Thursday, July 28, 2011

CHINA chapter 3 part I

Headwinds; ‘i have a cunning plan’
29/06/11:  Takeshikenzhen to 144km West of Takesshikenzhen 144.28km
The night’s sleep was awful till about 2am, i had some very noisy neighbours and despite my abusive requests to shut up they didn’t, so when i woke up i decided no rush and it wasn’t till 1030am by the time i was on the road after the hotel owners had kindly given me a red bull for the days cycling.

The wind had died down at least but through the day it did gradually build up but i found a jolly good solution to this problem which i explain later. For lunch i took refuge in a culvert under the road where i had some shade and i began to grow a taste for the Chinese food in air tight bags, such as chicken legs and eggs. As i was about to set off a slow moving agricultural vehicle was making its way by and with the undulations and head wind i made better time to either sit in their slip stream or grab a tow and when they pulled over for a rest i was given a bottle of water for my trouble before i carried on again.
It wasn’t long after i left them that i was pulled over by the police, after being given the army salute they wanted to see my passport taking pictures of my visa, entry stamp and information page. They made quite a few calls and asked me where i was going and which hotels i was staying at. I couldn’t answer the latter of those questions but they seemed satisfied (so i thought). A few more pictures were taken and i was released just in time for the big vehicles to come by in time for me to sit in their slip stream once more. Looking back the police car was now following me, i found this odd and obviously they were not finished with me. At the next set of shops i stopped to buy a bit more food and i was joined by the two policemen again this time i was handed a phone to speak to someone. I didn’t really hear much of what he said but this time they were happy and after buying me an ice tea they left me for good.
I carried on riding enjoying the day but the wind was now really getting up, i passed the big vehicles once again, we were now all old friends, and after a final break where i ate much of my remaining food  i carried on hoping to find a shop where i could buy a bit more for camping as all i have now is 4 packs of noodles and some nuts! I was really struggling into the wind but once again the big vehicles came by and this time i held on for over an hour almost falling asleep. By 730pm the signs to the next town appeared and i was 44km! It looks like the noodles will have to cover me so i found yet another culvert under the road to use as a camping spot, it’s a touch windy so i will set the tent up anyways.
The lazy fox
30/06/2011:  144km West of Takeshikenzhen to The Middle of nowhere 148.82km
As i am writing this a week after i had actually done the ride i don’t really remember much about the day other than i had tail winds for part the day, ate lots of food and was given a watermelon which made my stomach bloat to that of a women who is 8 months down the line. In the tent i felt pretty groggy after eating so much which i why i didn’t do this diary till now. Lazy Bugger.  
Cheating will be punished
1/07/2011:  The middles of nowhere to 130km North East of Urumqi 152.31km
Not a massively interesting day today though the temperature was significantly hotter than it has been, its the slow build up to the middles east where i am expecting the hottest weather of the whole trip. By the afternoon it was looking like being a big big day, i grabbed on to a fairly brisk moving truck which didn’t drop below 30kmph and i was on a undulating road. The down hills when the speed built up i let go and sat in the slipstream and played a game to keep up then grab hold again as the road began to go up hill slowing us both, hitting speeds of 50+kmph was never so easy. The progress was good and at this rate i was easy on for a 170km+ day but then the bike gods put a stop to my effortless progress by giving me a flat tyre on the front. As i have no spare tubes left and just cheap Chinese patches it took 2 failed attempts i got a bit hacked off and put the tube with the slow puncture back on. Getting moving again i lost all momentum, the bike felt slow and sluggish as i did and about 10km before i hit the next town i called it a day. The saddle sore was getting to me, drivers everything. The place i chose to camp was a dry ground that looks as if its very boggy and marshy when it rains but lucky for me it doesn’t look like its rained for a while though there was a showery looking cloud coming over but at worst it looked as though it would pass without too many troubles.
RedBull Gives You Wings
2/07/2011: 130km North East of Urumqi to Urumqi 134.34km

The morning was not a good omen for the day, it was raining as it had for much of the night and the dry firm ground around was now soft, wet sticky mud that i sank up to my ankles in and the bike clogged itself with mud as it sank in not allowing the wheels to roll. It took me 2 hours to get out of that field and you may wonder as i did why i didn’t simple carry the bike instead of going through the struggle of dragging it through. The answer is as easy as the solution, i wasn’t all that far from the road and the old saying the grass is always greener seemed to keep entering my head but it never was. When i had enough and removed my panniers the mud was so thickly coated to the bike i was unable to carry it without getting stuck myself but it did make it easier to drag. I then spent 30 minutes removing the mud just so the wheels turned freely and the brakes worked in which time i was approached but a couple of policemen who seemed unable to understand why half the field was on my bike.
As i was finally moving i felt like i had already cycled the whole day, i had little energy and no water. It took me an hour to cover around 13km when i stopped at a rest area (i was now on a motorway) to eat some food and rest a little to gain some strength. There was a sign that indicated i had about 115km to Urumqi, it was now 2pm and i decided i would go for it. As Popeye would down a can of spinach i did the same with a redbull and i was off. With the aid of a tailwind i rode flat out for 2 hours rarely dropping below 25kmph and i stopped for a quick break at another rest area where i pumped my front tyre up as it still had a slow puncture, had a little food another rebull and i was off like a rocket. I made the time up i needed so i got to the city at a reasonable time.
As i got to within a few kilometres the traffic really picked up until i blindly (i had no map) found my way to the city centre. I spent a while riding around looking for a backpackers to no avail so i decided to try a new strategy. I went into the most expensive hotel i could find (next to the Sheraton) asked for a map and the use of the internet, despite my appearance they were super helpful and i found a hostel to which they marked out on the map and gave me step by step directions. As i walked out i tried to pretend i didn’t realise i had left muddy footprints on the immaculate marble floor.
I found the hostel easy enough and before entering got chatting to an Australian and English guy who both live in China. Their names were Mike and Ian and mike was going to cycle from Urumqi to Beijing so we had a bit to talk about including the brooks leather seat. They said they were going to grab some food so after i showered i joined them. After a hearty feed we decided to go to a bar, while waiting for a taxi some crazy Chinese girl (though pretty) began to ask for our phone, we didn’t give her a phone as she seemed very dodgy. She began to have a rant at me not realising that Mike and Ian both speak and understand Chinese. Apparently she was saying ‘how am i meant to call you without a phone,’ which makes no sense what so ever. We found a taxi and the driver made us all sit in the back, very unusual but things got stranger when the crazy Chinese girl then jumped into the front seat. Mike and ian both were tracking the route of the taxi to make sure we weren’t about to be taken off somewhere else in case we were all now caught up in some scam.  The crazy girl kept yapping apparently saying ‘why come to china without speaking Chinese.’  Oh how little she knew. The taxi driver then missed our turning after an order from the crazy Chinese girl, we were in the midst of a scam and this is where it gets fun. To the shock of the crazy Chinese girl Ian began to speak his fluent Chinese telling the taxi driver who we guessed to be part of the scam to stop and let us out. The crazy Chinese girl then (with the look of a deer caught in the headlights) told us to leave which me and mike were already doing. We left without paying. Eventually we made it to the bar where after the first round of beers decided to go buy them from the bottle shop as instead of paying 30RMB a bottle we were now paying 3RMB. It was 5am by the time we left incredibly drunk, we witnessed a bit of a barny with the locals and a taxi driver, the old Uiger and Han feud still a sensitive one. We were invited in for a lock in by the Irish owner which was kind on ironic as we spent the bare minimum in his bar.
Getting a taxi back such was my drunken state i could not find my hostel even though i was stood outside of it, getting in i crashed out instantly on my bed.


