Me again, Michelle and i have both been a bit lazy since our return from camping for 12 days around Mongolia. Easy to let it lapse when you don't have an internet connection ( or phone reception etc) We did a south west loop around central Mongolia, the exact loop can be found at http://www.imaginative-traveller.com/trips/ATMV It was a small group, 8 people in Russian vehicles getting bogged, breaking down and having a great time around Mongolia. I think we were both ready to have something organised for us with so much being independent prior to that. It was a great group too, all quiet young and all got along well. We started by going south to Baga Gazin Churu, a mountain stop with the first encounter of the tents. Better than we expected and fairly easy ... read more

Paul again. Let me start by apologising. There will be no more photos added to the blog or facebook until we get home in about 5 weeks. We seem to have lost some of the photos we have uploaded so they are online, but not on our memorycard in our computer. So from our last blog we have been to Almaty in Kazakhstan, an interesting city, no longer the capital, but bustling with markets and beautiful buildings everywhere. But ther scenery on the way. That was the thing. SO nice, mountains that capture your imagination all around. Open fields that seem to go on almost endlessly, and green everywhere. Even the border control that we walked between from Uzbek to Kazak there was a significant difference in treatment and facilities. More trains back to Russia, more ... read more

Hi everyone! Just a few pictures from our stint in Moscow and St Petersburg. We are finding it incredibly difficult to find internet cafes where we can upload photos here in central asia. We had an interesting time in Russia. The majority of people in the cities weren't overly friendly, but nicer out of town. Moscow was a bit more exciting and edgier than St Petersburg, but bloody expensive! We did all the typical touristy stuff as you can see from the photos. We sure had our fill of Borscht!... read more

Hi everyone. Time for some more photos now that we are staying at a family friends house and can use a computer. Since I last wrote we left Riga in Latvia - a place I totally fell in love with. Headed north through Estonia to Tallin - another beautiful Baltic city, but much smaller than Riga. Caught the ferry to Finland, stayed in Helsinki for a few nights then drove further north to the town of Imatra. And our little corsa made it here! It is looking a bit worse for wear but it made it! Now we just have to find a keen buyer who is willing to give us a 100 euros or so. As Paul mentioned in a previous blog, we spent a few days in Tallin the capital of Estonia. yet another ... read more

Well. here goes. We arrived in Estonia today, with my incredible driving keeping us safe. The Lativans seem to think that a 2 lane road can be straddled by 4 cars with 2 overtaking at once no problems. I am super car nervous after our car greif in Germany. Who has bollards that come up from the ground under your car to stop you continueing into a restricted zone??? Why not just have a good sign and a lowering barrier, why something that will destroy your radiator?? anyhow we got lucky, a new one(2nd hand) was fitted that night and we were on our way again. German mechanics, i can't fault their dedication. Back to Tallinn though. We had no real help from the supposed information, but got a room in an old soviet block outside ... read more