Pearls On Wheels

We arrived in Mongolia ten days ago  and have ridden 1548km Mostly on old Silk Road routes Just as well Ghinggis Khan had horses in the 13th century Motorcycles would have slowed down his advances And the advances of the Huns in the 4th century AD, too. The Turkics moved onto the Mongolian plateau And reorganised life in the 6th century This is the time of the uighurs - the last of the turkics. In the 11th century the mongols emerged Their leader Chinggis Khan galvanised them And fueled with dried meat and mares’ milk they conquered the world. Chinggis Khan has become a figure of national pride Revisionist history gives him a positive reputation 3.1million populate Mongolia A third of them are nomads living in ger tending 73million animals sheep, cattle, horses, goats, yaks, camels. Meat and milk form the basis of the diet In winter dried meat forms the basis of meals Potatoes, carrots and swedes grow in the short growing season. In towns people live in brightly painted houses Al...

Our new friend Lenus a solo rider is an old friend now He comes to our hotel in time for our 8.00am departure from Ulan Ude. Dick and I have had a happy two days Exploring and resting in Ulan Ude In Dick’s case a chance to recover from his cold. South to the border through open spaces Buddhist temples And not many road houses. To the border crossing at 12.45pm We really should have had lunch  A Bounty bar is not enough  To keep us fueled for the marathon almost 4hr Border crossing. Leaving Russia was Ok  Entering Mongolia not so much. Instead of riding to Ulan Bataar We decide to be sensible and  stop at Subataar about 30km from the border. Hotel Selenge is welcoming  And has amazing decor And a nearby restaurant where we have our first Mongolian meal. Next morning off we go Many healthy animals en route. They have freedom of the road. We stop for lunch at a Ger Camel rides and accommodation on offer Huge fried meat filled noodle and soup for lunch. Then a deli...

Another ‘rest day’ in Buryatia Dick has planned an excursion to Lake Baikal But he isn’t driving Alexander who drove us yesterday  And our guide Tatiana privilege us With an outstanding day. Tatiana is an academic and  a fount of knowledge  And wisdom, and experience Which she is willing to share. Lake Baikal is 176km by road from Ulan Ude We visit a nunnery in the way, it’s beauty restores me I know I needed to be there To lunch at the Lake Baikal Riviera A resort on the lake shore It is much cooler here than in Ulan Ude. Then to the lake which hold 20% of the world’s fresh water. Fed by fourteen rivers with only one river leaving the lake  It’s coastline is 2100km and it is 5,387’ deep at its deepest It is like visiting the ocean We can’t see the far shore Beyond the horizon 80% of buryatia is covered with forest. Forest fire prevention is high priority. Whilst tramping on foot is permitted, barriers stop vehicles. Management of ecological systems is a challenge T...

We arrived in Ulan Ude in the afternoon Traditional houses along the road into town  Captured our attention. Ulan Ude is the capital of Buryatia  An indigenous republic which has Recently become part of the Far Eastern Russian region. There are two state languages Buryat  and Russian  Buryat people are a mix of Mongol and other ethnic groups Ulan Ude is described as the being on the Crossroads between Russia, Mongolia and China The city population is about 450,000 Public statues commemorate Lenin,  Adventurers, prisoners, traders Who have lived here or passed through. There are six public theatres Including a splendid opera and Ballet theatre  with local opera and ballet companies. (Tickets for the opera cost $14NZ) A poignant monument to the victims of Political repression is the focus for a Commemoration in October each year. Buddhism is the predominant faith But there are Russian Orthodox churches The main one was restored in the early 1990’s Traditiona...