Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB - Finding Freedom...World Wide Ride

Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/)

- Ride Tales (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/)

- - Finding Freedom...World Wide Ride (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365)

Wolfgang also came bearing gift he had brought from Louis for us.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4384/...5138fcf4_b.jpg Russia Barnaul-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

The tire deliver guys= Andrew also showed up this evening with our order.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4388/...dc9acc76_b.jpg Russia Barnaul-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4420/...4b37db95_b.jpg Russia Barnaul-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

The plan today was to meet Andrew at the shop to get the 10 tires fitted, change the oil and change air filters on 3 bikes and the chains and sprockets on 2. It is of course raining!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4399/...ca384309_b.jpg Barnual-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Orvar had ordered an air filter and when he checked his that was “supposed” to have been replaced in Novosibirsk 3 days ago it was full of bugs and clearly not new. Proof they never did the valve check.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4384/...77f971dd_b.jpg Russia Barnaul-16 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

The set up here is far from idea there is no room in the shop for the bikes. The shop owner showed up an hour late and it rained on and off all day. This meant swapping out the tires and filters and changing the oil between downpours. When changing the oil on the 650 we could not get the filter off and actually broke the weld on the remove tool. We will leave it until we are in civilization to deal with. The guys in Tbilisi cranked it on way too tight. When we took out the drain plug we thought was the source of the leak we also found they had 2 crush washers in there. WTF you can not trust anyone! Andrew was asked several times for the shop location and never sent it this meant we blindly picked a hotel location that turned out to be on the total opposite side of the city. Top it off that Andrew pinched the tube on Orvar's bike as well. This was a long and frustrating day. We arrived at 9 and left at 330. If we did this again would use a proper bike or tire shop.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4342/...8fcdaaee_b.jpg Russia Barnaul-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4386/...05887719_b.jpg Russia Barnaul-12 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4368/...959226ed_b.jpg Russia Barnaul-13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4439/...ea568fce_b.jpg Russia Barnaul-14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4398/...7a357a82_b.jpg Russia Barnaul-15 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4417/...6b395223_b.jpg Russia Barnaul-17 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Well at least it is finally sunny out, it is Monday, and that means pizza and Game of Thrones!!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4353/...dc904184_b.jpg Barnual-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We have 890 km to Ulgii, the first major town across the Mongolian border and the exit from Russia according to FB friends who crossed last week was 5 hours. This means it will be a 3 day affair to get it done.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4344/...c91e79d0_z.jpg Screen Shot 2017-08-09 at 21.48.01 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

For the first leg we wanted to get as far as Onguday in 445 km since this is the only place with at least a few hotels listed on line or maps.me.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4392/...9d6b3864_z.jpg Screen Shot 2017-08-09 at 21.15.33 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Arriving to Onguday it was starting to spit rain. We checked out a few places, and settled on a rooming house for 500 R each (8 USD). It was simple, but clean and they had lots of hot water. We had quiet a good dinner there also for 200 R each.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4335/...677fb011_b.jpg Onguday-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

There are some beautiful wood houses here.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4332/...479d9020_b.jpg Russia Novosibirsk to the Border by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4374/...7784fee4_b.jpg Russia Novosibirsk to the Border-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4423/...0d324f88_b.jpg Russia Novosibirsk to the Border-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4414/...d567ac29_b.jpg Russia Novosibirsk to the Border-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We have decided to not try for the border today since if we did that it might end up a 12 hours nightmare. This means we have an easy 257 km to Kosch-Agatsch. This is still 51 km from the border, but border towns are always unpleasant and there is only 1 lodging place listed there. At least in K-A there are 4 hotels. We did not get breakfast at the hotel as their restaurant was not open. We made a quick coffee and headed out. We made a quick coffee and headed out.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4417/...f1d55394_z.jpg Screen Shot 2017-08-09 at 21.15.55 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4377/...fae7ee11_b.jpg Kosch-Agatsch-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We went for the first hotel listed on the GPS and they had rooms and good parking.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4392/...c5e200c1_b.jpg Russia Novosibirsk to the Border-36 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4398/...6a2c31ac_b.jpg Kosch-Agatsch-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We checked the 650 oil and it is down! AGH! Ok take off the bash plate, clean, and inspect. The oil pan puncture Sara had in Peru in 2014 seems to be the culprit. The old pan is a mess from the old bash plate that trapped rocks and caused the puncture in the first place. Dan places a large JB weld patch and topped up the oil. Not much we can do now, but we will replace the pan in KL. Also some good news today Electrosport has been kind enough to agree to send us 2 stators UPS to Ulanbaatar!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4401/...6021649c_b.jpg Russia Novosibirsk to the Border-38 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4413/...a666ed56_b.jpg Russia Novosibirsk to the Border-39 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4349/...510e0537_b.jpg Russia Novosibirsk to the Border-40 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We walked about 2.5 km into town and found an open nice looking cafe and the lovely owner spoke fairly good English. This meant we got actually what we wanted for dinner!!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4382/...7898f13e_b.jpg Russia Novosibirsk to the Border-37 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

It is a chilly 10 degrees this morning, but bright and sunny. It is 121 km to our destination go Ulgii in Mongolia.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4442/...aa7bc96f_b.jpg Russia Novosibirsk to the Border-30 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4388/...8dd64c24da.jpg Screen Shot 2017-08-09 at 21.16.21 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

First we have a 51 km ride to the Russian border town of Tashanta. There is not much here 1 gas pump and 1 hotel.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4345/...3d78f2f7_b.jpg Uglii by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4421/...a4cc2572_b.jpg Uglii-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We rode to the end of the main street and this is the border post. There is a long line of vehicles and so we passed the line to the front. At the gate there is an officer who checks your visa and passport before you are let in. There was an issue initially as the 3 Canadians had 20 day visas and not the usual 30 day visas for Russia. This was a flag for him, but it was easily sorted.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4380/...0a583425_b.jpg Uglii-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4390/...5dd8a0d9_b.jpg Uglii-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4331/...9f0b173d_b.jpg Uglii-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4335/...15816895_b.jpg IMG_9400 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4362/...1185c763_b.jpg Uglii-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We waited only a few minutes and all 5 bikes were let in. You drive 300 m and park under the cover. Here the young officer spoke English perfectly and directed us where to park and what to do next. The first thing is to go to the window on the left side of the parking. Here they want your passport, vehicle registration, tourist card and customs form. There are 2 officers working and peck typing in all your info (address at home, milage on the bikes……). They both spoke enough English to ask what they wanted from us. Dan and Brent showed up as well and they are 2 Canadians in the Mongol rally. Dan said “ how did you know to ride up to the front of the line” Experience my friend!!

Next you go across to the right side of the terminal and up the stairs. Here you wait at a desk and again in English the officer asks for your passport and vehicle papers and she enters this into the computer. From here you are directed to passport control in the same area for the exit stamp. Both officers here spoke English perfectly and interestingly a lot of the border official are women. Outside we had to open the luggage for inspection for weapons and narcotics. They were very interested in my medical kit especially the local anesthetic, suture material and instruments. It was otherwise a pretty cursory search actually. The regular people had to drag all their stuff upstairs for X-ray. Then we all rode 150 m to the gate to have a “final” passport check. We were done all 5 bikes in an hour 15 min. So much for the horror stories from other riders of 5 hours to get out! Drama!!
There is then 21 km of no mans land on the Russian side with a beautiful paved road. At the end of this there is a another passport check and plate registration.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4331/...636aa21a_b.jpg Uglii-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4440/...557fd030_b.jpg Uglii-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4354/...c617b84f_b.jpg Uglii-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr