Ulannbaator, 18th August

Spent the 15th August (my birthday) driving from Irkutsk to a wild camp in the hills just south of Ulan-Ude. The drive was a long one, across pretty poor roads in the main, but with genuinely spectacular scenery, especially along the long southern end of Lake Baikal. As we headed south the dense Siberian woodland thinned out noticeably, until by the time we reached Ulan-Ude, we were deep into steppe country.

We felt we were on the home run with a mixture of relief but also a wish that it would never end. Every day bar two or three for the last 28 days we had been up and driving ever eastwards. It was going to be strange to suddenly not have to do this.

Another legendary wild camp. This time on my birthday. Rory and his team had gone ahead this morning, so they found the camp half a mile off the road just south of Ulan-Ude. We found them through the 'pin' they dropped us from the Maps.me app, a truely amazing thing that doesn't need wifi to work out where you are. Having said that we missed them the first time and startled a local as we ploughed cross country towards a silver car, that wasn't Rory & Co.

Dinner was an excellent Waitrose French tinned tuna in olive oil and Uncle Ben's fricasee affair, livened up with a dash of Tabasco. I was rather proud of turning that out by this stage.

Drinks were some COLD beers (we bought them nearby) preceded by G&T's (with a slice of lemon). We'd even found a bottle of Gordon's locally.  These little comforts matter a lot out here.

And the movie? Well, what else with Rory going off to University next month but 'Animal House'

I never thought I'd spend my 54th wild camping in Siberia!