It drizzled a little in the night but was otherwise
quiet. The last week has been cooler and we are back in trousers.
Probably since the camp on the northern Baikal.
On my morning walk I spotted two fungi and caught this grasshopper as he rested.
Back
on the sealed road we headed south-east towards China. The road was
quite good and we could average about 65km/h.
At
our turn off towards the Gobi we asked at the garage if they had
water, they showed John a drum of water, not quite what we were
looking for. When asked via google translate where we could fill up
they indicated the town across the road, Jargaltkhaan.
We drove
across and like the other few towns we have been in the roads were
just tracks and many of them. We ambled along one and found the water
station. Here they allowed us to fill with water. A large diameter
hose (I could not get my hand around it) with a petrol browser like nozzle and wee tap.
A
lady was inside the shed working the pump or valve. We filled the
tanks but was slow, half way through a guy drove up in his Russian
4x4. We filled his 20lt plastic container. He was examining EC with
interest. He then very proudly showed us his “jeep” 3 gear
levers, one for high low, one for forward/backwards and one for the
5 gears. So yes he had 5 gears in reverse…..
Back
to fill with Diesel AU$1.33/liter. The attendants spend their time between customers sitting on this neat couch.
Choosing a spot near our track we lunched and used a bit of internet.
I
worked out that if we do 4000km in Mongolia and average 200km /day we
should be in a good position to leave early into Russia.
We
had a great drive on the tracks some times sitting on 60km/h on
smooth 2 wheel track tracks. The map is quite accurate but sometimes
new roads take us off in a different direction to circumvent a large
boggy patch or sometimes they are just another road going to a yurt
so the navigator needs to be on their toes.
We made two small errors
but within 100m knew it and crossed the grass to get back on our
track.
We
were a bit concerned with a river crossing near Bayanmunkh but they
have a brand new bridge, our road just didn’t line up so we had to
find the road to the bridge.
We
drove through the little village Bayanmunkh, again the town just had dirt
tracks as streets,but a very neat and tidy playground /town square.
All
the towns we have past through have been neat clean and tidy.
In
contrast with Russia where every house had a veggie patch they just
don’t exist here.
John
drove another 50km into the gathering dusk finally perching us atop
of one of the rounded hills for the night. Surprisingly there is very
little vegetation up here.
A
defrosted chicken casserole mashed spuds and cabbage. Into bed by
10 after a fun days drive.
Mongolia
is as advertised, rolling green hills yurts sheep,goats cattle and
horses. And off the main roads no formed roads just tracks and many
of those.