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Mongolia Entries

Flying to Bangkok

Monday, October 4th, 2010

We're groggy and tired, bouncing around in a taxi that feels like it could be a louage. Our driver hums along to the radio, while every joint in the body of his rickety van creaks and squeaks and complains about its old age and neglect. Out of th...

Neisha & Rob

Sunday, October 3rd, 2010

Every so often, we have the good fortune of meeting people with whom we connect immediately. Try as we might, we've thus far been unable to ascertain exactly what is required to bring about this experience, but when it does, it is unmistakable. A...

Tumen Ekh: Mongolian National Song and Dance Ensemble

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

This evening marks the third time we've set off with Neisha and Rob to find the theater where Tumen Ekh performs. Jake, one of the Mongol Ralliers that gave our cycling friends a lift in the steppe, has all but demanded that we see the show. He i...

Rest at Last

Friday, October 1st, 2010

It took five days of non-stop activity, but we've managed to sort through everything! Our car has been donated to the Mongolian government, our tickets to Bangkok are booked, and our bicycles are packed and ready to go. With all of the logistics ...

Making Boxes

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

Looking at Air China's website this morning, we learn that the total linear measurement of our bike boxes (length + width + height) must be equal to or less than 180cm. Not quite sure what to make of this, Tyler grabs our tape measure and starts r...

Ulaan Baatar's Gandan Monastery

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

I was pretty disappointed by Ulaan Baatar's Gandan monastery. Between the hawkers trying to sell us cheap crap, the strong warning in our guidebook about pickpockets, and the monks texting and talking on their cellphones during the chants, I spent...

Finding Boxes

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

My goal for the day is a deceptively simple one: find cardboard boxes. We've already failed at this once. Yesterday, we asked at the local outdoor supply shop, a camping outlet, and the huge State Department Store, all in vain. If I can't find c...

Lightening Our Load

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

We've just noticed that our tickets to Bangkok with Air China allow a maximum of 20 kilograms in checked luggage per person. After calling around, we've definitively confirmed that the overage fee per kilo is $20. With bicycles that weigh in exce...

Decisions Made & Friends Missed

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Stumbling out of the restaurant and into the darkness, bellies stuffed with delicious stir-fry, we are more than a little relieved we decided not to backtrack our entire journey to the UK. If we had, we'd be leaving in an hour, driving through the...

Back to Basics

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Back to at the car park, Tara is busy journaling. Striding in to meet her, I can hardly believe we've done it! Cheering, high-fives and a recounting of the last few hours ensues. Then, as much as I want to collapse and call it a day, I get to wo...

Turning in the Keys, The Fate of LRC: Part Six

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Pulling into a parking space at the customs building, I feel like I am fourteen years old again, taking our beloved but very sick family cat to the Humane Society to be put down. Walking into the brick building, I am holding out hope that the hard...

Farewell, The Fate of LRC: Part Five

Monday, September 27th, 2010

We have less than two hours to get back to our hotel, fully unload our car, and drive the LRC back through the busy traffic to the custom's office. We race outside to hail a cab. Just seconds later, a car screeches to a halt and tells us to get i...

Mongolian Customs, The Fate of LRC: Part Four

Monday, September 27th, 2010

It is Monday morning, and we're about to see if we can give our car to Mongolia. Tom from the Adventurists has told us to go to the customs office, so that's where we're headed. "Okay, get psyched up", I say to myself. It's going to be one of th...

The Black Market

Sunday, September 26th, 2010

Tara: After our morning meeting with Tom, it's pretty clear there is nothing we can do with our car at the moment. It's Sunday, and all the offices we need to visit are closed. What we can do is take some time to relax. Sitting inside with a h...

Rocking Out

Saturday, September 25th, 2010

Now that we have some semblance of a plan involving our car, we're able to enjoy ourselves a little. The team is holding a beard competition! After the elimination stages, only two members remain. The final round will be put to a group vote. ...

False Start, The Fate of LRC: Part Two

Saturday, September 25th, 2010

Now that we've reached Ulaan Bataar, we have a daunting list of logistical issues to solve. Though it would be nice to celebrate the end of our Mongolian road trip, get back to journaling, and regain some semblance of a "normal" routine, it doesn'...

Beginning of the End: Part Two

Friday, September 24th, 2010

We just want a quiet night to ourselves, maybe at a nice Italian restaurant with a glass of wine or two? But, as we get dressed, we're bit sad about the prospect of missing out on the festivities. We decide to head to Marco Polo, just to say hell...

Beginning of the End: Part One

Friday, September 24th, 2010

The alarm goes off, 5:00 AM glowing on our small cell-phone screen, shrill beeps sound in my ear. I fumble around desperately, barely conscious, mashing the keypad until I press enough buttons to make the godawful noise go away. Darkness surround...

The Loving Hut, The Jimny Saga: Part Ten

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Eeveryone sleeps in today after the triumphant party celebrating the success of the Jimny. Nearing noon, we all pack up and head into town to pay the local mechanic a visit. Unfortunately, when we arrive, we realize that Richie and Freddie have f...

A Guitar String, The Jimny Saga: Part Nine

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

Over dinner we discussed options. We're not going to leave Richie and Freddie out there in the desert, but the question of what to do for them still remains. For now, we're thinking that one of the teams could go pick them up tomorrow, or at leas...

Back to Tarmac

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

We've heard reports that a paved highway begins four hundred kilometers from the capital. Some say its smooth all the way to Ulaan Bataar, while others say the surface is patchy, potholed, and intermittent at best. We're not sure which of the rum...

Absurd, The Jimny Saga: Part Eight

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

Knowing they'll have to travel extremely slowly, Richie and Freddie set off a good three hours before the rest of us today, hoping they can make some headway before we catch up to them. In the meantime, we start the day as usual: a leisurely paced...

Wheels Falling Off, The Jimny Saga: Part Seven

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

We've been killing time waiting for the Jimny to arrive, but eventually we have to face facts. They are not coming. What in the world has happened to them? Someone suggests we take the motorcycle to find them. Wanting to get the show on the roa...

Bad Moon Rising

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

With the Saxo's exhaust repaired, we're back on the road. Before us, a spaghetti-like sprawl of dirt tracks stretch out as far as the eye can see. Behind us, a billowing cloud of dust obscures the air. Each member of the convoy has arbitrarily p...

Obstacles

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

When we started thinking about buying a car and driving it across Siberia, we had a rough time getting reliable reports as to the conditions of the roads. It seems silly, but back then we weren't even sure if crossing Russia was possible without a...

Uncertain, The Fate of LRC: Part One

Monday, September 20th, 2010

Each day closer to Ulaan Baatar brings us nearer to a potentially difficult decision we'd really like to continue ignoring: what to do about our car. We're currently weighing the pros and cons for a bevy of less-than-ideal options, because at the ...

Farewell to the Swift

Monday, September 20th, 2010

Matt and Tom gave it their best shot this morning, but the Swift's bent connecting rods couldn't be repaired. When they went to make arrangements to leave their car with the Mongol Rally, they discovered another Suzuki Swift at the drop point. If...

Exploratory Surgery

Sunday, September 19th, 2010

None of us are deterred by the fact that we have no idea what we're doing. Today, we're going to tear apart the Suzuki Swift's tiny three cylinder engine. Maybe, just maybe we can repair it, or find the parts we need to get it running. If not, a...

Together Again

Saturday, September 18th, 2010

We need cash to pay for another night at our cozy hotel. So, I leave Tyler hard at work in our room, and head outside to search for an ATM. I seem to recall seeing a bank nearby, but I can't figure out where it is. My solution to this problem, w...

Recreating History

Friday, September 17th, 2010

The majority of our day was spent in bed, uploading and sorting a month's worth of photos. When we weren't busy with that, we were slowly recreating history, digging ourselves out of a twenty-four journal backlog. We're going to be feeling the ef...

Into the Great Wide Open: Part Three

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

We spent a lot of time mucking about in sand this afternoon. Even if the rest of the drive goes smoothly, making it to Bayankhongor today is going to be difficult. Tara calculates that I have to keep our pace safely between 60 and 80 kilometers p...

Into the Great Wide Open: Part Two

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Being free of this sand pit lasted roughly five minutes. While we were able to maintain humor and perspective the first time, this is too much for both of us. Composure is lost. Curses fly. We are exhausted and upset but it doesn't matter. The...

Into the Great Wide Open: Part One

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Our life has become a Choose Your Own Adventure book. This morning, as we flip to a new chapter, the one where we drive across part of Mongolia alone, a twinge of sadness overcomes me. Waving goodbye to the early risers of the team, I think about...

Something to Learn

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

We start the day making apple-almond rice pudding, and cinnamon French toast for our friends. The morning feast is a huge success! As Tom (a saint) washes a mountain of dirty dishes, we receive our morning Mongolian visitor. He is on horseback, ...

Leaving Altai

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

Tara: I've read that there is a market in Altai, right next to our hotel. As a visitor, I can't see how you'd ever discover this without being told. The only telltale sign is an incomprehensible voice yelling over a distant loudspeaker outside ...

Repairs in Altai

Monday, September 13th, 2010

With the Jimny dealt with, Tara and I go driving in search of a hotel. She is feeling the aches and fatigue of impending illness, while I need a quiet place in which to work. We eventually stumble upon a nice clean hotel on the outskirts of town,...

Showdown, The Jimny Saga: Part Six

Monday, September 13th, 2010

It has already been a trying day for Richie, Freddie, Charlie, and Tim. But, the drama isn't over yet. Thankfully, getting the Jimny off the truck proves much easier than loading it had been. As the guys shell out a whopping $270 for the twelve ...

Leaving Early

Monday, September 13th, 2010

Tyler: A glimpse of our "old life" appears this morning when we leave camp alone, headed to Altai before most of the team wakes up. I've been leaving my work unattended for the last week – I need a day or two to catch up with the jobs that have ...

Loading in the Night: The Jimny Saga, Part Five

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

Tara: Matt has agreed to stay behind with Freddie. We are driving back to camp, feeling like a pair of medieval horse messengers, carrying news from one village to the next. As we rush to reach home before the sun slips below the horizon, Tyler...

Finding Tara: The Jimny Saga, Part Four

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

Tara has been gone for roughly ten seconds when the reality of what has just occurred sinks in. Usually, my delayed reaction to external stimuli while programming is cause for playful teasing. It is a frequent occurrence that I'll answer a questi...

Further Afield: The Jimny Saga, Part Three

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

I am barreling over the sandy terrain as fast as I possibly can. I am so pissed about being separated from Tyler in the middle of Mongolia, him having no idea where I am, that I secretly hope some of the bumps will cause Freddie to hit his head. ...

Finding a Truck: The Jimny Saga, Part Two

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

It has been an hour and a half, and still no one has come to help. I am journaling and Tyler is working when Freddie leans over to us and asks, "Could you drive me back to town to ask about the guy with the truck?" Tyler is is so far gone in prog...

Unrepairable: The Jimny Saga, Part One

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

Our distributor cap fix is working flawlessly. We're now at the head of the convoy, blasting over the steppe, perhaps at inadvisably high speeds. For once, the road is flat and straight and relatively well graded as far as the eye can see. ...

On Cars

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

Tara: I've never been the least bit interested in learning about the inner workings of a car. In fact, they always seemed mysterious and scary to me. Until recently, fixing them was certainly outside my realm of possibility – that's something s...

