Day 17. Friday June 3.

Day 17.    Mongol Valley Bush Camp to Moron

Distance:  84 km

Cumulative Distance: 1938 km

Time: 4 hrs 05 min

Speed:  20.5 km/hr

Feet Climbed today: 2037

Cumulative Climb: 37,564  ft 

AHR (Average Heart Rate) 98 bpm

Punctures so far: 2.     

Altitude tonight: 4629 ft.

Last night, after the thunder and lightning and heavy rain that lasted just an hour, we had spells of light rain later on. Packing up a wet tent is a little more troublesome in the early dawn at 5.30.

Heavy clouds hung over the camp as we breakfasted on porridge, honey, yogurt and coffee. It remained overcast and dull for the period of today's cycle with a bit of a shower at the 50 km mark. I was pleased with that shower- I got an opportunity to test my new waterproof jacket. It lived up to its billing. I'm pleased.

From the camp it was a gradual pull for the first 52 km, so all the work would be done before lunch at 62 km. We (the four of us) kept it handy for those kms and Joan (USA) pulled us along for a long period. She is a very strong cyclist, has done many triathlons and completed Ironman on 12 occasions. An Iron Lady.

Traffic as expected was very light. More motorcycles than cars. You see a motorbike coming with two on board, but as they pass you see a child or two in between, an animal or a spare wheel. Animals are moved in small trucks as they stand quietly in the rear.

Along this incline we moved just at 18 km/hr but still we had more power than some of the trucks. We asked him to jump onto the end and that we’d let him draft but refused!

Just before lunch I noticed a clicking sound in the front wheel, nothing major. I asked Jordan, the Tour mechanic who was on lunch duty to have a look at it and indicate what might be wrong. He turned it and listened and reckoned that some sand had probably got into the front hub. Tomorrow at Bike Shop he’ll refill that hub with grease. Strangely from then till I arrived at the Hotel, not a sound. Still we’ll give it an examination tomorrow.

Being delayed at lunch, I cycled into Moron (pronounced ’Moroon’) on my own. It was all a beautiful downhill (20 km) and the sun was breaking through. On either side, the green was now tinged with yellow buttercups. Still no fences, no divisions, not even from the road.

In time Moron came into view just before I hit the city gate. As with other towns, roofs  are multicoloured corrugated sheeting. Moron is a spread-out grid of streets with a population of 35,000. It's a base for those visiting Khovsgol Nuur (Lake) 100 km north of here. That lake is considered the Mother of Mongolia and it's every Mongolians wish to visit/ make pilgrimage to there. Moron is the centre of civilisation in this part of northern Mongolia served well by hotels, restaurants, tourist information etc.

Moron boasts of a large wrestling stadium. Mongolian wrestling, part of their annual Naadam Games, has no weight divisions and bouts in Naadam are limited to 30 mins. Wrestlers wear an open-chested tunic reputedly arising out of a female entrant (illegal) thrashing her male opponents. Since then, to prevent such an embarrassing reoccurrence contenders must expose themselves.

When I arrived the Main Street, Peace Street, a was closed off to traffic, not to bikes. I reckoned that some festival is taking place; no, just a car-free day in the centre of town.

Our hotel is right in the centre and was a welcome haven of shade at 11.30 as I arrived. I thought the name odd “50 , 100 Hotel”. I now find out that it's called so as the 50 N latitude line and the 100 E longitude line intersect just north of here. It's the best hotel in town and well suited to refresh us after the last stretch and prepare us for the next.

Got the re-packing and laundry organised and off to the bank (next door) to change some Euro. No problem.

Argali sheep.

Just up the street is the Khovsgol Aimag Museum (County Museum) and I paid it a visit; had the place to myself. Many items there dealing with the areas social past together with birds, animals and fish and featuring a 400,000 year old tusk of a woolly mammoth. Another exhibit was the two-stringed horse-head fiddle, reputed to be the fore-runner of the orchestra violin.

So, a pleasant day of cycling and seeing some of Moron. Tomorrow will be predominated by chilling out and tending to the bike.

So, now we kiss goodbye to the tarred road and On Sunday morning off on a 8-day off-road section to bring us nearer to Russia.

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.