Archive for the ‘Expedition Updates’ Category

Day 50 – There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.

Day 50 – There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.

High Point: stretching my legs climbing to a peak overlooking Gorkhi-Terelj. Nice to get a bit of a sweat on and great to lap up the wonderful vista.

Low point: the last few days have been a real struggle. After 7 weeks on the road, momentum and purpose have done a magnificent job of masking the true pain to both body and mind. 3 days in UB and 2 slow days after opened the flood gates to the true agony. I was proper home sick for the first time as London felt an awfully long way away in either direction. Long haul flights, coupled with the digital age, have squashed most people’s perspectives of the size of this wonderful world of ours. Drive just a third of it in a silly red truck and you will feel every inch of its enormity!! A few restless nights and general poorly feeling was massively knocking my motivation. The road has become less desirable. A nice cup of tea and a little sit down sounds simply glorious. It would be nice to pop home for just a few days. I am sure that once we hit the road again in earnest, my enthusiasm will return in earnest. Read more →

Day 49 : UB to Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

Day 49 : UB to Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

High Point

Personally – actually getting out on the open road, after months of anticipation and a few days in limbo in UB while Martha was in service, this was it, the day had dawned! Bye bye city streets – the rumbling roads and big skies of Mongolia were beckoning. Yee-ha!

For all of us – finding a fantastic little ger for the night in the most brilliant setting near Terelj was a really welcome treat.  Looking out across rolling hills dotted with gers, horses & goats and towering rocky mountains to our backs, scenery so perfect it hardly seemed real. Read more →

Days 46 – 48 Ulaanbaatur

Days 46 – 48 Ulaanbaatur

High point : Mongolian Karaoke, just when we thought the singing in the cab had improved our voices . . . We were wrong, in a big way!

Low point : The traffic, forget all you know about jams and dangerous driving until you visited UB. It was a miracle that I saw only 2 accidents in my time here! Read more →

Peter and Mongolian Star Melchers

Peter and Mongolian Star Melchers

It is people like Peter and Mongolian Star Melchers that not only helped Martha get on the road, but stay on the road. Peter didn’t know us from Adam as we turned up in Ulaan Bator all dirty and tired from 7 weeks on the road. Martha, the poor girl, was in a bit of a state and they very kindly donated their time and effort for free, to get her match fit to continue her journey. Now this wasn’t your usual service, we produced quite a long list of things that were wrong but Peter still took Martha in, top man. Read more →

Day 44 – 45: The road to UB. Bulgan to Ulaanbaatar.

Day 44 – 45: The road to UB. Bulgan to Ulaanbaatar.

High Point: There is certainly a couple here; the monastery at Amarbayasgalant Khiid (pictures attached) finally reaching Tarmac roads (and then realising they were still wet and Martha was doing a great job of churning them up) and a splendid game of night cricket outside our gir. I think the score is now 3 – 1 to me on the stage 2 cricket fest.
The feeling in the cab was one of excitement, and banter was most definitely plentiful. To finally have UB in our sights was a great feeling, and although not technically the end of stage 2, with both Ben and Dave leaving us there, there was a feeling of accomplishment and achievement. Read more →

Day 43 Moron

Day 43 Moron

High Point.

I never thought I would love camping as much I do. Tonight was magnificent. As per normal in Mongolia, you simply drive until it gets dark, pull over in a cheeky valley and set camp. Nothing around as far as the eye can see. Wonderful. The temperature drops significantly at night here. By the time dinner is finished we are pretty much wearing every item of clothing we own. To help with the warming, and in keeping with the locals, we crack open a cheeky bottle of vodka and toast the highlights of the day. It’s moments like this I will cherish. The moon lighting up the fire engine, the mountains and our faces. A full debrief of the day and then onto the big subjects of the world. Lovely. Read more →

Day 42: The lakes near Khatgal to Moron

Day 42: The lakes near Khatgal to Moron

High Point: It has to be the lakes. The crew were in serious need of a rest day and to spend this sat on the banks of a huge freshwater lake (3 trillion litres of water!) was incredible.

Low Point: The hangover. It was similar to the movie only with slightly more recollection. And all crew members were also still present in body – but definitely not in mind. Read more →

Day 41 Tsagaan Uul to Khatgal

Day 41 Tsagaan Uul to Khatgal

Oranges and Mutton Stew

High Point: Today’s chat in the cab was hilarious. Plus we the lucky recipients of more amazing generosity from our Mongolian brethren. See below.

Low Point: When James played Michael Jackson’s Earth Song and four-fifths of the cab’s occupants burst into chorus. First time thus far I’ve wished I was at work. Hats off to you Jarvis Cocker, that song sucks. Read more →

消防车走天下 How do you solve a problem like China? (China Itinerary, and some important introductions).

消防车走天下 How do you solve a problem like China? (China Itinerary, and some important introductions).

When Steve first spoke of his plan of driving a Fire Engine around the world, we all knew immediately it was going to happen. This was Steve, his talk is never cheap and the “Why” was clear.

So the idea was quickly accepted, over a few pints as these things often are, and the attention quickly turned to “which way”.

Read more →

Day 40 Tosontsengel to Tsagaan Uul

Day 40 Tosontsengel to Tsagaan Uul

High point : After 8 days in Mongolia we’ve all become very accustomed mechanics striving to fix Martha’s wounds each morning after the battering she has taken on the awful Mongolian roads the previous day. Yesterday morning was satisfyingly dirty as Ben and I fixed the oil leaking from the back locker while Steve, Ross and David managed to answer the eternal question “how many men does it take to change a lightbulb?” as the 3 of them scratched their heads and drank coffee while repairing the flood lights that fell off the roof the night before (after some suspect driving ). Read more →

Page 1 of 1012345»...Last »