Leaving Ulaan Bataar for Final Leg Up to Road of Bones

Me at Lake Baikal (the largest freshwater lake in the world) with the wonderful views.

I just wanted to write that we have less than three weeks left of our trip. We leave Ulaan Bataar today at noon and head to Siberia, Russia in the direction of Road of Bones. I will once again try to keep you posted as best I can but we are going to more remote areas where we are camping mostly. However, if there is a place to find internet that allows me to connect, I will. In the meantime this trip through Mongolia has been beautiful and I hope our final leg will be an adventure as the entire trip has been so far. I'm sure it will as the weather will be getting extremely cold and the riding some of the most trying so far. I do know that I have come to appreciate a hot shower and a warm bed more than ever in my life. There have been times on this trip that I look like I am entirely black skinned and have never had the amount of dust and dirt on my body ever to this degree in my life. Nor have I had smelly feet like I've experienced here. Probably once this trip is done, my entire gear will be tossed as we all reek with disgusting smells (too much information I'm sure). Anyway, bye for now and will be blogging again soon. Until then.....

White Lake to Tserleg and then Ulaan Bataar, Mongolia

Just a nice picture of Murray

All of us arriving at Ulaan Bataar. Troopie was right behind us all day

Riding camels alongside the road on our way to Ulaan Bataar

The reception desk at the Continental Hotel in Ulaan Bataar telling all the different times around the world

Carmen and the owner of Hovsgul Nur who came to take us shopping for trinkets in Ulaan Bataar

The view in front of our hotel in Ulaan Bataar

Me with two local Mongolian families who rode up to get gas

The roads we have been riding on the last five days

Ghenggis Khan's fortress ouside of Ulaan Bataar

Leaving the Fairfield Hotel in Tserleg, Mongolia

Pat, Isaac and Joe in the restaurant inside the Fairfield Hotel

Isaac in front of troopie outside the Fairfield Hotel in Tserleg

Joe in front of the Fairfield
Mick and a local are fixing the axle again the morning we are headed to Tserleg from White Lake

Mick MacDonald calling Leo by Sat phone to let him know that it is taking longer than anticipated but they will be on their way.

Troopie enroute to Tserleg and the Fairfield Hotel after leaving White Lake

The Gers at White Lake and we are leaving for Tserleg, Mongolia

My Ger with my clothes drying outside on top

The Ger's we stayed in at White Lake with an awesome view

Our ride to White Lake

The next day the guys returned around 2 pm with very little sleep but the parts welded that needed to get done for the trailer. There were no guarantees so they decided to ride only 35 kms to White Lake (which was where we were headed when the trailer broke down). Hopefully the trailer would make it there and the guys could get a decent meal and hot shower with warm beds as we were not going to camp as was scheduled but stay in a Ger instead. At this point, Ger's are considered 4 star hotels illustrating how standards have changed. If they had presented us with a Ger while we were in London, we would have told them to stuff it. Now, it is a pure luxury. It took us 2 hours to get to White Lake which is a camp set up at White Lake with many Gers. The trailer arrived a couple of hours later and we all ate a wonderful dinner in a very quaint restaurant on the property. After a good nights sleep we were headed to Tserleg (known for their cinnamon rolls as described in Lonely Planet). It took us all day to get there. Once again, several river crossings. We arrived around 4:30 pm and the trailer got there shortly after 8:00 pm to our relief that the welding job had lasted which we all hoped would continue until Ulaan Bataar (where a second axle would hopefully be installed). The carrot cake ended up being better than the cinnamon rolls however the "full breakfast" was for the hungryman as it had everything one could want. We rode over 600 kms to Ulaan Bataar after a wonderful night on a great bed with soft pillows (better than the Ger's lumpy bed and sand bag pillow). The Fairfield Hotel in Tserleg was like a backpackers stay with showers and toilette down the hall and no alcohol allowed. We left early the next morning (8 am) and rode all day having lunch at Ghenggis Khan fortress which was quite remarkable (formerly the capital of Mongolia). When we arrived in Ulaan Bataar (the present capital), we were met with an enormous amount of traffic with police directing cars at every major intersection. We would be staying two nights at the Continental Hotel which is what we now consider 6 star as it has showers, beds, restaurant and all the amenities such as Wifi. We leave tomorrow by noon as Mick MacDonald was not able to get all the work done on the trailer so they will have to work on it in the morning and once we head off, we will be doing our final leg of the trip leaving Mongolia and re-entering Russia travelling along the Siberian Highway to Chita and then Yakutsk and then finally Mongolia and the Road of Bones. I hope to be able to keep you posted but if Mongolia is any indication of how difficult it is to blog then I imagine as we are travelling even more further north into the extreme recesses of Russia (where it is extremely cold and they are calling for snow), it may be even more difficult so once again have patience as I will return as soon as I can. So far I have had one fall which left a couple of bruises, broken windshied and fender but nothing serious. We have had several nails in tires which have been changed. The Road of Bones will definitel be a part of the trip eveyone will want to know about as we have heard so many different stories of whether it is paved, not paved as well as what kind of weather conditions are happening at the moment. So, stay tuned and I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Mick and Leo working on trailer

Murray, Joe, Isaac and Pat the next morning waiting for guys to return hoping that they were able to get the part welded so that the trip would continue

