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I just want to drive off into the endless steppes. And so that the wind is in your head. Harness it.

The article is huge, you will need navigation:

Let's gallop.

When to go to Mongolia?

Thanks to the fiercely continental climate, the country has changeable and windy weather.In winter - frost, minus 25°С - 35°С. At this time of year, Ulaanbaatar leads the list of the coldest capitals in the world.In summer - up to plus 25°С - 35°. The heat is softened by the winds that blow across the steppe, but they also sometimes create sandstorms.In spring and autumn there are sharp temperature changes.Comfortable time is from May to October.

There is also an advantage: more than 250 clear days a year, which is why Mongolia is called the country of blue skies. A dream for those who like to have clear days and look at buckets of stars.

Do I need a visa

Since 2014, Russian citizens do not need a visa if you do not intend to travel for more than 30 days. All you need is a passport.

If you want to come for a couple of months, you need to apply for a visa.Embassies exist in Moscow, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Kyzyl and Yekaterinburg.

How to get to Mongolia

By plane

There is only one international airport in Mongolia, in Ulaanbaatar. From Moscow you will find tickets with a bunch of transfers from Turkish Airlines.Cost from 29,000 rubles.

It is also easy to reach with direct flights from Aeroflot and Mongolian Airlines. The flight is about 6 hours.Cost from 35,000 rubles.

But from Buryatia you can find tickets from 6500 rubles.

From the airport to the city center, take a taxi for $5 or walk a kilometer to the bus stop ( here) - for $0.2.

By bus

A cool option for a multi-part trip to Lake Baikal. Every day at 7:30 a.m. bus station Ulan-Ude to Ulaanbaatar a regular bus departs. The journey takes 12 hours, slight delays at the border are possible. Buy your ticket at the box office or at travel agency website.

Cost: from 1500 rubles one way.

During Pobeda Airlines sales, plane tickets to Ulan-Ud can be purchased for 6,500 rubles round trip.

By train

For those who want to take a ride on the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway: a train departs from Moscow every two weeks. You will have to listen to the sound of wheels for a little more than 4 days.Cost: from $200 one way.

Trains depart from Irkutsk 3 times a week. On the road – 1.5 days.Cost: from $80 one way.

You can buy tickets for this route only at the box office.

By car

There are a dozen border crossing points operating on the border with Russia. Main post - Kyakhta , 24/7. Works only with motorists; walking is not possible.

The distance from the border to Ulaanbaatar is 350 km. However, know that there are practically no roads there, if you love your “swallow”, then think twice.

Customs

It is important to remember that you can import no more than $2000, 200 cigarettes, 1 liter of strong alcohol or 3 liters of beer duty free.

It is also prohibited to carry with you: archaeological finds, meat or fish, metal detectors and anything that a decent traveler does not take on the road.

The time difference between our capitals is +5 hours

Money is not a question

The country's national currency is the tugrik (MNT). Exists only in paper form. Not here for coins.

Conditional conversion to other currencies (February 2019): 1$ = 2600.1₽ = 40, and 1€ = 3000.

Take dollars with you, in some places you can also pay with them. But there won’t be any big problems with other currencies either. You definitely need to have money in cash. If in the capital there are no problems with banks and cash machines, then in other parts of the country such amenities may not be found.

Immediately after crossing the border (or at the markets), street money changers will offer a favorable rate. It's a matter of risk.

Who will meet: about people

The population density is 1.7 people per square kilometer, and there are 13 horses per Mongol encountered.

It's not possible to remain incognito. But that's actually great. Indeed, thanks to the harsh climate and nomadic lifestyle, the Mongolian people are super hospitable: they provide accommodation and food to a stranger considered commonplace. If you don’t know where to spend the night, you can always count on being “sheltered.” However, if you are invited to visit, remember some rules of Mongolian decency.

• Don't refuse the treat.
• Do not take gifts with your left hand.
• Do not lean on the supporting pillar of the yurt.
• Don't whistle.
• Don't stand with your back to the older generation.
• Don't throw trash into the fire.

All signs and names are readable for our people, since the Cyrillic alphabet is used. And Mongolian children study Russian as a foreign language. There are even those who speak well, but there is no need to rely on it.

U in English also the status “everything is complicated.” Therefore, download a phrasebook in advance or learn simple phrases:

• Hello - Sayn bayna uu
• Where is? - Ene gazar khaana baidag ve
• Do you know Russian? - Oros heliig ta madekh үү?
• I don’t understand - Bi oilyhguy baina
• Yes - Tiimee
• No, no
• Thank you - Bayarlalaa
• Sorry - Uuchlaaray
• What is the price? - Kher ikh baina ve?
• Expensive - Unetey
• Goodbye - Bayartay

Movement across the steppes

The area of ​​Mongolia is slightly more than 1.5 million km², and the distances between cities and attractions are sometimes prohibitive. You can't get away with it on foot.

• A truly Mongolian version of transportation is horseback riding. But this option is for the strong and brave, who have nowhere to rush.
• It is more comfortable and cheaper to travel between settlements by train. So from Ulaanbaatar you will travel 500 km to the Gobi Desert for only $3.5. You can find out the schedule and buy tickets at website.
• For about the same money you can travel by bus. But the lack of roads is unlikely to make travel more convenient than by train. If you still choose this route, buy tickets at the bus station.
• There are many small airports. But air tickets are not too cheap - from 4,000 rubles.
• Renting a car is a risky idea, you can get lost. If you still decide, then Russian rights will do. Also take cash for deposit.

In the usual rental cars the cost: from $70 per day, for a jeep - all of $100. In Mongolian Avito you'll find it much cheaper.

• The most reliable option is to rent a jeep or “loaf” with a local driver. Payment is around $100 per day.
• Or go on an organized tour. Ask your hotel about these options.

Communication and Internet

Mongolia has normal cellular communications and the Internet, although it would seem.

Major operators: Unitel, Mobicom and Skytel. 2 GB internet are worth 1$. More profitable than connecting to Russian roaming.

Almost all hotels, cafes and other establishments offer free Wi-Fi.

Cuisine of Mongolia

Mongolian cuisine is nutritious and very tasty. Directly related to climate and nomadic lifestyle. Vegetables simply don't grow here. Therefore, if you point your finger at the menu, they will bring meat. They prepare lamb, beef, and, a little less often, horse meat and goat meat.

You can eat in numerous establishments throughout the country. And here's what you can say about them:

• They serve huge portions. If you order a dish with the prefix “khaan”, the size will be like that of Genghis Khan.
• Most a budget option- eat in the dining room. Find out by the sign “Tsayny gazar” or “Guanz”. The average check in such establishments is $2.
• The cafe is a little higher class - “Zoogiin Gazar”. The check is about $4.
• In “expensive-rich” establishments the average cost is $15.
• It is not customary to leave a tip here.
• There are also vegetarian establishments, where dishes are duplicated without meat.
• Most dishes are fatty, take medicine that can help with heaviness in the stomach.

Dishes you need to try

• Buuz - m Ongolian version of the usual manti. HTo fill up, you will need 2-3 pieces.
• Huitsaa. If they offer you a taste of dick, then do not rush to quarrel with the offenders. This is a rich soup made from fat tail fat and minced meat.
• Khuushuur. A word stuffed with the letters "u". And the dish represents chebureks stuffed with minced meat.
• Tsuiwan - noodles fried with meat and potatoes.
• Fighter - dried meat, which is cut into small strips.
• Boodog - about himself National dish. This is a lamb fried from the inside with hot stones. Finding this dish is not so easy. E the same as a whole lamb, roasted from the inside with hot stones, well.
• Aaruul - dried cottage cheese from the milk of various animals.

Drinks you need to try in Mongolia

• Suutei tsai is green tea that is boiled with milk, adding butter, salt and flour. If you eat it with dumplings, you get banshtai tsai.
• Airag is a foamy, refreshing, sweet and sour fermented milk drink. This is kumiss.
• Archi (Be healthy) is a national vodka infused with mare's milk. Strength - 38 degrees.

