Day 21 – Mongolian Border to Olgiy, Mongolia

So it wasn’t exactly confinement.  We could cross the border, but our vehicles couldn’t.  There was a really small village with a tiny store and café just across the fence.  For dinner last night I had two dumpling things and I have no idea what kind of meat they had in them.  It was probably goat, but I guess it could have been yak or something.  Needless to say, I couldn’t wrap my mind around what I was eating, so it wasn’t very good.

For the most part, however, we felt extremely confined and helpless just sitting there waiting for someone else to handle the situation.  Also, all of the information I related yesterday really didn’t come to light until late on Day 21, so we sat in confusion most of the time as to why we weren’t allowed to leave.  We kept getting very limited information and what we had was conflicting between the Mongolian border officials and the  Rally organizers.  At some point in the afternoon we got word that the Rally organizers had wired more money to cover a few cars today and ours were on the list.

e felt fortunate, but were certainly upset that we had to kill so much time doing nothing.  If we get held up a border because of independent government action, then that seems like part of the Rally adventure.  But to be held up as a result of the Rally organizers themselves was pretty ridiculous. 

So, after 30 hours, we took off and drove for as long as we had daylight, making it to the small town of Olgiy about 50 miles from the border.  Mongolia is a beautiful country and the people are humble and friendly.  The countryside is dotted with these gers, or yurts, that the herder/nomadic people use as homes.  They will often come out as you drive by and wave and smile.  They will apparently take you in and host you too, without much of a question, if you feel so inclined and approach them.  This type of hospitality is really refreshing after the general reception we got in Europe and Russia. 

We’re excited to hit the most challenging parts of the Rally, crossing the Mongolian steppes.  That all gets underway tomorrow.