I could see a storm directly ahead of us, with no option but to plough on through it. Or wait. We stopped at a temple for a while, but I wanted to push on. My knee was stiffening up and I was keen to find the mythical tarmac road we been told about.

The rain wasn’t too bad, it kept me cool and it also helped to keep the sand packed down. Bloody sand! (There’s a reason people dream about riding a horse along the beach. It’s too hard to ride a motorcycle!). When it got to it’s peak we stumbled on a small shack with a food sign. It was a great place to shelter from the rain.

Inside was basic but I didn’t care. There was a pot on the boil over a stove burning dried cow shit. A big pile of shit sat in a pan next to the food, presumably to keep the flies off the food. The logic is sound and it actually worked, mostly. We ordered food, the only thing on the menu. A kind of meat soup with noodles, potatoes and, er, meat of some sort.

The food was good. Unfortunately we’d had the exact same meal for about the last 8 meals, Chip and Ken piked on me and didn’t finish theirs. It’s bland, and best not to think too hard about what’s in it, or how it was prepared.

The two kids were all over us, both with big candles of snot hanging from their noses. They didn’t seem to have any discipline and were filthy. The young lad openly wiping his nose on his hand, followed by his hand on my shirt! Then outside to climb/jump on the bikes etc..

But this is how these people live and it obviously works for them. They seemed fit and well, quite happy and the kids were just playing and amusing themselves – as most kids do. I wouldn’t appreciate people in my home judging my way of life. If my description here seems judgemental, it’s not at all. I’m just trying to accurately describe what I see.

We camped by a small shack last night, the only shelter from the winds across the steppe. A herd of Yak joined us, lying down to sleep in the lee of our tents. I’m not sure if the heavy breathing I could hear was Chip, Ken or the Yaks.

Early in the morning two guys on a bike turned up to run the noisiest generator in Mongolia. They used it to lift pump a few gallons of water for the trough, which the Yaks lapped up followed by a herd of cows.

They weren’t at all bothered about us being there, but we’re very interested in the gear we had. They liked my Kelly kettle and helped me find fire wood (not easy in Mongolia – no trees!). I gave them a cup of coffee each from a Korean hotel instant sachet. It was like I’d given them a gold watch!

They left a pale of water outside, which a family of three turned up on a bike to collect. Yes, a family of three plus a full pale of water on a tiny bike. Outstanding! Maybe I’m not so overloaded after all?

These three were hustling along the dirt roads, matching if not beating us for speed. That’s three up on a small bike, sitting down! When we stopped for a break they came over. With no common words it was just a case of “smile and wave, boys”.

I did manage to fix our location on the map by asking. I have the lads some chocolate, then they were off. Whatever language you speak, a smile and a wave are fairly universal. They’re often returned here, especially by the children.

This morning I lost the bike in deep sand, it was fairly early on the day. It wasn’t a high speed event, but I got my right foot trapped under the pannier. It twisted through 180°, putting a lot of strain on my hip, knee and ankle. Nothing broken, so after a 10 minute breather there was nothing to do but very back on the horse.

It doesn’t do your confidence much good, but over the day I felt it slowly returning. I’ve kept everything moving but things have stiffened up this evening, is always the way. I’ll see how I am in the morning.

We still made 200km today, which is good going. The scenery is still epic and Mongolia remains a highlight of the trip so far, but I’ll be glad to get back onto a proper road! I can always get up in the morning and say…..

Feck this, I’m going home!

Quick mention for a guy called Kent. We meet Kent at the oasis in UB, he’d ridden there on his 1200GS from Manchester. He was in the area a while before shipping his bike home from Vladivostok. We ran into him again in Tsetserleg, where he set me up with a bed for the night at a good price.

Nice hanging out with you, safe travels.

After a long day I finally pulled into the sprawling metropolis of Tosontsengel. There was a welcoming committee (see photo). Most of the day was fun riding, all dirt or track or steppe. I found fuel and topped up, needlessly really as I’m carrying enough to get me into Russia. The land is so barren though that running out isn’t an option.

I also topped up with water, filling everything I have. There are shops dotted around, even streams and rivers. I have water purification equipment so it’s not exactly survival. However, a breakdown or worse could turn the tables very quickly. I can carry 8.5 litres and it’s just enough really. Having company with alternate transport helps of course.

We were going great until the last 20k, when the track turned into deep sand. It’s really difficult to ride and my bike went down about a third of the way in. No damage, she’s a tough old girl and I’m pleased to report that sand is soft! Once you stop it’s harder to get going again, you need to get the front wheel up and planning. If there’s more soft sand the bikes will go down again, but it’s part of the adventure. It’s character building.

It’s also bollocks.

We descended into a valley and found the only shade we’d seen all day. It was time for lunch so we pulled up next to a couple of Russian vans. Hot, tired and dusty. The vans are everywhere in Russia, always the same shade of grey, purposeful looking but kind of cute too. I want one!

There were some people having lunch so we kept our distance, but they called us over for a chat. A German tour group were having a superb pasta dish, would we like to join them? It was very kind and soon we were tucking in, taking about their trip. A three week tour of Mongolia, a group of friends who often go away together.

They were interested in what we’re doing, one of them had done the same by bicycle many years ago! It was just what we needed before pressing on. Thank you!

Although we passed up on the first crossing, there were many more to be had along the way. No issues, in fact they’re quite fun once you get into them. Here’s Chip showing how it’s done.