Urumqi
3/07/2011 to 8/07/2011

With Ian and Matt who looked after me when
I was ill
I spent my first full day in Urumqi with an epic hangover one of which i was proud of as it has been a long time since alcohol induced pain was inflicted on myself, but the gash on my head remained a mystery to all. Matt (who i may have referred to as Mike before) had much worse luck, in his alcohol  induced state, he managed to part ways with 500Yuan and lose his i-phone in the taxi an act i repeated later in the day when we went for diner and leaving the taxi my phone fell out my pocket, realising quickly was to no avail as the driver was gone sharpish maybe realising his bonus. I was a bit gutted about this mainly because i have all my maps for the rest of the journey downloaded to that phone, but i bought the same phone a couple of days later though being china it had a few differences.
I applied for a Kyrgyzstan visa and had planned to leave on a Thursday the day after i was set to receive the visa but on the day of collection i had a pretty awful dose of food poisoning, thanks to some cream filed pastries i believe, which caused me to be violently sick twice and feel pretty dam awful with no one to look after me though when matt and ian discovered my plight they did answer my request of oranges and offered any assistance i may need. I spent the whole day laying down on the same chair, i watched the back to the future trilogy and did some research on what sort of food poisoning i may have, for those who want to know it was (i guess) Staphylococcus aureus but even now my stomach is still not right and i have been to the dunny 6 times today with ‘water stools.’
I didn’t do any sightseeing in Urumqi, i spent most the time hanging out with Ian and Matt who have been great company to have around and given me some great insights like why facebook is banned in China, its to do with the Uigers. . I successfully obtained a Kyrgyz visa so that leaves three more to get before i have free crossing borders, i hope, to England.
I had planned to get an early start tomorrow for the ride but as i still need to do some shopping i might take my time or put my clock back as a cheat as im still in Beijing time, which makes no sense here. 

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

MONGOLIA

Beijing to Ulaanbatar Train
31/05/2011 to 1/06/2011
It was an early start but as it turned out not early enough, i was one of the last to the train station but still had time to have my final argument with a Chinese train worker about my bicycle. The first thing i noticed in the waiting room after i had skipped security because the effort of putting my belonging through the x-ray machines would kill the Chinese workers was another cyclist. He had got to the train station much earlier than me so was able to tell me how things work. I had to dissemble my bike then frustratingly take two trips to get all my luggage onto what wasn’t a very busy train.
In my compartment i shared with a French girl called Celine. Chris (the other cyclist who was from Germany) came over to visit so i wasn’t short of people to chat to which made the whole experience just delightfully pleasant. The journey went by fairly quickly, before long (13 hours) we had reached the border town where the wheels of the train have to be change as the Chinese and Russians use different wheel widths just because its fun to make life difficult.
This took three hours, Chris had left as he was cycling up to UlaanBaatar from here but getting back on the train, it was now mid night i decided maybe it was time to sleep but not before our passports were given back by a laughing Mongolian immigration officer.
The morning came and looking out the window everything was different, gone were houses or much in the way of life, it was replaced with first desert (we were passing through the Gobi desert) then just vast rolling green hills, everything one expects of Mongolia. Life did eventually begin to show in the form of Gers (what the Nomadic people live in) herds of horses, sheep, goats and what looked like gazzels. It was everything i had dreamed but was now worrying on the vastness of it all. Will i be able to carry enough food and water to get from place to place? Will the border i plan to cross actually exist? Will i be able to get a Chinese Visa? Also i have gone almost 6 weeks with doing much cycling so my fitness is not at its best but i will find out if i survive on the other side and if i don’t that is something i will have to think about then.
Life became more evident, the road that ran near the railway line was plentiful with cars and sure enough UlaanBaatar was insight. I began to get a little nervous as i was now in a new city which i knew nothing about and as the kind person who gave me the guide book had ripped the Ulaanbaatar city map out i didn’t have the faintest idea of where i was going.
Docking into the railway station i lugged my bike and bags onto the platform, Celine who was meant to be picked up by a tour operator stayed with me just to make sure i’d be ok before she then headed off. There were people from hostels fishing for business and one of these cards given had a little map which showed a department store nearby and a major government square i just had to work out whether or i needed to go north, east, south or west!
Ready to go i went to the front of the station where Celine was still waiting to be picked up so i stood there for a while my plan that i would ask her tour guide where i should go. He didn’t show but a taxi driver had given me a general idea of which way i should go, so leaving Celine who said she had a plan of her own i set off and sure enough i found a hostel where there were lots of people from the train journey already getting cosy. There was space but not for my bike so then the wild goose chase began where to my horror everywhere was full and the final place saying ‘everywhere is full.’
I had a think and decided to head back to the first one i had gone to (golden gobi) and plead with them but something i did not spot before was another hostel next door so asking for a safe place for me and my bike to stay i was told no problem. The hostel was new and virtually empty, so i got settled in.
My hunt for food was successful and a beer was needed but because it was ‘children’s day’ they were not selling alcohol but by some miracle i managed to purchase some. I was joined by Tim an American who was on my train and we sat in the park till late drinking our liquid gold.



Ulaanbaatar
2/06/2011 to
The first full day in Ulaanbaatar and after getting a map it was time for a failed attempt at applying for a Chinese visa largely as the embassy was closed but another problem had occurred, the day i would expect to collect my passport is a Chinese holiday so it would mean being stuck in Ulaanbaatar a week.
I also discovered that the ‘Black Market’ would be closed this week so if i do manage to get away i will miss it on a plus side the weather was clear skies but got a bit chilly on the night. I went for a walk around Ulaanbaatar not being very big at all and largely uninspiring i was not looking forward to the prospect of being stuck here for a week. I decided to head over to a food market while on the way i bumped into Celine the French girl from the train journey. She had a terrible day as in some confusion her agency didn’t pick her up till late and her hotel was in a pretty bad area. We chatted had look around the food market then arranged to meet up later. On the way back to my hostel i careful chose two different maps, so along with the map on my phone and what is in my lonely planet i shouldn’t get lost but as someone famous once said ‘only two things are infinite,  the universe and mans stupidity.’
The evening involved beer food then when i was back at my hostel Tim came round claiming to have found a place that sells cheap beer which where under the influence of alcohol we hatched a plan to have a night out in town tomorrow night as it was Friday.
More time was wasted obtaining visas but i was delighted for a large fee they will allow you to pick up your passport the same day and this went by without a hitch, i had heard stories it would be difficult but it wasn’t. I now though had to think seriously about what i needed to prepare for the ride across Mongolia. I spent some hours studying maps organising a plan of attack i figured out how many days of food i would need till i can restock, water is also a concern and where i can withdraw money.
For dinner me and Celine opted for western food, ashamedly we went to an American burger restaurant but as luck would have it everyone from the neighbouring hostel and who we were on the train with had just arrived so we joined them. After a burger that did not sit happily in my belly the discussion of drinking beer was up but in some confusion i forgot where everybody went so missed out which in all honesty i wasn’t massively keen on.
Final day, i hope and it was stock up on food which im still to pack, organise final bits and bobs but discovering the black market maybe open myself and Pierre the only other person in my hostel went for a walk to find where getting badly sunburn discovered it was closed but at a nearby shopping centre we did manage to buy some bits, Pierre getting the most unique item of a bayonet for an AK-47 for the price of 4GBP!
Back at the hostel time to pack but before i could Celine who though had started her trip was still in Ulaanbaatar came round and instead on packing the three of us (Celine, myself and Pierre) drank yet more beer, the night that followed was with little sleep due to an invasion of mosquitoes.
Go West
05/06/2011: Ulaanbaatar to Just east of Argalant 76.75km
After an awful night i was in a great deal of conflict whether or not to leave today, i had no reason not to other than i had got settled with having people around and didn’t want to be alone again. Sounds silly and you’d probably think i need to man up a bit but i wasn’t feeling it. After laying awake in bed till 10am i decided i should leave but was in no certain mind i would but i organised myself that if i grew some balls i would be ready to go. I was in no hurry, i took my time over breakfast i had a chat with Pierre and finally decided i should just go, the only way i will feel any better is to just put some kilometres through the legs.
I wasn’t eating much i tend to get like this when im a bit down but i forced some fruit down me as i think it was all my stomach would tolerate then i set about loading the bike up, finally this was it, d-day. Due to the extra food i had loaded onto the bike (5-7 days worth) and extra 5 litre water bottle the bike weighed a lot and made the whole balance wrong.
Road out of UB

I faced my demon and restarted my journey alone but now for the fisrt time its west till home. Things didn’t quite go to plan however, the 5L water bottle i had strapped to the back fell off and broke the bottle but not to worry i feared something like this may happen so i carried a spare empty bottle i found on the street, it was a better shape and thicker plastic. With the help of a curious child i was back on the road again but it wasn’t as easy to follow and i ended up on a dirt road (sign of things to come) before rejoining the smooth tarmac road. From here on it was easy going if you exclude the fierce headwind and uphill gradient. I wasn’t making good progress, i had targeted to do around 70km but having only achieved 35km in 3 hours this was going to be a slog much like Australia was but here in Mongolia the smooth tarmac road im on will soon disappear. As the day wore on i was given a boost via a tow from a bus, then the wind seemed to ease and even turn into a tailwind and thanks to this turn of good fortune my speed improved and i made up time.
Fully Loaded
I have heard many things about the warmth and curiosity of Mongolians and i could feel it as i cycled, people waved said hello and would even stop me for a chat which as neither of us speak the same language is tricky. My expectation of no shops was ended when i spotted a little wooden shack where a few trucks seemed to stop at, there wasn’t a whole lot to buy but a sugary drink was all that was required as i still didn’t think i could stomach any food. Just after this stop i found a place to camp (this really isn’t a difficult thing in Mongolia) where my loneliness was only amplified. It just felt so empty not being able to share this experience with somebody or have someone to pick my spirits up. I gave my best shot at eating some pasta but struggled to eat much but at least now i have breakfast prepared, every cloud....init.


