Since our last blog we've managed to get to UB. Feelings of elation, relief and exhaustion were swirling around Hector and I when we rolled onto the finish line early evening on Sunday the 17th. We missed the finish party by 24 hours, but even to get here was enough in itself. It had been seriously tough going since the Mongolian border. A flat on the border was a sign of things to come. Coming in from the Western border (the only real way to do the rally if you ask me) about 9 days ago we had no idea what we were letting the car and ourselves in for. The most amazing scenery greeted us a few hundred kms from the Mongol border in Russia as the Altai Mountain began. The roads were swell all the way through Russia, and to find a western supermarket after a pretty bad bout of food poisoning was also appreciated. Gherkins, reconstituted meat and a snickers hit the spot (ish). Anyway, after the quality of roads in Russia the Mongol roads were in stark contrast. Imagine corrogated iron on a road. Infact on every road for the next 1200 kms. Constantly jarring the whole car. And pot holes the sizes of garden ponds (I'm not joking). We didn't quite invisage how little our cars were set up for off road driving. The problem is that a little of off road is fine for a few minutes/hours here and there. But there are only 2 tarmac roads in Mongolia and the Western entry point is over 1000 miles from one. Bar the roads the scenery and feel of the country was overwhelming. Having visited Mongolia before in the depths of winter it was good to see it with some more green. The border was more like a...[Read More]