2017/08/10

Day 12: Kosch-Agatsch (Altai area) - Ölgii (Mongolia)

In the morning we start up quite early, because we get no breakfast in the hotel, so we have to search for something.

First we refuel at the nearby petrol station and get an excellent cappuccino there. In the center of town we have our breakfast in the same restaurant (cafe), where we also had dinner yesterday.

We ride to the border - about 70 km - without break, because we do not want to arrive so late there. We heard that the border is closed for a lunch break.

The border processing on the Russian side is very professional - there is even an special interpreter for English who is very interested in communication - and so, even though Orvar and I have to show all our gear, we are finished at the Russian side after 1 hour 15 minutes.

Between the checkpoints there are 23 kilometers of nowhere's land, on the Mongolian side completely on gravel. In between there's a border fence of the Russians, "Mongolia" says the signboard. 

At the Mongolian border station, we first have to ride through a water bath, which costs 50 rubles per motorcycle and is supposed to help against the foot-and-mouth disease.

The border procedure here is a bit more opaque, but it works well at least. After a total of 2.5 hours we are through the two border controls.

We stay in Ölgii at the Blue-Wolf-Ger-Camp with Ger tents accomodation. Very nicely furnished and with comfortable beds. A very pleasant location. Costs about 10 USD for each. Trevor, Orvar and I are together in a Ger.

In the adjoining restaurant, we meet Dan and Brett, two Canadians, who join in the Mongolia Rally from London to Mongolia in a small red car. We had already met the two at the border.

A lots of beer and vodka will be drunk in the evening. I had already received a lot of pocket money from my travel companions from countries I will visit later, and so I take the bill of food and drink tonight. For 9 people the bill is about 75 euros - however it was a lot of food and drinking (20-30 bottles of beer and 3 vodka bottles).

It's getting pretty late, and some guys are pretty drunk. I have to wake up the night watchman because of a lost key for the Ger of Brett and Dan. The watchman simply cracks the padlock, probably not for the first time. Well, at least I only have to send Orvar and the rather drunken Trevor to the bed ...