Final Motorbike kilometers...
Trip Start
Mar 04, 2006
1
21
32
Trip End
Nov 04, 2006
Ulan Baator (home base),
Mongolia
Sunday, August 13, 2006
I have 'landed' in Beijing China by now, but have not told you all about Mongolia yet! Here's the second and last part of my motorcycle diary story (with photos)...continuing from Moron.
Well after that second good-bed-sleep in the guesthouse in Moron I felt a bit better. My chest still hurt like hell, felt like a really, really bad muscle ache, although later that week started thinking it might be something different. All in all not too bad though, could have been worse. But mentally I was not really there yet. Did not feel like riding at all. The weather was not helping me, as it looked like it would be a rainy day. But had to go on, so tied everything again to my bike and off I went.
01_good bed in guesthouse Moron
After the first 10 km I climbed this big hill, which was almost impossible to do because of the muddy roads (because of lots of rain earlier) and was sliding my way slowly towards the next village, I had to stop, reason: a HUGE rain shower, which completely soaked me! At first I tried to seek shelter near my bike, but that became pretty hopeless after a while. NO: I did not have the all-cover raincoat. YES: it is on my to-buy list for future travels! My spirits now down to below-zero, I went on again, trying to find my way this time on muddy and running water roads. As you can imagine, I did not go very fast (really did not want to crash again!), so by the end of the day I only made it until Ih-Uul. There I asked to put my tent up near this family-run petrol station. They let me sleep in the house instead. Very kind! Still feeling sorry for myself I was not really in the mood to talk much, so read an old Belgium magazine (backpacker pass-through-present). That night my brother called me, this cheered me up a bit.
The next day it rained again! How much do they want to test me up there? Had to move on (only 5 days till bringing back the motorbike in UB), so back on the bike. After a while it stopped raining and the roads improved (read: I rode a bit faster than a turtle). I could feel my energy returning. Even stopped to take some photos, something I was not in the mood for the last days. Just before Hutag-Ondor this Russian van used his claxon very loudly to make me move over. Which of course I did not do. After he passed me anyway, he stopped 400m later. Trouble? No they just wanted to meet me and take my photo ))
They also were able to set me up with a good mechanic in the next town to fix my steering wheel as it was not lining my front tyre
02_repairing my bike at Moron
. My spirits were up and I made my way laughing again.Not making it to Bulgan yet, I really wanted to sleep in my tent again. So I decided to stop riding early and have a good last night camping and chilling. I met this nice mongol family in a small village before Unit, who liked me to camp with them. They were going to camp 3 kilometers from here, good. Well....I must have misunderstood or this again is Mongolian way, but we drove for another 1,5 hours before we camped near some gers on some ordinary looking grassland???!! Seen more beautiful places along the way. By the time we set up camp it was already getting dark (read: past 22.30 o'clock), so much for my great last night hahha
The next day I rode the last stretch to Bulgan and from there on a road-under-construction to Erdenet. There I called Jeroen to see if he was in Shaamar, as I didn't want to ride up there for nothing. He was still in UB but would come up the next day. I treated myself on a reasonably good hotelroom WITH SHOWER and chilled out for a night. Book, beer, peanuts AND my first time properly washing and combing my hair!!! Felt like I was loosing half my hair in the process.
Next day long ride to Shaamar, but all on perfect paved road!
03_Muddy rainy roads
! Unbelievable smooth, not even potholes to steer around. Great! The better the road, the more boring the views though. Because of all the rebuilding and so on, the countryside feeling is not there at all. The local people still live very mixed: The horsemen with their cows still crossing the 'highway' and people washing their cloths in the river mixed with high electricity poles and big concrete company buildings. After 350km I make it to Shaamar, Altan's house. Jeroen's truck is there, but Altan and Jeroen are nowhere to be seen...Only her mother-in-law is at home, who does not speak any English! After a quick phonecall I find out he's not coming to Shaamar today, as he has more problems with extending his visa. Will see him the next day as will ride up with Altan after they sold their vegetables on the market. Oke. That day I clean my bike, finally change the oil and repack my bags, to find out they are not arriving today. Altan will come back in the night and Jeroen is still fighting to extend his visa. Have to leave the next morning to UB, so no reunion in Shaamar afterall. That's a shame. The next morning I talk to Altan for 2 hours as they came back in the night. far to short, but will meet her again some day I hope. I make my way to UB, the last 330km of my motorbike trip!After a loooooooong ride I make it to UB. As I make my way through the city center I'm amazed about how relaxed it feels. When first on the bike it felt very hectic and crowded but now it seems so easy. Also the crap road in Jarmak now seems a piece of cake compared to some roads I have ridden in the countryside. The next day I bring the bike back to Ink Bold at the car market. Mongoo, the mongolian girl who was also with me when I rented the bike, was coming alone again (on the bike, her first time ever). Mongoo, we'll do a longer tour on my bike in Holland oke! Beforehand we talked about how and what, expecting huge discussions about things broken and so on. But nothing what so ever. He had a quick look at the bike, said it looked very good and that was it. Even told me to contact him again whenever I wanted to get a motorbike. Easy!!! No extra costs and no hassle.
That's the end of my motorcycle diaries...spending my last days in Ulan Baator.