Arms of fire
6/06/2011: Just east of Argalant to about 20km west of Erdenesant 170.63km
The day started with leftovers from last nights dinner then just before i set off a few specks of rain threatened but after a short shower soon gave way to the relentless sun that is so punishing at altitude. I had for the most part of today a good tail wind and i tried to make good use of it even so with my bike carrying such a load the hills are a slog.
I just rode today soaked up the scenery and watched animals be herded by Mongolian horsemen, i pass by large groups of horses and its really a sight to see animals that back home are normally fenced in to be so free.  The only issues i am having is finding anywhere to shelter from the forceful wind and killer sun, for lunch i had a choice, shelter from the wind or shade from the sun, i chose shelter from the wind. I did my best to cover up from the sun and im using factor 90 sun cream but still my arms have suffered badly. They are both red from the burn and the heat being emitted from them is not like i have had before from any form of sunburn.
I was feeling much better today on the bike until it came to looking for a place to camp where suddenly i felt all alone again. Cycling alone is not something that has ever bothered me in the past but now for whatever reason im missing having someone around especially at the end of the day, i don’t know why this is.

NO MAN NO MAN NO MAN
07/06/2011: about 20km west of Erdnesent to Karkhorin 135.82km
This was a tough day, unfavourable winds and unfavourable hills though this was something i had expected of Mongolia but my goal of reaching Karkhorin today looked in a bit of doubt. I dug in and had my first highlight of the day where by the side of the road were a group of blokes were sat with a group of Camels. I stopped and asked to take a picture but better one of the boys got up and brought the camel over and took some pictures for me. He then said i could ride the camel for 3000 turkic then dropped down to 2000 turkic (less than 1GBP). For reasons i don’t understand myself i declined and as i rode away couldn’t understand why i did, you cant ride a donkey on the beach for less than 1GBP. I cursed myself calling myself a ‘ No man’ and said that any opportunities that come up i will say yes, a bit like the movie ‘yes man.’
I carried on the road seemingly never endingly going uphill, the wind extremely unfavourable and the road seemed to be steadily worsening but after Tsterleg i know tarmac will just be a dream. My speed was struggling to get up to 15kmph but i stuck at it, the landscape for a while though still green was very sandy which if i ever come across a sand road, im walking because the bike wont work in sand. With no place for shade not even a tree i stopped at the top of a hill and made a little shade with my bike and a jacket while i ate then i continued to battle everything, i was putting a lot of effort in to keep going.
Finally at around 630pm i reached Karkhorin which i was surprised looked so dreary as it was a former capital and is a potential new capital. I bought some water as i was running low i needed a little more to get me to Tsterleg but i was in a bit of conflict as whether to do the unthinkable and stay at a tourist camp. I thought about it and pondered then decided i would but as i headed towards such camps i changed my mind and decided to camp.

I planned to cycle a bit away from the city just to get away from the people but as i was riding out i got chatting to a boy who was herding his goats, then a few others turned up. I didn’t really understand what was being said despite having a translation book but there was the smell of alcohol on their breathes and a few calls of vodka. I got the impression i was being invited to sleep at their Ger and remembering the promise i made earlier about being a Yes man i went along with it even though i was keen on staying with a group of drunks. No matter where you go in the world drunks are always a nuisance and with blokes they tend to want to show they have the biggest ego. I got the impression i was to cycle up the road so i did but they caught up and this is where things got uncomfortable. There was just one guy at first pointing to the 90km reading on his bike, not sure what this meant and tired to tell him. Another caught up and was asking for food, money ( i think) and alcohol , he even suggested we should all go back to the town and i buy them meat dumpling. One guy was asking for my watch then they wanted my water bottle. I acted dumb as if i didn’t understand but i did in general, i think i frustrated them with my stupidness as the was a lot of raising of the little figure which i later find out to be a sign of disproval.
One guy had obviously had enough more than  me as out load in English he shouted goodbye, sign that i should leave but the others were still talking to me not that i understood. Eventually i made my escape i headed back to town to one of the Ger tourist sites where i decided for peace of mind as i didn’t feel comfortable camping with these guys about that 5GBP was worth the safety. It was 830 by the time i got somewhere!

Thunder bolt of lightning very very frightening
8/06/2011: Kharkhorin to Tsetserleg 122.19km

