You are so right! We heard her too:luxhello:
Cant deny the adventures are most fun when you are out the other side and still in one piece though!
Sorry this is a wordy tale, you'll see why there was not much chance for piccies.....
We weren't so comfortable when only a day after the first swinging arm cracked, the opposite one gave up too, only this time the option of going back was out of reach. We crept onwards across the plains, towards a settlement marked on the map but without any idea what it might offer.
We coaxed and Buffy limped on, but the promised settlement didn't appear. The realisation that Mongolian maps are less than accurate became fearfully apparent.With multiple different tracks weaving across the grassland, thinking that you were following a road was useless. But soon we found most other landmarks were just as fictious. Not only did rivers seemingly appear and disappear, but settlements that should have been in one place, had obviously been packed away and moved on with the season too! Thank Heaven that at least the mountains didnt move so they were still pretty accurate on the map!
As we bumbled on, we
spotted a distant lone shape, moving smoothly, perhaps a rare antelope that we had hoped..It was crossing the plain at right angles to us, in the direction of our path so progressively we drew nearer. The outline became familiar, the gait distinctive..it was a wolf and it was heading for us.
As we drew closer, the wolf changed its course and started to run parallel to Buffy in the same direction. Its gentle lope matching our painful crawl breath for breath. Now the need to keep Buffy in one piece was even more urgent. If the wheel came off, we would be stranded and trapped, a ready tin can of dinner for the wolf that paced us patiently waiting for us to falter. We would be sitting targets and it did not help that 2CV windows flap quirkily outwards so our only way to close them (as the catches were aged) was from the outside! We had no choice, we would have to stop to make ourselves secure if the worst happened.
In a split second we were both out of the car, windows released and catches fastened, but that was all the wolf was waiting for..He spotted us, his prey, now stationery and seemingly vulnerable, his pace exploding from patient lope to attacking sprint as he opportunely seized his chance. But we were off again, bouncing painfully over the sparse scrub and dust as the figure of the wolf stayed in our mirror,though thankfully once again slowing only to keep pace and wait.
It felt like miles, though probably no more than two, until suddenly the wolf just dropped back and gave up, peeling off and carrying on across the plain in is original direction. His sport over, our heart rates not recovering until the reassuring sight of a collection of gers appeared.
Civilization was something more than the wolf could bare. For us we found a warm welcome, a mobile welder and some beautiful and very curious companions. Soon we were smiling again and the wolf was nothing more than another rare and special encounter, we weren't really scared....
Cant deny the adventures are most fun when you are out the other side and still in one piece though!
Sorry this is a wordy tale, you'll see why there was not much chance for piccies.....
We weren't so comfortable when only a day after the first swinging arm cracked, the opposite one gave up too, only this time the option of going back was out of reach. We crept onwards across the plains, towards a settlement marked on the map but without any idea what it might offer.
We coaxed and Buffy limped on, but the promised settlement didn't appear. The realisation that Mongolian maps are less than accurate became fearfully apparent.With multiple different tracks weaving across the grassland, thinking that you were following a road was useless. But soon we found most other landmarks were just as fictious. Not only did rivers seemingly appear and disappear, but settlements that should have been in one place, had obviously been packed away and moved on with the season too! Thank Heaven that at least the mountains didnt move so they were still pretty accurate on the map!
As we bumbled on, we
spotted a distant lone shape, moving smoothly, perhaps a rare antelope that we had hoped..It was crossing the plain at right angles to us, in the direction of our path so progressively we drew nearer. The outline became familiar, the gait distinctive..it was a wolf and it was heading for us.As we drew closer, the wolf changed its course and started to run parallel to Buffy in the same direction. Its gentle lope matching our painful crawl breath for breath. Now the need to keep Buffy in one piece was even more urgent. If the wheel came off, we would be stranded and trapped, a ready tin can of dinner for the wolf that paced us patiently waiting for us to falter. We would be sitting targets and it did not help that 2CV windows flap quirkily outwards so our only way to close them (as the catches were aged) was from the outside! We had no choice, we would have to stop to make ourselves secure if the worst happened.
In a split second we were both out of the car, windows released and catches fastened, but that was all the wolf was waiting for..He spotted us, his prey, now stationery and seemingly vulnerable, his pace exploding from patient lope to attacking sprint as he opportunely seized his chance. But we were off again, bouncing painfully over the sparse scrub and dust as the figure of the wolf stayed in our mirror,though thankfully once again slowing only to keep pace and wait.
It felt like miles, though probably no more than two, until suddenly the wolf just dropped back and gave up, peeling off and carrying on across the plain in is original direction. His sport over, our heart rates not recovering until the reassuring sight of a collection of gers appeared.
Civilization was something more than the wolf could bare. For us we found a warm welcome, a mobile welder and some beautiful and very curious companions. Soon we were smiling again and the wolf was nothing more than another rare and special encounter, we weren't really scared....
This was manny many years ago while on vacation with my folks. Man how I love traveling, crazy things always happen when you're traveling. I just love that feeling.
