End of days to the finish-line ! (Ulan-Ude) 09/09/2016 The final journey and a few more kilometres.... Having come so far from England's green pastures in the past months, in a desperately unsuitable car, it was indeed a strange feeling getting in Mary for one lat hurrah. We thought we were home and dry, and that the drive from UlanBaator to the finish at Ulan Ude was going to be plain sailing. In true Mongol Rally style, one or two things happened along the 400 mile "exhibition" drive that we had not expected. A severe hangover from the previous
The final journey and a few more kilometres.... Having come so far from England's green pastures in the past months, in a desperately unsuitable car, it was indeed a strange feeling getting in Mary for one lat hurrah. We thought we were home and dry, and that the drive from UlanBaator to the finish at Ulan Ude was going to be plain sailing. In true Mongol Rally style, one or two things happened along the 400 mile "exhibition" drive that we had not expected. A severe hangover from the previous
Mongolia 09/02/2016 "Sain Baina Uu.......Nokhoi Khkori", we declared apron entering the yurt! ("Hello.....Hold the dog") Mongolia is known as the most uninhibited country in the world, with a total population of just over 3 million, of which, 1 million of those live in the capital Ulaanbaatar. This meant our initial perceptions we thought would be vast open land where roads were just tracks in the sand. No sooner had we gone through the border had we turned off the so called road because the off-road was easier
"Sain Baina Uu.......Nokhoi Khkori", we declared apron entering the yurt! ("Hello.....Hold the dog") Mongolia is known as the most uninhibited country in the world, with a total population of just over 3 million, of which, 1 million of those live in the capital Ulaanbaatar. This meant our initial perceptions we thought would be vast open land where roads were just tracks in the sand. No sooner had we gone through the border had we turned off the so called road because the off-road was easier
Russia's Altai Republic (First Entrance) 08/29/2016 Zdravstvuyte comrades We made it into Russia fairly pain free and were greeted by a new landscape, the minimalistic Kazakhstan steppe was immediately replaced by forests and agriculture. Apparently the Soviets set many of their borders based on land fertility which certainly seemed to be the case here. We headed for a city called Barnaul where after getting lost in some dodge outskirts we found a nice clean hostel and went in search for a drink. It was a Friday night but absolutely nowhere
Zdravstvuyte comrades We made it into Russia fairly pain free and were greeted by a new landscape, the minimalistic Kazakhstan steppe was immediately replaced by forests and agriculture. Apparently the Soviets set many of their borders based on land fertility which certainly seemed to be the case here. We headed for a city called Barnaul where after getting lost in some dodge outskirts we found a nice clean hostel and went in search for a drink. It was a Friday night but absolutely nowhere
Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan 08/29/2016 We left Osh and headed North, our plan was to go to an apparently stunning lake in the north of Kyrgyzstan, sadly we heard the 'road' there was a mountain track that cars just simply aren't capable of navigating. So we saw a reservoir on the map that our new route circled and aimed for that instead. We came across a rather half built and scrappy looking hotel looking out to the reservoir, the view was just incredible and it was nearly completely uninhibited. We cooked ourselves our usual risotto
We left Osh and headed North, our plan was to go to an apparently stunning lake in the north of Kyrgyzstan, sadly we heard the 'road' there was a mountain track that cars just simply aren't capable of navigating. So we saw a reservoir on the map that our new route circled and aimed for that instead. We came across a rather half built and scrappy looking hotel looking out to the reservoir, the view was just incredible and it was nearly completely uninhibited. We cooked ourselves our usual risotto
The Pamir Mountains 08/23/2016 Salam aleykum As you're reading this, it means we've survived the Pamir Highway, otherwise known as "The Road To Hell". Before joining the M41 we had heard of this nickname, and perhaps, thought this accolade was a touch extreme. Having successfully completed it a week or so later, we all agree that this is exactly what it should be called. Having stocked up our Mary-Berry Alto with the essentials for the Pamir's, we left Dushanbe with excitement as we knew it would be one of the more harder
Salam aleykum As you're reading this, it means we've survived the Pamir Highway, otherwise known as "The Road To Hell". Before joining the M41 we had heard of this nickname, and perhaps, thought this accolade was a touch extreme. Having successfully completed it a week or so later, we all agree that this is exactly what it should be called. Having stocked up our Mary-Berry Alto with the essentials for the Pamir's, we left Dushanbe with excitement as we knew it would be one of the more harder
The early 'stans (Turk & Uzbek) 08/06/2016 Turkmenistan Dear friends Sad to leave Iran, but excited for next adventure, we headed for "The white marble capital Ashgabat" in Turkmenistan, of which we had heard to be a bizarre place. It proved not to disappoint, as we entered the outskirts from the desert we gazed upon magnificent gleaming white and gold buildings stretching as far as the eye could see, yet we seemed to be the only people there! We tried to navigate to the centre but there were no signposts and no one to ask.. We made
Turkmenistan Dear friends Sad to leave Iran, but excited for next adventure, we headed for "The white marble capital Ashgabat" in Turkmenistan, of which we had heard to be a bizarre place. It proved not to disappoint, as we entered the outskirts from the desert we gazed upon magnificent gleaming white and gold buildings stretching as far as the eye could see, yet we seemed to be the only people there! We tried to navigate to the centre but there were no signposts and no one to ask.. We made