5 great establishments

1. Modern Nomads, on the map.
2. Luna Blanca Restaurant, on the map.
3. The Bull, on the map.
4. BD's Mongolian Barbeque, on the map.
5. Grand Khaan Irish Pub, on the map.

Mongolian shopping

In the spring, when mountain goats begin to shed, the animals disappearThey are shed, the undercoat is selected, the yarn is woven and fabric is made. This is how cashmere is made - the main hit of Mongolia. Things made from this fabric are amazingly soft and warm.However, the price for such a product is also amazing, but it is definitely worth it.Buy from factories:

• Gobi Cashmere, on the map
• Buyan, on the map
• Goyo, on the map

Also great gifts would be:

1. leather products;
2. wool socks from the Yanmal factory;
3. carpets;
4. National costumes;
5. goods from neighboring China.

You can find everything listed at the largest market Naran Tuul ( on the map ) or in souvenir shops.

Where to live?

Outside Ulaanbaatar the only living options are - camp sites working with sightseeing tours. Such unique yurt towns.

Hotels in the usual sense of the word (with separate numbers and other requests) - found only in the capital.

• A bed in a dormitory room will cost from 4$.
• Private room - from 7$.
• Room in a five-star hotel - from 58$.

Ulaanbaatar

This is not only the capital of the country, but also rightfully the “capital” of any trip to this state. In fact, the only large city, in the standard sense. Now it is changing at a dizzying pace: new residential areas and even skyscrapers are appearing would.

Half of the country's citizens already live here - 1.4 million people.

Despite the rapid pace of construction, Ulaanbaatar is the only capital where yurt quarters are still preserved.

Transport

• The metro was not built right away. The opening is promised in 2020.
• It is convenient to travel around the city by buses, trolleybuses and minibuses. Here is the route map , will you be able to figure it out?
• Buy a card like the Moscow “troika” and top up your deposit. Travel within the city will cost about $0.2 , go to the region - about 1$ .
• Taxi - $0.3 per kilometer.

Gandan

The monastery around which the city once began to form. The full name is Gandantegchenlin, translated as “Great Chariot of Comprehensive Joy.” The main temple houses a renowned 26-meter tall bodhisattva statue.

Spin the prayer wheels as you walk clockwise around the stupa. Afterwards, “fumigate” your wallet for material well-being.

Monastery opening hours: from 9:00 to 16:00. Paid entrance only to the Magjid Janrayseg Temple. On the map .

A few more interesting places within the city:

• Winter Palace of Bogd Khan. Entrance fee is $3. On the map.
• Zaysan complex with an observation deck. On the map.
• Central Square of Sukhbaatar. On the map.

Near the capital

There is an interesting program in the vicinity of Ulaanbaatar, and if you really want to, you can conquer everything in one day.

Getting to most places by public transport is only half possible. Therefore, you will have to catch a taxi or take a tour.

Monument to Genghis Khan

Tallest equestrian statue in the world. The main symbol of the state and one of the wonders of Mongolia. If you believe the legends, the history of the entire empire begins here, and the “steel conqueror” looks towards the home that was never destined to be reached.

Mongolia is the birthplace of Genghis Khan. The country of winds, lamb and steppes.
This is a review of a short independent travel to Mongolia. Rent a car with driver in Ulaanbaatar.

Mobile communications and Internet in Mongolia. Weather in Mongolia. Mongolian cuisine - what Mongols eat. National parks of Mongolia and photographs from them

Today is September 1st. As in Russia, in Mongolia this day is declared the Day of Knowledge. This day is celebrated with amateur performances, horse and camel racing, as well as a ban on the sale of alcohol in Ulaanbaatar restaurants.

Therefore, I, dear readers of this topic, am sitting, despondent, in the very center of Ulaanbaatar, with a glass of water and waiting for the grub I ordered.

Tomorrow I'll go eat meat stewed with stones. . And then .
By the way, they don’t sell, but there are plenty of drunken people on the street.

Traveling alone to Mongolia

I wanted to make this trip from Ulaanbaatar.
Last time it was proposed to travel together from Tomsk or Barnaul. But I am such that I can’t stand depending on anyone - it was suggested that I go in the company of someone whom I personally do not know and with whom I have never traveled anywhere before.

And I am very sensitive to my travel companions and I have long sworn off traveling with anyone. Therefore, I only considered Ulaanbaatar and renting a jeep here in Mongolia.

It turned out that cars are rented in Mongolia only with drivers.
It turned out, literally before leaving, that the SIXT company, which provided cars for rent at the Ulan Bator airport, had closed its representative office.

Imagine the situation: I have in my hands tickets purchased for miles from the Aeroflot company, the tickets have already been postponed from June to September since plans have changed somewhat... and here it’s such a bummer.

What to do? Of course we go!
I am Vinsky and must show by personal example how true independent travelers should behave.

On the day of departure to Ulan Bator (August 30), I sent similar letters to several Mongolian companies found by searching for “rent car Ulaanbaator” via Google and from several instant responses I chose the one that suited me the most:

• by price
• in the absence of a request to pay something in advance (I can’t stand giving money in advance)

I note that the Russian companies included in the mailing list gave the most monstrous prices.
As I understand it, they simply multiplied the prices existing in Mongolia by two.

So, I have a meeting party 4 hours before departure.
The backpack contains a windbreaker, socks, a couple of T-shirts, as well as a laptop, tablet, and phone.
I'm ready.
In duty free you buy vodka in small packages for gifts and a package of cookies for the same.

Visa to Mongolia

The Mongolian visa was arranged in advance. Costs $100. Of the entire necessary list of documents (tickets, application form, photo, certificate of employment, copy of the first page of the salary), only the invitation is difficult, but it is done easily through a Russian company based in Ulaanbaatar. The invitation costs 800 rubles. For other issues, it is better to contact the Mongols directly.

Now you don't need a visa to Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar Airport

Mongolia greeted me with a sign “Sergey Vinskiy - Welcome to Mongolia” and a sunny morning.
The taciturn driver walked me to the ordered jeep - Land Cruiser 80 and handed me a SIM card from the Mongolian operator Mobicom, purchased at my request.

Mobile Internet in Mongolia

By tradition, I’ll tell you about mobile Internet in the country where you plan to travel.
I took the SIM card for a newly purchased Samsung tablet - normal size, not micro.
It didn't work on the tablet. Then I took his Samsung phone from the driver and created an access point on it.

All. Although the Internet was weak - GPRS - I had it.
Let me make a reservation that in those places where I returned to Ulaanbaator this evening, there is no cellular communication at all. But on the way there, in small villages, you could check your mail.

Route in Mongolia

Since I had 4 days to do everything about everything (for the test, I decided not to risk it and fly to Mongolia for a short time), the route that I compiled using the English-language websites of Mongolian companies was logical:
— I don’t put Gobi on time
— lakes and fishing didn’t interest me for the first time
— Ulaanbaator didn’t interest me, especially

What is there within 300-400 km from the capital of Mongolia?
Eat Khustain nuruu— sand dunes (Elsen Tasarkhai), which in fact turned out to be a tourist attraction with Potemkin-like camel rides
Eat Kharkhorin— the ancient capital of Mongolia (you can spend 30 minutes exploring and then have lunch at Dream World)
Eat Orkhon valley- but this is already interesting.

First time in Mongolia

What you immediately notice in Mongolia is its identity as Russia: the same broken roads, an abundance of SUVs and trash along the roads. The same nondescript houses in the city - in Ulaanbaatar and on the periphery: I had a strong feeling that I was not in Mongolia, but in Buryatia or the Irkutsk region. Same.

We left the airport and went to the city to pick up groceries for the road.
Since I went on a full inclusive course, they were going to feed me 3 times a day, provide overnight accommodation along the route, and pay for any entry tickets and taxes, as well as refuel the car.

The price was announced by email and I agreed with it: 5 days 4 nights = 1050 dollars, not including the hotel for the last night in Ulaanbaatar.

