Hitch hiking to the Gobi Desert

We parked the van outside the Lotus Guesthouse. The group of us were back together so we had a few drinks in the van with some other people staying in the hostel. At about midnight a dog came sniffing around the van. I picked it up and put it in the back of the van. We gave it food and water. It immediately felt like our pet, it guarded the van and took a liking to Dunny, it slept on his bed in the van that night. We named him Kieran. In the morning we were tempted to keep him for a week. But we decided to let him go, emotional times.

The next destination in Mongolia was the Gobi desert. Louise and Emily were short of time so decided to get an internal flight with Stew and Nikki. That left Dunny, Helen and me to drive the van down. We left at 6am. Half an hour into the 12+ hour drive the roads turned into mud tracks, 20 minutes later the exhaust downpipe was completely broken. With the van sounding like it had a monster truck engine again we headed back to the hotel we stayed at the night before. The English speaking lady said we could park the van in the car park (which had 24HR security and a horrible looking guard dog) for a week, perfect. We ordered the spare parts we needed from home on the hotel computer, then headed to the road to thumb down a lift. We decided to hitch hike to the desert.

After minutes a land cruiser pulled over and took us a few km to the correct road we needed. Again waiting for only a few minutes two land cruisers pulled over. They were going to exactly the right place, and offered to take the three of us for a 50,000 tug fuel contribution, £5.50 each. Perfect. Half an hour after being picked up the diesel pump shaft seal failed and pissed diesel into the sump. It made a horrible noise and plume'd  smoke out the exhaust. We were well and truly broke down in the middle of nowhere. It would have been hours before they got going again.  We decided to try and get a different lift. After a stint in the back of a van, 6 people in a prius, then a new land cruiser, a day later we were in Dalanzadgad. It was good seeing the lush grasslands of central Mongolia gradually turn into sandy desert. We drove through a sandstorm in the new land cruiser, it sounded like the car was being sand blasted. The rich miners didn't seem to mind, it was a company car.

Now separated from the others we decided to make our way to Yoliyn Am, a gorge in the mountains which has ice shelves present all year round. We tried to get a lift for about 45mins. There wern't many cars going our way and less stopping. Finally a land cruiser stopped, but it was full with 5 people. We thought it was a bit of a waste of time trying to explain where we were going because we wouldn't fit anyway. After a bit of rearranging we were in! 8 people in a 5 seater. We were chuffed we were on our way again!

We stayed in the foothills of the Altai mountains. Looking one way was the rugged mountains and the track to Yoliyn Am and the other was the Gobi desert - it stretched as far as you could see, it looked like an ocean.  We stayed in a Ger which was lit only by candle. The next day we packed our bags and walked into the mountains to the ice gorge. The gorge was surreal. Surely there wasn't going to be any ice left in this 30 degree heat?! But there was. We met some English hippies also hitch hiking and we had a much needed wash under a little waterfall. It was a good day, after 20 miles of walking we were delighted to find a ger shop selling cold beers. The owner of our ger came for a beer then offered to take me and Dunny the 100m to our ger on the back of his motorbike. We went up a steep slope, the 150CC bike struggled, he dropped it down a gear and opened the throttle, me and Dunny flew off the back and landed in a heap on the floor, luckily no injuries, we would walk the rest of the way!

Next stop was the sand dunes at Khongorn Els. A fair distance from Yoli Am. After an hour we flagged down a van and got in the back with a load of furniture. After that we bumped into the same people who had 8 in the land cruiser, they gave us a lift the remainder of the way. 

We stayed at a posh ger camp overlooking the dunes.  We woke up and the manager said he was driving the way we needed to go in two hours time. We asked if he could stop at the sand dunes on the way, he said no problem. It wasn't ideal because it meant we didn't have time for a camel ride but was too good an offer to turn down. The sand dunes were class, a few hundred metres high and went on as far as you could see. We continued on back to Dalangzad with the manager in the old Russian 4x4 van. Half an hour into the 6 hour journey it over heated, radiator split, so the driver limped it back to the ger camp topping up the water every 10 mins. They stripped it down and ordered a new radiator from the nearby town. Also the fan had seen better days ( see photo).

Ideal, it gave us time to have a nice lunch and a camel ride. The camels were massive animals, not far off twice the size of the Mongolian horses. We had a few beers waiting for the van to be fixed. The van was fixed nd we set off.  The drive back took us down dried river beds and over mountain passes. Was pretty awesome.

We went back to UB in a shuttle bus, 19 people in a 14 seater, pretty cramped but was cheap and made it back in good time. We tried for a hitch but the heavens opened so the shuttle bus parked opposite looked inviting.

Rob

Northern Mongolia - Lake Khovsgol

We were in Khatgal, a small town on the southern tip of lake Khovsgol.  Lake Khovsgol holds 1% of the worlds fresh water and it's 95% pure - cleaner than water that comes out taps at home.

We walked through the town looking for a ger camp to stay at. We found a family run camp right next to the waters edge.  They didn't seem to mind about the 200m rule which says no camps less than 200m from waters edge to keep the water pure.  Suited us though, £1.50 each a night, unlimited supply of wood for the stove and a big pan for cooking, perfect.

