Mutley
Registered user
How come it didn't melt?
Heavy Metal around Mongolia and Central Asia
- Thread starter Timolgra
- Start date
We wait, again
Much further on we come to this beutiful lake.
Baz blows balloons for the kids and is soon surrounded, one is a BMW fan
Although I described earlier the good manners, customs and repect you can expect from Mongolian people, there is another aspect to their behavour, particularly when in a group such as in towns and villages.
They'll clamber all over your bike, pressing this and that, fiddling with your GPS, trying your helmet on even trying to start the bike!
It does become a little tiresome when your worried they'll step on your fuel line or something fragile and most us are really never happy and relaxed when someone touches your bike.
But I never had the feeling they'd steal from you nor did they ask for anything, more likely they'd offer something.
Much further on we come to this beutiful lake.
Baz blows balloons for the kids and is soon surrounded, one is a BMW fan
Although I described earlier the good manners, customs and repect you can expect from Mongolian people, there is another aspect to their behavour, particularly when in a group such as in towns and villages.
They'll clamber all over your bike, pressing this and that, fiddling with your GPS, trying your helmet on even trying to start the bike!
It does become a little tiresome when your worried they'll step on your fuel line or something fragile and most us are really never happy and relaxed when someone touches your bike.
But I never had the feeling they'd steal from you nor did they ask for anything, more likely they'd offer something.
Deleted Member I
Guest
Hite .. that's a Korean beer 
ther's a couple of beers which are laced with formaldihide it acts a preservative.... in more ways than one...
Cracking report Tim, is it worth considering a write up for a bike mag to share your experiances with a wider public?
Looking at your picture I keep thinking: mozzies Were they a problem?
Looking at your picture I keep thinking: mozzies
Were they a problem?
Popeye
Registered user
Cracking report Tim, is it worth considering a write up for a bike mag to share your experiances with a wider public?
Looking at your picture I keep thinking: mozzies
Thanks Andy, I suppose writing for a magazine is a possibility...depends how much they'd pay me
writing for you guys hopefully gets what we're about into some kind of perspective amongst all the dross. It's also an opportunity to get my thoughts and recollections down before I become too senile to remember them. I didn't keep a diary nor did I take notes, each photo triggers memories to both that moment and to the countless others where there are no photos.
Yes, mozzies were a problem at times but generally not too bad although they gave Rick a hard time.
We rode across a long spit of sand hoping to camp on an 'island' in a lake. Dennis came off and was pinned under his bike with petrol flooding out, his ankle twisted to a disturbing angle.
Regardless of any injury or pain he was in we lifted the bike and dragged him out, because of the fire risk.
At the same time we were in a cloud of thousands of biting black flies, giving a feeling of claustrophobia and mild panic.
Rick must have had 20 or 30 bad bites.
What a stuning place, great shot
Yeah, it's all right isn't it. My LX3 again
We're heading for the town, Olgii in western Mongolia.
The Lonely Planet guide book lures us there with promisies of cooked breakfasts and showers at the Blue Wolf.....it wasn't quite what they'd led us to expect, ie. no showers and fried horse penis for breakfast, but more of that in a while.
In the very far distance our route appeared blocked by a wall of mountains.
The track fell towards them and led us into narrow, deep, deep gorge splitting the mountain range in two with a raging river flowing through it.
It was as though being lured into a witches caulden and I couldn't bring myself to photograph it.
It's always so much further than both the GPS and map will have you believe.
The road becomes made up so perhaps we're almost there.
On arrival we finally learn the truth about camels.
As a child, you probably thought that camel's humps were for storing water.
Your teacher or parents then dispelled that myth and told you they were for storing fat.
Well, how do they know? have they been to Olgii and seen it with their own eyes? I doubt it.
The truth is, camels run on petrol.
Here you can see the camels humps as being empty which is why they often flop to one side.
So in this photo is the first real evidence to support my theory as the camels are clearly being refuelled.
The Lonely Planet guide book lures us there with promisies of cooked breakfasts and showers at the Blue Wolf.....it wasn't quite what they'd led us to expect, ie. no showers and fried horse penis for breakfast, but more of that in a while.
In the very far distance our route appeared blocked by a wall of mountains.
The track fell towards them and led us into narrow, deep, deep gorge splitting the mountain range in two with a raging river flowing through it.
It was as though being lured into a witches caulden and I couldn't bring myself to photograph it.
It's always so much further than both the GPS and map will have you believe.
The road becomes made up so perhaps we're almost there.
On arrival we finally learn the truth about camels.
As a child, you probably thought that camel's humps were for storing water.
Your teacher or parents then dispelled that myth and told you they were for storing fat.
Well, how do they know? have they been to Olgii and seen it with their own eyes? I doubt it.
The truth is, camels run on petrol.
Here you can see the camels humps as being empty which is why they often flop to one side.
So in this photo is the first real evidence to support my theory as the camels are clearly being refuelled.
Olgii has a diffent feel to it.
That whole region in the far west known as Bayan-Ölgii is the highest Mongolian aimag, is inhabited predominently by Kazakhs and has a strong Islamic influence.
The Blue Wolf had no promised showers but did have a great sauna which was in fact the only place to wash and get clean, we loved it and spent 3 nights there sleeping in yurts.
We visited the market and museum, learnt the region was the birthplace of eagle falconry, that following democratization many returned to their traditional homeland of Kazakhstan in the early 90's, hoping for a better life their hopes dashed they began to return again to Olgii.
Our museum guide was enthusiastic and we followed his every word, understanding not one of them.
Breakfast was tradition Kazakh 'sausage', I'm sure the cook sniggered.
It was sliced horse penis!
