Crossing into Mongolia S8 EP.46 | Pakistan to Japan Motorcycle
Hello sir. Okay Mongolia Assalam-o-Alaikum everyone and welcome back to the channel from Aktash, Altai, Russia. Today is my last day in Russia because unfortunately I got a transit visa and I was allowed to cross Russia in just 7 days.
Out of the 7 days, I already missed 2 days in Kazakhstan while reaching the border because it was a very long ride. And in the remaining 5 days, I tried to explore this region and share it with you. I hope you liked that. So today I will leave Aktash and go to the border. The distance from here to the border is about 175 km.
After crossing the border, I'll come across the first city of Mongolia, Olgii at a distance of 100 km. So my total ride will be about 275km - 300 km. And it will take 4 to 4.5 hours.
I don't know how much time it takes at the border. So whatever the experience will be, I will keep sharing it with you. Let's have breakfast from here. I have some edibles with me. Let's have tea and then leave. It's cold here today.
That's why I have to pack myself well. It may rain on the way since it's cloudy. It takes time to stop and put on a jacket on the way. I have muesli for breakfast today. I have some food from Barnaul. I thought if I have a hard time in getting food here, then I should have something with me.
And some hot tea. Let's leave from here. I am afraid that Rangeeli (the motorcycle) might not start in such cold.
By the grace of God, it's doing well so far. Bye Bye (Prayer for journey) May I have a good and blessed day ahead. May I cross the border safely and reach Olgii timely. Let the engine of the motorcycle to warm up. I refueled it yesterday.
There is another big town after 100-125 km. I am thinking of refueling from there with the left over money. After crossing the border, I may not come across any fuel pump in Mongolia. I am usually quite anxious on the border crossing day. The last border of Russia was a bit tough.
But hopefully I will get through this safely. This is a small town called Aktash. It's quite touristy. On the right are mostly accommodations and cafes for tourists. Check this out.
This is amazing. This is the first time I have seen snow covered peaks in the Altai region. What an amazing region this is.
It's the most beautiful part of the day. As soon as I left the village, the river is zigzagging along with the snow covered peaks. There is definitely greenery here. Wow! What a beautiful spot this is.
The entire mountain range is right in front of me. It's a must-visit spot. Look at the variation in the landscape. Vast fields can be seen.
The mountains are covered by trees in certain sections. But they are not as green as they were earlier. Welcome to Kosh-Agach.
This is the final big Russian town before the border. Let's take a short break here. Let's get some fuel as well. Let's use the remaining rubles I have. Let's get some coffee from here as well.
They don't have 98 here. They only have 95. I think 4 to 5 liters would be enough.
So, I used my last rubles for coffee, fuel and cookies. I will definitely need them in Mongolia. That's why I thought to utilize the money I have.
All the countries I have been to, the whole currency is with me. I did not get a chance to exchange them. It's a 150 km ride from here to Olgii. After crossing the border, I will exchange dollars in Mongolian currency wherever I get the opportunity.
I will enjoy my cappuccino now. Even if I don't get the opportunity after crossing the border to exchange the currency, I still have more than enough fuel. I will reach Olgii safely. Actually, the name of the border town is Tashanta.
I was saying some other name earlier. The navigation is indicating that I'll reach the border town in 36 mins. The border is right next to it. After passing through no man's land, I will head towards Mongolia. It's a Muslim community based town.
A local told me that I can get Halal food from here. I told him that I am not hungry right now. Also, I do not have local currency now. I will have food in Olgii.
If I am not mistaken, Olgii is also a Muslim town. Because the population there is mostly Kazakh. I will get more information once I reach there. For the first time in the last 4 to 5 days, it's sunny.
The sun is so bright that I can even roam around without my jacket. To ensure a safe exit from the town, I have activated the navigation. There is only one main road here. You can see the mosque on the left side.
When I was looking for cafes and restaurants in the morning, that seemed to be Muslim name. I think this is the Russian military camp. Overall, the police did not stop me in any part of Russia during the trip.
The locals are very friendly. Some of them seem to be a little strict. But personally, I enjoyed my stay here. Since, Russia is a very big country. When I get the opportunity, I will look into other regions. I hope I make it across the border safely.
I have finally reached Tashanta, the border town. The border is right next to it. It was a total of 55 km from the start to here. It was flat and very windy.
It's a tough ride in such areas where the noise is so loud. Rangeeli was also being driven at an angle. There is no petrol pump in this town.
There was one here but it was closed. There was no fuel. I don't need it.
I thought I'd share it with you in case a traveler is passing by. It's better to refuel at the previous pump. The border is right in front of me. Let's pray for the best.
I hope I make it across the border safely. There are some cars parked here. I read somewhere that you can go straight ahead. A little ahead in a straight line. Let's see what happens. They will leave once they open the gate.
Unless the drivers get angry. They shouldn't be. Because they are protected from the natural elements. I have to travel in the sun, shade, heat, cold and rain. I think we can enter now. Let's see.
They will check the passport first. Hello Sir. Okay. I have cleared the Russian side. It took about an hour here.
He got my camera off first. He was a tough guy. I put it in my pocket. I went to the Immigration. As soon as I reached the Customs, he asked me to get my bag through the scanner. So I did.
When I entered Kyrgyzstan, they gave me a document for motorcycle customs. Thank God I had it. Because they have the same customs. So I gave it to him.
He cleared the Customs. Then I went to the Passport Control. They marked an exit stamp. They asked a few questions.
It didn't take long. When I came back, they asked me for the luggage inspection regarding drugs, weapons, etc. I said it's okay. They checked everything.
They took out the drone from inside. I had kept it hidden. But they asked me to take out the bag.
