Blog 9 - Mongolia
We have now arranged a guide (compulsory) to spend 2.5 weeks with us, taking us to restricted areas, so our adventures continue!
Getting directions
Home on the range 
The lake has China at northern side.
Then we head to the site of the Mongolian/Japanese war. The Russians assisted Mongolia, who defeated Japan. Apparently, WWII could have had different outcome if the Japanese had not been defeated here, as then they turned their attention away from Europe, towards the Pacific.We head across more steppes, days and days of driving thru grasslands, and are rewarded with most magnificent huge herds of gazelle! There is around 20,000 in a herd, and we see herds all day long. Hundreds of thousands of gazelle! What an incredible sight! We clock them, passing us, at 46kms.
We camp, watching a fantastic lightning show, and are a little alarmed at what appears to be an area of fire on the horizon. We prepare for a quick evacuation if necessary, but awake safely, and as we head south we come across thousands of acres of burnt land! It wasn’t far away, and if the wind had blown the other direction.... We camp on a windy mountain top above the devastation, watching hundreds of “smoke devils” whirl across the burned land. We visit a salt farm, which is surrounded by burnt earth (top right of photo).
In this remote area, Kym has plotted a CONVERGENCE POINT which is where the latitude and longitude lines intersect. If that exact point has not been found by anyone, the finder can lay claim to it. After hours of grassland driving, we zone in on the correct coordinance, and Kym hammers in a “Goanna Tracks” stake. We all sign, and take dozens of photos! Most have already been found, throughout the world, so this is quite exciting.
Kym has a “Spot” which he can position anywhere, and by satellite co-ordinates it sends an email to his family saying exactly where he is, and that he is OK! 
We are advised we will be the last of the public permitted to enter this region. A cow is sick, so the area is ‘fragile’. So what? Tonight we camp on a sacred mountain, and rise at 4.30am to climb and view the sunrise. Awesome! And very important to Mongolian people. We are first up there, but are joined by about 25 Mongolians, and we wonder where on earth they have come from. We haven’t seen a soul in days!!! There are over 200 extinct volcanoes, so the view is stunning, but the tracks are dreadful, with vicious rocks attacking our tyres all the way.
Our next drama isn’t far away. The sick cow...... we are now looking at possible 1-2 weeks quarantine! God, what next! We camp within the confines of a guard post. Mongolia is the region from which the Black Plague killed thousands through Europe – from Marmots! We break speed records, 2 trucks springs (not ours), and 2 eggs, racing back across wicked tracks in case WE are quarantined; then to be denied early entry into Russia. “Nyet”!! So here we wait!
Getting directions
Home on the rangeWith Muugi, a 25yr old Mongolian, we head east through Genghis Khan lands, towards the Strictly Protected Area of Nomrod. We do not have permits yet – they are to be flown out to us, at Choibalsan. 2 days hard drive brings us there – and no permits! They will arrive by plane 2 days later. Frustration! Shades of China! When we get the permit, it does not include the Nomrod area! Apparently 2 Germans camped there recently, and didn’t extinguish their fire, which caught alight! We camp at a huge lake, and watch camels and horses...
The lake has China at northern side.Then we head to the site of the Mongolian/Japanese war. The Russians assisted Mongolia, who defeated Japan. Apparently, WWII could have had different outcome if the Japanese had not been defeated here, as then they turned their attention away from Europe, towards the Pacific.We head across more steppes, days and days of driving thru grasslands, and are rewarded with most magnificent huge herds of gazelle! There is around 20,000 in a herd, and we see herds all day long. Hundreds of thousands of gazelle! What an incredible sight! We clock them, passing us, at 46kms.
We camp, watching a fantastic lightning show, and are a little alarmed at what appears to be an area of fire on the horizon. We prepare for a quick evacuation if necessary, but awake safely, and as we head south we come across thousands of acres of burnt land! It wasn’t far away, and if the wind had blown the other direction.... We camp on a windy mountain top above the devastation, watching hundreds of “smoke devils” whirl across the burned land. We visit a salt farm, which is surrounded by burnt earth (top right of photo).
In this remote area, Kym has plotted a CONVERGENCE POINT which is where the latitude and longitude lines intersect. If that exact point has not been found by anyone, the finder can lay claim to it. After hours of grassland driving, we zone in on the correct coordinance, and Kym hammers in a “Goanna Tracks” stake. We all sign, and take dozens of photos! Most have already been found, throughout the world, so this is quite exciting.
Kym has a “Spot” which he can position anywhere, and by satellite co-ordinates it sends an email to his family saying exactly where he is, and that he is OK!
Border patrols! We can see the China border, and today we are’ detained’ for 6 hours! Apparently we shouldn’t be within 50kms of the border, but we (& our guide) did not know this! We are eventually fined 80,000 Mongolian togrots ($80) which is a hell of a lot of money here. We are not impressed!! Can’t argue with (a) an AK47 rifle, or (b) being sent home!
We are advised we will be the last of the public permitted to enter this region. A cow is sick, so the area is ‘fragile’. So what? Tonight we camp on a sacred mountain, and rise at 4.30am to climb and view the sunrise. Awesome! And very important to Mongolian people. We are first up there, but are joined by about 25 Mongolians, and we wonder where on earth they have come from. We haven’t seen a soul in days!!! There are over 200 extinct volcanoes, so the view is stunning, but the tracks are dreadful, with vicious rocks attacking our tyres all the way.
Our next drama isn’t far away. The sick cow...... we are now looking at possible 1-2 weeks quarantine! God, what next! We camp within the confines of a guard post. Mongolia is the region from which the Black Plague killed thousands through Europe – from Marmots! We break speed records, 2 trucks springs (not ours), and 2 eggs, racing back across wicked tracks in case WE are quarantined; then to be denied early entry into Russia. “Nyet”!! So here we wait!
hi! looks like you guys had a nice trip! please tell me what is the name and location of the salt farm?
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