A thick foreskin, large artery running through it's centre and very tough meat.
Despite the attempts of Russian truck drivers and two unsuccessful years of yoga (if you say you haven't tried, your lying), I can honestly say this was the first time any penis has passed my lips, I do hope it was the last!!
Whilst checking my bike I noticed a hairline crack in the rear subframe. 20 minutes later I followed a guy to his yard where it was to be repaired.
My welder was great, understanding why I wanted to disconnect the battery and Motronic unit before setting to with some very dodgy looking gear.
My bike was fixed
He smiled at me triumphantly, I just couldn't help myself and burst out laughing.
When I showed him this photo on my camera he and his sons all laughed too
That whole region in the far west known as Bayan-Ölgii is the highest Mongolian aimag, is inhabited predominently by Kazakhs and has a strong Islamic influence.
The Blue Wolf had no promised showers but did have a great sauna which was in fact the only place to wash and get clean, we loved it and spent 3 nights there sleeping in yurts.
We visited the market and museum, learnt the region was the birthplace of eagle falconry, that following democratization many returned to their traditional homeland of Kazakhstan in the early 90's, hoping for a better life their hopes dashed they began to return again to Olgii.
Our museum guide was enthusiastic and we followed his every word, understanding not one of them.
Breakfast was tradition Kazakh 'sausage', I'm sure the cook sniggered.
It was sliced horse penis!
A thick foreskin, large artery running through it's centre and very tough meat.
Despite the attempts of Russian truck drivers and two unsuccessful years of yoga (if you say you haven't tried, your lying), I can honestly say this was the first time any penis has passed my lips, I do hope it was the last!!
Whilst checking my bike I noticed a hairline crack in the rear subframe. 20 minutes later I followed a guy to his yard where it was to be repaired.
My welder was great, understanding why I wanted to disconnect the battery and Motronic unit before setting to with some very dodgy looking gear.
My bike was fixed
He smiled at me triumphantly, I just couldn't help myself and burst out laughing.
When I showed him this photo on my camera he and his sons all laughed too
Feck me it's beginning to sound like a trip I'm going on, stop it.
+1 for the LX3 though.
RESPECT Tim
, I am too lard arse and comfort fond to do this.Tipp was tough enough for me with Guinness on tap 24\7 in the Hotel.
Vleis
Guest
loving this report - keep it coming. thanks
The route I'd chosen for Mongolia was influenced greatly after reading a book given to me, called ...'Mongolia. In search of Marco Polo and other Adventurers'... written by an Italian, Silvio Micheli who travelled extensively there in 1960.
Whilst searching the ruins of Mongolia's ancient captital Karakorum, he met a young man who came from a wild area in the depths of the Altay mountains near a village called Tsengel and agreed to travel back there with him.
To cut a long story short Micheli met the young man's sister called Sayan who was a beutiful wild woman by all accounts and they fell in love.
The story takes a new turn now as they travel eventually back to Ulaanbaatar and he has to leave for Italy promising to return.
I've done as much reserach as I can, finding Micheli died in the late 90's but couldn't find out if he ever did return or whatever became of Sayan.
So for me, a journey to Tsengel would be something of a pilgrimage. It's possibly the wildest area of Mongolia and that's saying something!
We head into the mountains towards China looking for Tsengel.
Whilst searching the ruins of Mongolia's ancient captital Karakorum, he met a young man who came from a wild area in the depths of the Altay mountains near a village called Tsengel and agreed to travel back there with him.
To cut a long story short Micheli met the young man's sister called Sayan who was a beutiful wild woman by all accounts and they fell in love.
The story takes a new turn now as they travel eventually back to Ulaanbaatar and he has to leave for Italy promising to return.
I've done as much reserach as I can, finding Micheli died in the late 90's but couldn't find out if he ever did return or whatever became of Sayan.
So for me, a journey to Tsengel would be something of a pilgrimage. It's possibly the wildest area of Mongolia and that's saying something!
We head into the mountains towards China looking for Tsengel.
The riding became more interesting, navigation more tricky.
For an unknown reason reason I could feel the excitement rise in me as I felt we were getting close, only to have it dashed as we'd taken a wrong turn.
A cold wind drew us on.
Each pass felt like the top of the world.
Finally we were there and the valley revealed itself.
Tsengel village was away to the right, we rode along the river bank crossed a stream and asked the local people if was ok for us to camp near them.
Of course it was.
For an unknown reason reason I could feel the excitement rise in me as I felt we were getting close, only to have it dashed as we'd taken a wrong turn.
A cold wind drew us on.
Each pass felt like the top of the world.
Finally we were there and the valley revealed itself.
Tsengel village was away to the right, we rode along the river bank crossed a stream and asked the local people if was ok for us to camp near them.
Of course it was.
Simply stunning Tim.
When we talked about your trip in Tipperary I knew that it was great, but I had no idea........
When we talked about your trip in Tipperary I knew that it was great, but I had no idea........
Thanks mate, when we get to our age there's no point in doing things in half measures
Thanks mate, when we get to our age there's no point in doing things in half measures
We camped here for four nights, enjoying the surroundings, people and their way of life.
Several families lived in their yurts nearby.
In the mornings they brought us milk and yoghurt.
We play football with a young boy.
I go for a walk afterwards, he follows and shows me where to get spring water. I think of my own son.
Baz blows his football up.
While mother and daughters repair the roof to their yurt.
Several families lived in their yurts nearby.
In the mornings they brought us milk and yoghurt.
We play football with a young boy.
I go for a walk afterwards, he follows and shows me where to get spring water. I think of my own son.
Baz blows his football up.
While mother and daughters repair the roof to their yurt.