I tried to change money at the airport, but the driver said softly (I had a Russian-speaking driver who understood Russian):

- No need to waste time. If you need tugriks, I will give them. Then, upon arrival, you’ll give it back.

The Cyrillic alphabet in an Asian country looks awkward and funny.
Mongolian writing was banned here in the 30s of the last century, when Chaibalsan began to build socialism in Mongolia, following the example of the CCCP.

Such devotion was generously rewarded with the massive construction of Khrushchev-era apartment buildings, panel houses with blue tiles (a la Biryulyovo), factories, mines and power plants.

There are three of them in Mongolia. One is located at the exit to the city on the way from the airport - a monument to socialism. One on one smoking monster on the Moscow Ring Road in the Kapotnya area.

The stores are full of products from the Russian Federation, as well as local vodka (Genghis Khan, naturally) and beer.

I had vodka with me, but I tried beer - the usual powdered rubbish like Siberian Crown or Klinsky.
Take the proven Tiger.

While they were picking up the food basket (in reality it was a basket full of canned goods), it started to rain. The sky turned gray and sank almost to the ground. It’s terrible - everything around is gray, and then there’s sadness and melancholy thrown on top.

We left the city along a completely broken road. Every minute someone tried to cut us off, there was a steady hum of horns, brand new Land Cruisers competed with broken Korean junk to see who could do who.

The only thing missing were loaves of bread and UAZ cars - they would show you Kuzka’s mother. But they were ahead.

Ahead was the real Mongolia.
This is how I imagined it: deserted, endless, cold, windy and incredibly beautiful

A little about driving culture in Mongolia

There is no culture. There is no respect. Pedestrians are schmucks. And they realize it.

Roads in Mongolia

The road to the west. Asphalt. In some places there are holes, potholes, potholes. The driver swears, mutters that asphalt in general is evil and there would be nothing better than it (asphalt).

All obstacles are driven around oncoming traffic or on the side of the road (more often). Despite the fact that there are often more potholes on the side of the road than on the asphalt, apparently there is some reason for this - I often noticed cars on the side of the road with their legs sticking out from under them and pieces of a burst tire just after such potholes on the road.

They do work on the road, but not much. What is placed in the pits is placed in water, in a puddle, and after a couple of months it pops out like a filling from a rotten tooth.
I told you that a Mongol and a Russian are brothers forever.

Roadside cafes in Mongolia

Two hours on the road. We need to have breakfast. We stop at a roadside canteen.
Very curious, while they bring me the soup with dumplings I ordered, I look at the audience: the driver.

They use this canteen as a hotel - there are rooms on the second floor and having received bed linen right there in the canteen, they go upstairs, holding a rolled-up mattress under their arm.

Catering workers can't stop watching a Russian TV series with Mongolian dubbing. Channel Russia2.

I ask my driver:
- yes, people here love Russian TV series, and although there are Korean and Chinese TV series, they watch Russian ones and that’s why they go on prime time.
I say that a Mongol and a Russian are brothers forever.

Obo and hadak in Mongolia

In Mongolia, here and there there are heaps, and sometimes heaps of stones, mixed with banknotes and candies.
As a rule (or rather always), in the center of such a pyramid there is a pole to which multi-colored ribbons are tied.
I saw something similar in Buryatia. I asked the driver - what are these, shamanic lures?

“No,” he says, “this is already a Buddhist topic, it’s called about.” Anyone who wants to receive a blessing from heaven must go around the pile clockwise and throw offerings. Usually it's candy or vodka - vodka is splashed into the sky, and then on all 4 sides.
- And the ribbons?
- This is a bad thing. Blue means heaven, white the soul, red courage, yellow wealth.

However, a blue hadak wouldn’t hurt us now, I thought, standing in the drizzling rain. Then he took a bottle of whiskey from his backpack and distributed it to each side of the world... and also wet the heavens.

Lamb in Mongolia

The asphalt gradually ended.
Or rather, it ended in a village whose name I naturally forgot. One attraction is the airfield. Almost overgrown with weeds. But once upon a time (during the times of the USSR) AN-2s flew here from Ulaanbaatar.

We bought meat in this village.
Lamb, a kilo costs about 2 dollars.

— Somehow your lamb is too smelly. I mean it smells like goat meat...
Let me tell you a secret: I am a big fan of lamb. Was. But after the soup with mouflon (goat) dumplings, which I ate in the canteen, although I washed it all down with plenty of vodka…. I feel like this smell is following me. And the sight of meat triggers my gag reflex.
- What are you talking about!...

And then an excursion into the process of cutting a ram or lamb carcass began.
At first it was said that Koreans, Chinese and other nationalities do not know how to slaughter cattle:

“They cut their throats and leave them tied upside down so that the blood flows out...

- Do you like to drink blood? — I couldn’t help but sarcastically, but the driver didn’t pay attention to it.

— First, they cut the skin of the ram on the belly….

- Isn't he in pain? - I interrupted again

- I don’t know, I’m not a sheep... So, after they made the cut, they put their hand in there and climb towards the spine. And there are two arteries there. So, you need to feel which is pulsating. Grab it tightly and tear it off.

“Oops...” was all I could say. I imagined it, winced, but didn’t back down.

- Well, why is this good?

“And therefore, look for yourself: our meat is red, because there is blood in it, but among the mountaineers it is white, because all the blood has flowed out.”

- Cool. I'll probably give up lunch today...

Wild Mongolia

And so began the Mongolia that I imagined based on the works of the film Mongol, Urga, the Territory of Love, the books of Chapaev and Emptiness... Although the latter rather concerns Baron Ungern - the driver was constantly tortured about him, however, as well as about the treasure of Genghis Khan - this is generally from other sources.

I read a lot about Mongolia as a child.
Hills overgrown with spruce began, rivers began jumping over boulders, fields from hill to hill with lawn grass from the “golf” series began.

The jeep climbed steadily along the country road, skirting the black pumice of hardened lava that was thousands of years old.

This road is not asphalt. At every step, something new opens up to your gaze: a landscape, an animal, a bird, a hill. And how good it is that there are few people here.

Mongolian village

— Sergey, shall we have lunch? — the driver’s voice interrupted my admiration outside the windows of the jeep.
- Why not, and where?
- Now there will be a village. My friends live there - I warned them that we would stop by.
You will feel Mongolian hospitality at the same time.

Of course. That’s what I wanted - to be with a family. Not ostentatious, for tourists. But the real one. So, it's time to eat and drink bitter things.

The village is no different from what we saw on our last trip to Baikal: the same unpaved streets, multi-colored roofs, and all the trash in the yard, as if the village of the Plyushkins lives here.

The hut, or rather the house, is a solid one made of solid larch. The inside is predictably cheap with Chinese light fixtures on the ceiling and linoleum. But still better. than in our Russian wilderness.

And the people are not old women with drunken grandfathers: they are relatively young (by the way, I found out the age of the driver - he is the same as me, 46, but he looks like my grandfather (may he rest in heaven).

The hostess rustled when she saw us. She placed low stools next to the painted chest, covered with oilcloth.

A buuz threw an aluminum basin onto the table - this is a variant of Buryat poses and a plagiarism of Chinese jiaozi - steamed dumplings. Hole at the top for steam to escape.

A simple filling made from chopped lamb, but sooo fresh. Yes, fresh, but from the cold and rain near the cheerfully crackling potbelly stove. This is what we need.

I take out a Finnish check. Will you? As you wish.
I take a bowl of tea and pour it cold. Afterwards, I put a few buuz on my plate with my hands and on top the lecho I brought with me (my inclusion, however).

I eat the first one and burn myself with juice. Inserts immediately and without vodka.
I drink a bowl in one fell swoop and another bottle in my mouth.
The whole face is covered in tomato paste. The driver gives a rag - there are no napkins. Will pull.

