The Great Roadway Bazaar
- Thread starter Scott Brady
- Start date
Nice to see you home Scott, give a kiss to Stephanie, she must be happy to see you ?
Put some weight but not too much, will you......!
I couldn't afford the Mongolia Charity Rallye, not enough meat on my bones..... Or I have to start eating more now for next year.
Cheers my friend
Patrice
Put some weight but not too much, will you......!
I couldn't afford the Mongolia Charity Rallye, not enough meat on my bones..... Or I have to start eating more now for next year.
Cheers my friend
Patrice
Scott Brady
Founder
We didn't have any fun on the rally either. . .
A little car surfing:
(Yes, I know it is completely irresponsible and unsafe to ride on the top of a speeding car- that is the point)
Mmmmm, Goulash
Mmmmm, Russian Hitchhiker
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Mmmmm, Sheep skull (the eyes were the best part)
Mmmmm, Vodka on the side of the road with some Tajiks, washed down with a little fermented Yak milk
Soccer with the locals in Georgia
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(no caption required)
.jpg)
A little car surfing:
(Yes, I know it is completely irresponsible and unsafe to ride on the top of a speeding car- that is the point)
Mmmmm, Goulash
Mmmmm, Russian Hitchhiker
Mmmmm, Sheep skull (the eyes were the best part)
Mmmmm, Vodka on the side of the road with some Tajiks, washed down with a little fermented Yak milk
Soccer with the locals in Georgia
(no caption required)
c.nordstrom
World Traveller Extraordinaire
First internet access in what feels like forever! I just rolled in to Moscow after five days on the Trans-Siberian. The train was actually a lot of fun, it's amazing how quickly time passes.
UB was a lot of fun but it was a bit of a blur between all the beer and vodka. I'm spending the night in Moscow and then off to Estonia. Tomorrow night will be spent in Tallin and then we're heading to Riga, Latvia.
My travel partner is leaving from Riga and I'm going to spend a few days doing nothing but relaxing.
After the Baltic states, I'm thinking the Balkans are up next!
UB was a lot of fun but it was a bit of a blur between all the beer and vodka. I'm spending the night in Moscow and then off to Estonia. Tomorrow night will be spent in Tallin and then we're heading to Riga, Latvia.
My travel partner is leaving from Riga and I'm going to spend a few days doing nothing but relaxing.
After the Baltic states, I'm thinking the Balkans are up next!
Scott Brady
Founder
Funny you should say that Chip, as Charlie and I discussed at length what would be needed to complete an around-the-world in the Jimny. Interestingly enough, we had completed most of the difficult bits, with only eastern Russia remaining and the Road of Bones. This year was also ideal to take on that route, as all of eastern Russia was dry. I would have fitted a set of mud tires, a winch/bumper and a snorkel. So for just a few more $$$, we could have continued on and completed Russian in just a few weeks. Then ship the truck from Vlad to AK and driven across Canada to the extreme eastern point.
Trust me, the thought more than just entered my mind.
Trust me, the thought more than just entered my mind.
Scott Brady
Founder
What I learned
What I learned along the way:
1. Don't believe (almost) anything you see on the news:
The truth of traveling in muslim countries and even recent war zones was nothing like the way the news and state department paints the picture. Of course, the state department information is not false, but so conservative it would make traveling anywhere seem unreasonably dangerous. As Americans, we were treated with respect and interest by everyone we met. From Turkey to the most conservative village in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the people were wonderful. Of course this does not eliminate the need for proper planning and research, especially from people living in those countries or with direct knowledge. We had resources (many) that we consulted with throughout the trip, especially about Osh and Jalalabad.
2. It is better to go underprepared or with a cheap vehicle (or no vehicle), than to not go at all:
We encountered Russian hitchhikers that traveled with NO MONEY AT ALL! Literally, they traveled with only their wits and a few days of hard work per week to make ends meet. They were seeing the world because it was important to them, and the method they used to see it was a reflection of their desire to explore no mater their budget. I was humbled by the fortitude and dedication of these travelers. The route was also filled with adventure cyclists, who traveled with little money and were able to live on as little as $100-150 per month. Some were traveling around the world with a budget of $10,000. If you have the goal of serious international travel, it is completely possible despite your budget - it just might require a change in the mode of travel.
3. Mongolia:
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Mongolia is absolute magic. See it before everything changes. They are laying asphalt in nearly every direction out from UB.
There are a few ways to do that:
Rent a Russian UAZ "jeep" for about $80 per day. Do it as self-drive and just know you are going to break down in some fashion. Make sure the truck has five good tires and the spare is as good as the four on the ground. Make sure it has a lug wrench, jack and pump. Then head west out of UB on the Northern Route or East into the most remote areas of the country.
