Made it to the Russian Border with 30 mins to spare!
I woke up with the light about 6am and everyone else was still asleep. It was great to take a short walk around the camp and see the moon still out. The dogs went crazy though.
The family I was staying with woke up about 7 and the mother of the family put out the same spread for breakfast as had been offered last night (with the exception of the Goat). Mongolians really do have a very limited diet and essentially have the same food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I had a lovely breakfast with the family and all of the people that kept on popping in from other Gers to say hello. They wanted me to stay longer but I knew I had to hurry off so I packed up my things.
All of a sudden the Mother of the Ger that I had slept in got up and went outside and to the amazement of all of the crowd started cycling around on my bike. Everyone was cheering and laughing. She was really good and picked it up with no problems (unlike most of the Mongolians that have tried - I think she might have done it before as a child). With her head covered and a long skirt over her trousers, I could not help but think that Julie Andrews had stolen my bike!
A little lad of about 8 then got on and cycled off into the distance as he could not work out the steering or the braking.
When we eventually got the bike back again one of the fathers had a go. He could not get the hang of it at all and 2 of the children ended up trying to help him by holding on to the back. He veered off towards the Goats creating a stampede, much the the amusement of the whole camp!
I really enjoyed staying with this family and I think that they also enjoyed my visit. They had a good sense of humor and we laughed a lot even though there was no shared language. I could not have asked for a better place to stay/experience on my last night in Mongolia.
This part of Mongolia I found the friendliest. It is strange as in other parts of the world I have found Muslim communities to be less warm.
I left the family about 9. I thought I only had 40km to go to get to the border (which should only take a few hours) but as it was the last day before my visa expired I was worried and wanted to get there with time to spare in case there were any problems.
I had a lovely early morning wash in the lake on the way into the town.
When I arrived in Tsagaannuur town (only about 5km from the Ger where I spent the night) I spent some time trying (and failing to exchange currencies at the bank) and buying some food with my Mongolian money in case I could not get any Russian money for a while. There was no mobile reception or internet in the town! Arrg.
The two towns closest to the border where really different to any other towns I have experienced in Mongolia. The buildings where all in stone but without proper roofs. They looked like the roofs had been blown off in fighting in the past and never replaced properly again. The buildings looked war torn. I am not sure whether this region did experience fighting or not but it certainly looks that way. People still live in houses that look destroyed to me.
It was a bit like the wide west but people were really friendly and many invited me into their homes. I could not go as I needed to get to the border - but it was very nice to be asked. In fact today there were more children than ever in Mongolia that ran out to say hello.
This fence is one of the best I have ever seen. It is made out off scrap metal.
The ride to the Mongolian border town from Tsagaannuur was a good ride but against a strong head wind. Fortunately it was not as hilly as I thought is was going to be - as my legs were shot! The area is barren and has under gone desertification.
When I arrived at the Mongolian border town (about 35km from Tsagaannuur) around 1, I stopped off for some lunch relaxed in the knowledge that I had plenty of time to spare and that I had "made it". I had some of the mutton wrapped in pastry which is very typical in Mongolia. The people at the cafe kindly swapped all of my Mongolian money for Russian money at a reasonable exchange rate too.
After lunch I pottered up to the border and got chatting to some people that had just passed through. They were in a couple of Ambulances obviously from the UK with signs of "Mongolian Rally" posted all over the vehicle. They told me that they are part of a group of 300 vehicles that are driving from London to UB as part of a big charity event. When they get to UB they leave the vehicle as a donation to the Mongolian people. The event raises money for the charity Christina Noble Children's Foundation.
http://www.theadventurists.com/the-adventures/mongol-rally
It was good to see other people rather than Mongolians and I enjoyed nattering for a bit but they then told me that it was in fact 25km from the Mongolian border crossing to the Russian border crossing over the mountains and that the Russian border shuts at 6 (it was 3)! Just as I was relaxing I had to get on my bike again asap and get going.
I encountered no problems getting through on the Mongolian side. It took about 1 hour. However then I had a 5km climb on dirt road tracks to get to the tarmac.
That climb out of Mongolia was a real killer on the legs. It was not actually that steep - it was just that my legs were really tired from all the biking over the last couple of weeks. They needed a rest and I had thought that I could stop once I had got over the Mongolian border. I was not mentally prepared to have to push anymore.
I arrived at the top of the pass at 4 and was told by the Russians that I would have to hurry as the Russian side closed at 6. I still had 20km to do but fortunately it was all downhill and I was on tarmac! What a difference it made.... I was biking faster than I have done in the whole of the last month.
This is the sign at the top of the pass - the Mongolian flag on one side and the Russian flag on the other.
Tarmac leading to Russia in the North....
...Gravel track leading to Mongolia in the South!
I arrived at the Russian border at 5.30 and it did not take too long to go through passport control and I was then told I could leave via the main exit gate. Once I got to the main gate the guy radioed back and I was told I had to go back to go through customs. I did so without too much hassle and then back to the main exit again only to be told to go back again and to see a doctor. Back again to the main exit and this time I needed to go back for all of my bags to be opened and searched.... It took forever and was all rather silly. It really was like they had nothing better to do.