So, while talking about politics, economics and women, we finish off a bowl and half a bottle of vodka...
Woo!!!
Now I’d like to get some sleep... But there’s still 50 km of difficult road ahead

How to cook marmot in Mongolia

Legend has it that there once was a brave warrior who could hit any target with a bow. And then one day he told everyone - I will shoot the Sun. And he took aim at the Sun, and pulled a tight bowstring, and fired, and the arrow would definitely have hit the Sun, if not for the swallow.

The swallow turned out to be the last because it knocked down the aimed flight of the arrow. Nothing happened to her - she flew off about her business. And the brave and accurate shooter swore:
“If I don’t kill this damn bird, I’ll cut off my thumbs and live underground.”

A year has passed.
The shooter was never able to hit and kill the swallow.
So the groundhog was born...

It is prohibited to kill marmots since almost all of them have already been eaten. Therefore, you have to contact poachers to repeat the cooking process with video.

The process of buying a groundhog is reminiscent of the process of buying marijuana: looking around, we go into the gateway. There they hand us a plastic bag with the carcass, take 45,000 and disappear.

We need to check to see if the groundhog is sick. This is done by visually inspecting the paw pads. If they are black, everything is fine and the marmot was as healthy as an ox. Well, if they are red, then there is a chance of contracting some kind of plague or anthrax.

But we still screwed up - we were treated like students: we definitely had to make sure that the groundhog was shot in the head. This is done like this: you inflate the marmot like a balloon through the place where the head once was (do not confuse it with the opposite!) and it becomes clear whether your animal is airtight or not. Ours turned out to be full of holes like a sieve.

They hit him with shot, no less... But this can also be treated: we patch it with improvised means - such as a tourniquet for car tires.

Karakoram

The ancient capital of Mongolia - Karakorum
Is it worth visiting?
Not worth it. Nothing very interesting to travel 350 km from Ulan Bator here.

If only you stop for 30 minutes on the way. Take a photo of the wall, weeds on the territory and several buildings of non-original “pagoda” architecture.

Well, if you are a believing Buddhist, you can spin the drums with mantras, and also look at the large bronze pot in which food was prepared for 200 monks.

There are several restaurants nearby: Dream World (at the time of my visit here it was closed and the guard waved a broom in front of my nose, upset about something) and a couple more at the campsites.

Old men and women from Europe and the USA are brought to the campsites, so that they can live a little in the shoes of the Mongols. Yurts with air conditioning and heating. Tourists walk with their mouths open at a model of a Mongolian warrior in armor standing in a restaurant.

The food is disgusting - complex. The service is such that the staff are apparently so tired of these grandfathers that the smile has been erased from their faces forever and hatred towards visitors drips onto the floor like Botax

Instead of visiting ancient capital Mongolia, cities Karakoram, I would advise you to try milking a yak.
I'll tell you an exciting activity.

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

It takes 30-40 minutes to drive from Ulaanbaatar. The main thing is to leave Ulaanbaatar. Traffic jams here are worse than in Moscow.

Having paid the entry fee and entered the park, you instantly relax after the capital. There are few cars here. Beautiful nature. There are many places to stay: I recommend the UB-2 golf hotel. Not expensive - about $80 for a single. In the forest. There are women standing on the road selling berries (blueberries are now available in Mongolia).

Using UB-2 as a base, you can wander or ride a horse around the area during the day. There is a lake and a river in the park. I don't know about fishing. I didn’t see it - the Mongols don’t fish.

The valley through which the road passes is surrounded by beautiful rounded rocks. Here is the famous turtle rock, near which annoying traders will offer you to take a photo with an eagle for 1000 tenge.

In general, you can spend day and night. Suitable for those who are transiting Mongolia and want to check in there.

Horhog

At this point I decided to try horhog. This is a national Mongolian dish of stewed lamb with potatoes, milk and cabbage. Made in a can.

Made for 6-10 people.
Since I ordered it for myself, they made me a light version.
I know what I did was wrong.
But more than the taste of the dish - I know this dish well as lamb under sachem in Montenegro and Croatia, or as kuerdak in Kazakhstan - I was interested in:

Why put hot stones in a pressure cooker if the meat is stewed on the fire anyway?

This question was never really answered. I suspect that earlier, when pressure cookers were in short supply, the Mongols actually cooked meat with hot stones, as they do or goat (they don’t make ram with stones, since its bed bursts from the heat).

Cooked in a family that has a plot of land in national park Gorkhi-Terelj. WITH
I inform you that every Mongolian has the right to a free plot of land measuring 70 by 70 meters.

This does not apply to land in Ulaanbaatar and national parks.
This family was just lucky that their ancestors lived here. The family rents out yurts to city residents who come to the park for a picnic.

One of the women squats by the road with a GER poster and, if there is interest, escorts guests to the place.

I don’t know why, but the Mongols are attached to these very yurts.
When we come for a picnic, it’s customary for us to sit in the open air, and they sit and lie in these same yurts.

Many yurts are equipped with a satellite dish and solar battery. But I didn’t see a shower or toilet in any of the yurts.
Flaw. The Mongols need to work on this issue.

How to cut up and eat a lamb's head

Written in a separate article: .

47.921378 106.90554

From Barnaul to the capital of Genghis Khan’s homeland - 2372.51 km. Many Altai tourists are increasingly choosing this particular direction for travel. We tell you what Mongolia attracts, how to get there, what to see and how much the trip will cost.

Why Mongolia?

Not everyone will decide to rush to Mongolia. Despite the relative proximity to Altai region, the path ahead is not the closest. This direction is mainly preferred by independent tourists.

Mongolia is located on a vast territory, so the distances between settlements are quite impressive, and the quality of the road surface cannot always be called good. Travelers are attracted by the wild, not touched by man nature, national color, gastronomic novelties and unusual landscapes.

And also endless steppes, clear lakes, the Gobi Desert, snowy peaks, and the hospitality of the local residents. Here yurts are not entertainment for tourists, but ordinary life, food over a fire.

It’s not for nothing that Mongolia is called the land of blue skies. There are more than 260 sunny days a year, and in the Gobi Desert it may not rain for several years.

How to get there?

If you are traveling by car from Barnaul, then it is better to split the trip into several days. For example, get to the village of Aktash in the Altai Mountains, stop there for the night and relax. Moreover, the road to the Ulagansky district of the republic runs through stunning beautiful places. And it’s simply impossible to drive without stopping.

For example, you will have to overcome two passes: Seminsky and Chike-Taman, where you must take a photo as a souvenir. This also applies to the place where Katun and Chuya merge, and a few kilometers from the village of Aktash there is the famous Geyser Lake, which has become popular among tourists.

The road along the Chuysky tract is in excellent condition, however, repairs are underway in some sections, so forced stops or even traffic jams are possible. Some travelers say they had to stand for up to four hours before being allowed to pass.

The road along the Chuysky tract, although good, is not easy, you won’t be able to drive fast, and few people want to accelerate on mountain serpentines and winding descents. So you can make the next stop, for example, in the village of Tashanta, relax, gain strength and move on.

What documents are needed to travel to Mongolia?

You need a passport, driver's license, and car documents. But you don’t need to apply for a visa. More precisely: if you are going to stay in Mongolia for less than 30 days, then you won’t need it. If you expect the trip to last more than a month, then a visa is needed.

Of course, the import of drugs, psychotropic drugs and explosives, weapons and ammunition, samples of animal and plant tissue, as well as pornography is prohibited. If you intend to export furs and skins, gold, precious metals and precious stones, as well as items of cultural or artistic value from Mongolia, they must be presented to customs. The cost of each item should not exceed 500 USD; if this amount is exceeded, a duty of 10% to 100% must be paid.

These are not all restrictions, but there are not many of them. Please read them carefully before your trip.

Where to live?

As interest in Mongolia has increased in recent years, there is plenty on offer for tourists. In cities, tourists are offered accommodation in hotels, inns, and recreation centers. Prices vary; on the Internet you can find both very inexpensive offers (from 700 rubles per day) and hotel rooms for 20 thousand rubles.

