I
feel the pressure of time and distance. We have now decided not to
drive to the East coast as “what then?” So now it is a trip
through Mongolia back to Russia Kazakhstan and south. We cannot apply
for our Iranian then Turkmenistan visa till we get to the embassy in
Kazakhstan then and only then will we know if it is south or a run
west through Russia.
We
will leave the vehicle in Uzbekistan for our quick trip back to Aus
for Jule and Ben's wedding.
So now it is back out this road for the retrace of the bumpy road to
the turnoff south.
I
walked out ahead of EC and caught this little squirrel hiding in the
trees.
Looking
back to the bay we had camped in.
We
had a quick drive through town to look then stopped at the grave site
on our way out. The grave yards are so different here.
Quite
a few trains passed carrying logs, timber, containers, gravel and
ore.
Lots of huge rivers and one bridge that indicated 3 tonne. On
the way in we followed a big truck so thought it OK.
When
we turned south we realised how good the road surfaces was that we’d
been on all morning!!!!
The
road is progressively being rolled wider. Trucks drive with one wheel
out in the sand that has been washed away from the rocks in the center
of the road.
The
road is being widened What we are driving on is just the base layer,
the rocks are left sticking up in the road when the sand is washed
off.
A
little rain increases the chance of missing pot holes as they are
easier to see.
Piles
of old culverts
The
nylon mesh that separates the gravel from the dirt near the new
culverts.
After
several off-road ventures and piles of rubbish left by road crews we
perched above the road in an abandoned work site.. Not such a great
camp but the sun was going down…..347km Camp site 954m alt.
Not the sun but a gas flare on a near by facility.