Day #60: Mongolian roads

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Tour started with the usual faff that these things start with - waiting for ages, then suddenly rushed introductions, hurriedly loading the van, and setting off without having a moment to consider.

The weather (severe snow and cold in winter, hot summers) and the lack of historical investment means that roads in Mongolia are generally not in a state conducive to long drives. Outside of the capital there is just one tarmac-ed road, which we will not travel on until the end of the tour. All other roads are dirt tracks, regularly punctuated with ditches and holes. I always have to be semi-alert for the frequent occasions when the van lurches violently to one side or suddenly pitches us forwards, so I am unable to sleep when we are on the road, even though we travel this way for an average of 5 or 6 hours a day. Balancing our bags, coats and water bottles on the seat facing us is a skilled operation and when there is a particularly steep incline something usually falls off onto our feet, or else we topple onto one another.

We travel in a Russian van, which are very popular as tourist carriers for the space and hardiness. The driver doubles as a mechanic, changing the tyres after punctures (we had 3 in the 12 days we were away), fixing the brakes and mending the vehicle when we have rest time. He also has to have a complex knowledge of the roads - there are no signposts and often there seem to be two or more tracks to follow for the same route. He has been driving for many years so knows which way to take, but also depends on the network of drivers we meet as we travel the country for advice and information about the current conditions on the route. The roads are mystifying to me - there are so many twisting routes to go around ditches and other obstacles that I am disorientated almost as soon as we set off.

I expected to find the long hours of driving very boring and challenging, but actually enjoyed looking at the changing views and having time to think quietly about the Mongolian landscapes and lifestyle. As the Italian said, it is amazing to think the land has been that way, unchanged, for thousands of years.

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