Chiang Mai, Thailand to Vladivostok, Russia

[KTMphil]

He made it Marcel

 

[brake034]

Good! You all be carefull nah, have a safe drive.

 

[KTMphil]

Off we go in search of the western end of the Great Wall of China, still cant quite believe this far west of Beijing that the wall exists











Looks like we've found part of it

 

[KTMphil]

Jack going up to take a look at the wall'












Looking left to the other side & they've preserved the remains of the Great Wall on the other side of the highway








Rob getting set up for a 690 photo shoot

 

[KTMphil]

About 350 km to NE towards Ulan, easy straight. fast roads. we should be there in 4 hours moving time or less






Real kettles now












The Chinese seem fascinated about Glenda, a western lady on a big bike in China, probably the first time they've ever seen this







Huge wind turbine bladed being delivered








NW China, definitely isnt used to seeing big bikes, more excitement from the Police as we get on the highway, they are worried about our safety is what we're told







All cleared up on we're off on the highway, maybe they're worried we'll get sleepy






Another distinct change in terrain as we head north east. Now flat and desert like, this is how I was expecting Mongolia to be








Into Ulan, the truck will have to go off road around this 2.2m barrier







An unexpectedly awesome hotel with Mongolian flavor













Good food too

 

[KTMphil]

Ulan to Hohot



All pretty flat and straight where we are now, the 450km ride eastwards should be eaten up in no time. No police drama's at the toll booth, plain sailing













There was some speculation that this might be a launch pad for Chinese rockets, in reality we think it was a oil drilling platform













Looks like they're watching you if you put up stickers







Switch of highways and the next town







These were the most shocked/ stunned police we've come across so far, it was as if they thought we had come from the moon














Everything is checked once and twice again, they've never seen this before











Jak shows them where we're headed, they see we know what we're doing and start to relax a bit

 

[KTMphil]

The usual 1/2 hour of paperwork and we're off again












4,000km ago, we saw the start of the Yellow River. 4,000km later a 5.6km bridge across it, we meet again















This will be the last time we will see the Yellow River on this trip

 

[KTMphil]

Into Hohot quite a big city







Rob super glue-ing his throttle grip back on while we find the hotel






Good safe parking next to the police bikes at the hotel

 

[KTMphil]

We're getting close to the Mongolia border now. A 450 km ride from Hohot to Erenhot & we'll be at the China/ Mongolia international border crossing






Some protein to keep us awake











Talking very politely hoping we can use the gas pump, we have about a 50% yes hit ratio now







Cool taxi's






A bit further on thousands of acres of sunflowers

 

[KTMphil]

Ger camp, restaurant and B&B's litter the highway in summer months








Not much of anything up this far north, then a monster structure appears in the distance












This is Ge Gen Tala, in the middle of July every year this is where the Nadam Festival is held, where the have equestrian events and wrestling. Kind of Mongolia's version of the Commonwealth Games







Hundreds of Ger huts for sleeping and eating

 

[KTMphil]

IT becomes obvious that this area of the world is dependent on livestock. we now see bails of hay being the main thing on the trucks, sometimes looking quite scary when you're on a bike












Straight roads with little traffic, we're doing some good speeds now 160 km/hr ish








Time to switch over to the Mongolia map, not much showing up here now








Horses now becoming a hazard







Huge piece of pipe without a trailer











,

 

[KTMphil]

Next was goats







Then camels








Then dinosaurs








These dinosaurs have only been here about a year, i bet they gave the camels a shock when they came back there the next season

 

[KTMphil]

Into Erenhot at the Mongolia border and a well deserved rest day the next day. Lots of Chinese paperwork to be done so that the foreign bikes can leave China and the Chinese guide can get his sizable deposit returned to him








Decent hotel in the center of town, safe parking for the bikes which is a high priority here

 

[KTMphil]

A day of R&R in Erenhot, then its time to say goodbye to China, we've ridden it from south to north, around 5,000 km and head into Mongolia. We're not sure if we can get Mongolian Tughrik in Mongolia so we find a money changer on the China side. USD$ 1 = 2,000 Mongolian Tughrik.








Off to the border







The usual pre border check, valid passport and Chinese visa etc....