The most memorable days while travelling tend to be the hardest and although i reckon i have had harder days today was tough but luckily your mental state tends to play a big part, mine was good today. I had around 120km to Tsetserleg where i would check-in at a guesthouse, i have first shower since Ulaanbaatar and rest up and stock up the bike again. It was another fine day with another fine headwind that slowed my progress which meant i would have to battle all the way to Tsetserleg.
Thing were going well until at the top of another hill i noticed ahead the sky was most defiantly rain, not light rain or a brief shower but heavy stuff, i could even feel the air temperature gradually drop until there was a bit of a chill in the air. Im no expert on the weather but when hot air bumps into cold air the weather can go a little mental a bit like putting a fire to petrol, depending on the state and amount of petrol and strength of the fire will depend on eventual outcome of an explosion (possibly) or a gentle lick of a flame. I rode on but had my rain jacket ready but then i was hit with another obstacle that i had forgotten about, the road had not been finished so traffic was forced off onto the dirt. I went round the barrier and cycled along the brand new tarmac road but not ar ahead i came across workmen and a couple of steam rollers until the dirt road became the better option but before i jumped off the road the rain hit and it came down hard.
With no shelter around say for a single ger a few hundred metres away i pulled up next to a well and attempted to pull the plank of wood over the edge to give some relief from the rain. As i struggled a boy on a motor bike came over and pointed me towards the ger, i didn’t need a second invitation and pedalled over with the boy alongside on his motorbike hurrying me along seemingly having a goodtime which to be honest i was a little bit. Stepping into the Ger i was greeted by the whole family which set me a back a bit. I tend not to make the biggest effort to try and communicate with people, it may sound arrogant of me but i get frustrated when i cant speak the same language, i have no idea what to say and it takes a lot of effort. I got my maps and showed them where i was going and where i’d cycled from, in the mean time i was given some milk and a flat bread to eat. The children spoke a little English which was really nice to hear. After the rain eased off it was time for the inspection of my bike, Mongolians are very curious and like to have a good look through what you carry. I had planned to give them some money for the bread and hot milk but this changed when i got the impression i should give them some food. So i showed them my oranges which i didn’t think much of and all of them were handed out. I didn’t mind they had got me out the rain and give me a taste of Mongol hospitality. I then decided to give them one of the big bars of chocolate i carry but the next bit p!ssed me off a bit. The father then saw where i kept my food and went through everything i had almost looking to see what he fancied, then my tin of fish seemed to take his fancy which he took, i couldn’t really say no he then went through my handle bar bag and upon finding my sweets handed them out to the kids, its not a big thing but this is stuff i need to survive and had i not planned on getting to Tsetserleg where i could re-stock ‘d be in a bit of bother. Maybe its the Mongol way and in just don’t understand it yet but i was grateful for their help and the food and i don’t mind giving some food back but i feel they took advantage a bit, 6 oranges, a big bar of chocolate, tin of fish and handful of sweets was a lot for me to give away and its the way of taking what they fancy. Perhaps i am being very petty but i felt a little hacked off thus i became very keen to get going despite the weather up ahead looking worse and a few drops of raining falling.
I was now on a dirt road and with a wee tail wind i pedalled hard and was rather enjoying myself, the new challenge of a dirt road and i kept trying to see how hard i could go before i would hit a soft spot and the bike would side about. My fun was stopped when up ahead i noticed a bolt of lightning coming down to earth and the land being pretty featureless i was one of the highest tings around or so it seemed. I was again stopped in my tracks when two boys came galloping up to me on their horses and these boys were wild, they were demanding sweets pulling at my bike and quickly got on my nerves but one of them placed his horse in front of my way. He eventually moved when a car was coming and it was then i made my escape towards the bolts of lightning and certain death, in all seriousness i was very worried about the lightning. There was a few cars coming through and i entertained myself by racing them, i gave them a good run as they slowed for the dips in the road while i was able cruise round them.
After a few rumbles of thunder i had got through the lightning without being killed and for a brief time the road came back before disappearing again. I then hit a village which meant according to my maps (all agreed for once) that i was only 25km away from my final destination and the road would reappear. I was cold wet and pretty tired and was still fighting the wind at times. When i hit the edge of the town i pulled into a little shelter as it was raining to study my guide book of where to stay, while doing this a 4x4 had pulled up behind me and an Australian accent asked if i needed any help. Indeed it was an Aussie who had being living here for a year and had set up a guesthouse, it was a bit over my budget but i wanted somewhere to relax and somewhere now he gave my directions to his guesthouse which i checked in to.
Indeed it was very nice, the beds were amazing and i felt the extra expense was worth it. It was around 9pm by the time i had showered and organised my things so i ate some of the food i had been carrying and laid in my well earned bed, luxury!
Tsetserleg
9/06/2011
I needed the day off, my legs were feeling a little tight and the hungry monster inside of me which has been a little docile recent is beginning to wake up and turn into the hungry bugger i know. I had a look around Tsetserleg, checked out a local market and visited an old temple at the top of the town. Behind the temple was a rocky outcrop that went up a fair bit and i was torn whether to climb up it or not. I didn’t (NO MAN NO MAN NO MAN) as i needed to rest my body which felt tired along with trying to keep out of the sun as my face was pretty sore after being exposed constantly to it for the past few days.
I got a few supplies but as the electricity seems to only work after 8pm walking round a dark supermarket was a challenge. Im trying to go a little lighter on the bike but still i want to be sure i have enough food even though i now know the small villages marked on the map are source of food although limited.  I spent the rest of the day checking over the bike and getting ready for tomorrow where i’ll hit the Mongolia i have been expecting, no roads and not much in between just amazing scenery.
Puppy love, river crossing, stoned and broken rack
10/06/2011: Tsetserleg to 100.99km west of Tsetserleg 100.99km
Today in terms of cycle touring was a bit of a rollercoaster day. It was crazy, i loved Mongolia and decided i would come back and then in an instant decided i wouldn’t come here again. I’ll explain.
The day started late as i was in no big rush, my target was 100km but i’d be happy with 70km + as i knew today after the 20km or so till the next village the sealed road would disappear and i would be off roading.  At the village it was almost lunch and there were a few eateries so i stopped at on to get a proper lunch as it was almost lunch time. While waiting i stood outside where there were some puppies. One of these puppies was a fair bit smaller than the others, the reason became apparent when the bottom of his leg had almost been ripped off and the bone was clearly sticking out. No one seemed to care about the little fella who every time he moved would let out a little yelp of pain, i gave him a little love and the look on his little puppy dog face was worth it. I saved some meat for him for when i left but before i did leave a brother or sister of the wounded pup was licking the gaping wound in an attempt to stop infection, i rode away hoping for the best for that little dog.
I had expect the road from now to turn into an unsealed road but it didn’t, for another 15km the road was perfect and newly laid but the time did come to go off road, but i wasn’t done yet. The rest of the road was still being built but the foundations had been laid and it was still smooth to ride along so i did and to make sure i didn’t lose the dirt road i kept an eye on the number of cars using it as due to blockages were unable to get on the unfinished road. My luck did run out as the two roads went of in different directions but i didn’t mind.
After a few kilometres of riding the dirt road i came to a river, i waited to watch where the cars and trucks crossed as there was no bridge. Discovering the crossing point i took my shoes off and had planned on putting sandals on but at some point during the day i’d lost one so i waded in bare foot pushing the bike across. The water went deep enough to make me worry, it didn’t quite reach my panniers but came within a whisker. My panniers were fully water proof when i bought them almost 3 years ago but 3 years of punishment now means they are not immune to a dip in the water.  Thinking my river crossing was over i put my shoes back on only to cycle another 10m to discover another one. Watching a truck go through i thought i’d be ok so i attempted to cycle through, this ended in epic failure. It was deeper than it had looked when the truck passed through and pretty quickly the bike ground to a halt in the middle. My shoes were now wet as i stepped off to stop the bike tipping and the bottom of my front panniers were brushing with the flowing river, as long as the back panniers stay out i don’t mind as i keep my laptop and all my cloths in them.
With wet feet i plodded on rather enjoying the whole thing, passing by a group of workmen who weren’t doing much work to the road they were meant to be working on, one came over and flagged me down. For a chat maybe? Curious to see what im doing? Almost like a few Mongolians i have come across he was curious as to what he could get out of me.  He did the whole pointing up and down the throat then started pointing at some food i had hanging out. The cheeky b@stard didn’t need it but as im white im there to be fleeced and taken advantage of. I said abruptly ‘no’ as i need the food myself in which to survive but this guy probably thought me being white man i’d have a helicopter fly more food to me if i need it, i wish. He then started pointing at my big water bottle on my bike i said he could have a drink of the smaller one at the front. So i gave him the bottle and he was going to walk off with the whole thing until i told him i wanted it back as again i myself need it. At this he took a quick swig then handed it back to me. I set off on my way when one of his fat topless co-workers then began to shout me over, i knew why, they just wanted to fleece me out of my food. I indicated i was carrying on and at this he picked a sizeable rock and threw it toward me, luckily i was out of range and i didn’t think to much of it but it highlights a point, Mongolia is the first place i have travelled where i feel threatened by the people and don’t trust any of them. I find myself trying to avoid crossing paths with the Mongols as to date most of the ones i have crossed paths with are after whatever i have.
I carried on making slow progress on the rocky road until as if somebody was smiling down at me the rocky road ended ad was replaced with a new super smooth tarmac road, but my jubilation was soon ended when i noticed in my front rack a bolt was very loose. On closer inspection i noticed the front rack on the right side had snapped which is a bit of a bugger as when in Japan i had planned on getting a super strong front rack for Mongolia as i knew it would take a beating, figures crossed it will hold for another 1500km till china.
I then picked a pretty awful place to camp on a slight gradient but the view was good and a herd of passing yaks entertained me somewhat. I hope tomorrow is a bit more relaxing, 60km till i reach the white lake where i will take a day off and swap the bike for a horse if i can find one.

The White lake, or not
11/06/2011: 100.99km west of Tsetserleg to Tariet  64.14km
After some patching up work on the bike i was off and the super smooth road went on for almost 30km which i covered in less than an hour and half. The next 30km to Tariet took much longer, as the front rack had a support bracket already broken i attempted to take it easy something i soon got bored of doing but still my progress was slow and largely up hill and against a very strong head wind.
The vicious looking clouds over the snow spotted mountains didn’t give me much hope of a rain free day which i was hoping for. Upon making it to Tariet i had no clue where to go but i found a place to get a meal as i can always use some food. I asked about ‘Tungas guesthouse’ before i left as i had met the lady who runs it on the road and she had given me her card. I set off with a general direction but it began to rain hard, to go with it it was windy and cold. Not able to find the place i was getting into a bit of a pickle until a 4x4 pull up and hey it was ‘tunga herself.
She invited round to her house which they would vacate and it would become the guesthouse. I had planned to camp by the White lake but the rain and terrible looking skies put an end to this idea.  Instead i sat wondering what the hell was going on not sure what to do while everybody seemed to be busying around. As Tunga is an English teacher one of her young students came round to practice her English on me and as Tunga left on some business with everybody she became my guide, at least she showed me to the shops then left.
I was then given a pleasant surprise when i was joined by a French couple of whom i stayed at the same place in Tsetserleg and they were also as baffled as to what was going on as me, but at least now i wasn’t the only one.
White Lake
12/06/2011 to 13/06/2011: Tariet to White Lake 13.37km
The day started slow, i was meant to go horse riding on the white lake and its where i would move to spend a couple of days to just relax. Neither I nor the French couple really knew what was going on but eventually it was all figured out. Tunga the owner said they would bring my bags up to the camping spot when they brought the French couple up.
Off i went rather thrilled not to be cycling with a full load and the bumps were a little easier to take but still made me cringe and some.  The only way i knew where i was going was to look for a group of three gers about 12km away. Coming up to this point right on queue there was three gers as Tunga had described. Before i headed down i got chatting to a couple of guys who were on motor cycles and to my surprise one spoke good English. He gave me a shot of vodka which as i expected it to be water came as a shock. I parted with my drink drivers to head down to the Ger camp where i was greeted by three energetic and rather friendly kids who showed me where to put my bicycle.