Rent a moto (this is how I will do it next time): There are a few moto rental companies in Mongolia
Take a tour with Overland Experts: Bruce and his team have been traveling to Mongolia for years, and have the program dialed.
http://www.overlandexperts.com/recreational/travel/mongolia.php
4. Breaking down is actually quite fun:
We have always over-prepared for trips in the past, and as a result, we have NEVER had a single disabling failure on a vehicle in 15+ years of travel, including every continent except Antarctica. I have never used a spare tire in nearly 100,000 miles of travel. Oddly, and despite our best attempts at going "gangster" on this trip, we still completed the journey without a single mechanical, and with no flats. BUT!!!! We traveled with another car for the Mongolia leg of the journey, a Suzuki Swift, which is absolutely ill-suited for every single road we drove. As a result, the fuel tank was punctured twice, there were at least five flats, three busted rims, the oil pan was crushed-in (the sump guard was ripped off somewhere along the way), the transmission case was cracked and the front strut exploded. As a result, we searched bazaars for tires, banged out rims with borrowed sledge hammers, shared vodka with truckers, were invited into yurts, met 9-year olds that could operate a set of tire irons better than me (by a wide margin), and generally limped, towed and coasted a vehicle across a country - what an absolute blast!
.jpg)
The indispensable compressor saving the Swift again. We used it another dozen times for locals.
Sometimes, there are no roads - at all
.jpg)
After another hole in the fuel tank
.jpg)
What I learned along the way:
1. Don't believe (almost) anything you see on the news:
The truth of traveling in muslim countries and even recent war zones was nothing like the way the news and state department paints the picture. Of course, the state department information is not false, but so conservative it would make traveling anywhere seem unreasonably dangerous. As Americans, we were treated with respect and interest by everyone we met. From Turkey to the most conservative village in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the people were wonderful. Of course this does not eliminate the need for proper planning and research, especially from people living in those countries or with direct knowledge. We had resources (many) that we consulted with throughout the trip, especially about Osh and Jalalabad.
2. It is better to go underprepared or with a cheap vehicle (or no vehicle), than to not go at all:
We encountered Russian hitchhikers that traveled with NO MONEY AT ALL! Literally, they traveled with only their wits and a few days of hard work per week to make ends meet. They were seeing the world because it was important to them, and the method they used to see it was a reflection of their desire to explore no mater their budget. I was humbled by the fortitude and dedication of these travelers. The route was also filled with adventure cyclists, who traveled with little money and were able to live on as little as $100-150 per month. Some were traveling around the world with a budget of $10,000. If you have the goal of serious international travel, it is completely possible despite your budget - it just might require a change in the mode of travel.
3. Mongolia:
Mongolia is absolute magic. See it before everything changes. They are laying asphalt in nearly every direction out from UB.
There are a few ways to do that:
Rent a Russian UAZ "jeep" for about $80 per day. Do it as self-drive and just know you are going to break down in some fashion. Make sure the truck has five good tires and the spare is as good as the four on the ground. Make sure it has a lug wrench, jack and pump. Then head west out of UB on the Northern Route or East into the most remote areas of the country.
Rent a moto (this is how I will do it next time): There are a few moto rental companies in Mongolia
Take a tour with Overland Experts: Bruce and his team have been traveling to Mongolia for years, and have the program dialed.
http://www.overlandexperts.com/recreational/travel/mongolia.php
4. Breaking down is actually quite fun:
We have always over-prepared for trips in the past, and as a result, we have NEVER had a single disabling failure on a vehicle in 15+ years of travel, including every continent except Antarctica. I have never used a spare tire in nearly 100,000 miles of travel. Oddly, and despite our best attempts at going "gangster" on this trip, we still completed the journey without a single mechanical, and with no flats. BUT!!!! We traveled with another car for the Mongolia leg of the journey, a Suzuki Swift, which is absolutely ill-suited for every single road we drove. As a result, the fuel tank was punctured twice, there were at least five flats, three busted rims, the oil pan was crushed-in (the sump guard was ripped off somewhere along the way), the transmission case was cracked and the front strut exploded. As a result, we searched bazaars for tires, banged out rims with borrowed sledge hammers, shared vodka with truckers, were invited into yurts, met 9-year olds that could operate a set of tire irons better than me (by a wide margin), and generally limped, towed and coasted a vehicle across a country - what an absolute blast!
The indispensable compressor saving the Swift again. We used it another dozen times for locals.
Sometimes, there are no roads - at all
After another hole in the fuel tank
landcruising
Adventurer
Good I think we have to "educate" more people on this how to get good information and to widen their horizon. We are blessed to be over seven years on the road now and we learn a lot, we are glad that we can share our experiences with a lot of others through our website and the various magazines Karin-Marijke is writing for. I would love to get one story published in Overland Journal..
