Navigation

So we set of and things are looking pretty good - we even get a few 100meters of tarmac at one point which was really nice. Then we are off on the long hard road to Khovd and what a road it runs out to be - its beautiful but dreadful - at times there are 30 tracks running in various directions but all effectively heading the same way and ultimatley going to the same place. You pick the one that looks the best and hope it will be OK!

We are pressing on well, have refilled all water cylinders, are fully stocked with Oil and Fuel and ready for whatever lies ahead. We head off with 4 cars, Martha, Hollie (Road Dwarf), Brother in laws in arm (2 lads from Jersey (who are great guy's and a lot of fun). and 2 American lads and a Puerta Rican (who sleeps more than more than a koala bear) - they also turn out to be top lads who I meet up with time and time again!

Crossing the Mongolian border is the most sureal experience!

When you finally get allowed out of Russia (probably the most confused border I have ever crossed) they give you your exit visa to hand in and send you on your way. Instead of the normal 30 yards to the final checkpoint and on your way you drive 10km before reaching a gate where you hand over the exist visa.

OK so I am home now (so you know that I survive!) but there is so much that isn't yet on here that I need to bring you up to date with. I will do it in the same format as before.

This is probably a good time to let you know a couple of things that I didn't dare put on the blog whilst I was still traveling the main one being the brake issue that I have eluded to earlier in the blog.

We crossed the border into Mongolia this morning. It's amazing. The whole idea was to drive from London to Mongolia and we've made it - we're in Mongolia. Of course, we've still got to get 1200 miles across the desert to the capital but it's just great to be here - to have driven all this way.

Mobile phone signal is pretty non-existant over here though so updates may be few and far between. Wish me luck for final stretch - Ulaan Batar here we come !!

I'm sure anyone that knows me well enough will know what route I have taken. In the words of someone close to me I say, "I never learned nothing by playing it safe"... so I'm taking the Western route! And we're nearly there now. We arrived here about an hour after they closed the border for the night - (they only stay open till 5pm over-here-time... which is 11am over-there-time) - so there's no chance of getting into Mongolia tonight. We've set up camp with Holly, and our new Spannish friends - (guess what !?!

So, we made it to Barnaul. We actually beat Royal Mail. I had a part being sent over from the UK to a very accommodating hotel over here. It should have got here long before me... but it didn't. Who knows where it is but poor Martha will have to limp on without her front ball joint. Well done Royal Mail.

It was a bit of a no-brainer really. I could either take my incredibly unreliable Martha or a newly serviced more capable car. Of course I chose Martha - she's my rally partner and I couldn't go without her. Credit to the garage though - they got her fixed up nice with working brakes, a repaired suspension and they even managed to fix that strange knocking noise.

The cars are fixed!! Holly has had some work done to her suspension and Martha has a new lease of life with fixed brakes, a repaired steering column and some extra supports welded onto her chassis. We went to the garage first thing and Vladimir - (yep, we actually met someone called Vladimir) - helped us explain to the mechanics what was wrong and what needed fixing. A few hours later, the cars were done.... and we were given one of the toughest decisions to make of the entire trip.

Today has been a bit of a surreal one. We arrived in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, at around lunchtime, banging and clattering all the way in because of Martha's slight steering issues. Randomly we stopped outside a shop where the owner spoke really good English and he was able to help us find a garage just down the road... the biggest garage in Kazakhstan.