I then was taken off to do my horse ride which is something i felt i must do in Mongolia. The horses in Mongolia are a little wilder than what i have known elsewhere. My sister has always been involved in horses so i have some clue as to how they work but im not a horse person myself. I went off riding with my guide who had rounded up a herd of horses then chose one out for me, i hoped a well behaved one but a horse that is well behaved in Mongolia may not but put in the same circles as back in England. All was going well until we stopped and i decided to take my rain jacket off (it had been raining) but while attempting to jump off my foot had got trapped in the stirrup, the horse did not like this and decided to run and kick leaving me to drag behind still stuck in the stirrup. The first thought was to keep my head off the ground as they were lots of rocks and i wasn’t to keen to bang it against one of them, but lifting my head to horse was kicking quite violently and that i certainly didn’t want connecting with my head. I was dragged, at speed, for about 30m before my shoe came off thus releasing me from my torture but the only part of my body that felt in any pain was my ankle which i guess had twisted quite badly. My leg was grazed and cut and it was only later i noticed the humongous bruise that came up with the swelling, i can only guess the horse did manage to land a blow on me if not just a glancing one. Upon retrieving the horse he didn’t seem to pleased to see me but i jumped back on all the same and carried on without a hitch.
Getting back to the ger camp the French couple had arrived and was able to tell them all about my tale of near death which as they were going to do the same thing in a few days had them interested.
The next day my ankle though still swollen was a lot more comfortable to walk on and i tested out a theory to keep the blood flowing around it so first it doesn’t seize up and secondly will make recovery faster. Through the course of the day this appears to have helped. The white lake which is the English name for where i am, is the perfect place to have a couple of days off, normally i would get a little bored but i seemed to be able to relax by finally using the fishing rod i have carried for the past 3 years, its only the 4th time i have used it and still not caught a single thing with it yet. The nights here are pretty chilly and as my sleeping bag has seen better days for me its very chilly but the sun set behind the mountains is something special. The white lake is easily the highlight s far.
Head winds and Uphill (DOH!)
14/06/2011: White Lake to 30km North West of Tsahir 85.53km
It was cold, very cold when i woke up so cold that i went back to sleep, i was in no rush to get going and the cold only reiterated the point of taking it easy. It was almost 930am when i was ready to leave and i felt sad to say goodbye to Vincent and Fanny the French couple who had also been camping at the lake with me. They were really nice to have around and were there when i needed some people to hang around with and talk to. They gave me a leaving present in the form of a blue scarf, it may not sound much but it was such a lovely gesture and i really like my blue scarf and it has a special meaning to me.
When i did get going i was faced with a strong head wind and for the most part of the day uphills. As the battery in my phone ad died i had no GPS so i was relying on the maps i had by selecting landmarks and then seeing the trip distance on my speedo  matched up with the distance on the map, this worked a treat. My mood through the day started good but then around half way through i felt really lonely again and i tried my best to think about things that could put a smile on my face and this worked, but then strangely enough i began to think about getting back into china, how nice it will be to be somewhere where i know how things work, i almost feel comfortable there with considering i couldn’t wait to get out of china im glad i will be going back there.
I then met a Chinese person on the road travelling in a bus with a bunch of Mongolians, he seemed young and educated and spoke English, i was so glad to meet a Chinese person i have no idea why and again this lifted my mood. They then gave me news that anther cyclists had just passed by but going the other direction which meant i must have passed him which is impossible as i didn’t see anyone. I don’t believe i was so wrapped up in my own thoughts that i just rolled on passed a fellow cyclist, i sincerely hope not.
The road then really began to climb and the dots of snow that had seemed so high up were now at the same level as me or below, i could also feel a chill in the air that came with the altitude so decided i would roll on down the other side to camp. I found a magic spot, maybe a little exposed to the road but the sort of flowers you expect from spring time in Europe were everywhere, it was paradise except for the incredible number of mosquitoes which seemed hungry. Also another paranoid feeling is bears, there are bears in Mongolia but few and far between, nobody has warned me that there are bears it this area but it looks to me the sort of place a bear might like to hangout, i just really hope there isn’t any but i have kept my knife close by in case it comes down to it. Me or bear!
How to make a road difficult
15/06/2011: 30km North West of Tsahir to Tosontsengel 107.82km
Before i start i realised last night when calculating the distance i had to cycle to reach Tosontsental i had made a grave error, i thought i only had 60km approximately to cover but checking again i have more like 90km to 100km! This would mean today i would rely on decent roads and a bit of gritting of the teeth. I had just enough food to last me the day but i was keen to get a hotel so i could shower and charge my electrical things up and i love a race, it gives the day some purpose.

To start i made excellent time considering i was on a dirt road, the only thing that held me up was everybody stopping me for an inspection that im not alien a test i which i think i fail. At one of these testing grounds there were some children, i gave them each a sweet but a few more of the little monsters turned up an before i knew it i had given away my only sugary snack, bugger!
I rode on until i came to the only settlement before Tosontsental, unfortunately there wasn’t any shop to speak of or any eateries i could get lunch so i carried on but this is where life gets difficult. From this point life was to become a whole lot more difficult, the road which had been manageable turned to deep soft sand something i remember from watching ‘the long way round’ made life very difficult for a couple of big beefy motorbikes, me and my bicycle don’t stand a chance. Also another foe of the road is the ripples in the road, why these are in the road i do not know but they come and go a bit like the sand and shake the bike to bits if you don’t slow down enough before you hit them.
Lunch time i had a paddle in the river and had something close to a quick wash but battling the road once more and the unrelenting sun which as the sun doesn’t set till very late and rises very early im being slowly cooked through the day.
As i plodded along i got something of a pleasant surprise in the form of another cyclist but luck would have it we are going opposite directions but it was nice to know i wasn’t the only one out here on a bicycle. We spoke for an hour having very similar opinions on Mongolia, in that the landscape is amazing but the people aren’t as we expected, we’ve herd stories of them being super friendly where as we both have found them to be very uneasy to be around as you never know who is just stopping for a chat and who is trying to see what the tourist has for them.
Eventually i made it very late to Tosontsengel, i was very hungry and tired and i found a hotel which ripped me off at 15000 turkic but i didn’t want to argue, just shower (which i had to go somewhere else for) and feed my belly.

Tosontsengel
16/06/2011
I loved it so much here i decided to stay an extra day, this was not the case, when i woke up it was raining and now as i am about to go to bed it is still raining, it didn’t stop all day but in a planning sense the day has been productive. After i paid for an extra day (which i haggled down to 10,000) i spent hours looking at maps. It doesn’t like very promising that i will be able to make it to the border before my visa runs out without hitching a lift at some point. I came to the conclusion i should hitch a lift from Altai but to where is the question. My options are:
·         Get a lift to Darvi where one of my maps has a very small remote road that crosses over the mountains, on the plus side it means i only miss 200km (of what i have consistently heard is a sandy rippled road)  but on the down side a the road very remote and largely unsure i imagine may be very hard to follow which could leave me in a spot of bother,
·         The second option is to get a lift to Mankhan where i would ride 400km and have a longer ride to get to the border, the plus side is the road is a more commonly used so i shouldn’t get lost and die in the Mongol mountains, the downsides are its further to ride and its the easier option but safer.
I’d like to take the remote road but not having a reliable GPS it would be pretty risky and the road condition could be terrible, if there is a treacle of traffic coming through i would be able to ask if im on the right track but i cannot know if it’s used or indeed exists. It’s something i have a few days to figure out.
The rest of the was spent eating and tracking down internet which i did find and after using the internet was feeling much more positive speaking to a few friends and receiving a few e-mails making me feel an idiot for constantly feeling lonely when i have made so many good friends on my travels and have so many back home that still take the time to be in touch when i myself haven’t been, its something i try hard to do. I then came across the typical Mongolian who at first seems friendly but then his true motive comes through, for being friendly i am meant to buy this guy alcohol, not the cheap stuff either he wanted the expensive beer, at least in China people are straight forward and very proud, you know your place where as with Mongolians you’re never sure therefore wary and standoffish of everybody.
For now im going sacrifice as many goats (and maybe a few yaks) as possible so the bicycle gods may give me a good day tomorrow, tailwinds, no rain and not too much sun as my face is pretty sore despite using very strong (factor 90) sun cream.