 

[KTMphil]

We get the ok to proceed to China Customs to clear out







Customs was much less elaborate than expected







They were pretty thorough, presumably they get a lot of problems here, so understandable






All we could do was watch













Bikes checked





ALL ok ...China Customs sign us out, just an exit immigration stamp needed and we're free











Russian made jeeps






All good lines not too long. One last China checkpoint, they check your passport for the exit stamp and you're out of China

 

[KTMphil]

WE're free, now in no-mans-land before we clear into Mongolia, the border checkpoint just ahead







Hundreds of old Russian jeeps go across to China to buy cheap goods and bring them to sell back in Mongolia, they load them to the max of course








This jeep in front had an "ingenious" inner tube retrofit. No hole for the inner tube valve stem in the rim, just cut a hole in the side of the tire for it...easy?

 

[KTMphil]

Mongolia Immigration entry office







Just Mongolia Customs entry left and we're in Mongolia








All done, we're free to go and our first Mongolian fill up, only 92 octane available







Hundreds of Russian made jeeps are parked at the border. We're trying to decide if its people gone to work in China and parked them there or they ve been scrapped there left to die?







Time to move on and into the first small town for our first Mongolian lunch

This will do








Your first meal in a 3rd world country you've never visited before. Will the meat dish be all fat & gristle etc...?


Menu looks ok and the place is spotless







Food comes looks and tastes fine. Not spicey and tastes more like western food we're accustomed too.

 

[KTMphil]

Its about 220km from Erenhot at the border NW to Saynshand in Mongolia. This is the first big town north, there's lots of options of Ger tent camps in that area



We are in the eastern Gobi Desert now






The dust prefilter to keep the dust out of the radiator







The trains come down from Russia, through Mongolia to China. The problem is that when they reach China, China uses a different gauge (width) of train track, so the cargo buggies have to be removed from the rolling stock. We hear there's a great deal of politics over this at the moment as it costs everyone a lot of money and they are aguing as to which gauge everyone should conform too

 

[KTMphil]

We're now away from the border and inside Mongolia... Our first nomad ger tent home


These can be carried on a camel or a horse. An experienced nomad can have the ger tent sent up in 30 minutes. Under the white top layer is a layer of plastic to protect from snow and rain. The center section opens for ventilation







north we go






Our first Mongolian police check point







After a few minutes wanted his photo taken, all good

 

[KTMphil]

A worship monument we presume










WE,ve all elected that a ger tent camp would be a good first experience for us in Mongolia, so off into the wilderness to find it






More camels













WE find it everything looks ok

 

[KTMphil]

Rob picks his ger looks pretty happy






Jaks







What a place?







My ger







Inside there are 4 beds















Ropes are thrown over with heavy rocks suspended to stop the ger from flying away in strong winds







Well worth trying in the zero humidity








..

 

[KTMphil]

..........more to come

 

[lipmeng]

Wow...........Phil those pics of the places makes me sleepless and hyper tension. What an epic riding trip.
Looking forward for each episode to come.

 

[KTMphil]

Next day its decision time. From Sainshand to Ulaanbaatar its 570km, easy roads quite do-able. There's an option of several ger camps about 80km south of UB, we decide that iis a good idea.







First thing is to find our way out of here, sand tracks in all directions







Herding goats with horses







More camels

 

[KTMphil]

Then what the hell is this in the middle of no-where in the Gobi Desert?


A BRDM-2 Mongolian Army Reconnaissance Vehicle of course (thanks Keld)







Initially we're not sure how friendly they are, so dont take any photo;s, as we approach they are smiling and give the thumbs up, looks like they are as curious about us as we are about them






Friendly guys





























...

 

[KTMphil]

Mongolia is one of the very few inhabited places on earth that sees a 60 centigrade change in temperature through the seasons. In winter in regularly gets to -30 C & summer to +30 C.









We're not far from what Mongolians consider to be the center of the worlds energy (here in Mongolia). The Khamriin Khiid Monastery was built in 1820 AD


The monastery was completely destroyed by the military in 1938 during Mongolia's religious purge. Currently two small ceremonial temples and several religious monuments have been reconstructed, with more than ten lamas now in residence at the monastery.