But outside of Ulaanbaatar and major cities everything is much more complicated. The only accommodation option is a yurt. Most yurt camps are owned by private individuals. There are both cheap and expensive ones. A range of services from basic camping-type accommodation to luxury options with all amenities. Meals are usually half board or full board. The cost of accommodation starts from 2000 rubles per day.

It is advisable to look for a place to spend the night in advance, having already planned the route.

What is?

National Mongolian cuisine. Everyone's attitude towards her is different. Some people recommend not hoping too much for gastronomic pleasure, so as not to be disappointed. Others fall in love once and for all with tea with cream and salt, koumiss, and lamb dishes. By the way, basically all meat dishes are prepared from sheep, and they also love goat meat. Less commonly, horse meat and beef. The food is filling and fatty. So if you are on a special diet for health reasons, it is better to take cereals with you and cook them yourself.

By the way, food in a cafe will cost very little; for example, for a plate of noodles with lamb you will have to pay about 120 rubles.

When to go?

Officially, the best season in Mongolia is from June to early September. However, travelers who traveled at other times say that Mongolia is always beautiful. The main thing is to take the right clothes. The more warm clothes, the better.

What to see?

It depends on what interests you first. Some come for fishing and scenery, others consider it necessary to visit the Gobi Desert. Mongolia is different for everyone. And this country occupies a huge territory. So you won't be able to watch it completely in one sitting. Or it will take a very long time.

But there are still places that are highly recommended to visit.

Natural attractions of Mongolia: Lake Khovsgol, the deepest in Central Asia. By the way, it is very popular for fishing and ecotourism. Travelers also choose to visit the valley of the Selenga River, which flows into Lake Baikal. You can also visit sacred mountain Bogdo-Ula, the birthplace of Genghis Khan, the surrounding area has the status of a nature conservation zone. And, of course, if you are primarily interested in nature, go to the Gobi Desert. This, of course, is a drop in the ocean from what you can see in Mongolia.

One lunch or dinner per inexpensive restaurant will cost approximately 190 rubles. In a higher class establishment - about 1200 rubles. Prices for food in supermarkets differ from those in Barnaul. It's more expensive in Mongolia. For example, a loaf of bread costs 44 rubles, a carton of milk costs approximately 62 rubles, eggs (12 pieces) cost 142 rubles. Vegetables and fruits are also more expensive than in Barnaul.

Accommodation, if you are not traveling with tents, is also a significant expense.

We arrived from our almost three-week trip by car.

Preparing for your trip

Preparations for our trip began almost six months ago, during which time we prepared a little for our trip, namely:

• Snorkel installed.
• We bought an autonomous charger - a power bank (tested on the Mongols, it works).
• We bought a bunch of spare parts:
• brake hose - 1 pc. - wasn't needed
• ball — 1 pc. - wasn't needed
• repair kit for brake caliper with piston - not needed,
• Valve cover gasket - not needed,
• engine sealant - not needed,
• metal clamps 3 pcs. - one was needed to attach the stabilizer bushing bracket due to the loss of the mounting bolt,
• drive belt - not needed,
• a belt for the viscous coupling was not needed,
• filters (cabin, air, oil) - replaced air filter after changing the engine oil;
• engine oil - we changed the oil in Ulan-Ude (an excellent service station on the road, I don’t remember the name),
• antifreeze - not needed,
• brake fluid (helped the Mongols in a minibus whose brake pipe was broken). Later I needed it myself... I had to buy it in the village. Aktash.
• Candles 4 pcs. - were not needed
• A repair kit for repairing tires was not needed, we arrived without punctures, although we drove more than 30 km on sharp stones in places where we got lost!
• Fuel activator Motorresurs 200 ml. - 3 pcs. for 600 liters of fuel (only 1.5 packages were used).
• We received international licenses but never needed them, no one needs them there. The Mongol turned them over and over and decided to let us go, but still achieved nothing.
• Changed the oil and filter in the automatic transmission.

Let me start with the fact that our route along the route changed mainly in a big way, with stops at interesting places.

Part 1. Road through Russia

The first day

Our adventure journey has begun June 17 at 15.00, start from Novosibirsk (Akademgorodok).

We filled up a full tank of AI92, one 10 liter canister, and off we went...

On the first day there was almost nothing interesting, except for annoying cracks on the windshield from a mad “thief”, which, before reaching Zhuravlevo, drove onto the side of the road while laying asphalt. From it came two stones the size of a chicken egg... I thought it would break more, but they got away with a cobweb 2.5 x 2.5 cm. It will be necessary to drill until there are no cracks all over the glass.
Our first overnight stay was on a lake near Mariinsk.

Second day

In the morning, my husband tried to catch fish, the result was zero, the neighbor had a couple of crucian carp as big as his palm. We had breakfast and moved on.

Most major cities were bypassed. This was the case with Krasnoyarsk.
Our next overnight stay was on the Biryusa River (I finally found out where the river flows, after which the refrigerator at my house is named).

By the way, it’s not for nothing that the refrigerator was named after this river. We stopped immediately after crossing the bridge. The water was clean, the shore, however, was covered in garbage, we had to clean it up a little... Some were taken to the nearest trash can, some were burned on the spot.

One of the places we wanted to see was Lake Baikal.

Our plans were to drive along the shore of the lake. Baikal and stay in the town of Baikalsk, but we decided to change our route and visit about. Olkhon.

As a result, we left Irkutsk for the village of Sakhyurta, from where the ferry goes to the island. Olkhon. We reached the village at about 22.45, in the village, not far from the ferry, the traffic police crew stopped us, checked that the driver was sober, and let us go. There was no queue, we boarded the ferry at about 10:50 p.m. and immediately headed to the other side.

The ferry turned out to be free. Having reached the shore, we followed the Maps Me navigation to the village of Khuzhir. The road, to put it mildly, is bad... Sometimes it was possible to drive no more than 20 km/h, they didn’t think of immediately reducing the tire pressure.

We arrived in Khuzhir, circled the streets, tried to go ashore... But, because... It’s night outside, we couldn’t find the road. We went to the outskirts of the village... A pine forest appeared, and we decided to spend the night right in the forest.

Day three. Baikal

The next morning we went and bought food and souvenirs at the largest supermarket on the island. We stopped at the street. Baikalskaya, 58, we tasted the most delicious poses that were prepared especially for us.

And, of course, we bought hot-smoked, cold-smoked and dried omul (from 100 rubles per piece).

In order to ride and take photos of Lake Baikal, we rented 3 bicycles, the cost was 100 rubles per hour per piece.

We visited the local beach... We tried to swim, but it didn’t work out - the water temperature was +9°C. My husband and son went up to their knees and didn’t risk it any further. I was completely immersed. For about 10 seconds, my unprepared body did not allow more. Although I love contrast showers, he protested here.

We spent another night on the island, but closer to the ferry, on the sandy shore in a deserted place.
The next day we successfully reached the village of Sakhyurta by ferry, met an expedition from China in 5 cars, they are traveling from Manchuria to Lake Baikal and back.

While we were waiting for the ferry, we decided to inflate the tires for the asphalt. Locals are brazenly rushing to jump the line. By the way, buses, minibuses and special vehicles are allowed onto the ferry without a queue.

We drove towards the city of Ulan-Ude. We took a photo of Lake Baikal from the observation deck.

We reached Ulan-Ude late in the evening. It turns out that the time also had to be set forward an hour.

Through some hotel booking site, we booked a room in a small hotel called “Camping” (located almost immediately at the entrance to the city, in the Sovetsky district). We arrived at the place and the administrator was surprised that they could book something on the Internet. In general, we checked into a junior suite for 1100 rubles +200 rubles. child (up to 7 years free), for this we received: a toilet, a shower in the room and a clean bed, that's all we need for the night. However, we were not lucky with hot water. Well, I was trained by Lake Baikal, and I was able to wash myself.