The Rock Tumbler

Saturday, September 11th, 2010

Tyler and I have talked many times about how this trip has been one gigantic exercise in personal growth. All of our silly idiosyncrasies, the many niggling things we do to get in our own way, and a multitude of habits which we could improve upon…...

Dry and Dusty

Friday, September 10th, 2010

I'm not entirely sure where the boundary begins, but I'm pretty sure we're in the Gobi desert. What started as intense mountain scenery has transformed into flat, rocky desert, complete with sharp, pokey shrubs, and numerous full skeletons of the ...

Herding Cats

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

Sometimes, getting anything done in this convoy roughly resembles herding cats. This morning, we are packed and ready to hit the road before anyone on our team is even awake. Hoping they'll be up soon, we head into town to purchase supplies for o...

To Hovd

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Tyler: We awaken with joy this frosty morning, overcome by an intense sensation of relief. We're still incredulous about the bizarre circumstances which reunited us – it will be well into the evening before we're through exchanging wide-eyed loo...

Driving at Night in Mongolia: Part Two

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

Green, blocky numbers glow faintly from our digital clock above the tape deck; the time reads 11:30 PM. We know better than this, why on Earth are we out here? We are lost in a maze of barely-lit tracks, exhausted, stupidly driving over the alrea...

Driving at Night in Mongolia: Part One

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

It is already wearing on us that we can't get anything accomplished with our writing. This doesn't bode well; we've only been in Mongolia for three days. Even though we've decided to throw ourselves into this new adventure without writing about i...

Back to Ölgii

Monday, September 6th, 2010

Glorious morning views are waiting to greet us as we reluctantly crawl out of our warm sleeping bag today. Yellowing fields stretch far and wide around us, hugged by a series of awe-inspiring mountains. Our camp is nestled near the lake in this s...

Mongolian Hospitality

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

Light is fading fast as we drive off-road, over green fields towards our host's ger. Pulling up next to the round white homes, we are welcomed enthusiastically by a man we've never seen before. Perhaps he is the brother of our host? He has two a...

Dead Doblò

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

The roads of Mongolia have claimed another victim. Just a few minutes ago, Mette's red Doblò had a collision similar to our own—some unseen obstacle smashed into the underside of her van. The exhaust system survived, but it seems the motor didn't...

Exhausting

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

I knew the roads in Mongolia would be bad. I've seen pictures. I've heard first-hand accounts. I've even watched documentaries about people traveling over them! I was prepared for river crossings, giant potholes, deep ruts, car-eating sand, hug...

Slow Start

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

Nobody is in a hurry to get moving this morning. In fact, when I rouse myself from a comfortable night's sleep around 9AM, everyone is still cocooned under their down comforters, or wrapped up like pupa in their mummy-style sleeping bags. I le...

Mongolia!

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

It is early afternoon by the time we're prepared to leave the Mongolian border. As we make our way towards the gate, the guards on patrol smile and wave enthusiastically. After we pass them by, the barrier which held us captive in no-man's land l...

Morning at the Border

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

My nose feels like an ice-cube this morning. The rest of my cramped body is, thankfully, much more inhabitable – safely wrapped in numerous layers of clothing and sleeping bags. It was a group effort last night, staying warm and comfortable. If ...

Rallying Together

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Well, it looks like we'll be spending the night at the border. Locked in on both sides, with no real identification, now in the dark of night and a swirling blizzard, what else is there to do? Luckily, we're among friends. As all we pile in...

Border Crossing & Blizzard in No-Man's Land

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

The wind is blustery and wintery, whipping through the mountains and flying across the plains as we head closer to Mongolia. It smells like snow. As Tyler drives, I realize I've missed this particular seasonal odor and the chilly expectations tha...

The Way to Mongolia

Friday, August 27th, 2010

As Tyler journaled this morning, I began doing some research about the next phase of our road trip: the Altay region of Siberia. As I did so, I noticed that Chuisky Trakt, billed as one of the most beautiful roads in Russia, winds through the stun...