We got up knackered at just after 8am after a few hours sleep, and hit the road down to the border at about 9. The countryside again was spectacular. Changing from more fertile green to browner green in the the heat, rolling hills and the deafening sound of millions of grasshoppers. Dave still barely alive hit the border town at 2.30pm.
Russia we loved you, and we got through the entire country without paying a single fine, thanks to the great bit of work by Ian at Signs Direct, as soon as the Police read why we were doing it they let us off, all other teams were daily getting money relieved from them.
The Mongolians shut the border at 6pm so we hoped it would be less time consuming than on the way in. The heat was intense and progress was slow. Some French lads were turned away at the border as they had lost an insurance form for their VW camper. I was getting worried as I had lost my customs declaration, listing what I was bringing into the country, and needed for exit. When our turn came after 90 mins or so, the Russian border guard asked me for my declaration, I shrugged my shoulders and handed over my passport with a $20 note in it, "you fill in 2 now". Result. Now the debacle of trying to get into Mongolia.
At least the Russians spoke English and would tell you what to do next. The Mongolians just stood around and left us with no idea. Most were also not ashamed at trying a bit of daylight robbery. A lady sprayed our car with some stuff, apparently in August to October they get the bubonic plague here. She demanded 50 russian roubles (about £1), but isn't this Mongolia what about mongolian cash. We paid, and were then told we didn't need to. Next I was taken into an office by a lady for another lady to photocopy the car registration document, when the lady who bought me in walked out, for the photocopies the other woman typed 500 into a calculator and said "You give me 500 roubles" (about £10). I said "what for" as another officious person walked in and she deleted the amount on her caluclator and gestured me out the office. Dear me, they were certainly playing on our naievity and complete lack of what to do, with no help or guidance from the Mongolians all milling around.
Eventually after some frustrating hours we got the all clear. One guy appeared who did speak English, there is an updated list for all of those on the Mongol Rally and when they arrive at any of the Mongolian border crossings. Of the 200 teams we had arrived 6th and as one team started in Vienna, we were the 5th team from London. We we greeted at the final barrier by some dirty looking currency trader. No tah mate. We had already changed $50 in whatever the Mongolian stuff is called. We have started referring to all the foreign curencies as rupeears.
I converted a couple of lads to the Albion and Mongolia beckoned.
We and more importantly Dave had made it into Mongolia only another 230ish miles to the capitol. The border town is how you may imagine poor and very run down, we picked up the good asphalt road and started the final fling. It was just after 6.30pm. The countryside is uniquely different here, We saw our first Gers, Nomadic Mongolian herdsmens tented homes.
There are a lot more cows and horses wandering across the road here than in Russia. The scenery was again stunning in the evening heat and we were loving it. We came across a couple of wild camels and took a picture, Ed quacked at one, who was squaring up to us and hissing, guess he had the hump.
As the light went it became a little trecherous. Mongolians seem content to drive with full beam on, and the lack of white lines on the road make it virtually impossible to see the road. After 4 hours or so we saw the lights of Ulan Bataar in the distance and felt this huge buzz of exitement. Before we left England, we didn't have much faith in Dave making it, and with the reducing road quality and Daves deteriation we would not actually dare to believe it, now we did, we would make it under our own steam, on one set of tyres, with 2 blown bulbs and an airfilter change, Dave had done it. On Friday he done his final stint of 393 miles before a less strenuous retirement job. We love you Dave.
Both Richard and I were gobsmaked by Ulan Baatar, we expected a few big buildings with some crappier outskirts or something. The City is huge a lot bigger than most we have been in, in Russia, it is also a lot more modern than we thought. Loads of neon, bars, clubs trendy looking eateries. A big Zara and Esprit shop we passed by. What a contrast to the drive in with goat herders living in Gers and hardly any towns.
Ulan Bataar is a throbbing place with trendy western dressed young Mongolians everywhere. We checked into the plush genghis Khan hotel. £36 each for a twin suite, we parked Dave up for the night in the basement car park. The Mongol rally organiser said we had to go straight to a bar called Daves place when we get here, but we are going to get some pictures of him today in UB first, before visiting MAF at the Airport. We had a lovely bit of Chinese food in the Hotel and decided to go out for few well earned beers. The Genghis Khan Hotel has a nightclub as part of the hotel, so we thought we would go there expecting it to be pants. My word, it was the equal of many UK clubs, great decor, good lights a DJ playing decent house music that can actually mix and hordes of trendy Mongolians strutting their stuff.
One thing about this place we noticed already was that people are not all so friendly as in Russia. A group of young drunk men, were playing the old herd mentality number, one told me to "go from seat we sit here" when I sat down. Fair enough. Then another was waving his arms for me to move when I was standing over 2 metres from any of them, I turned to him and said "I don't understand what you are asking for", a few of the "tough guys" started trying to square up, for daring to talk, apparently they don't like western men very much here. We were just minding our own business having a couple of beers. I wasn't to worried about it kicking off though as the many army clad security guys walking around the club had rather large tazer stun guns. We decided to leave as the lads were getting increasingly more drunk and idiotic and turned in at 3am.