Waiting for guys to return in order to disassemble camp and carry on to White Lake (if they were able to get job done in closest town)

0 degree temps in morning. There was ice on the tents

Unloading trailer to set up camp before guys take off to find welder in closest town

More of Mongolia

Leo pulling the tire out of the stream


The trailer with axle broken

We stayed at Hovsgul Nur for two nihts where we were able to get some laundry done, relax by walking along the beach (even though it was cold and rainy), experience sleeping in Gers where the girls came in at night and set the fire and then first thing in the morning re-lit it at daybreak when everyone was still asleep. Mick MacDonald and Leo worked on the trailer and bought groceries while the rest of us just hung out, had hot showers and slept in warm beds ( a delicacy after four nights of camping at 0 degree temperatures. It was their last week before closing the camp down for the winter. The owner (a female) moves back to Ulaan Bataar as does the rest of the staff once they pull down the Gers. Many Ger dwellers stay in the Gers all winter long insulating it with straw and bringing their herds to relatives homes to store in warmer temps as it can get to -40 degrees in the winter (once this was similar to Muskoka). The owner of the camp is married to a Mongolian musician and she does very well for herself. Their daughter goes to an American school where she is taught by Canadian teachers and speaks English exceptionally well. Once we left here, we were on our way to White Lake when the axle went on the trailer stopping our trip right then and there. We had another 35 kms to go when this happened. Everyone helped unload the trailer and Land Cruiser while the two Micks headed off in search of a welder (it was thankful we found all the pieces the ended up rolling/flying in the stream a couple hundred mirrors ahead of the vehicle.) It must have been a sight when they heard a loud thud and saw the tire flying by in front of them and headed right into the stream

Joe and Isaac on beach about 100 meters in front of the Gers and the Lodge at Hovsgul Nur

Yak pulling bare cart in front of where we stayed at Hovsgul Nur

Working on trailer one day before axle broke sending tire flying and passing Land Cruiser.

Pat outside his Ger at Hovsgul Nur (northern Mongolia). Very cold and damp

Pictures from Mongolia

Our group posed atop a mountain (most mountains have prayer flags on top in Mongolia)

Two Canadians motorcycling through Mongolia (from B.C.) and will be visiting different countries until next summer. What a life!!!!

GPS's don't work on Mongolia's dirt roads. Not all roads end up leading to the same place.

Many of the locals ride this motorcycle (sometimes 3 up with baby in middle)

Group stopped to ask directions from a local horseman/herder

Me following Mick T. on dirt road

Pat, Isaac and Joe on dusty dirt road

Sideways pic of me crossing one of the many river crossings (sorry it wouldn't turn rightside up)

River crossing - Mick MacDonald (left) helped by Pat (right).

More Camping

the group stopped for a rest

We camped for a total of four nights straight. The first night was on the Russian side (with the drunken Russians). The second night was in the previous blog and the third night was up on a hill overlooking traffic below with the final night also being up high and off the dirt path overlooking a stream. Riding has been rough as we make our way through mud, sand (heavy dust storms as transports travel by spraying us with heavy, thick dust and diesel fumes - no pollution restrictions) gravel, rocks and dirt. Bitumen (another name for pavement) is the term the Aussie's use (never heard before this trip but a part of the English language) and something we will not see for several more days. Camping is fine dining, bed early and up to load "troopie" early to take off for eight hours of off roads riding whereby we cover 35 kms in two hours (of course lunch holds us up...) Here's a few pics of these days.

Mongolia - First Camp Night

Roads by afternoon and worse for the next eight days........

Roads that morning........

Murray (his bike), Isaac, Mick Mack and Joe (background) with Mongolian father and son

Carmen & Ger family we had breakfast with (65 year old father and daughter in law with her daughter)

Joe resting after lunch

Bikes in front of Monastery where we were setting up lunch

Mongolian mother and daughter outside of Monastery

Roads in Mongolia (this was on way to Monastery) with livestock roaming freely. We rode these roads to the monastery

Me standing in front of two Buddhist Statues (there were four)

Buddhist Prayer Wheel at Monastery

Once we were into Mongolia, we road on pavement the first day and stopped at a beautiful campsite overlooking a river with Yaks, Cows, Billy Goats, Dogs and Horses all roaming freely. I had a bet with Pat that Mongolia had Yaks and he took a picture of one but has disputed the fact that this is a Yak but perhaps what's called a Yope (unsure of correct spelling). Let's just say that I won (M&M's and one diet coke) but only after harrassment by me continually bringing my sources to the table and to finally shut me up. Many herders came over to see what we were up to not being able to speak a word of English except one young fellow who invited us over to their Ger for morning Goat's milk and biscuits. We ate chicken, vegetables and potatoes which is one of my favourite dinners to date (although most meals have been better than any restaurant) and in the morning we stopped at the Ger with the three generations living in two Gers side by side. The father was 65 years old and they were very hospitable and friendly with the son taking a ride on Murray's BMW 800. After leaving, we went offroad approx. one and a half hours to a very old Buddhist Monastery where we took photos and had lunch. Retracking our steps out we headed to our third night of camping high on a hill overlooking traffic passing on dirt roads below. Amazing sunsets.