Then the opportunity arose in the form of Mongolia except that its been more than just a day. It all started when I got over the Russian side of the border crossing into Mongolian territory when I thought I would stop and take a photo. There were animals off the side of the road so I turned the ignition off from the bike, took my photo and got ready to go again. On trying to start the bike I don't think that I even got a click from the starter and the dash went blank. This happened a couple of times and I laughed before thinking that this could be a real problem.
Cursing, I stripped the non functioning Scottoiler from the bike as it was just annoying me and gave me a focus then sat down with the top section of the bike apart. First past me came a van full of Kazakh's who when I asked about jump leads just looked really blankly at me. I let them go and sat down for what seemed an age before a Mongolian 4x4 drove past refusing to stop with the driver just looking at me to the side of his eyes as if pretending not to see me.
Next past were some Czech folk in three small 4x4's having an adventure into Mongolia before returning home again. They came out with some tools and thought it was my alternator that was at fault. The engine seemed to run a while after jump starting if I kept the revs up and they suggested I return to the Russian side for help. Turning around I got 100m up the hill before the bike just died totally on me. Looking back they were off already.
During this time a few Chinese 4x4s came haring past honking their horns for us to get out of their way even though there was space for them. This continued with maybe ten in total passing while Adam from Israel on his GS adventure and Chris from England on his Honda stopped. They were helpful and chatted a while, they let me know that the border was just around the corner maybe a kilometer or so down the hill and also thought that it was just the battery I was having bother with.
Once they leave I get the bike trundling down the hill to the border post where I'm processed without much of a fuss. At the far side the guy who had taken 30 roubles for not disinfecting my bike brought along a guy who I thought was called Viktor (I found out later his name was totally different) took me to his house where we got on an old Russian bike and returned to mine. He told me that to get a new battery if he gave me his then he would have to pay 100usd, I thought that this was nonsense and then we went through the theater of him going away. He wasn't even into any form of barter and by the time I grudgingly agreed after having no other option his battery was too gutless to do anything on my modern bike.
So, pushing the bike up the hill I get talking to an Austrian in a Landcruiser who is there with a girl driving and a guy in the back all squeezed in beside most of a KTM Adventure in bits. Turns out his bike broke down, these folk were with him and they just decide to strip it and return home. Then I got talking to a couple on Honda Transalps as they got past before I got huckled for insurance for the bike, not sure if its really legit because it wasn't part of the border post but after my experiences in Kazakhstan I decided not to argue.
I have my first food for the day mid afternoon within Viktors house with a bottle of water, which I get charged for and then looked blankly at when I wait for the change. As I finish, Viktor comes back to me and takes me into the countryside hunting some transport.
The hunt for transport involves me being stuck on the back of an old Russian bike with no front brakes bouncing along dirt tracks and feeling every bit of metal rattle underneath me. It doesn't take long to get used to but its not pleasant. After stopping at a ger (local nomadic home) we get on the move again and he seems to be scouring the countryside for some form of a jeep. After maybe half an hour bouncing around the countryside and Viktor hopelessly shouting at a 4x4 on the other side of the valley we get to in the region of Tsagannur where we stop at another ger encampment.
Im introduced to one guy (Arstan) who says he can take me to Olgii and after some time Im taken back to the border where my stuff and the bike is jammed into a too small trailer and we are off again. But not before Viktor has demanded money from me for sorting out the contact. A couple guys meanwhile try and have a chat to me, they had recently arrived on some Suzukis and were waiting til the next day to cross the border. I don't get much chance as I'm motioned toward the jeep again.
My new friend Arstan says I will stay with him and we go back the ger encampment where I met him. It takes a few hours for anything to happen but I'm looked after by the family who offer my plenty of weak milky tea with butter in it and some meat soup which is quite tasty. At about 8:00pm he comes into the ger and says "come, I fix your bike!" and we get into the 4x4 with his wife, son and a guy called Toulou.
We drive about ten minutes then stop again where we pick up a container of airag (fermented mares milk, quite tasty in a strangely salty, vinegary, milky way) and a couple of children before we set off into the sunset.
Bouncing away we stop once for resecuring the bike which seems to have shifted during all the bumping about. It's at this time, just as we enter pitch darkness that a thunderstorm rolls in overhead. I've got no real idea what's happening or where we are really off to but just have to give in to what's going on, none of it feels bad or untoward so I just try and settle in and avoid the constant stream of rainwater drips coming in from the windscreen above my legs.
Finally, at just before midnight Im in Olgii. We stop at what turns out to be Arstans brothers house where I'm given a few cups of tea and a few cups of airag too. Some point after midnight Arstans brothers wife appears with some bedclothes and points me toward the sofa where I'm to sleep.
Although I've no idea what's happening I'm at least being looked after and really have very few options being pretty much exactly half way round the world from home with no transport. Im exhausted and settle down to sleep which seems to take only seconds despite the noise from the adjacent room and I await what's to come over the next few days with the local festival and the bike getting fixed.
Location:Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
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