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!

Irkutsk, 15th August

We had originally wanted to enter Mongolia through the western route, however we were short of time and decided to take the quicker northern route through Siberia. Faster but less interesting or adventurous.  Shame, but that will have to wait till next time.  

We reached Novosibirsk on night one, one of Russia's largest cities, and as you all know, one of the key cities involved in the Russian Civil war in the far-east. We stayed in what looked like quite a nice hotel from the outside, but proved to be what is sadly the norm in provincial Russia: overpriced with terrible Soviet era service.  Hey ho.  At least next door there was a pub/restaurant called 'Beerman' which did exactly what it promised.  With the best food we've had on our trip so far.

The next day so the first clouds and rain we'd had since leaving Europe.  Big two days of driving ahead...

Siberia is vast, vast, vast.  It is however surprisingly beautiful, with a wonderfully varied landscape and some stunning scenery.  Bits of it look curiously like Wiltshire, except for the silver birch trees, and the rural poverty (which looked like something out of the 19th century)

Next up was Krasnovarysk, another big dollop of run down Russia in rural Siberia.  Some great sights (the rocket!) as well as another 'service without a smile' hotel experience.

And finally after the most epic 15.5 hr/650 mile drive over some of the crappiest (and some of the best) roads, we have reached Irkutsk, by the southern shores of Lake Baikal.  And the hotel even sells Irn Bru!  And it is better, to be fair, than anything we've had so far.  And now we are off to the wilds of the foothills of Mongolia and the border.  Two, three days at most till we have finished.  Car is still in great nick, and we haven't wanted to kill each other just yet.  Vorwarts!!!!