27th to 29th of June 2011
« Back to journal
« Back to journal
I was deeply impressed by the performance of the Mongolian National Song and Dance Academic Ensemble. I went into the theatre in the center of UB one evening, the long song, the throat singing and the snake girl were marvelous.
During these days in UB, Dmitry from Krasnodar and I arranged the shipment of my tires to Chita/Russia. And that was for me the trigger point to get on the road again…and alone again.
320km UB to Ondorkaan – well, I needed 390km :-(
40 km after UB I came to a cross section at Nalayh and I went into the village. When I ended up on dirt track I asked a guy about the way and he made one of these great moves (we saw many of these in Mongolia:-) with his hand, showing a very general direction; opposite to what my GPS said. This time I relied on the man’s advice and when I came to a road control post I asked again, this time with my paper map in my hand…and this guy said “yes, continue here”. I doubted but proceeded and on the following 20km there was nobody to ask. Then I saw a group of people with a tow truck around a crashed car beside the road and I stopped. The accident happened the day before and all people survived lightly injured…but the car didn’t look good. One day shopping on the Black Market in UB will solve it :-) Yes, I had to go all the way back and I found the asphalt road out of Nalayh and later the huge Chinggis Khaan memorial – why they put it in this remote area, I don’t know.
The landscape is different from the Northern Gobi we touched, everything is green and from time to time you even find some trees:-)
Sometimes there are beside the “obligatory” ger camps now first huts because logging is possible in this region and due to the greenness of the countryside it makes sense to settle down.
Ondorkaan is a nest. And also here was no 92 octane fuel available. But that has to do with the stopped deliveries from Russia. First Mongolia draught out with diesel and now the same happens with the 92 fuel. But my bike accepts the 80 octane up to now without any hick ups.
Ondorkaan to Choibalsan 340km earth road, whole day standing on the bike
I was surprised that the asphalt from yesterday didn’t continue at all.
Again I had problems to find my way, I mean the right way, out of the village.
First 40km was great driving with 110 -130 km/h on the gravel but this changed completely and the topsoil took all my concentration: earth like concrete with potholes in it, in between sand and clay, waterholes beside and on the street…this “road” must be the hell on earth when it rains. The surface will change then to a glue and soap combination. Lucky me that it didn’t rain although the sky was dark and I could see rainfall at the horizon.
And these tracks are never straight and always go in curves…left bend, right bend, left bend…and of course always in a hilly terrain…up and down and up… that makes it a bit difficult for speeding: always changing gears but the good thing is it keeps you awake and if you are at a certain place too fast you feel the adrenalin pouring in…wow.
I have my own theory for the left/right/left/right curves which were made by generations of Mongolians, which is a bit nasty:-) But of course rain changes everything in Mongolia…and that might be the real reason.
In the middle of nowhere I stopped in a 6 house + 6 ger village. Horses everywhere and when a 5 years old boy one handed on a big horse gallop by I took out my camera. Of course too late to catch him but I made some other nice photos.
And one 15 years old girl spoke excellent English…she wanted to go to UB for studies. And that is what I found out: In Mongolia it is mostly the girls who are self-confident and determined to go for studies and for a better future. The boys are more on this sport, gaming, hang out and this “big guy” thing and yes, drinking.
The last 40km before Choibalsan were ok again with some handshaking “Wellblech” in between.
I changed my hotel because I had only drunk guys in the rooms around me. Drunken already when I arrived, squatting on the corridor and spitting on the floor. This morning I woke up at 6:00h because of a big noise coming from the corridor. First I thought of construction work and finally I couldn’t stand it anymore. I opened the door and saw one guy hitting and kicking another room door, yelling at his colleague inside who didn’t hear him (for now half an hour). He must have been that f____ drunken…ohjeohje.
I complained to the reception and they tried to open the door with another key…I went back to bed.
When I packed my clothes another door was open (quite often you find open room doors in Mongolian hotels, they don’t care so much about privacy) and 3 guys lay in bed and I could even see the alcohol in the air coming out of this room. Boah eh!
Now I am in my room in my new great (haha) hotel and I even enjoy internet…slow but steady. Outside rainfall.
Doing now the planning of the further trip and hoping that I can cross the border to Russia tomorrow, because it is not an international crossing. If I have to go all the way back…
Huge!
