Home Again! Home Again! Jiggity Jig!

What a great break we have just had. We all flew home on the 12th August and surprised family and friends. Our eldest grandson Byron took the cake with the best reaction, almost ripping the front screen door off its hinges when he saw us. We fly back out on the 20th August and resume the trip.

The cars are with a Ulaanbaatar local workshop, the owner and his staff have been fabulous. I must say the Ranger only needed minor repairs – in fact on $50.00 worth = 100,000 tughriks. On the other hand the old worn out Toyota Land Cruiser needed a massive 1,000,000 tughriks spent on it. Alan and Lynn really should look at getting a new Ranger. Now we have an explanation as to why the Ranger has had a minor bogging issue, it has no diff locks. So from here on in we will enter wet spots cautiously or at high speed. I am of the belief the Cruiser has worn out bearings and suspension issues and not make it to Portugal.

Well the lone Ranger hits the road again on the weekend with new installed dust vents to pressurise the rear canopy and adjusted suspension.

We are looking forward to seeing the Taylors again on Thursday 20th. I need to resume GPS lessons with Al and prepare for the next leg of the trip up into the north of Mongolia. A bit of luck Lynn’s legs will have healed ready for her next bungie jump out of her roof top tent. Next time Lynn, attach the bungie chord.

Before we leave Ulaanbaatar we will apply for our Kazakhstan visas then return approx. one week later to then head off the western end of Mongolia to enter Russia. My job then is to make sure Alan abides by the Russian/Mongolian laws and stays away from sensitive areas ie. like borders other than the designated border crossings. We have heard Russians shoot first then ask questions, unlike Mongolian military.