B - reporting
Our last morning in Irkutsk was as rainy as our last night, which meant we had a lovely cool night. We went back to the Belgian coffee/wifi place where a new man was on duty, and would only sell us black coffee as he could not be bothered to use the espresso machine! Had a coffee with a friend (from the ferry: the best way to meet people!) then drove out of Irkutsk, retracing our journey to Ulan Ude. So picture that, but in reverse.
On the way we bought some smoked Ormul fish from a roadside smiley lady, and had it in the car park of the Sludyanka railway station - a very old stone building. I was just buttering some bread when an old man, which about three teeth, came over and started chatting. We explained we don't speak Russian, and managed to have quite a long conversation with him! He was very smiley, very chatty, and I have no idea what he said.
The weather improved after Ulan Ude, and when we camped it was lovely and sunny. G found a track going off into some trees, so we drove along it until we were far from the road and set up. Had mystery tinned fish for dinner, with lots of veggies, and of course beer!
We woke early and a bit nervous: today is border day! Also, we discovered a large town close by we had not noticed the previous night! It wasn't far to the border, just driving south, and we arrived at the border town about 11am. After filling Swiss and both our Jerry cans with cheap Russian gas, we headed for the border. No...the main road just led to a church. So we tried another direction...to a dead end. Finally a random hitchhiker who had seen us drive past him several times by now shouted "mongolia" and pointed, so we went that way and found it!
By now it was 11:30...and it was closed for lunch! We then realised the clocks must be different (summer time? not using summer time? these days I have no idea what the time is any more). So we queued, chatted (well, mimed) with some Mongolians in the queue, and finally movement! We were helped with forms by the friendly Mongolian, filled out the car export form in duplicate, then bumbled our way through about four Russian checkpoints until we were allowed to leave the country. It took about an hour and a half. At one point a Russian guard was searching our car, then he got bored and wondered off halfway through. Russia is confusing!
So we now had to enter Mongolia...Mongolia is confusing, too! We were pointed in the right direction by customs officials, going to one desk at least three times with different forms. We had to pay a $200 fee for something...but had only rubles. The fee then became 100 roubles (much less) why??? we have no clue. But we were in! Stamped!! Even got insurance!!!
Yay, Mongolia!
The border town was not very exciting, though we saw lots of Mongolian dogs, cows and horses. The road south surprised us be being tree-lined, like a pretty country lane. The rolling hills around us were scattered with blobs of white: gers, with horsemen herding sheep and goats.
We drove past Darxham, where the ATM was broken, but we had planned to camp tonight so not too worried. Then we turned off the main road and were suprised by the amount of agriculture, enormous great fields (Soviet farm planning?). After a few miles the countryside returned to the vivid green hills, under blue sky, dotted with gers and animals. It was so perfect it almost seemed fake, as if we had been shrunk down and placed in a diorama.
We turned down a dirt track by a river at around 6pm. There were other families there, children splashing around in the fast-flowing brown river. At one point mooing heralded a herd of cows swimming across, and later a couple of dogs swam past. We had some beer, watching the scene, then I started dinner...
...traditional English food: chips! As I was cooking about 10 Mongolian men came over. We were a bit nervous, but they were just interested in us, the car, the stove etc. then G said we were Canadian, and they all smiled then whipped out cameras and took pics of themselves with G! Not me, I guess women don't count? Then a couple of women arrived, and were quite interested in the stove, we communicated mainly by smiling and me waving the spatula.
It was bizarre but then very nice. Lots of hand shaking (even me!) and later, one of the men came back and gave us 2 beers. He had 2 very tiny beautiful children, who I gave candies to, and he went back to his picnic party.
When we went to bed, a different party of Mongolians also enjoying the river started singing, which was just amazing. It sounded like throat singing, but also with words. It was excellent, like we were in a movie.