Trees!
His first getaway from home? He complained a lot when I started my motorbike and nearly fell into the ditch when I rolled onto the road...
During these days in UB, Dmitry from Krasnodar and I arranged the shipment of my tires to Chita/Russia. And that was for me the trigger point to get on the road again…and alone again.
320km UB to Ondorkaan – well, I needed 390km :-(
40 km after UB I came to a cross section at Nalayh and I went into the village. When I ended up on dirt track I asked a guy about the way and he made one of these great moves (we saw many of these in Mongolia:-) with his hand, showing a very general direction; opposite to what my GPS said. This time I relied on the man’s advice and when I came to a road control post I asked again, this time with my paper map in my hand…and this guy said “yes, continue here”. I doubted but proceeded and on the following 20km there was nobody to ask. Then I saw a group of people with a tow truck around a crashed car beside the road and I stopped. The accident happened the day before and all people survived lightly injured…but the car didn’t look good. One day shopping on the Black Market in UB will solve it :-) Yes, I had to go all the way back and I found the asphalt road out of Nalayh and later the huge Chinggis Khaan memorial – why they put it in this remote area, I don’t know.
The landscape is different from the Northern Gobi we touched, everything is green and from time to time you even find some trees:-)
Sometimes there are beside the “obligatory” ger camps now first huts because logging is possible in this region and due to the greenness of the countryside it makes sense to settle down.
Ondorkaan is a nest. And also here was no 92 octane fuel available. But that has to do with the stopped deliveries from Russia. First Mongolia draught out with diesel and now the same happens with the 92 fuel. But my bike accepts the 80 octane up to now without any hick ups.
Ondorkaan to Choibalsan 340km earth road, whole day standing on the bike
I was surprised that the asphalt from yesterday didn’t continue at all.
Again I had problems to find my way, I mean the right way, out of the village.
First 40km was great driving with 110 -130 km/h on the gravel but this changed completely and the topsoil took all my concentration: earth like concrete with potholes in it, in between sand and clay, waterholes beside and on the street…this “road” must be the hell on earth when it rains. The surface will change then to a glue and soap combination. Lucky me that it didn’t rain although the sky was dark and I could see rainfall at the horizon.
And these tracks are never straight and always go in curves…left bend, right bend, left bend…and of course always in a hilly terrain…up and down and up… that makes it a bit difficult for speeding: always changing gears but the good thing is it keeps you awake and if you are at a certain place too fast you feel the adrenalin pouring in…wow.
I have my own theory for the left/right/left/right curves which were made by generations of Mongolians, which is a bit nasty:-) But of course rain changes everything in Mongolia…and that might be the real reason.
In the middle of nowhere I stopped in a 6 house + 6 ger village. Horses everywhere and when a 5 years old boy one handed on a big horse gallop by I took out my camera. Of course too late to catch him but I made some other nice photos.
And one 15 years old girl spoke excellent English…she wanted to go to UB for studies. And that is what I found out: In Mongolia it is mostly the girls who are self-confident and determined to go for studies and for a better future. The boys are more on this sport, gaming, hang out and this “big guy” thing and yes, drinking.
The last 40km before Choibalsan were ok again with some handshaking “Wellblech” in between.
I changed my hotel because I had only drunk guys in the rooms around me. Drunken already when I arrived, squatting on the corridor and spitting on the floor. This morning I woke up at 6:00h because of a big noise coming from the corridor. First I thought of construction work and finally I couldn’t stand it anymore. I opened the door and saw one guy hitting and kicking another room door, yelling at his colleague inside who didn’t hear him (for now half an hour). He must have been that f____ drunken…ohjeohje.
I complained to the reception and they tried to open the door with another key…I went back to bed.
When I packed my clothes another door was open (quite often you find open room doors in Mongolian hotels, they don’t care so much about privacy) and 3 guys lay in bed and I could even see the alcohol in the air coming out of this room. Boah eh!
Now I am in my room in my new great (haha) hotel and I even enjoy internet…slow but steady. Outside rainfall.
Doing now the planning of the further trip and hoping that I can cross the border to Russia tomorrow, because it is not an international crossing. If I have to go all the way back…
Huge!
Trees!
His first getaway from home? He complained a lot when I started my motorbike and nearly fell into the ditch when I rolled onto the road...