Day four. Border

On the way out of Ulan-Ude we stopped at a service station to change the oil. They changed it in 20 minutes, our own oil and filter. We have been using ZIC X7 LS 5w30 for 50 thousand km already, we buy a 6-liter canister - it’s very convenient, the remainder after replacement is just enough to top it up until the next replacement 9-10 thousand km. Consumption up to 1 l. for 10 thousand km. I think it’s normal, especially since operation is sometimes difficult.
On the way to the border, this beauty stands in Buryatia, almost next to the road.

Now our path lies to the border town of Kyakhta.

Hooray! We are in Kyakhta.

We refueled, bought groceries at a local Metro store, and went through customs. We stood for about 20 minutes in front of the first gate. The Mongols brazenly drive ahead in trucks.

They let us in, we went for inspection... A woman with an action camera came up to us and checked the contents of our things, and also asked us if we were carrying anything prohibited. Things had to be taken out of the trunk. There was a suspicious suitcase with our things and sportswear. bag with tools. And, by the way, the suitcase actually contained my son’s fireworks, which I picked up from the RCR the other day. This completed the inspection. All the workers, I want to note, are very friendly towards Russians. We had 3 canisters with us: 1-20 liters. with water, 2-20 liters for gasoline empty, 3-10 liters. with gasoline, we previously read that you can only bring 10 liters of gasoline. However, we did not check anything in the canisters, nor whether they were full or not. The car was inspected, we went to fill out documents and go through passport control.

The car has a stationary 27 MHz radio (SI-BI) and 2 portable radios - I asked several times if they needed to be declared somehow, they answered that no.

When preparing documents, if you are going to leave through another crossing point, be sure to indicate this. You will be given a small sticker with a bar code, you will need it when you cross the border back to Russia, otherwise it seems like your car will be checked at customs.

Further, immediately behind our customs, there is a Mongolian customs, after the barrier and crossing a muddy ford (sort of like disinfection), take a piece of paper, there will be a booth right at the entrance. Then go through inspection again, but this time on the Mongolian side, turn the car around again, go through passport control, fill out a mini-form, then pay 60 rubles. for the muddy puddle we drove through.

Put all the necessary stamps and leave the border.

Immediately after the barrier, a woman runs towards you and needs to pay a transport tax of 10,000 tugriks or 300 rubles. (it’s better to change rubles into tugriks first, it will be cheaper, you can change it literally 20 meters away at the exchange office). The insurance office is 10 meters away. I paid 1150 rubles. (indicated the actual volume). We exchanged rubles into tugriks... We became millionaires - the exchange rate is 1 ruble. = 39 tugriks. (at the border with Tashanta the exchange rate was 1 ruble = 41 tugriks, in the city of Mandal Gobi the rate was 1 ruble = 37.75 tugriks).

Hooray! Finally we crossed the border... Due to the fact that we missed the ford and did not immediately take the piece of paper, we were stuck for 2 hours.

What documents do you need to cross the border to Mongolia:

• Foreign passport for all passengers and driver.
• Documents for the car - registration certificate (technical passport) - plastic card.
• !It is imperative that you are the owner of the car, or, as a last resort, a notarized power of attorney has been issued.

Expenses: 10,000 petrol, Mileage: 2500 km.

We entered Mongolia...

Part 2. Mongolia

Our main task was to visit the Genghis Khan monument on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, visit the Gobi Desert and fish in the cleanest lakes and rivers. We rode towards the Genghis Khan monument on horseback. Let's go...

The first city was Sukhbaatar, we drove through it without stopping.

What catches your eye when visiting Mongolia is the insane number of Toyota Prius cars and the number of tire shops on every corner - in Mongolian “Dugui zasvar”.

Day five

We woke up somewhat early, at 4 am, but it was already quite light, and the horned animals were grazing with might and main. There were yurts nearby.

100 km before Ulaanbaatar we stopped for the night again.

Day six. Ulaanbaatar

The city of Ulaanbaatar greeted us with light rain. The traffic in the city is disgusting, and we spent two hours stuck in traffic jams. About traffic in Ulaanbaatar: everyone stops at a traffic light... that’s where all the rules end. A pedestrian crossing is like in Thailand, if you manage to get through, you are lucky... But even though you may be lucky, one car out of a hundred will let you through. When changing lanes, the signal is not turned on. The rules for driving around the ring are the opposite, not like ours. In front of us, a training car was driving through the city, filled to the brim with novice drivers... How hard it was for them. For public transport There is a separate lane, and even cars manage to occupy it, but buses travel without traffic jams.

In general, you can get used to this movement in half an hour. If you have driving experience with us in the city center. I tried not to drive around cities and gave the steering wheel to my husband.

In Ulaanbaatar we saw signs for KFC and Burger King - we left our car in the alley of houses and went shopping. We went to KFC because... my son loves hamburgers, and you can’t buy them anywhere else here. We placed an order: a hamburger and a drink for 7,500 tugriks (192 rubles). The child then sent a check to his classmates via WhatsApp so that the classmates would gasp. My wife and I decided to try buuzy, went to the first cafe we ​​came across, there we tasted local cuisine - buuzy and tsai (green tea with butter and salt), surprisingly we liked the tea, we paid about 5000 tugriks for everything - 130 rubles.
I liked the moontun buuz (600 tugriks for 1 piece) more (the dough is somewhat similar to pyansa). Tsai 300 tugriks.
Two pieces were enough for me to eat.

We refreshed ourselves and decided to look for sights.

We first tried to find on the map which direction it was in famous monument Genghis Khan on horseback, but the Mongolian map didn't help us much. There is no Internet, mobile communications cost around 100-150 rubles. in a minute, so it was turned off immediately after entering this wonderful country. We decided to look for passers-by who spoke Russian, because driving around the city is suicide (with all the traffic and traffic jams). An hour later such a person was found. He told us how to get to the monument and even showed us a photo on his phone; we immediately realized that this was what we were looking for.
After leaving Ulaanbaatar, towards Bayandelger, after 40 km we reached the first stop.

The monument is truly amazing in its scale.

Entrance for the three of us was a little more than 20,000 tugriks (530 rubles), cheaper for children.
At the entrance you will be greeted by guides who speak English and Russian - they will tell you everything for free.
On the ground floor there are shops with souvenirs, the prices, by the way, are quite adequate - low. Nearby you can rent national clothes for only 3,000 tugriks (75 rubles). The largest Mongolian boot and whip are also located here.

There is a restaurant and toilet on the second floor. Above there is an elevator and stairs to reach the observation deck, which is located in the horse’s head.

On the ground floor there is a museum with two rooms, in one of which you can sit at the table, like a real khan, and take wonderful photos, and in the other there are rare artifacts, and you cannot take photographs...

Gobi Desert

In the city of Mandalgovi, we realized that the money we exchanged at the border was 10,000 rubles. = 390,000 tugriks will not be enough for us until the end. We decided to go to the bank and change it.
We found a bank in the navigator and went to it. There was a small crowd near the entrance to the bank.

Inside, of course, there is no sign with the exchange rate hanging... Come up, show your papers and change, taking the electronic queue.
We seem to have reached a day when the entire population of the city came to receive pensions, benefits, salaries and other payments. Elderly people are dressed in national clothes - they wear them all the time, and not just on holidays. One of the Mongolian women gave us an electronic queue stub, which reduced our wait by about 1-2 hours. We showed our papers for 5000 rubles. operator and waited for a positive response from her. As a result, they exchanged 15,000 rubles for 550,000 tugriks.

Banks have the most unfavorable conditions. But we had nothing to do, the money was running out, and we were heading into the heart of the desert.
On the way we stopped at a roadside cafe. As usual, my husband and I ordered buuza with tsai. And my son was asked for meat with rice and Lipton.
This is what they brought us.

The child, of course, did not eat all of this, but this dish costs 5,500 tugriks.
Buuzes here cost 500 tugriks.