I envy you that you have got to Mongolia before I did ;-)
Adventurous greetings,
Coen
c.nordstrom
World Traveller Extraordinaire
Excellent post Scott. Once I get some free time, I'll try and think of some interesting thoughts to add.
Moscow is great, but just as expensive as they say. We did some sight-seeing last night, but it's time to hit it hard for round 2. Tonight we're catching a flight to Riga.
Moscow is great, but just as expensive as they say. We did some sight-seeing last night, but it's time to hit it hard for round 2. Tonight we're catching a flight to Riga.
SafariPacific
Adventurer
In the moment breaking down seems like a catastrophe. Once you get rolling on solving the problem random things pop up. When I broke down in Baja I was in the middle of nowhere. After a while, with the truck torn apart, a couple guys stopped by that spoke English. I ended up riding back with them into town and running all over searching for parts in the local flea market, a guys house and what not. Spent the next few days with them as well. The misfortunate event turn into a great experience.
S
Scenic WonderRunner
Guest
Thank You Scott....for sharing this Adventure with us!
I enjoyed ALL of it!
Keep Going!....:ylsmoke:
.
I enjoyed ALL of it!
Keep Going!....:ylsmoke:
.
c.nordstrom
World Traveller Extraordinaire
Keep going? Already on it. Hopping on a coach to Lithuania tomorrow. So far I've got the next ten days or so mapped out. After Vilnius, I head to Warsaw, Prague, and Vienna. I've not been to Warsaw or Vienna, but I spent a semester in Prague. Can't wait to get back!
That more or less encompasses my itinerary until Sept. 25, when I start the Balkan leg of my trip. Heading down to Slovenia from Vienna and then planning on visiting all the former Yugoslav republics.
After that? Probably hop on a flight from Belgrade to London. I feel like I know half of London after the Rally, so it should be a proper good time. A few days in London, Scotland, and England should be a lot of fun.
The final leg: taking the Eurostar down to Belgium and making my way through Luxembourg and the Netherlands. My tentative return plan involves flying out of Schiopol airport.
If everything goes according to plan, I'll have visited everything in Europe except Greece, Portugal and a handful of microstates. I'll also have visited well over 50 countries in my life. Not bad at all!
That more or less encompasses my itinerary until Sept. 25, when I start the Balkan leg of my trip. Heading down to Slovenia from Vienna and then planning on visiting all the former Yugoslav republics.
After that? Probably hop on a flight from Belgrade to London. I feel like I know half of London after the Rally, so it should be a proper good time. A few days in London, Scotland, and England should be a lot of fun.
The final leg: taking the Eurostar down to Belgium and making my way through Luxembourg and the Netherlands. My tentative return plan involves flying out of Schiopol airport.
If everything goes according to plan, I'll have visited everything in Europe except Greece, Portugal and a handful of microstates. I'll also have visited well over 50 countries in my life. Not bad at all!
Charlie and/or Scott, did you have difficulty finding gas for your Jimny? Did you need to buy fuel from unofficial, entrepreneurial sources (e.g., a kid sitting by the road with a 5 gallon container)? Any problems with the quality of the fuel?
One of the old truisms about overland travel is that diesel fuel is easier to find than gasoline in remote areas. Maybe no longer true?
One of the old truisms about overland travel is that diesel fuel is easier to find than gasoline in remote areas. Maybe no longer true?
c.nordstrom
World Traveller Extraordinaire
Gasoline seemed to be quite easy to find. 90 and above was almost always available, but we preferred to fill the tank with 92. Some desolate regions could be poorly serviced by petrol stations however.
We almost always bought from legitimate stations, although many of these filled our tank with drums and funnels.
The only place we had trouble finding fuel is Uzbekistan, which was (and probably still is) suffering from a petrol shortage. We got lucky and spotted a few people filling up at a station and made sure to hit it right away.
Edit:
I'm typing this on a bus to Vilnius. First coach I've ever been on with wi-fi.
In regard to number of countries visited, the girl I was traveling with has visited 75 and is 28. I gotta catch up.
We almost always bought from legitimate stations, although many of these filled our tank with drums and funnels.
The only place we had trouble finding fuel is Uzbekistan, which was (and probably still is) suffering from a petrol shortage. We got lucky and spotted a few people filling up at a station and made sure to hit it right away.
Edit:
I'm typing this on a bus to Vilnius. First coach I've ever been on with wi-fi.
In regard to number of countries visited, the girl I was traveling with has visited 75 and is 28. I gotta catch up.