The first night we bought a load of yak meat from a meat counter in town and a load of veg.  We cooked up a big Mongolian soup on the wood fired stove. It was lush and lasted a few days.

The next day we got a lift up the west coast of the lake from the ger camp owner. We spent the day chilling on the beach. We walked out along a spit which was cool. We went to a shop, bought a bottle of vodka and juice and sat on the shore listening to music until our lift returned at 7PM to collect us. Was a brilliant day. The lake and surrounding mountains are beautiful. That evening we were invited to a birthday party of the sister of the ger camp owner. They made a campfire on the bank of the lake and all the family were there. More vodka was consumed. It was a fun night. We invited the owners for food the following day.

The next day we arranged a boat trip on the lake. Coincidentally it was the same boat the others went on two weeks before.  That night the ger owners came to our ger for food. We cooked them mutton soup. Went down a treat.

The next morning we got a lift in a mini van to Moron where we were going to catch our 17 hour coach to UB. We arrived nice and early at 1PM, it was due to leave at 2PM. At 2PM we were the only people on the bus. We new is was meant to be full because we had the last two tickets. Gradually people began arriving in dribs and drabs. No one seemed bothered they were late, no sense of urgency with anyone. At 3.10PM it was full and ready to go, but they needed fuel, another 20 minutes of faffing and we finally set off at 3.30PM! The journey was interesting, a 50 seater coach going down mud tracks, through rivers and over passes. The bus stopped at one point and everyone was beckoned off. There was a floating bridge which looked like it was from the second world war. There was some serious movment when our coach drove across, we could now see why they asked everyone to get out! We arrived back in UB safe and sound.

Rob

Central Mongolia - Volcano

After being separated for a week the group got back together and headed to a national park in central Mongolia. There was 5 of us in total so hitch hiking would be harder but we gave it a go. Me, Helen, Dunny, Stew and Nikki We caught the train out of town which put us on the correct road.

The first hitch was in a pick up truck, Stew and me were in the back and the others in the front. The driver spoke perfect English, they owned the Burberry store in UB. The next hitch, all 5 again, was in an unmarked land cruiser police car. He was tearing down the roads, if anyone got in his way he would blast his sirens and flash his lights! We got to the next town in no time.

We stayed the night in a motel in a small town. We met some Korean businessesmen on a tour of Mongolia. We had a party in their room, listening to music and having a few drinks.

The next morning we were in the back of a pick up, two cars in convoy and an old Russian 4x4. A guy tried to stitch up me and Stew by making us pay a silly amount, we told him to whistle.

We finally arrived in a place called Harhorin to see an ancient Buddhist temple and settlement. The perfect place for the next where's Willy, well done Stew for probably the best one yet! The girls held eagles then we continued on to Tsetserleg to see the hot springs. 

When we arrived we learnt that it was a music festival and fashion show to publicise a new expensive clothing brand using Mongolian yak wool.  We hired bikes and cycled to the hot springs. The mud track took us over 4 passes and through a couple of rivers. Was a scenic ride. The main springs were too hot to get into so we paid to go into a bath house type thing. There was a pool outside. We met some other travelers, had a few beers with them then headed back.

The next day we went out on the bikes with the son of the hostel next door's owner and an American who we met who was cycling across Mongolia.  That night was the music festival and fireworks. We sat in the main square and had a few beers with us lot, the American and the hostel owners family.

The next morning we went our separate ways, me and Helen wanted to continue across the national park and on up to Lake Khovsgol, the others went to a waterfall then back to UB.

Me and Helen hitched to Tariet, a town next to a big lake and volcano. We stayed a night in a ger on the edge of the lake. Was a cracking spot. The next day we walked up the volcano, rimmed it, then sat and enjoyed the view. The lava fields stretched into the distance and the crater was intact. We both really enjoyed it.

Due to a bit of bad planning and a cash point not working we were running low on funds. We had the equivalent of a tenner for the both of us. We woke the next day and hitched a lift in the wrong direction in a lorry. Then had to pay a couple of quid to get back to where we started. Bollocks, our £10 was now down to £7. We got ourselves on the right road and flagged down a family who were going exactly where we wanted. We spent about 12 hours over 2 days with them along the most scenic road so far in Mongolia, you wouldn't even attempt in anything but 4 wheel drive. The family very kindly paid for our hotel then we paid them back the following day.

We arrived in Khatgal safe and well with money in our pockets!