Our last morning in Irkutsk was as rainy as our last night, which meant we had a lovely cool night. We went back to the Belgian coffee/wifi place where a new man was on duty, and would only sell us black coffee as he could not be bothered to use the espresso machine! Had a coffee with a friend (from the ferry: the best way to meet people!) then drove out of Irkutsk, retracing our journey to Ulan Ude. So picture that, but in reverse.
On the way we bought some smoked Ormul fish from a roadside smiley lady, and had it in the car park of the Sludyanka railway station - a very old stone building. I was just buttering some bread when an old man, which about three teeth, came over and started chatting. We explained we don't speak Russian, and managed to have quite a long conversation with him! He was very smiley, very chatty, and I have no idea what he said.
The weather improved after Ulan Ude, and when we camped it was lovely and sunny. G found a track going off into some trees, so we drove along it until we were far from the road and set up. Had mystery tinned fish for dinner, with lots of veggies, and of course beer!
We woke early and a bit nervous: today is border day! Also, we discovered a large town close by we had not noticed the previous night! It wasn't far to the border, just driving south, and we arrived at the border town about 11am. After filling Swiss and both our Jerry cans with cheap Russian gas, we headed for the border. No...the main road just led to a church. So we tried another direction...to a dead end. Finally a random hitchhiker who had seen us drive past him several times by now shouted "mongolia" and pointed, so we went that way and found it!
By now it was 11:30...and it was closed for lunch! We then realised the clocks must be different (summer time? not using summer time? these days I have no idea what the time is any more). So we queued, chatted (well, mimed) with some Mongolians in the queue, and finally movement! We were helped with forms by the friendly Mongolian, filled out the car export form in duplicate, then bumbled our way through about four Russian checkpoints until we were allowed to leave the country. It took about an hour and a half. At one point a Russian guard was searching our car, then he got bored and wondered off halfway through. Russia is confusing!
So we now had to enter Mongolia...Mongolia is confusing, too! We were pointed in the right direction by customs officials, going to one desk at least three times with different forms. We had to pay a $200 fee for something...but had only rubles. The fee then became 100 roubles (much less) why??? we have no clue. But we were in! Stamped!! Even got insurance!!!
Yay, Mongolia!
The border town was not very exciting, though we saw lots of Mongolian dogs, cows and horses. The road south surprised us be being tree-lined, like a pretty country lane. The rolling hills around us were scattered with blobs of white: gers, with horsemen herding sheep and goats.
We drove past Darxham, where the ATM was broken, but we had planned to camp tonight so not too worried. Then we turned off the main road and were suprised by the amount of agriculture, enormous great fields (Soviet farm planning?). After a few miles the countryside returned to the vivid green hills, under blue sky, dotted with gers and animals. It was so perfect it almost seemed fake, as if we had been shrunk down and placed in a diorama.
We turned down a dirt track by a river at around 6pm. There were other families there, children splashing around in the fast-flowing brown river. At one point mooing heralded a herd of cows swimming across, and later a couple of dogs swam past. We had some beer, watching the scene, then I started dinner...
...traditional English food: chips! As I was cooking about 10 Mongolian men came over. We were a bit nervous, but they were just interested in us, the car, the stove etc. then G said we were Canadian, and they all smiled then whipped out cameras and took pics of themselves with G! Not me, I guess women don't count? Then a couple of women arrived, and were quite interested in the stove, we communicated mainly by smiling and me waving the spatula.
It was bizarre but then very nice. Lots of hand shaking (even me!) and later, one of the men came back and gave us 2 beers. He had 2 very tiny beautiful children, who I gave candies to, and he went back to his picnic party.
When we went to bed, a different party of Mongolians also enjoying the river started singing, which was just amazing. It sounded like throat singing, but also with words. It was excellent, like we were in a movie.
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| Station where we had lunch with our Russian "Friend" |
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| Last Russian Sunset for a while. |
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| Waiting at the boarder. |
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| MONGOLIA!!!! |
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| Darken - Mongolia's 2nd city |
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| My 1st stint as a tourist attraction! |