However, at least it was no where near as bad for me as it was for the teams from the Mongolian Rally that had obviously spent hours there. There was also a large group on the Russian side which where waiting to try and get past the border tonight but it did not look like they were going to be successful. 2 of the group were Tim and James. They were on motorbikes unlike the rest of the teams. It was good to chat with them through the border gate while we waited.
Once I eventually got through I felt like a huge weight had lifted! I had made it within 30 minutes of the last time possible. I was exhausted. It was really lovely that there were some English speaking people from the Mongolian Rally on the other side. They were all going to camp just outside of town and they asked if I wanted to join them. I felt really happy. I went to a shop in the village and bought a bottle of red wine and then got a lift in the back of one of the ambulances to a spot on the edge of town where we were all going to camp. I have to say that I had hoped not to travel in an Ambulance at all on this journey back to England. It just goes to show how wrong you can be and how not to assume things!
Jules and Susanna (really sorry if I have remembered the names incorrectly) were the drivers of the ambulance and where very friendly. I could not believe the food and equipment they were carrying in the ambulance! It was civilsation. In the back they had a double bed and even a make shift shower - powered by solar energy. They offered olives! They were really nice and cooked James, Tim and myself spaghetti bolognese and proper meat. It was the first grown-up meal the three of us had eaten in days.
I have to say I felt rather scummy. I was covered in dust from the dirt road tracks in Mongolia and I had not had a proper shower in days. I looked like I had been dragged through a hedge backwards... People even came up to me and offered me soap! I managed a wash with cold water from some bottles and at least felt partly human after this. Most of the people there were all clean having been traveling by car on tarmac for the last few weeks. The only exception was the 2 motorbikers: Tim and James.
I think that there were about 10 cars and about 35 people that camped together that evening. There as one group of Irish lads that were good fun and had pretty much destroyed their tiny car on the journey to the Mongolian border from the UK (so I have no idea whether it will hold out for the trip to UB).
James' motorbike would not start without a running jump start and needed fixing in the next town.
It was a really lovely evening and I very much enjoyed the English and Irish humor. We all drank far too much (Tim went back for more booze half way through the night), talked rubbish and just generally relaxed. Most of the teams have not met since the big launch in London and so it was as much a new experience for them to chat with the other teams as it was for me.
So much for a chilled ride to the border. I had done 75km!
I woke up with the light about 6am and everyone else was still asleep. It was great to take a short walk around the camp and see the moon still out. The dogs went crazy though.
The family I was staying with woke up about 7 and the mother of the family put out the same spread for breakfast as had been offered last night (with the exception of the Goat). Mongolians really do have a very limited diet and essentially have the same food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I had a lovely breakfast with the family and all of the people that kept on popping in from other Gers to say hello. They wanted me to stay longer but I knew I had to hurry off so I packed up my things.
All of a sudden the Mother of the Ger that I had slept in got up and went outside and to the amazement of all of the crowd started cycling around on my bike. Everyone was cheering and laughing. She was really good and picked it up with no problems (unlike most of the Mongolians that have tried - I think she might have done it before as a child). With her head covered and a long skirt over her trousers, I could not help but think that Julie Andrews had stolen my bike!
A little lad of about 8 then got on and cycled off into the distance as he could not work out the steering or the braking.
When we eventually got the bike back again one of the fathers had a go. He could not get the hang of it at all and 2 of the children ended up trying to help him by holding on to the back. He veered off towards the Goats creating a stampede, much the the amusement of the whole camp!
I really enjoyed staying with this family and I think that they also enjoyed my visit. They had a good sense of humor and we laughed a lot even though there was no shared language. I could not have asked for a better place to stay/experience on my last night in Mongolia.
This part of Mongolia I found the friendliest. It is strange as in other parts of the world I have found Muslim communities to be less warm.
I left the family about 9. I thought I only had 40km to go to get to the border (which should only take a few hours) but as it was the last day before my visa expired I was worried and wanted to get there with time to spare in case there were any problems. 
I had a lovely early morning wash in the lake on the way into the town. 
When I arrived in Tsagaannuur town (only about 5km from the Ger where I spent the night) I spent some time trying (and failing to exchange currencies at the bank) and buying some food with my Mongolian money in case I could not get any Russian money for a while. There was no mobile reception or internet in the town! Arrg. 
The two towns closest to the border where really different to any other towns I have experienced in Mongolia. The buildings where all in stone but without proper roofs. They looked like the roofs had been blown off in fighting in the past and never replaced properly again. The buildings looked war torn. I am not sure whether this region did experience fighting or not but it certainly looks that way. People still live in houses that look destroyed to me.
It was a bit like the wide west but people were really friendly and many invited me into their homes. I could not go as I needed to get to the border - but it was very nice to be asked. In fact today there were more children than ever in Mongolia that ran out to say hello.