A monastery just before the CWE linked by A line of pagodas












Quite unusual






Rob & Jak headed in below




















Then 3km more, follow the pagodas to the Khamriin Khiid Monastery - The Center of the Worlds Energy







That dome in the middle is it - the CWE











In the middle of the barren Gobi Desert









We had a great phone signal there!

 

[KTMphil]

Time to click our heels, long way to go but easy on some fast roads







Nomadic makeshift villages every 50km or so











Looks like this guy competes in desert racing







Nomadic shepherd






Getting there

 

[KTMphil]

When the low pressure systems pass through here the wind must roar with such huge flat plains











Our first Mongolian Mini Mart. In China we recognized nothing in the Mini Mart's apart from Red Bull. WE're shocked at this Mongolian one, 50% of the things we recognize - Lay chips, Twix bars, Kit Kat, Oreo Cookies etc.....








Don wins the prize for the best photo of the trip so far







Below is Don's photo, fantastic!


Photo: Don Hurst



The kids were intrigued

 

[KTMphil]

A Mongolian shepherd down for some supplies







About 80km south of UB we see our first real town in Mongolia







Looks like there's some money in farming here







We think this is a graveyard with home made tombstones







Long shadows, getting late, lets hope we get there in daylight







Off the highway, into the sand to look for the ger tent camp


Perfect for Rob's 690







Whoa - you beauty







Found it - what a spot!

 

[KTMphil]

This ger camp is different from the last one, more green hills, less desert-like

 

[KTMphil]

Time to take a look at the largest Genghis Khan statue in the world






Huge






















You can take am elevator up and stand in the horses head

 

[KTMphil]

Exploring the plains






Good lunch spot south of UB










Unusual looking town








Into UlaanBaatar for the night, the hotel was like something out of a Russian movie but had safe parking for the bikes









.....More to come

 

[prince666]

Seems prince666 on his LifYam hooked up?

Hi Marcel
Hooked up ok with the group in Labrang after a 2340km dash from Shandong in 2 days ?? on the LifYam heheh .( no special bullshit plaque came with this bike)




Thanks Reed for letting me tagging along great well organised trip with the Chinese ground guide being spot on.


Left the group at the border town Erenhot and started to head home will start a new Thread about my trip home by way of the mountain roads North and West of Beijing.


7000 Km in 12 days riding ??? not bad on a 250cc .

 

[KTMphil]

Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia maybe has some of the most beautiful girls in the world, Genghis did an awesome job it looks like.


There's a Genghis Khan monument of course










The beautiful, old Choijin Monastery in the center of town






The KTM 690 steering head bearing didnt feel too good, so with a layover day, we tried to get one in UB







Managed to get one, steering is now as smooth as a ladyboy's bikini line

 

[KTMphil]

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia north to the Russian border


Its about 300km from UB north to the Russian border, easy roads without too much traffic, surprising with it being the link to Russia.

Note: Dont park next to buses in gas stations, many of them will blow the sand out of their engine bay & air filter, its makes a huge sand storm!







These Russian 4WD trucks are ultra-cool. Super simple, everything easily fixed and cost around USD$ 10,000

 

[Lone Rider]

You guys and gals might be in for some rain (and possible flooding) and strong winds as typhoon Goni seems to be heading for Vladivostok sometime later this week. Goni battered western Japan and southeastern Korea with damaging winds and flooding rainfall on Tuesday and is now tracking northward through the Sea of Japan. The next target for Goni will be northeastern China and southeastern Russia, including Yanbian, China, and Vladivostok, Russia. More info here: typhoon-goni-taiwan-japan-korea-philippines

 

[KTMphil]

Wow ---thought it would be north of there .;.. thx Auke

 

[KTMphil]

There is money in UB, Mongolia






Whether its the Mongolian Cashmere moguls, who knows








There;s many shopping malls in town, this is the fancy one

 

[prince666]

the capital of Mongolia maybe has some of the most beautiful girls in the world,

yes yes nice but means jack shit without pictures????

 

[prince666]

Its East of your current position by Lake Baykal (2300 Km) so i think you should miss it Phil with a bit of luck