car on these roads without ear plugs!!! We are thinking of putting a tennis ball in there, at least it may be quiet for a few minutes!
We have also gaffa taped every possible seal but dust is still pouring into the cabin. We will find it, but from the moment we are using a bandeta around our faces!
We are freekin filthy but having an amazing time!
Common Ulaanbaatar!
Koppl
Khovd, Mongolia
Camping with a convoy of other ralliers in the middle of nowhere. Sun setting over mountains, next to a fire near a stream. It doesn't get much better than this. I wonder how our $2 tesco sleeping bags are going to hold up in the sub zero conditions! Luckily we have a bottle of uzbekistan's finest Vodka to help keep us warm haha!
Koppl
Khovd, Mongolia
Absolutely stunning scenery, but horrible roads! Busted our oil sump again, which is definitely not what we wanted! Knee deep river crossing in the dark = scary! Dust EVERYWHERE! Inside and out. Midnight and Looking for mechanic now!
Koppl
Bayan Olgii, Mongolia
We are in MONGOLIA!!!!!!! "Roads" are hectic and seen heaps of Yaks already! I don't know how long our little car will survive!
Koppl
Altai Republic, Russia
Waiting for the Russia/Mongolia border to open. What an amazing place we are in!!!! Wish we had some gloves! Gaz, your freakin Serbian watermelon may just be making it all the way into Mongolia!!!
Koppl