Solution to rain: VODKA!
17/06/2011: Tosontsengel to 15km North East of Telman 55.32km
As i forgot to sacrifice a hundred goats yesterday the bike gods cannot have been impressed as upon checking the window it was still raining, gentle rain that will soak you to the bone if you’re out in it for a number of hours like i am. I decided to put plenty of water proofing on but this soon turned out to be a mistake because i was now sweating harder than it was raining.
The road seemed to improve
with vodka

My plan was slow and steady, with the conditions of the road being so wet my progress would be slow so there was no point in busting a gut and if the offer of a lift did come up i would give it some thought.  My slow and steady plan was a bit to slow but i persevered with it but all this changed at the top of a hill where there was a large gathering of Mongolians. Everyone was very curious and i stopped for a chat before being presented with a hefty bowl of vodka, before i drank it there was the indication i would have to drink three of these, so i did keeping with tradition of downing it in one go. After what i guess to have been around 300ml of vodka i was feeling the effects and became a little hyper and my slow and steady plan went out the window and i began to make ok time considering the state of the roads. In fact i had a great time the vodka really made my worries go away. 
I pretty much rode for 4 hours without stopping say fo the vodka stop so when i saw some big tents that would offer shelter from the rain i headed straight over for a break and to work out where i was. As i was, i had made it to the turn off but this didn’t appear massively obvious to me with tracks going off in all different directions so not in any rush i took my time to see if anybody would come over that i could ask. This plan worked a treat and i was joined but a group of guys in their 20’s, there were laugh and jokey and i got on with them pretty well. ‘Jake’ called himself for my sake i guess seemed to be the leader and said i could camp underneath the big tent and invited me over to have some food. There was a big bowl of offal from a sheep and they offered me some thinking of course this was no string attached but this being Mongolia nobody helps you out for nothing. The laughs kept coming and out popped a bottle of vodka which we all shared, i wasn’t to keen on having any but they insisted. The calm atmosphere seemed to take a turn when he asked if i could show him some American money, i keep a $20 in my wallet to keep any would be robbers satisfied. ‘Jake’ then seemed keen to swap it for a 1000 Turkic which nowhere near matches. When i grabbed the $20 off him before he decided not to give it up things got a bit sour, he and another who had been so friendly then demanded i pay 10,000turkic for the food and vodka, i realised this was it so i give them 5000 turkic still way to much and decided to leave as i had obviously offended them (i cant see how, every time someone appears to be friendly 9 times out of 10 they want way over the odds in return) or the vodka had twisted their knickers in some way. ‘Jake’ then grabbed my sun glasses which as im cycling into the sun really need so i asked for them back and stood my ground. He got up in turn and took a swing a guess to show off or to see if i would flinch and go, to my surprise i didn’t move a muscle, with my sunglasses returned i headed on back down the road again a bit tipsy but also confused about what just happened.
With it being 6pm i needed a camping spot but want to put some distance between myself and the hosts i just escaped from which give me chance to think about what to do about Mongolia. No one seems to help without a heavy price which either leaves me to avoid talking to the Mongols or get to China and bail out. The incident that just happened i felt could have got well out of hand and i don’t like being put into these situations but at the same time i should finish the job off as best i can, its less than two weeks before Mongolia is a memory and something i will be able to tell (or warn) other travellers about.  Mongolia has quickly turned into a bit off a hell hole never knowing how to take people.  

Smooth running
18/06/2011:  15km north east of Telmen to 30km North of Uliastay 102.13km
The weather was clearing as i looked outside the tent, blue skies were visible and overall the day went as smoothly as i could of, no dramas, no worries. I had a 2500m pass to navigate over where there was still some snow remaining and a few spots of rain threatened to spoil the day but they never amounted to anything.
My plan was to get within 30km of Uliastay so that i could arrive late morning or early afternoon and therefore only require a guesthouse for one night. I found a great spot to camp almost hidden from the road in an impressive valley with a small river running through. I went for a wash but the water was so cold my feet went numb but i have a hot shower to look forward to tomorrow, i hope. 





Tourists of the motorbike
19/06/11: 30km North of Uliastay to Uliastay 41.84km
No dramas today, had very little food left but the plan to get to Uliastay by midday worked a treat although i was a little further away than i had expected. Upon entering the town i was over joyed to find it had a smooth sealed road, there aint much better. I spent some time looking for a hotel and i ended up back at the first one i came to. I gave my clothes a much needed hand wash before heading into town to find some food supplies to stock up on.
Arriving back there were two motorbikes parked up, one a KTM the other a BMW like the one used in the long way round, excited there maybe some people to talk to (the number plates were from western Australia) i went inside and got chatting to a trio of Australians who had motor cycled from Korea. I also managed to grab a bit of chain lube from them as i had ran out and my bike was making all sorts of squeaks and creaks.
I spent much of the day relaxing, i headed up to the top of a hill which looked over the town, which as most towns here looks pretty from a far but at street level is pretty grim and uninspiring. Back at the hotel after dinner i spent most of the evening chatting to my new Australian friends, and as we are heading the same way no doubt they will pass me on the road tomorrow which gives me something to look forward to.
Aint no sunshine without rain
20/06/11: Uliastay to 75km South of Uliastay 75.65km
Upon waking up i felt shattered so my plans went out the window for a super early start as i went back to sleep a little longer which is just as well as Michael and Julie two of the motorcycle tourists were waiting for Ben (the third and final motorcyclist) where i was loading my bike, as i was almost ready to go they told me we get breakfast included, can’t believe i almost missed out.
The breakfast wasn’t up to much along with the weather which decided to lightly rain so it was on with the ineffective waterproofs. Riding out i was greet with a pretty big climb up to almost 2500m from 1700m and with the rain and headwind this was not to pleasant. On the way down i was caught up by the three ausies on bikes where we exchanged details as they are motor biking over to Europe also and took a few pictures. This seemed to have reminded me why i like travelling, meeting new people who also are on some crazy adventure and for that moment your paths happen to cross you are the best of friends.
As they motored off i battled my way into the headwind, rain and yet another endless hill only with the ground so muddy and wet i struggled to keep going as the back wheel desperately searched for grip. Reaching the top it was very cold so with a big downhill to come i put on a jumped underneath my soaked rain coat and headed down the hill. The ground was still wet and muddy and it was great fun seeing how far i could push my luck before the bike slid about due to the lack of traction, its great fun but probably not if i had fallen off. The wind seemed to suddenly change direction and blue skies were up ahead, i was pretty chuffed i was out the rain and found a nice spot to have lunch while things dried out.
I rode on until the road spilt with no signs, i used a map and compass to get a guess but to be certain i thought about asking at a nearby ger. There was no need as a couple of kids who had spotted me came charging over and told me, i rode another 100m only to come across a river crossing, it was fast flowing, i wasn’t sure how deep it was and wasn’t keen to get my shoes wet. As i laughed to myself a minivan came by so i decided to watch it cross so i could gauge how deep it was, instead he offered to carry me across, so i threw the bike on top of about six willing passengers and crossed the river, no problems, and the guy didn’t even try to get any money out of me for the trouble. As the minivan pulled off i was approached by a man riding his horse and he was happy to just walk his horse alongside as i pedalled, again he was just pleasant and didn’t ask for anything from me, people aren’t so bad (not everyone).
I rolled on climbing yet another hill before hitting yet another big decent by which time it was time to set up camp. I found a smashing spot up from the road ext to a pylon so i had somewhere to rest my bike, this seemed like a good idea until a few rumbles of thunder and bolts of lightening started a few moments ago, here i am next to the tallest thing in the entire valley say for the other pylons, cue the rain!
Plain sailing
21/06/11:  75km South of Uliastay to 30km North of Altay 98.99km
An average day today, not a lot going on, the weather was good and provided a good tail wind for the most part. There were very few cars on the road, i could count the number that went past on one hand and the most memorable was at 10am when two guys in a van were drinking huge bottles of beer, wonder if they made it home.
The landscape  changed dramatically also instead of cycling through stunning valleys i was greet with wide open plains with not a sole (except for a lone cyclist (me)) in sight. The air has also turned very dry a good sign the gobi desert is not far away, i drank almost all my supply of drinkable water but lucky for me with a few drops left i came to the only village en route and was able to by a bottle which should see me to Altay where from which i plan to get a lift for a few kilometres for the last push to the border.
By the time came to set up camp i was toasted, i can feel the tiredness in my whole body that has been fighting hard against the poor roads and endless hills, i may not be putting in big miles here but every inch is a battle against sand, ripple roads, wet mud, basically awful roads but it makes it fantastic fun.
Hitch Hikers guide to Mongolia
22/06/2011:  30km North of Altay to Family Ger 80km West of Altay 37.93km
Looking out of the tent late last night i got sight of the stars like i have never seen stars before, even without the moon the landscape was lit up with the combination of so many.

