KOSH-AGACH — TOLBO NUUR LAKE (MONGOLIA)

The weather is rather cold but at least it seems there will be no rain for a while. There is no problem at the customs, however, there is same old song with borderguards: again, we have violated some unknown visa regimes. After few hours long discussion, this time with no money penalty, we finally get away. Farewell, Russia! There is about twenty kilometers large neutral territory between Russian and Mongolian border posts, it is located 2, 400 meters above the sea level. We often get to see lazy red cat-size creatures while driving through this neutral line. These are tarbaganes, big marmots, sort of Mongolian delicatessen. These animals are very curious and this is their problem: hunters dressed in white openly come close to their burrows, lie down and shot them short distance. Mongolian customs works much quicker than Russian one: for $10 in a bare hour we are already in Mongolia. We are quite sure that we are first Latvians having this border crossed with motorcycles. Only local color feels here: asphalt ends along with the border and we realize we won’t get to see it so soon again. It’s hard to drive, too: we have to really work hard to keep the speed of 80 km/h, besides the road is full of pits, holes and sharp stones. We have to keep the distance of 500 meters from one another, otherwise, because of dust, it’s a blind driving. It would be just one fine offroad if we didn’t have these 100 kg heavy boxes in the back of our bikes. Around 5PM we are in some Mongolian town Ölgiy, where, surrounded by locals, we get to exchange money, and then we go to the lake Tolbo Nuur that is located in 35 kilometers from the town, and we get there in three hours. The lake is hidden among the rocks, no living soul around, and we pitch the tent in a wonderful place.