Finally in Ub and have spent the last few days relaxing in the hostel we are staying at. Been to the market etc and are going for a few drinks tonight. Booked our train to Moscow today. I leaves on tuesday, flying from Moscow on Sunday. Back home on the 8th....

The van was promised to take 48 hours and it ended up taking 80. It rarely went over 35km an hour, had flat tyre after flat tyre, massive mechanical problems, and ran out of oil twice and petrol three times. Squashed in were 19 people in a 11 passanger mini bus. Throw in a drunk, singing Mongolian half way through the trip and suddenly you have a really frustrating few days.

 However, we were in Mongolia and the spirits couldn;t stay low for too long. The trip took us through some beautiful landscapes and we were sharing the van with lots of students who were all going back to uni. We met a really kind young French couple who gave us food when we had no money, stayed the night in a gerr and had a races with the other van drivers.

Arrived in Ulaan Bataar around 3am and checked into the nearest hostel which had a tv.

Olgii, the place of nightmares....

As we have yet to mention our luck had been too good. The merc had encountered only little leaks which in turn happened to be patched up by two beautiful italians skilled in thermostat repair. We had had the most incredible road trip driving through Europe, Turkey and the Causauses and then lived the Kazahk dream for 8 days with our continental friends driving though deserts and sleeping by lakes. We even had a car chase through the mountians in Russia.

Bad luck stuck in Olgii, 200km inside Mongolia, 1000km from our final destination Ulan Baatar the capital. Not much can be beared to be said but we had to leave the red dragon behind. A deposit was placed on a motorbike (the dark wolf). A crash was had on a motorbike. Every bank decided in the town decided to reject out cards. England decided to have a bank holiday. The white warrior had to push on through Mongolia. In the end, 5 days later, we had to sell all our equipment and buy two places on a small russian van (the grey marmote) that was heading to UB. Spirits were low.

Mongolia at last! The white warrior and the red dragon finally made it. Once the road from the border came a sudden end we were left to guess which tracks to take and judge where we were only by a compass and the map. Mongolia is incredibly beautiful. The newly patched up white warrior lead the way as we climbed a 3,000m mountain in the first few kms. The red dragon (slipped her off the auto and into 2nd gear) just took in in her stride. Literally the car can do anything. Pot holes, sand, 70 degree inclines, mounatins, deserts, probably even snow. She is better than any 4x4. The first part of Mongolia promised so much fun but unfortunately our luck was about to turn.

Drove through the night and arrived at the Mongolian border at around 4am. Finally only just metres away. Slept in the car and entered Mongolia at around 10am.

Barnaul, Russia. The white warrior needed some work done to her after the Kazakhstan roads so we checked into a hotel for the night. Showered and ate some food and relaxed before the push to Mongolia. Woken up in the morning by the mechanic charging into our room with a bottle of wine - the car was ready and there was a party forming outside the hotel with the mechanics and anyone else who wanted to join in and drink vodka and listen to pounding russian russian techno at 8 in the morning. Soon the inevitable huge glasses of vodka were being necked, followed by brotherly hugging and lots of photos. The party was finally broken up by the manageress of the hotel who was rather annoyed by the street gathering and we set of for an amusing drive to the Mongolian border listening to the techno CDs we had been given.

Have finally entered russia after a gruelling 2 day drive and a 10 hour border crossing. Looking forward to a hostel for some proper sleep and some of this vodka. Beaut. Will hopefully enter mongolia on wednesday. X

Have now been driving for 4 days in kazakhstan. Hoping to reach the russian border tomorrow night and then onto Mongolia for the next day, tuesday 19th. We're still travelling with the italian and bolivian team and the white warrior. Eating soup in service stations and sleeping by the nearest lakes to the road. The trip has taken on a more adventurous side, using the compass and the maps a lot more now that many of the roads have just been tracks in the sand. Hoping to change our border entry into Mongolia and stay with the white warrior and its passengers now that we have made a good team as mechanics and navigators. D of E has finally come in handy.. Not just a certificate. Also very confident on sand and want to end the trip properly. Ulanbaator by the 24th! Hope all is well. Having an awesome time. Sorry for lack of updates but we can only do it by text now. X

Finally made Aktau after 4 days in port, a whole day in customs and 2 days at sea. Had little cabin and met up with a team from the Mongol rally, two italians and one spanish who are doing a similar route. Will cross kazakhstan with them until our paths seperate. Heading up north now, have been doing so for 2 days. Road conditions are incredibely diverse. Hope all is well back home, sorry for lack of updates but haven't had signal or internet. All is well. Car is healthy. Charlie and Anthony X

Have finally made it to Baku in Azerbaijan on the coast of the Caspian Sea. We're waiting for a ferry to take us to Kazakstan as visas and border crossings don't allow us to go by land. Apparently theres one going tomorrow but thats what they said yesterday so who knows. Baku is lovely; there is no problem with us waiting here. Checked into a hostel yesterday afternoon and soon afterwards headed towards the local traditional english pub. Met some interesting people and some no less than our new foes... the riggers. Yes, although the threat from the truckers has gradually dissolved the further east we travel, in fact no sooner had we entered a land were truckers and ralliers stick together against the common foe of bad road conditons and lack of places to sleep, we have entered a land were there is a new threat - that of the offshore rigger. Will keep you informed.