Getting up the wind had become unfavourable and pretty strong making the sort ride to Altay hard work though a spot of sealed road made life a touch easier.  In Altay i went through the now normal hassle of looking for a hotel but this time i wasn’t going to pay more than 10,000 Turkic. I had very little luck and one hotel had the cheek to put two prices up, one in Mongolian currency and the other valued much higher in USD for the foreigners, i don’t play these rich white man games so walked out in disgust. I decided to give up on looking for a hotel and decided i would camp outside the town but first i decided to do some investigations about getting a lift to Dariu.
I headed over to a minivan area to see about a lift which didn’t go well, i could only seem to get quotes on a van for just me, so instead i stocked up on food and water and had a final brief check on the internet to let people know im still alive.
I returned to the minivan area feeling a bit stressed, there was still little help until a Mongol who spoke good English said i would be better off hitch hiking, something i then reluctantly did.  I cycled a few Kilometres from the town and waited, i didn’t wait long before i was picked up by a truck and 4 of us squeezed into a place made for 3. I had never realised how fast Mongolians drive on their battered rutted roads and it gave me a great insight as to i see so many people fixing their vehicles. My three hosts appeared to be very nice as they offered me beer, fruit juice but such is my experience of Mongolia i declined. They then asked if i would like to stay at their Ger for the night and they would take me the rest of the way tomorrow, i didn’t mind so accepted their invitation.    
We stopped for a while at a ‘rest area’ in which time a flat tyre was repaired and beers drank (camel’s milk for me) before rolling on. The number 80 was brought up and i began to get a bit worried they wanted 80,000 to take me to Dariu, it was only later i figured out i was being told we were 80km from Altay.
Arriving at the Ger it was lots of fun, there were a lot of kids running free as free-range chickens but i was puzzled as to where they came from as only 3 belonged to my hosts. I soon noticed this was a very fun loving bunch, joking, laughing and playing around. After food i was soon the sleeping area which was the floor of a ger where i slept very comfortably with everybody else except for getting up at 2am to pee as it was the only time when i wasn’t going to be followed and observed.
Thanks for the lifffffffft
23/06/2011: family Ger 80km West of Altay to 160km West of Altay (i geuss) 84.57km
I woke up late after an excellent nights sleep, a few others were also still sleeping but upon getting up i was directed to the other Ger where i was given breakfast or bread, dry cheese and what seems to me the skin that sits on the top of cream or milk. I was itching to get going but was soon told that they had to go somewhere else today and would take me to Darvi tomorrow. This was a bit of a stink as i didn’t fancy staying another day where i would be unsure of what to do with myself.  I gave them some money for everything they had done which was something i don’t think they expected (bugger i should have kept hold of it) and in return i was given some bread, dry cheese to last a life time (but did turn out to be a saviour) fresh bottle of water (again turned out to be a saviour) and a ride to the main road where i planned to complete my hitch hike to Darvi.
Taking pictures was the final act before the goodbyes and i was so pleased to have found some genuinely nice people in Mongolia at last.  The hitch hiking didn’t go to plan, i decided to cycle till i saw a car, my plan was sound in theory but nothing came my way for 5 hours and when it did it was in the shape of a German motorcycle tourist. We chatted in which time he jinxed me by asking if i had any problems, i told him non and considering my tyres were 5GBP each they have done an admiral job on such harsh roads. The German and his motorbike left and before he had even gone out of sight i got a puncture which by the time i had fixed my sand ravaged pump and pished about with patches took almost hour to fix, i hate crappy patches. I which time i was joined by a group in a van, one who was too touchy and nosey with all my things so after initially accepting a lift to Darvi i changed my mind even though it meant i would have to ration my low water supplies.
By the time it came to camp I felt shattered and had developed a slow puncture in the front tyre. After i had set up the wind then changed direction so it was blowing side on with the tent and it was intermittently strong, i then did something i have yet to do and knocked my cooking pot over wasting precious water, i was more upset about this than golem was at losing the ring. Things were not looking good for me, i thought i had another 70km to reach Darvi with very little water, on awful roads and knowing my luck into a headwind but i was then given some most splendid and welcome news, checking my GPS and comparing with my maps i guessed i only had 45km to go, good news at last though im not sure how it happened.
 Flat for the hatrick
24/06/2011: 160km (i guess) West of Altay to 40km west of Darvi 69.11km
This morning started as bad as the finish to yesterday, i was unable to find the puncture in the tube so decided to use a new one but as the valve is different it wouldn’t fit through the valve hole in the wheel so i sat making the hole bigger with my knife.  It was 10am by the time i was on the road with little more than a litre of water which i would only allow myself one mouthful per hour till i could load up on water again.

