UB

We are sitting in an internet place in UB with the Golden Horde. I (Lionel) have a flight home, unlike anyone else here. They are all stuck. Johannes and them will probably have to train home. Fun times.

Altay, China

Arrived in Altai late after driving 2h in the dark.Not good.Helping out team Golden Horde leaves us with a not closing window...by the way its raining for the first time in Mongolia.

Khovd, Mongolia

0097695579667 This is our new number for the next couple of days here in Mongolia.After our first 100km detour right after Olgij we didnt believe to meet any other person ever again when we suddenly crashed into a convoi of other rally teams.We then drove together to Khovd to spent the night in a ger camp.Now sitting in the sun...

Barnaul Russia

After a completely stress free border crossing from Kazakhstan to Russia and a fairly short day of driving (only about 400km) we have made it to Barnaul. Here we checked into a nice hotel for 20 euros a person for the night and had some nice steaks after a well deserved and also well needed shower. Internet in the lobby is free but also dead slow. We are currently uploading some pictures in our "on the road" album, but we will see how well that goes with this internet connection.

After much thinking we have also decided to go back to our original plan on entering Mongolia from the West. This has many reasons, mainly because we talked to the Rally organisers about the roads and vehicle drop off points but also because 3000km in russia with only 7 days of visa might be cutting it tight. We hope to be at the Mongolian border in 2 days from now. Its almost impossible to say how long the trip through mongolia will take from there but a rough "geuesstimate" is 7 days. Again, this is if all goes well.

Its 10:00 pm now and we are both getting tired! Keep reading the blog and sending us sms :) (Not to the Kazakh nr, thats out of service from now on, we hope to get a Mongolian number once there. Will update.)

 Goodnight to all,

Johannes and Lionel  

Semey, Kazakhstan

just passe thoug semey. Russian border 100 km ahead. Will camp just bevor the border so we can cross it early tomorrow. our visa is only valid another 7 days in russia and since were Going to enter Mongolia from the north we have 3000km to do in russia. Lots of driving ahead!

Almaty Province, Kazakhstan

Going slowly these days.Feels more like holiday than a rally.We plan to be in Semey 2morrow and crossing the russian border soon.Next to us right now theres lake sasyqkol...

Almaty Province, Kazakhstan

the exhaust is Finally repaired. Took 3 and a half hours but it looks better than new! And best of all, After they had repaired it the said it was all for free. Going camping by lake Almaty now. If anyone needs a car fixed in Almaty we know a good place!

Almaty Province, Kazakhstan

Finally in Almaty in a very nice but expensive hotel. 2 min after we arrived some guys put their hands on our car and wrote some greetings on it.this city seems to be nice.we will find out after a shower and a steak.

Otar, Kazakhstan

Sitting at our campsite and doing nothing.no one wants to leave this place...even our security dog doesnt want us to move.but in a few minutes there wont be a square meter shadow left so we have to go to almaty.@

Zhambyl, Kazakhstan

We just decided to drive through Kirgisistan to reach Almaty. Auswaertiges Amt said on their page that our kazakh tourist visa is valid for the region chuj and ysyk kol in kirgisistan.Seems ok and saves us some hundreds of km on the way to almaty.bishkek here we come.