At the entrance to Dalanzadgad we were stopped by the police. At that moment I was at the helm. After the stop, my husband opened the window on the passenger side, handed the insurance and my international license to the policeman, although I was driving... The policeman looked at the insurance, handed it back, looked at the license without unfolding it (there is a photo inside and the available categories are indicated), judging by the appearance, I didn’t understand what was handed to him - he returned his license and left. And we moved on.

Here is the first and last acquaintance with the Mongolian police. Not a single policeman with a hairdryer (radar) was found on our way...
After we passed the town of Dalanzadgad, the asphalt said goodbye to us.

In the area of ​​Dalanzadgad or Gurvantes (I vaguely remember) our navigator led us to a dead end. Well, what a dead end... Simply in front of us was a dune the height of a 4-5 storey building. We left the car and went to take beautiful photos.

Gasoline is running out... There are 29 liters in the cans, and we still have to get out.

We went back, the navigator was confused. We went with a Mongolian map to ask for directions at the nearest yurt. A Mongol and his daughter came up to us and looked at the map... But they couldn’t show anything on it. He asked for a piece of paper and a pen (he doesn’t speak or understand Russian), drew us an approximate route... We didn’t understand anything. He waved his hand at us, got on his motorbike and motioned to follow us. We drove about 30 kilometers, he stopped and indicated to follow the power line. He asked where we were from, we said - from Russia. True, he didn’t understand the word “Russia”, but after the word “Moscow” he smiled and showed “class”.
Hooray! We took the road that is in our navigator.

Driving through the Gobi Desert and generally driving along the dirt roads of Mongolia, you can see a lot of empty vodka bottles (in Mongolian - Arkhi); we saw openly drunk drivers only in the city of Khovd, more precisely, on the way out of the city. There was a police car standing there, it looked like there was a “raid”, next to it stood a 200 Kruzak, the driver of which could barely stand on his feet... There was the smell of at least 1-2 drunk bottles of Archi.

When visiting Mongolian cities, and especially villages, we were always the center of attention, sometimes even people came out of their houses to look at us, as if a circus with clowns had arrived.
In the city of Baruun Bayan Ulan, we once again asked the locals for help. But it feels like they are seeing the map of their country for the first time.

Somehow we understood the direction and moved again along the high-voltage poles. But my husband wanted to get to the lake that he had been so eager to see after Dalanzadgad, not far from Bogd sum, Lake Orog. But we never got there, it’s very bad road, holes and hills along which you need to drive up to 5 km/h. And while we were trying to get closer to this lake, we again came across sands.

The sand here is fine and white. It was getting dark, and we decided to put up a tent on the sands.
In the evening the sand is cold, and during the day you can’t stand on your bare feet, it’s very hot.

Day seven

In the morning we headed to the town of Bogd, towards the town of Bayankhogor. In the steppe we came across a lonely sign.

In Bogta we stocked up on drinks at the store.

We had a snack nearby at a local cafe.
The child ate sausages in batter (1000 tugriks), I, as usual, ate buuzy (500 tugriks) with tsai, and my husband ordered himself a dish for 5500 tugriks.

We moved towards Altai. We did not go to Bayankhogor. Road work is underway there. Laying asphalt.

Not far from the town of Zhinst there is a malebn.

The map showed a good asphalt road there. By 12 o'clock at night we finally got there. 40 km to the city of Delger. We set up a tent for the night. The weather began to deteriorate. It's very close to Russia. The wind and the clouds gathering in the sky reminded us of this.

The next stop was planned at a lake near the city of Khovd.

Not far from the city of Khovd there is a wonderful Lake Khar-Us Nuur. We found a place near the shore and set up a tent. The next morning we managed to catch only 3 fish with a fishing rod... Because the fish only pecked at a fly (live), and they ran out. What kind of fish we still didn’t understand... But it looks like Osman.

Due to the fatigue of the crew, it was decided to go towards the border with Russia.

Border again

Having arrived at the border in the city of Tsagaannuur at 17.45, we learned that opening hours were coming to an end and they would not have time to let us through.
We turned around and went to look for the nearest place to spend the night.
We arrived around 12 o'clock, and of course we were on our lunch break. We had lunch nearby in a cafe. The menu only includes buuzas and green tea with milk. We took 5, then another 5 and another 7, in the end we ate 17 buuz for three and drank 1.5 liters of tea.
Buuzas are small, 300 tugriks per piece.

Behind us there was a column of 6 cars with Russian license plates - 42, 174 regions. It turned out that they also traveled around Mongolia. They told us that not far from the lake where we stayed there is Lake Khyargas Nuur, where you can catch fish with your hands. And quite large. As a fisherman, I wanted to return, but my wife and son wanted to go to Russia. There is a reason to go to Mongolia again, now I already know where I need to go.
We passed through the Mongolian side of customs quite quickly, at this point many people spoke Russian, they always told us what to do. The inspection is quick and superficial.
The Mongolian side has been passed.
We went beyond the fence, and again there was a broken dirt road.
Having reached the Russian side, they checked the passports and handed over to the Russian customs the number of people in the car, so that no one would run away along the way. As soon as we entered the Russian border zone, excellent asphalt began.
At Russian customs we were first met by a representative from Rospotrebnadzor. Her uniform looked like Mary Poppins from the movie. Having passed the control of Rospotrebnadzor, we went to passport control and inspection.
Everyone passed. The car was removed from control.
Hooray! We returned to Russia... That feeling when you are ready to kiss your native asphalt.

Now Gorny Altai awaits ours.

Regarding clean drinking water, we always bought it in supermarkets. 5-liter canisters cost around 50 rubles. And, of course, soft drinks - Fanta with pineapple, peach, apple, and grape flavors. Sprite with mint flavor... This is not Sprite with cucumber flavor, like in Russia.
What we liked from the food bought in supermarkets: Korean whole noodles (we know them well, because a couple of years ago we were engaged in the wholesale sale of similar products in the Russian Federation), liver pate (made in Mongolia), camel milk, delicious bread. Very cheap and good green tea. In the city of Ulgei, chicken eggs produced by the science city of Koltsovo (a neighbor of Akademgorodok in Novosibirsk) were even on sale. There are a lot of Korean and Chinese products, everything is delicious. I liked the local ice cream (maybe because I was pregnant, 16 weeks) for 600 tugriks, the taste is specific, sour.
They brought a couple of bottles of Genghis Khan vodka as gifts, around 14,000 tugriks (360 rubles) each, the cheapest vodka is almost the same as ours, from 190 rubles. for 0.5.

Numbers:
Spent in rubles:
Fuel - 8,000 rub. or 312,000 tugriks

Mongolian insurance - 1,150 rubles. (if you are coming from the city of Kyakhta through Altan Bulag, you may not be allowed to leave without it... And I felt comfortable with it, by the way, I didn’t underestimate the engine capacity, although it could have been done less, it would have been cheaper).
Transport tax - 300 rub. (in fact, we can agree on 150).
Driving along the roads between cities (a booth with a barrier costs 150 rubles - one passage costs 1000 tugriks (25 rubles) - you can go around, some Mongols do this.
Total mileage - 7480 km. (approximately about 1000-1500 km on dirt roads, of which 300 km are on terrible roads - rocks, pits where the speed could not exceed 20 km.)
The fuel burned was approximately 950 liters (approximate consumption 12-13 liters).
Filling an almost full tank cost 100,000 tugriks.
Gasoline prices in Mongolia range from 1500 to 1800 tugriks (i.e. from 36.5 to 44 rubles per 1 liter AI92). The quality of the fuel is no worse than ours... there were no problems. Above 92 can only be found in major cities. Diesel fuel is cheaper than 92 gasoline. And gas with its Mongolian name “AKHUI” costs the same as AI92 gasoline.

Here it is, the final part of our route.