Within 10 minutes of riding i got yet another puncture this time in the rear wheel. While repairing my new curse an expensive looking 4x4 pulled up and to my pleasurable surprise they spoke English and told me Darvi was only 10km away, when folk in their effortless cars tell me of distances i do my best not to get excited as they are usually wrong, if i double or triple the figure i normally get a more accurate answer and if it is what they say well it could be just my day.
25km further along the road i bumped into two more german motorcycle tourists, bump is the correct term as the first to pull up dropped his bike knocking into mine, no damage done though but i finally understand how heavy those big BMW touring bikes weigh. They told me they had bumped into the motorcyclist i met yesterday who in turn told them to keep an eye out for me but the best news was to come, they reliably told me Darvi was only a few kilometres away and soon after we had parted ways Darvi was in sight. As the heat built up so did my craving for the sugary drinks so making use of the shops i downed a bottle of fanta, orange juice and an ice tea which all seeped through my body instantly bringing me back to life. I then re-stocked on food and most importantly water which due to almost running out i squeezed a bit extra onto the already heavily laden bike so i was now carrying 12litres as now i would be really into the back and beyond, so i thought.  Only one of my maps indicated there was an roads to speak of, though there is a couple of settlements where i hoped to gather extra food but for directions i was hoping on enough people to pass this way to ask.
I headed off the bike now fully loaded once again, i felt a bit more vulnerable, my GPS wouldn’t be any use as to pin point which road i am on as it didn’t show any of the roads i would need till the border, i was relying on the accuracy of the map and my compass skills neither of which i trust. I was off the main road and now certain to be on one of the quietest roads in Mongolia but a few minutes down the road i was passed by a truck fully load with kids at the back. The truck stopped up ahead so i took the opportunity to ask for directions to which i was given confirmation i was going the correct way and was rewarded with a few gulps of sweet tasting golden beer, it tasted so good i considered heading back to Darvi and getting a bottle. I continued using a snow peaked mountain as a general direction until i came to a stream or river, unfortunately there were lots of streams, some dried and some not, these were to be my reference points as to when i should begin to head more southerly. I came to a small mound which would be high enough to get a good view of the entire plain and it proved a successful idea as i could see the dust trail of cars going up through a pass in the mountains not the one my map suggested i should be heading for but i decided it would be better to ask, and there were a few cars going this way.  I picked a reference point and ditched the dirt road which didn’t seem to go where i wanted and cycled towards my reference point which was a Ger at the bottom of this road cars were heading up.  The closer  i got i could see road works happening and just before i reached the road workers i got yet another flat tyre. I decided to check the tyres over and realised i had gone through a thorny field so set about pulling the thorns out before they dug in. Pulling out of these thorns out of the back tyre resulted in the unmistakeable sound of a tyre hissing air out, my 3rd puncture for the day, and two in on go and the 4th i have had to repair, great stuff.  I asked some of the curious workmen to confirm which way i should go and they did, straight up the hill the way i had seen cars going. By the time i had fixed both punctures i headed up the hill as it was now late i stopped somewhere to where i thought was near the top and set up camp.
I gave myself a wash of sorts using the same cup i drink out of as a bath, i then relaxed watching the sun go down. I was greeted by a herder herding his camels past my home for the night, i laughed to myself thinking where else in the world would that happen, a bunch of camels trotting by while you have dinner.
This way to China?
25/06/2011:  40km from Darvi to 240km from Bulgan
The day was spent 15% going downill and 85% going uphill and the downhill was seemingly always followed by a more punishing uphill. My first goal of the day was to get to Tseteg which i accomplished with no dramas; in fact i was given 2.5litres of drinking water and greeted by a beautiful smooth lushious kissable sealed road. I was so sucduced by its beauty and smoothness i carried along it even though my map, compass and GPS indicated i was going the wrong direction.  I was a bit worrid abot this and got a little stressed so resorted to stopping almost every car that passed by if this was the way to Bulgan/ China, the answer was always ‘yes.’
beautiful beautiful road
My progress was not that good given that i was on a very good road as it just went up and up and up and up together with a stiff head wind it made it a hard fought slog. Even of the brief downhills i struggled to build any speed up such was the ferocity of the wind.
Nearing the end of the day i came down to an open plain where there was a working quarry, a group of kids saw me struggling against the wind and sat by the road to watch me struggle. As i got near i stopped to ask if this road went to Bulgan, how far it was and if the road stayed sealed. The answers were ‘yes, 240km, yes.’  Armed with this information i guessed i could be in China the day after tomorrow provided the wind eased off.
Setting up camp was hard, i had fought hard all day against the wind, hills and sun, in total i drank 5 litres of water which is starting to run low and i will be in a spot of trouble if i don’t find a source tomorrow as i have no idea where this road leads as non of my maps show it.
SAND, YUCK!
26/06/ 2011: 240km from Bulgan to Near Altay 102.94km
Late up again, the strain is being felt on mind and body i think. I was running low on water and without the promise of any towns i used a little stream which was freezing cold to fill up my bottles. By 1230 i decided to stop for lunch by the stream again but being further down it was much warmer, i spent a couple of hours relaxing, had a wash etc. (as i write this i feel numb tired)
After my extended lunch stop the wind wind picked up and again i was head down cycling straight into it. At 630 i stopped as i got a puncture but finding a suitable camping spot was tough due to the sand being so deep that first the bicycle would not happily roll and then the tent did not want to stay down, also feeling so tired made life a little bit more difficult.
FOOD: who needs it
27/06/2011: Near Altay to Bulgan 94.91km  
Not a great nights sleep, i woke up first with an unbearable itch on both my legs below the knee then at 4am i heard the unmistakeable patter of rain against the tent so i brought my bags inside. At 730 when i woke up it was still dripping with rain and feeling pretty tired i attempted to organise myself to leave. The wind was still blowing hard which wasn’t a good omen for the day and the sand (i hate sand) had got everywhere. It was 1030 by the time i had stressfully (screaming with the frustration at times) packed up the sandy dirty gear before carrying it to the road, then i was fighting with the powerful wind. I had very little food left, a few sweets which i ate straight away, some rye bread, dry cheese, pasta and a pack of noodles. I decided to pin my hopes on reaching Bulgan which is 30km from the border to get more food but the wind was making life very difficult, i struggled to get over 10kmph and again as with the whole of Mongolia i had to fight for every inch i cycled.
Bulgan came into sight just after 6pm having spent the whole day eating nothing but the little rye bread i had and rationing the noodles and pasta for the night if needed. I was again tired from riding into the wind which never let up all day but i rejoiced when the twon came into sight but it took another hour and half to reach the town along a dirt road to which i ended up by the very quiet airport, from where i was the town looked empty so i asked a group of guys sat in a car drinking vodka if there was a shop. They gave me some vodka before i was given directions but then they drove a head of me and i followed them, all i wanted was to get to an eatery and order food then find a hotel and shower. To my joy the centre had plenty of shops and eating joints plus as a bonus a couple of hotels.

There seemed to be a spot of confusion from now, we stopped outside one of the hotels yet my hosts would not leave me. I was then told to stay put while two buggered off and one stayed with me keeping gurad. In the mean time i was still not understanding what was going on so i got some food from a little shop, i felt instantly better from the sugar, i asked about the hotel then the others came back armed with a man who spoke English. From what the English speaking man said they worked on the border and he told me it wasn’t open  to forginers to cross. I was then invited to stay at someones house and that his wife was already cooking me food. I didn’t really want to go to someones house and be awarkward i just wanted to shower, eat food and relax but the fact his wife was already preparing food was emphasised a lot so i agreed based on the fact she some trouble had already been made on my behalf.  Getting to his house nobody was preparing food, and i was put into a room where i was told i could sleep, they told me they would go out to get food and asked what i would like. It was almost midnight when the host of the house who spoke no English came back drunk on vodka and foodless. I felt a bit pissed off at the situation. It was 1am by the time i got to sleep in my dirty cycling clothes and to my horror my host got into the same bed naked say for some underpants.
     
New country, new man, same wind
28/06/11: Bulgan to Takeshikenzhen 67.63km
The morning was a bit strange waking up with an all but naked bloke i don’t know and doesn’t speak a word of English next to me. I decided balls to politeness as he wouldn’t understand so like a dirty one night stand i tried to leave without waking the fella next to me. As soon as i sat up he was up so i organised myself and to my dismay he seemed like he was going to follow me so i put an end to it (like you would if you weren’t going to call) shook his hand and without a word pedalled off. My mission was breakfast but i bumped into another one of my non English speaking captives, he followed me as i searched for a place for breakfast, i wanted peace and didn’t want to feel as if i had to share and buy him food mainly because i was starving having not eaten properly night before. I rudely ignored him as i waited for my breakfast to come and filled out my diary, he left eventually without a word.
In my excitement to get to china i didn’t stock up on food say for a couple of apples, i didn’t even get any drinking water i just had the river water i had collect but put a purifying tablet so i at least had a litre. For lunch i went for broke using all my food, the pasta, tinned fish, noodles and apples were all devoured as i battled against the unrelenting headwind to the border which i was now pondering my next plan of action if i cannot persuade them to let me through.
view back to Mongolia, CHINA part three
I made it to the border point after 50km when my map said it was just 27km, at first nothing happened, everyone was sat outside the gates and i couldn’t get an English word from anyone. The English speaking guy from yesterday then turned up, asked if i needed anything then said to ask if i do as he walked on in. Things then began to move and after chatting to a few officials most i guess don’t see many foreigners come through this way, one of which said i needed a stamp in my passport so took me away to wait for an immigration officer. I was then invited into his office where chatting to the man who seemed very tough turned out to have a lot of brains and had travelled a lot. As i waited i wondered what i could get out of being made to wait, so i asked if there was anywhere to get food or a drink, the answer was negative but it was worth a try.
The immigration officer did show up and two stamps later i was no longer in Mongolia. On the Chinese side things were just as pleasant with people not seeing westerners pass this way very often. They were all very polite and even posed for pictures and upon a request to fill me water bottle i was given a big 4litre bottle of spring water. Now i was in china after 2.5 hours crossing the border and i was so happy to be back here. I had 10km, 15km or 19km to the next town depending on who i ask, it was 16km into a fierce headwind.
The first thing that amazed me was the roads had lines on them, then the use of road signs, all the little things you don’t think about until suddenly they a brought back after a month of no appearance. As i rode along i thought of the camping holidays i use to go on with my dad at Whitby when i was a child, we did the same every year and still remain the best holidays ever even though sometimes i moaned and said they were the worst. I soon made it to the town hungry for sugar i went into the first shop i found where i drank and entire fruit juice, yogurt and pack of nuts before leaving. Outside i bumped into the English speaking Mongolian man and we went for beer in the shop next door. I really wanted a hotel and food and after a couple of beers i got the impression this guy was swindling me a bit insisting i buy my dinner from the place for first 30 Yuan then 20Yuan. Time was getting on and there was a hotel out the back, i was first told it was 20yuan but this is the Mongolian price, the westerner price is 50yuan and with no shower i went over to another hotel that looked new. I was first told it was 100yuan but managed to get a room for 50yuan just not as fancy. I then had my first hot shower for about 12days and i felt superb before going down to fill up on sugar. You truly live when you go without, without food whenever you want or need it, to go without a shower for days not because you don’t want one but because there isn’t one available, when you are then given these luxuries its heaven.



I then spent the evening catching up with the diary on my flat laptop and cleaning things up a bit before i enjoy the splendour of my own double bed that i have all to myself, joy.