20 August

N46 11.230
E100 43.198
Bayanhongor, Mongolia 20August.
After writing last nights blog I thought I had better work out exactly where I was! You can imagine my surprise when I found out that I was following a track that was leading through a good chunk of the Gobi desert! My planned route was only to skirt the desert, never to enter it! I didn't let it worry me too much as I saw I had only 200km's of desert riding to do and I was riding on a track that was showing on my map as a stippled line, not ideal but I had just enough water and fuel to get out.......just! I figured that I needed to ride as to get maximum fuel consumption, that is at a constant 60kph so I could get out, my map indicated no villages or towns on the track. I set off with high hopes but very aware of the situation I was in, one mistake could be fatal. The first mistake happened a couple of hours later, riding at 60kph in sand leaves little reaction time for the obstacles in the track. I saw the deep soft sand too late and hit it at 60, the front of the bike folded and I was catapulted off. My first reaction was to pick up the bike, if it leaked any fuel I was in big trouble! I managed to haul the bike up out of the sand without any fuel loss, mostly due to the bike resting on its pannier and not flat on the ground as it normally would be. I hadn't really hurt myself, just my pride! This was my first 'off' in the whole journey and I was hoping that I would cross Mongolia without any falls, maybe I was hoping for too much. My shoulder and bum bone were sore but luckily that was all. I started the bike up and continued on without trying to dwell on it, but certainly slower than before. After an hour or so I saw some Gers and you can imagine my surprise when I saw a hand operated petrol pump, 5 litres was bought and my petrol problem was over, I could certainly make it out. I was getting physically and mentally exhausted from the ride, the concentration and focus needed for riding on this track was wearing me out. A little later I saw some more Gers by a fast flowing river and I recognised the café sign outside one of them, excellent, a chance to rest, drink some milk and fill up with water. I checked my map as the Ger filled up with people watching me, as has been usual in my travels through Mongolia and I realised that I had to cross the river! It was over knee deep and very fast flowing, I decided to take this one slowly, not gun it and create a 'bow wave' as I had with the others. This was my second mistake of the day!! I should have 'gunned it', as half way through at the deepest and fastest flowing part of the river the current was stronger than I could hold and me and bike toppled into the water! My worst fear had been realised, a drowning bike. As quick as I could I hauled the bike upright, I don't know how as I was already exhausted, but I managed. I sat on the bike, soaked to the skin and silently preyed that it would start, after what seemed like an eternity she fired up and I powered through the last half of the stream without any trouble. Once on the other side I emptied my boots of water and wrung out my socks and I just wanted to lay down and go to sleep on the spot! I wanted adventure and I was getting more than I could take for one day, but I still had 100km's to ride to get out of the Gobi. The last 50kms were like a blur, my exhaustion was taking over, after each toilet stop I could hardly get my leg back over the Honda, I just wanted to sleep but I knew that I must carry on. Finally I reached the road I should have been on and the town loomed into view, I have never been so happy to see a town before. The local hotel was found and I negotiated the cheapest room I could and flopped onto bed, exhausted and aching. I was awoken an hour later (as seems to be usual) by a knocking on my door and 2 young guys saying "Motorcycle, Mongolia yes, Mongolia no!" I still have no idea what they were talking about but I made it clear that I was sleeping and to come back later! I now sit here writing this in the hotel restaurant, it is full of Mongolian christians, singing hymns and "amen'ing" everything. I'm just too tired to care as I haven't eaten a proper meal in days, maybe that's partly the cause of my exhaustion. I haven't had a day off since Tehran in Iran and I think tomorrow will be a day off for me to rest and recuperate! I also managed to lose the key to my side panniers with my clean clothes in! I still have the plastic part of the key on the key ring, but the key part is gone! I guess tomorrow I will have to 'break in' to my own bike as my boots are still soaking wet!