First locality in Russia - Tashanta, there is nothing to do here. We arrived at Kosh-Agach, where we bought groceries and refueled.
The first thing we thought was to go to the Ukok plateau, but, as always, it was not on time. We won’t have time to order the pass, because... The working day on Friday is shortened, but at the checkpoint they don’t seem to process it right away. It's okay, we love Altai very much and are ready to come again.
Further, because We safely left the map with the main attractions at home, we are looking for them using the Maps ME program on our phone. The first thing they found... Mars-2. The road was less than 50 km, but what an interesting road... given the increasing rain. There were very steep climbs and large rocks along the road, not to mention the fact that we were pulled into a ditch several times. We finally got to this point... But, unfortunately, our dreams did not come true.

Apart from the road, there is nothing interesting to this place. We drove back according to my husband’s method... He saw where we could cut and go in a straight line. In one of the places where the ground was soggy, we began to be drawn into the nearby Chaganuzun River, so we decided to go back and drive through the passes. We didn't take any photos because it was raining.
Next we went to our overnight location, near the village of Kosh-Agach on the Chuya River. We set up a tent and put an additional awning on top. So the awning was not pulled up quite correctly, and in the morning 20-30 liters of rainwater were drained.
Gossip fishing is in full swing again. We tried to dig up worms for the fishing rod... They are not here either.
Next we go towards Aktash, but we remember that a year ago we wanted to look at the Aktru glacier. We return to the village of Kyzyl-Tash and drive towards the transshipment camp. The road is not entirely bad, sometimes even puzoterki get to the alpine camp, although they do not do without losses. On the way to the car transhipment there are only loaves, 469 UAZs, Urals... which means we are on the right path. Along the way we encountered: 1 bridge, 3 fords (depth no more than 50 cm, possible without a snorkel), then a road with large stones and steep climbs began.

There are very large stones in the ford... Hitting such a stone with an uncovered transfer case is an opportunity to stay here for a long time. As per the law of meanness, there was not a single car to see which ford was better to drive on.
We decide to walk, about 17 km there and back. We park the car at the transshipment and go. We took some water and waders in the car. The river is very cold and the stones are slippery, I checked. My husband carried me and my son across the ford to the other side. The road to the alpine camp is difficult, up and down, slippery stones. Halfway through the route it starts to rain, part of the route goes through the forest, we got a little wet.

The son did not expect such a setup. If I had known, I would have stayed in the car.
Less than 1 km remains, the glacier is already clearly visible.

After 2.5 hours we arrived. My wife and son went to look for a cafe to warm up and have a snack. I headed to the spring to replenish my water supplies for the return trip. The rain got heavier, I took a couple of photos of the monument to the crashed snowboarders in May 2002 and the monument to all the fallen climbers.

We didn’t go all the way to the glacier in such weather, and it was already late in the evening, and walking along the path in the forest in the dark was risky.
After drinking delicious herbal hot tea with pancakes in a cafe, we headed back to the transshipment point.
The way back was much easier, as there were mostly descents and very few ascents. We left the waders at the beginning of the journey so as not to carry extra weight. We find them in the saved marks of the navigation program, pick them up and go to the ford.
In general, although the road is difficult, it is possible to drive with good protection and a snorkel.
Next we go to the geyser lake. We reach the "Otdykh" base, the passage to it goes through a swamp, we pay 30 rubles each. for adults, children free, and we walk 300 meters to the lake.

We take a photo of the wonderful geyser lake and head further towards Aktash.
Having reached the village. Aktash, we turn towards Ulagan, we go towards the most beautiful of the Altai Mountain passes - Katu-Yaryk. The distance from Aktash to Katu-Yaryk village is approximately 100 km one way. The path passes through another landmark - the Red Gate, but we already took photographs here a year ago, so we move on. Along the way there is a large number of recreation centers. All nearby lakes are for rent, so fishing is again in full swing. Closer to the pass, the road deteriorates, the puzoterki trudge along for 15-20 km, we carefully overtake them and move on... Our speed on such a road is 70-80 km, the suspension allows us to drive comfortably. Most of the route is on asphalt, only 30% is unpaved. Having reached the pass, we take a photo and tighten the stabilizer mounting bolt that was lost along the way.

We don’t go down the pass, there’s no point. The road through the pass goes to the south of Lake Teletskoye, which we will not go to, we have already been. Another reason why we don’t go towards the lake is the remaining gasoline, which will not allow us to return back.
Next, our path passes through the Maiden's Tears waterfall (Shirlak), we were here, but decided to visit again.

We stop at the monument to the driver, which we usually passed.

"Monument outside the village of Bely Bom. Erected to the hero of the famous song about Kolka Snegirev. Dedicated to all the drivers who died on the Chuysky tract."

We stop at the confluence of the Katun and Chuya.
We can easily pass the Chike-Taman pass; it’s easier for a car with a snorkel to breathe. We buy souvenirs and teas as gifts at the pass.
The Seminsky Pass is also a breeze, we don’t stop here, there are a lot of people. Mongolian goods are sold at 5 times more expensive.
Closer to the village. Ongudai we go down to the Ursul River, the descent is very steep, if it rains, it will be difficult to go back. We find a great place to spend the night.

On the way home, we buy more mead to celebrate our trip at home.

Then we go home, there are no more stops.
As we approached Cherepanovo it began to rain heavily. This is how Novosibirsk greeted us and washed us of dirt. On July 4 at 22.00 we arrived home.
Many thanks to our car, which brought us home and did not cause any problems on the road!

After arriving, the first thought is where we are going next time.

Issue price: 10,000. Mileage: 1050 km

31.08.17,
Anechka,
Novosibirsk

Great story! But I have a question about gas mileage,
Fuel spent - 8,000 rubles. , Fuel burned - approximately 950 liters (approximate consumption 12-13 liters). Gasoline prices are 36.5 to 44 rubles. for 1 liter.
It turns out that the cost of gasoline is approximately 35 thousand rubles, and you have written 8,000 rubles.

I’ll briefly explain to the girls and those who are not yet in the know: the Toyota Prius is a hybrid Japanese car in which a gasoline engine is supplemented by an electric one. The process of their joint work is controlled by the on-board computer, and the main (gasoline) engine runs only when necessary. And it turns off as soon as the need for its efforts disappears - when driving at low speed (for example, in traffic jams), while stopping at a traffic light, when braking, when driving with the gas pedal released or on a slope and in other situations when the electric motor is able to cope on your own.

Thanks to this, hybrid cars are more environmentally friendly than conventional cars with internal combustion engines, but, of course, that’s not why Mongolians buy them. But because “hybrids” allow you to save on gasoline, which, as I already wrote, is expensive in Mongolia. Consumption for Priuses is from 4 to 6 liters per 100 kilometers, depending on the version, season and driving style. Driving in eco mode along long steppe routes allows local residents to significantly save on fuel.

Hybrid cars have one small drawback (but it is also an advantage) - the starting battery. It is used to turn on the car - yes, that's right - and maintain its functions when it is turned off (powering the clock and alarm, for example), so it gradually discharges. So the “hybrid” does not like to stand idle for a long time; it needs to be “walked” at least once every few days so that the starting battery is recharged. These cars especially don’t like to sit idle during the cold season. But in constant use, the battery feels vigorous, and the car does not need to be warmed up regularly in cold weather, like regular cars. Even at -30° and below, it will turn on without problems - it doesn’t need to turn a frozen starter. But the capabilities of the starting battery are very limited, and, for example, you cannot “light” a regular car from a “hybrid”, only a fellow car with the same cute little battery. So if you suddenly need this kind of help, don’t rely on Priuses, look for a simpler or larger car.

The Mongolian government strongly welcomes the purchase of “hybrids”. In principle, this country already has very humane duties on imported cars - they don’t have their own “automotive industry” that needs to be pulled by the ears with all their might, which means there is no need for protective duties on imports. The duty on hybrid cars is even lower than on regular cars. Moreover, since June 2016, Mongolia has abolished the customs rate for importing new cars from Japan and taxes on Japanese cars with mileage less than 3 years. An excellent example of competent import regulation, when the import of higher quality goods is encouraged. So in the near future this country will put us behind the belt in terms of the number of cool cars per capita. In terms of automotive environmental friendliness, I think it’s already closed. Eh, lucky!