Day 18

We have a rest day and Carl and I did a tour aroud Almaty we a few people. We went to the Mountians first then to the Largest Wooden Church in the world. It was very well restored after the Starlinist regeimes have used it as an office. 

As the Green Market was closed for the day the guide started to take us to every Bronze statue in the city. We all got tied and decided to go home early. I was lucky enough to go to the green market on Sunday and saw all the produce and meat including horse as it is one of the main meats in Kazakhstan.
Day 19
 
This has been a long 750 k day starting in Almasty at 6.00 am. The Kazakh people are very friendly and I think every person has a mobile phone or camera. We have been photographed today by nearly everyone and a lot want to flag you down to stop so that they can be photographed with the car.

When you pull up for any reason, people stop to take pics. I stopped at a bank to change money and when I returned Carl was surrounded by about 15 people and nursing a Baby getting photos taken.

We had a small problem to day with the pipe to the Oil preasure gauge braking and starting to fill the foot area with oil. This took and 1/2 an hour to seal and tidy the mess then we were back on the road.

About 17 k’s had large potholes to dodge.
Most of the day the road was fine and ran along the flat with Snow covered peaks just visible through the haze.

Day 20

We all set off for the 200 k’s to the border post for our regular test in Patinences. it took us about 3 hours to get through the 2 border posts. 

When we ennteed Uzbekistan we where in the salad bowl of the area with all sorts of crops being grown in small blocks.

We finally got things running well with Penny again today. so all is well for the trip through the heat from here to Turkey. Taskent is a clean beautifull viberant city with parks and fountians every where. About 60% of the population speak English so we are getting a lot of questions.

Day 678910
These have been the days that have really tested every car on the Rally. Every night is a camping night. We arrive at the camp site and Nomad tours have the kitchen set up with a dinning tent plus the greatest mobile hot shower set up.
The roads on day 7 and 8 where the most horendous roads we’ve ever traveled on. The roads in the Kimberleys are fantastic compared to these days.

The big plus was we are traveling through mountianous region with Gers and small herds of Yak, Sheep and Goat everywere. These are all Nomadic Mongolians with some of them already starting to pack up and move out of the High country ready for winter.
These 2 days saw us have spring trouble with both front Eyes Broken off. We where able to borrow one front spring from Charlie and Nellie which has keep us going. That night we also ordered two new top leaves to be made in Ualan Batar to be shipped to Khovd ready for our arivval on day 10 to fit on the rest day.

Day 9

Due to the troubles every one had the day before day 9 was changed to a transit day to take the preasure off. This day was that fantastic, it made the trouble and hell road all worth while. this day was fairly smoth tracks in the wilderness. On this day we only saw a local truck and one motor bike plus all the rally cars. The terrain, scienery and the remoteness was just so special. At the end of the transit day there was a different atomsphere in camp due to the fact that every one was a little bit more relaxed.

Day 10
This was the short 170 kilometre day to Khovd though fairly dry desert with a cold strong northly wind blowing. The back drop to this desert area was snow caped mountian.
We arrived in camp at about lunch so we could relax and get ready to do our spring the next day should they arrive. on arrival in camp we found out our spring where still on the bus from UB so carl spent the afternoon helping Rudi fix the King Pin in his Alvis.
Due to the breakages of the previuos day the local workshop have 14 cars in there yard getting fixed.

Day 11
We are camped at the most glorious site on green grass beside a stream with crystal clear water with dry craigie mountians all around.
This is a repair maintenance and washing day for everyone
Our springs arrived at 8 this morning so Carl is busy with this project and getting me to help when required. He Has sent me to the tent to catch up on writing for the blog ready to up load when we should have internet at the end of Day 13.( we ended up with no internet this day)

Day 12
This was our last day in Mongolia The Drive was on tracks again throurgh dry alpine areas up to the camp beside the border with Russia.
The new Springs made in UB and fitted yesterday are working well.

Day 13
We woke this morning to a very cool – 11c. After another good Breakfast provided by Nomads we set of to the border to await for it to open at 9.00am.
This was to be a very long day for some. Due to the low car number we were through the two borders by 11.30am. We then had to drive 700 ks to the Hotel for the night.
This was through the most amazing alpine senery with high snow caped mountians and tree with autum follage. This day we were stoped by the police once but all he wanted was to get some photos with him beside the car. That night we got to the hotel at 9.00pm very tired.

Day 14

Up at 5.30 to leave at 7.10 for the Russian border to enter Kazakstan this Day was through miles and miles of Grain farming with the Harvest beening completed before the start of winter. Once Again we were stopped by the Police for a photo session.
We arrived at the border as the third car so the procees through both borders was a fairly painless 85 mins so it was then down th Semey for the Night across dry open grassland.

Day 15

Another 500 k day along the roughest tar seal roads you could imanage.At times, it was smoother on the shoulder. This day we lost a bolt out of our stater drive so required a push start once and kept the car running all day. As soon as we arrived in camp, we replaced the bolt and all is well.
Both Russisa and Kazakstan have derelict Industral Buildings all over the place including the power plants that use to be needed to supply the factory.

We had our last night of Campimg tonight. We camped in the middle of a cow paddock so the ground was a little rough but we both slept well.

Day 16
The 550 k run down to Almaty took about 9 hours. As we got closer to Almaty we came across a group of Graziers herding there Horses, Sheep,goat and Cows along the 4 lane Highway to cross the bridge and Dam wall to the other side of the River.
We finished this day at the nicest hotel of the trip.
Almaty Appears to be a very viberant city with a lot of wealth.
All our parcels have arrived so we have our spare tubes and spare springs.

Day 17
Carl spent the day tinkering on Penny and giving her a bath while i did some shopping and got all our washing done. I was also able to fit in some site seeing around town.
Some of the of the local workshops and garges very busy with cars doing servives and getting springs, axles and radiator repaired. One shop had 20 cars at it one stage.
So far touch wood except for the front springs all the preperation has paid off.