Rob

Best poo ever! - Gorkhi Terelj National Park part 2

We needed to leave the others and head back to UB to sort my Chinese visa and extend Helen's Mongolian visa. Luckily we met a guy called Bat. He was diving back to UB with his brother the following day. He offered us a lift which we gratefully accepted. We arranged to meet at 5am outside the hotel.  He pulled up in a brand new Toyota Land Cruiser. Four wheel drive, V8 petrol and leather seats. This wouldn't struggle getting through the mud! Turns out they were rich businessmen.  They insisted on buying us breakfast an hour into the drive, we then bought lunch a little later. They had lots of businesses, construction, farming, tourism and real estate, it was interesting listening to their stories of their father and his experience with the Soviet Union. Bat's grandfather was killed by the Russians because he was a wealthy landowner who disagreed with communism. This left Bat's father an orphan at 6 years old, he then became a successful engineer, businessman and politician. Of the back of this he set his 4 sons up with businesses. Bat phoned around hotels to find us a bed for the night. 10 hours of driving later we were in UB. Thanks Bat for the lift!

We spent a day sorting visas then headed back to Terelj National Park to chill for a week before meeting the gang again the following weekend.

We arrived at Terelj and found a Ger to live in for the week. We arranged to go horse riding the next morning for 4 hours. It was class, crossing rivers up to 1.5 metres deep and fast flowing. The horses were tough, just got on with it. Helen's horse seemed to like her - a lot. See photo below.

The bogs are a hole in the ground with wooden shelter above. We were on our way back to the Ger from having a dump and got invited into a party. It was a reunion of classmates from the 60's, and their teacher.  Lying in the corner of the Ger was what looked to be a dog asleep. After closer inspection it was infact a goat skin almost all intact. They went on to explain a Mongolian culinary tradition carried out by the men of the group. (Animal lovers beware).

Step 1 - friend gifts the group with a live goat.
Step 2 - men kill the goat, knife to neck.
Step 3 - skin the goat, leaving majority intact. Skin ends up like a pillowcase, open at one end only.

Step 4 - butcher the meat and add spice, give organs to local family.
Step 5 - heat rocks on an open fire until very hot.
Step 6 - fill the skin with spiced meat and hot rocks. Wire the open end shut.

Step 7 - with gas blow torch, burn all hairs off skin.

Step 8 - 1 hour later cut skin open and retrieve cooked meat and remove hot rocks. The rocks are passed around and used for superstitious healing purposes. Cut the skin into small pieces and eat entire goat minus head and trotters. See photos below. It tasted awesome, nice and tender, the best bit was the stock that came out.

They fed us vodka, snuff and chocolates. All sitting around in the ger, about 20 people, they introduced us to a game. One person stands in the middle and serves the vodka into one cup (the drink master?!).  They pass the cup to one person who has to sing a song before doing the shot. The cup then gets passed back to the drink master. Everyone joins in and has a good sing song, they enjoyed the English songs! Even though the culture is so different, one thing remains the same, drinking games. After a bit of dancing we headed back to our ger, a great few hours.

The following day we walked to turtle rock, photo. We flagged down a pick up truck and asked to hitch a lift back. Minutes later we were in the back sat on bags of cement on our way back to Terelj.

All in all an awesome week. Doing the dishes in a stream, washing in the river, pooing in a hole in the ground, cooking on a wood fired stove in the Ger and meeting some interesting locals.

Rob

Wild goose Chase.

We collected Louise and Emily from the airport. They bumped into Jeff's mum ( Stews's friends mum) on the plane! Pure coincidence! Fist stop was the top of a hill we slept the night before.

With everyone sitting on the roof of the van we drove up the steep slope to the top.  Louise gave me the exhaust repair section my parents bought from Chris Mullins, Gloucester. Thanks mum and dad! Photo.

We cracked the beers open and enjoyed the view. On the way up the hill the power steering pump belt rubbed through the radiator top hose pissing water everywhere. We fixed it with duck tape and left the rad cap off. Not long after, a Shepard on horseback rode up to the van. He stared intriguingly for a while then we offered him a beer. After trying to trade his horse for Dunny's bike we declined but agreed to meet him at 3 PM at his Ger for food.

We topped the van up with water and drove it down the hill to his Ger. He fed us boiled mutton, fermented horse milk, snuff, and let us ride his horses, in exchange we let him drive our van. We said our farewells and drove back to UB.

In UB me and Dunny replaced the broken section of exhaust. We met Andy and Sarah who were brits doing the trans Siberian express and travelling further. We had beers whilst fitting the exhaust and drove Andy and Sarah to the same spot at the top of the hill to watch the sunset and for more beers. Was a good night!

Stew, Louise and Emily met Sanchez again, who invited us to a Nadaam festival 5 hours drive away from UB. Spot on. We met Maurice at the hostel, a Dutch guy, who also wanted to join us to the nadamm festival.

I met Helen at the airport the following day and set off for the festival. 8 people and luggage in the van, we were on our way!

The first night we stopped at a ger camp to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Big party with the locals. The night finished with the father Abraham song, the locals weren't used to that sort of behavior! "Put your boxers in your mouth and run around the ger".

What we expected to be a 5 hour drive, turned out to be two days across mud, and we were still one day's drive away from the festival. We hit a thunder storm and the van nearly got stuck in mud a few more times, pretty dodgy. After making our way to a hotel and Ger camp in the next town me and Helen decided to give up on the festival, we had to get back to UB to sort our visas.

We met a guy called Bat who could help us.

Rob