This fence is one of the best I have ever seen. It is made out off scrap metal.
The ride to the Mongolian border town from Tsagaannuur was a good ride but against a strong head wind. Fortunately it was not as hilly as I thought is was going to be - as my legs were shot! The area is barren and has under gone desertification. 
When I arrived at the Mongolian border town (about 35km from Tsagaannuur) around 1, I stopped off for some lunch relaxed in the knowledge that I had plenty of time to spare and that I had "made it". I had some of the mutton wrapped in pastry which is very typical in Mongolia. The people at the cafe kindly swapped all of my Mongolian money for Russian money at a reasonable exchange rate too. 
After lunch I pottered up to the border and got chatting to some people that had just passed through. They were in a couple of Ambulances obviously from the UK with signs of "Mongolian Rally" posted all over the vehicle. They told me that they are part of a group of 300 vehicles that are driving from London to UB as part of a big charity event. When they get to UB they leave the vehicle as a donation to the Mongolian people. The event raises money for the charity Christina Noble Children's Foundation.
http://www.theadventurists.com/the-adventures/mongol-rally
It was good to see other people rather than Mongolians and I enjoyed nattering for a bit but they then told me that it was in fact 25km from the Mongolian border crossing to the Russian border crossing over the mountains and that the Russian border shuts at 6 (it was 3)! Just as I was relaxing I had to get on my bike again asap and get going.
I encountered no problems getting through on the Mongolian side. It took about 1 hour. However then I had a 5km climb on dirt road tracks to get to the tarmac.
That climb out of Mongolia was a real killer on the legs. It was not actually that steep - it was just that my legs were really tired from all the biking over the last couple of weeks. They needed a rest and I had thought that I could stop once I had got over the Mongolian border. I was not mentally prepared to have to push anymore. 
I arrived at the top of the pass at 4 and was told by the Russians that I would have to hurry as the Russian side closed at 6. I still had 20km to do but fortunately it was all downhill and I was on tarmac! What a difference it made.... I was biking faster than I have done in the whole of the last month. 
This is the sign at the top of the pass - the Mongolian flag on one side and the Russian flag on the other. 
Tarmac leading to Russia in the North.... 
...Gravel track leading to Mongolia in the South! I arrived at the Russian border at 5.30 and it did not take too long to go through passport control and I was then told I could leave via the main exit gate. Once I got to the main gate the guy radioed back and I was told I had to go back to go through customs. I did so without too much hassle and then back to the main exit again only to be told to go back again and to see a doctor. Back again to the main exit and this time I needed to go back for all of my bags to be opened and searched.... It took forever and was all rather silly. It really was like they had nothing better to do.
However, at least it was no where near as bad for me as it was for the teams from the Mongolian Rally that had obviously spent hours there. There was also a large group on the Russian side which where waiting to try and get past the border tonight but it did not look like they were going to be successful. 2 of the group were Tim and James. They were on motorbikes unlike the rest of the teams. It was good to chat with them through the border gate while we waited.
Once I eventually got through I felt like a huge weight had lifted! I had made it within 30 minutes of the last time possible. I was exhausted. It was really lovely that there were some English speaking people from the Mongolian Rally on the other side. They were all going to camp just outside of town and they asked if I wanted to join them. I felt really happy. I went to a shop in the village and bought a bottle of red wine and then got a lift in the back of one of the ambulances to a spot on the edge of town where we were all going to camp. I have to say that I had hoped not to travel in an Ambulance at all on this journey back to England. It just goes to show how wrong you can be and how not to assume things!
Jules and Susanna (really sorry if I have remembered the names incorrectly) were the drivers of the ambulance and where very friendly. I could not believe the food and equipment they were carrying in the ambulance! It was civilsation. In the back they had a double bed and even a make shift shower - powered by solar energy. They offered olives! They were really nice and cooked James, Tim and myself spaghetti bolognese and proper meat. It was the first grown-up meal the three of us had eaten in days. 
I have to say I felt rather scummy. I was covered in dust from the dirt road tracks in Mongolia and I had not had a proper shower in days. I looked like I had been dragged through a hedge backwards... People even came up to me and offered me soap! I managed a wash with cold water from some bottles and at least felt partly human after this. Most of the people there were all clean having been traveling by car on tarmac for the last few weeks. The only exception was the 2 motorbikers: Tim and James. 
I think that there were about 10 cars and about 35 people that camped together that evening. There as one group of Irish lads that were good fun and had pretty much destroyed their tiny car on the journey to the Mongolian border from the UK (so I have no idea whether it will hold out for the trip to UB).
James' motorbike would not start without a running jump start and needed fixing in the next town.
It was a really lovely evening and I very much enjoyed the English and Irish humor. We all drank far too much (Tim went back for more booze half way through the night), talked rubbish and just generally relaxed. Most of the teams have not met since the big launch in London and so it was as much a new experience for them to chat with the other teams as it was for me.
So much for a chilled ride to the border. I had done 75km!
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