Mongolia, and Japan info
 

Hi all,

Time to think about the next countries on my rtw trip. I need info on getting the bike into JAPAN - Paperwork, Carnet, ferry
from Vladivostow, and maybe some useful addresses in Japan.

MONGOLIA, are there any other than pilotmaps on the market. GPS or not ?

>From Ahmadabad India Mika

we are using GPS in Mainland China and there is only limited info available from the Garmin GPS Worldmap CD-Rom for Mongolia & China. it shows only major highways, trainlines, rivers, airports and a big cities.

Hi,
two years ago I rode a bike through Mongolia. We even made it through the wayless Gobi before my bike was stolen in the middle of nowhere. But that´s a differnt story. About your questions: A GPS is very useful in Mongolia since there a very few roads and no signs at all. Togehter with the almost perfect russian military maps we never got lost. It was a perfect trip riding a bike acros the stepe and the desert and having the perfect security of always knowing where we were and where we we were going - we never got lost! I only lost my bike...
Ther´s is one more thing you should bring to Mongolia: Food. At least for a couple of days. The mongolian food seems strange for some stomachs and there a very few places to get something to eat. If you realy go you will find that Mongolia is hard to travel through - and you will find one of the most beautifull countries in the world. Go there!
Have a nice trip. And if you find my green BMW R 1100 GS "Monsterkuh" (with a big 42 liter tank)say hi. And send me a picture. Last year I was told that my bike was found in the area around Arwajcheer.
Have a good trip! Michael Schröder, MOTORRAD