The roads are much worse than anticipated.  When the route was palnned two years ago, the roads were apparently in better condition.  Rains, floods and other storms have caused pot holes and done damage to the surface.  Many of our competitors have suffered serious damage to their cars, spending days (or evenings) in the local blacksmith, truck or auto shops.  Those who are more competitive have taken the risk to drive faster in their attempt to win.  We have decided to be more cautious, take it easy on the car, and make it to Paris safely and in one piece.  That strategy has served us well, so far.  After all, I am a risk manager!

The local car/truck shop was busy today, our group has contribued greatly to the local economy, and local mechanics and merchants are taking advantage of this opportunity to “cash in” on the huge demand for their services.

One would think that in a country with only 3 million people in a space the size of Texas, finding a nice campground wouldn’t be a problem!  The first night our campground was next to a railroad track, and the trains only run at night.  OK, so that was only one night.  The next night our campground was an area covered with rocks, so we spent time “clearing” a space for our tents.  That wasn’t the worst, however.  Our next campground was one that had been used for grazing cows, and was covered with 100′s of years of cow poo-poo.  Yes, we had to clear that before putting down our tents.

The food has actually been pretty good.  We’re not sure, however, whether that might be because we are so hungry at the end of the  day.  The shortage of wine has been an issue, however. On the last rally (4 years ago) the organization brought lots of wine, yet no one purchased it…so they didn’t bring as much this time.   On this rally, however, the wine is in great demand, and has sold out quickly.  So the rally organisation and local merchants are scrambling to keep the team in ample supply.

The people are fascinated with the old cars.  If we stop on the side of the road, they stop to see if we need help, or just to look.  Even though we don’t speak the same language, the language of cars is easy to interpret.  We brought a “polaroid” type camera, so we take a picture of the locals next to our car and give it to them as a souvenir.  They’re delighted.

We’re off to town to go shopping for cashmere blankets, which apparently is what you do here.  Soon we’ll be in Russia and in a hotel again.

We’ve been told by some of you that you can’t find Car #16 on the tracking site.  It’s possible that with the shaking and rattling over the rough roads the tracking device came loose.  Sorry.

Thanks for following and sharing our journey.  More later.  Will post photos in the next day or two.

The car being tuned and repaired for the next day's drive

Today was a “rest day”, spent mostly working on the car, greasing it, adjusting the brakes, increasing the size of the axel stop, so the tires won’t hit the fenders in the big bumps. We also shed some weight, since we packed too much spare parts and luggage. Next up is a week long trip thru Northern Mongolia, were we will camp every night. It looks like it is going to be a little colder, but the food in camp is incredible ! Pictures will be on the site soon.

Peter and Harry.

Lesson # 1 – Read the updates and daily bulletins. The first day, we drove according to the book and found ourselves off course. There were detours and other changes made that we would have known if we’d read the bulletins. Now we know. In one of the pictures you’ll see “Is this the road to Paris?” It wasn’t! Read the bulletins!

Lesson # 2 – Hold on to the Route Book. On the back of the Route Book is a 2-sided page to use if you stop your car for any reason. On way side is “OK” which means you’ve just stopped for something minor, to rest, or to pick up something. On the other side is “SOS” which means you need help. Displaying this sign will let other passing drivers know if you need help. Today we stopped to make a minor adjustment to the car, so we displayed the “OK” sign. Problem was, when we started again we forgot to take the book with us inside the car! Fortunately another driver saw what happened, and picked up our book, which we’ll retrieve tomorrow morning. So, hold onto your book!

This is tiring, and we’re ready for a good night’s sleep after driving and navigating strange roads. Tonight is our first in tents and sleeping bags. I do have to say, however, it looks a little nicer than the earlier hotels.

Tomorrow on to Ulaanbataar, and then a rest day.
Stay tuned.

Thanks to everyone for your support,
Peter