After a 5 hour wait at the Altanbulag Mongolia/Russia border we finally made it to Hotel-Hostel Altan, Ulan-Ude at 1.45am today. Can't believe how well the car has put up with the punishment it has received.
Still in Ulan Bator.
Managed to get a next day transit visa to Russia, driving to Ulan Ude for the finish tomorrow (Tuesday).
The lowdown on Russian transit visas is $140-usd, one day or $70-usd four days. Russian embassy open 9-12.
Just arrived in Ulan Bator after 399 miles from Bayankhongor.
First mile is unpaved then all paved, BUT- Warning to fellow rallyers. This is the main southern highway to UB. It has big potholes and lateral cutaways, especially in the first half. It's easy to be caught out.
Great to be in UB. Next stop Russian transit visa and Ulan Ude.
We've just arrived in Bayankhongor City. A bit of a one horse town though there probably aren't any in Mongolia.
254 miles from Altai today. 84 on paved roads then 170 miles on dirt roads today -12 hours at 14 mph average. 13 1/2 hours driving. We thought the car was going to shake to bits. We got stuck in the sand and had to be towed out by a friendly Mongolian road crew. I'm covered in dust!
The last two legs-UB tomorrow then the finish at Ulan Uhde are on paved roads so we're hopeful the car will survive the last bit.
Long drive of 450 miles from Olgi to Khovd to Altai. 20 miles paved then 130 dirt road then Khovd to Altai paved. Heading on towards UB tomorrow.
We've had no wifi for a couple of days- hence the lack of an update. We crossed the Kazakh-Russia border at Semonaikha then a night at Zmeinigorsk. The road to Mongolia via Barnaul is a bit longer but picks up the main highway and is paved and smooth all the way to the Mongolia border. The scenery is stunning.
Last night we camped by a river in the Altai.
We've just arrived in Ulgi (Olgi) in Mongolia. Found a great place to stay with yurts for $10-usd at Blue Wolf; good restaurant and wifi. We crossed the border at Tsagaannuur- 4 hours to get through. Attention fellow rallyers- the $10 'exit charge' at the exit gate on the Mongolia side is a scam. The light and grandeur of Mongolia are as magical as ever.
Heading on the southern highway via Hovd tomorrow. The latest information is that it's 1,700 km to Ulan Bator and about 400 km are unpaved. The rest is paved. It's about 4 days in a normal car so we hoping to arrive in UB by Monday night.
Barnaul, West Siberian Altai, Russia
Knackering 14 hour, 480 mile drive from Almaty to Ayagoz in northeast Kazakhstan today. The roads vary from a brand new six lane motorway to ridged and rutted highways with gorilla-sized potholes.
Heading into Russia at Shemonaika tomorrow then across to Mongolia via Ulgi.
Long long day- 400 miles from Shymkent to Almaty, took a wrong turn and had to donate $80-usd to the Almaty police benevolent fund.
Heading north to Ayagoz tomorrow then to the border with Russia at Shemonaikha.
Almaty is booming and completely changed since I was last here 20 years ago.
We watched the Soyuz V rocket launch at Baikonor last night. It was truly magnificent. We had another big drive today on great roads, all paved and mostly dual carriageway. Kazakh drivers have a fondness for macho driving so it's never dull. We stopped in the old Silk Road Town of Turkestan and are now in Shymkent. It's 40 Celsius and we are looking forward to heading north via Almaty tomorrow, out of Kazakhstan and towards the Russia/Mongolia border.
Jonathan
Charles
Two middle-aged blokes. Charlie is a risk consultant and Jonathan is an Asian Art dealer.
Here are the links to our charity appeals:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JonathanTucker1
and
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/CharlesBarder
Please support our appeals!
Child Bereavement UK
Jonathan will be fundraising for the Child Bereavement UK charity. It supports families and educates professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement. HRH Prince William is its patron and they are an extremely lean, well-run charity that helps many, many people. Their website link is as follows: http://childbereavementuk.org/ Here is their own description of what they do: Every day Child Bereavement UK deals with something that many people find too unbearable to contemplate – the untimely deaths of parents and children. It’s human nature for us to want to distance ourselves from this as something that happens to other people, but every year child bereavement is experiences by thousands of families in the UK. Child Bereavement UK is here to guide families through the long and difficult journey of grief. We are here to help them find the support they need, wherever they are in their journey and for as long as they need it. Charlie will be donating to these charities: •Médecins Sans Frontières www.doctorswithoutborders.org"Emergency medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from health care." •Mary's Meals www.marysmeals.org"Working in 12 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Carribean. One goal – that every child receives a nutritious daily meal in a place of education." We'll also both be donating to: •Coolearth (the original Mongol Rally charity) http://adventurists.coolearth.org"Work with indigenous communities to halt rainforest destruction. It’s
Médecins Sans Frontières
"Emergency medical aid to people affectedby conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusionfrom health care."
Mary's Meals
"Working in 12 countries across Africa, Asia,Latin America and the Carribean. One goal –that every child receives a nutritious dailymeal in a place of education."
Coolearth (the original Mongol Rally charity)
"Work with indigenous communities to haltrainforest destruction. It’s a unique modelthat sets us apart from the other boring andineffective rainforest charities, and the bestpart is it really works."