MONGOLIA

WOW!!!

The beauty of Mongolian landscape lies far beyond words!! Here I found the great, wide nature I was already expecting in Russia (there I think I would have found it further north – maybe next time;).
No point in going to Ulan Bator in my eyes, but if you like rough nature, you must visit Mongolia.
Without any big problems I passed the border from Russia in about 1.5 hours. Don’t try to change money in a bank here, simply do it on the street.
As soon as I was riding in Mongolia I noticed the difference. By now there is still a road and a very good one. But the nature looks different. As I have my first stop, I notice that passing drivers slow down and check carefully if I am alright before they drive on.
I stop in Darhan and meet some American’s here. We have a nice night with Texas Holden.
The next day I ride on to Ulan-Bator. Arriving there, I am shocked by the traffic and the mess they have here. Everybody seems to think, that they would simply need to blow the horn and the road will belong to them. Because it does not work, they honk again and again.

I experience the excesses after the elections in UB as well as the 4 day curfew-punishment.

"Wir dürfen 4 Tage keinen Alkohol verkaufen, aber ihr seid OK nach ein paar Bier - ja?"

Well, not all 4 days, because as soon as it does not rain anymore, I leave this noisy city! Too short after the rain I find out. In each and every dip, there is a big mud hole. Ina falls once to the left and once to the right, so both sides are nicely sprinkled now ;)

Soon after UB I meet Emil and Wolfgang from Germany and we decide to do some miles together. They have much better maps than me and even GPS – which is quite accurate whatever they say, nevertheless I have to push them on the first tee they would have missed without me. Later we are quite happy about the technical aid though...
We ride a few days threw the wilderness, visit Karakorin City and the White Lake. Wolfgang and I even go horse back riding.
I really enjoy Riding in Mongolia. Since there are no roads, but just tracks, you always try to find the best one. Somehow it is like kayaking. Unfortunately this is also why I have to finish my trip. One day we are riding through a valley and I think the track next to the one I just chose is much nicer and I think about shifting, but there is a big step in between, a too big step! So I don’t switch reasonable as I am!!! But again I think: But it IS nicer – no look at the pace! Well after a while everybody gets week, so I change the track. -- At least I try. My back wheel won’t make the step and Ina falls. So do I;) and I fall very bad, immediately my wrist hurts very bad. Fortunately after a while Wolfgang and Emil come back and help me. After a night and some sleep, my arm does not really feel better. We organise a lift to the next city. It takes 10h and my arm and rips (which also hurt) are often very badly shacked through – I think this was the worst day of my trip! In Murun I have my Arm as well as my rips x-rayed: my arm is broken and I need a cast for 4 weeks they tell me! Mongolia is a beautiful country but not the place to hang out for 4 weeks, so I decide to return to Switzerland. I sell INA :((( and TCS flies me home in business class, after 8 hours flight I am drunk as the flight attendant in Moscow wishes me a good morning at 10 o’clock.
In Switzerland they found two other bones broken and I still wear my cast after 7 weeks now!

As mentioned, the landscape is extraordinary. Each valley we enter, we welcome with a big ahhh! You can not tell from a photo indeed, but at least you can try to imagine…