Motorcycle Explorer February 2015 Issue 4 | Page 48

A
dark spot in the distance seemed to be
advancing. As we neared it, the spot grew in size
until we could recognize it: a car that had broken
down. We stopped and learned that the man
driving the car was expecting other assistance to
arrive soon. Someone had already passed by
earlier and was going to send help. But, who knew
when that would be? We left him two bottles of
water and some food. He appreciated the gesture,
thanked us, and we continued going west.
As we approached the mountains, the roads
occasionally led us through canyons. Shadows
were stretching out and parts of the road were in
the shade. Har Us Nuur (which means “Black
Water Lake” in Mongolian), a large lake to the
north, attracted our attention. Just a few metres
deep and overgrown with reeds, rushes and other
water vegetation, this national park is home to
numerous marsh birds, such as those we had
often seen fly past us. Soon the road led us up an
incline.
Satisfied, we set off to look for a hotel. Finally, a
shower! Now we needed to fill our stomachs and
recharge the laptop batteries, maybe even check
emails. But our hopes didn’t last long, because the
electricity went out in the city. This happened
more often than not in these regions. So I could
forget the warm shower. I just freshened up with a
bottle of water.
Next we went for a candlelit dinner at a restaurant
that ran by the saying: “You can order whatever
you want, and we’ll bring you whatever we’ve got,
and you’ll be satisfied.” Whatever it was, it was
delicious. Even Tim tried to grab some of my rice.
In the morning, we heard that the electricity had
come back around three in the morning, but by
that time, I was deep asleep. While checking out
of the hotel, I enjoyed a show put on by the nice
lady at the reception desk and Tim, as they tried to
combine elements of western practicality and the
rules of this lost kingdom. In order to compensate
for his dissatisfaction for not having had running
At the ridge, we came across a large sign marking
water, electricity, and thus a warm meal and
the entrance to the city of Hovd. To the east, we
shower, Tim tried to bargain his way down to a
saw a large ovoo. This pyramidal pile of rocks with
lower price for
a blue hatag flag atop it, situated on quite an
the rooms. Dead serious, he deliberately put fewer
impressive spot some hundred metres from the
pieces of Mongolian currency, tögrögs, on the
road, is a place where travellers stop to pray for a
counter, underpaying. The black-haired lady took
safe trip. From this vantage point, looking down at
the money, counted it, and then, with a straight
the city in the valley surrounded by mountains, I
face, placed it back on the counter near Tim. He
felt as if we were entering a kingdom from long
found himself in a slightly awkward situation.
ago. We circled the ovoo, walking, as is customary,
Cory and I just stood to the side and watched,
took some pictures, and then began our descent
smiling, while the black-haired receptionist coldly
towards this unknown kingdom.
ignored Tim. Since Tim is one of those people with
I tanked up at a gas station and was glad to see
a soft nature, he judged this battle was futile. So,
that we had reached the city, since I had only four
he added the remaining amount of money to the
decilitres of fuel remaining, meaning I had had
pile, smiled, and we left. MEM
exactly enough in my tank for the distance
between Altai and Hovd.