Anyway, the drone is allowed here. He took the drone and remote control inside. He came back after a while and returned it to me. It wasn't a serious issue. That's why I was comfortable. In Uzbekistan, drones are not allowed.
So they didn't check it there. This is the first time such luggage inspection has taken place while exiting from Russia. They didn't check on entry as well. As much as they have inspected here. Anyway, I didn't make any payment here. Now I'm leaving for Mongolia.
There is a no man's land area in the middle. It's about 15 to 20 km long. People are friendly but their strict nature scares me a little. Such adventures and border crossings are memorable.
It was crowded here. Thankfully, I was on a motorcycle. Otherwise, it could have taken 1 to 1.5 hours more. Hopefully, the Mongolian side will be cleared quickly.
Here comes the Mongolian side. Let's pray here as well. I hope the border crossing will be safe. I will go through the water here. Let's see how long I have to stay here. Germania I think entry will be marked here.
We have made our entry here and you have to pay about $1 here. The smallest note I had in dollars was $20. I gave it to him and he returned it to me and asked to leave. I had to pay only if I had $1 currency note. Let's see when he opens. He has closed it.
I have asked him to open it. He says I should go from that side. Let's go I have completed the first step Let's see what's ahead There are customs officers and immigration officers Hello sir! Do you know Russian? No, I don't Where are you from? Germania Mongolia Ok Everything is done here. I'll tell you about my experience here when I leave the border. Thank you Yes, motorcycle Ok I think I will have to get insured here.
I don't have local currency. I will have to pay in dollars. Welcome to Mongolia, the country number 7 of this tour and border crossing number 8. Since, I crossed Tajikistan twice once from Uzbekistan and once from Afghanistan. The overall experience here has been pleasant.
It must have taken 2 hours. On the Mongolian side, it hardly took half an hour. It took half an hour to cross the No Man's Land On the Russian side, the overall experience was good. People were friendly but strict.
That's why I was a little scared. Anyway, I will tell you about Mongolia. Since, I have a German passport , I have a free 30-day visa. I don't need to get a visa. I get an on-arrival visa. They asked for $1 in the beginning and I didn't have that.
Later, I had insurance for $9. I didn't have Mongolian currency, Rubles or Kazakh. They were asking for these 3 currencies. I said I have dollars. He took the dollar.
He said that the old currency note is not acceptable. I said I have Euros. I gave him the Euro.
Overall, they have a very friendly environment. The Customs officer was very nice. He started speaking Arabic with me. I said I don't know Arabic. He said I saw your name. He said "I am a Muslim."
Anyway, I will take a short break here. I have some food. I have some cookies and chocolates. I will leave after eating. Olgii is about 90 km from here. There is neither money exchange nor ATM in this area.
I can use my credit card here but there is no ATM. That's why I can't get the SIM card from here. I will buy all these things from the city.
Half of it has fallen. It's very cold. The wind is cold Within 5 minutes of roaming around, My head is hurting. This is a small village. You won't find anything special here. You will find things like tea and water.
But I don't have local currency. So I will go straight to Olgii. I forgot to tell you, they didn't go for much inspection on the Mongolian side.
They opened one of my bags. Saw my clothes. They said it is fine.
Fortunately, there is asphalt all the way to Olgii. I will reach there in 1.25 hours. This town is at a distance of 20 km from the border. I saw a petrol station here, but I will go ahead.
The landscape here is amazing. There is much desolation. I can't see anyone here. After the last 20 km when I reached here, I have seen these cars for the first time.
As soon as you enter, you get a feeling of remoteness. This is going to be a remote adventure. Abrar and Rangeeli will be here. Finally I have reached Olgii city. I have to drive about 6 km more.
What is it showing me? What happened to the navigation? Let's set it right now. Now it's working fine. It was taking me back to Russia.
On the left side, there is a beautiful small mosque. I have seen a guest house about 5 km from here. Let's go there. It looks like a big city, in comparison to the cities I have seen in this region.
Of course, Barnaul is a metropolitan city. It is a big city in terms of Mongolia. What happened? Why is he flashing the light? Hi I am good.
Pakistan Yes Welcome to Mongolia Thank you very much. What's your name? Zubik Nice to meet you. Where are you going? To hotel. Do you need a guest house? Its fine, I have a guest house. You have? Yes I have a guest house.
What's the name of the guest house? My guest house's name is Extra Mongolia Tour. No, I'm going to travelers' guest house. I have a guest house. Every day it's like this.
Tourists come in. Maybe, next time. Thank you very much. Nice meeting you.
Are there other tourists on the borders? Yes. Another tourist? different? Yes. No, mostly locals. No, no. I was the only one. Yes.
Okay. Thank you. Have a good journey. Thank you very much.
I have met the first friendly person. If God forbid, I don't get the accommodation, then I will come to him. But his guest house is a little out of the city. It's a small town but crowded. I have reached on time today. It's good to reach before it gets dark in a new country or city.
It gives you an idea of the city and it also gives you time for the things you need initially. Especially currency exchange. Muslim restaurant. Halal hotel. Halal restaurant. Where is it? Is it this one or some other? It should be somewhere behind this petrol pump.
There it is. I couldn't see the board on the gate. Let's see how it is. It looks average from outside. Okay. I think there is no one here.
There is a guest sitting here. Hello. I have found the accommodation here. I will stay here for the night.
This is a Ger Camp of Mongolian Yurt. I will show you the accommodation for the night. This is the yurt. I will stay in this yurt.
Let me show you from inside. There are 6 beds in this yurt. This is a shared yurt. I have booked this bed.
There is no one in this yurt. Maybe someone will come and stay here tonight. There was a private option too. But it cost approximately 100,000 Mongolian currency. That will be 33-34 USD. I asked for a cheaper option.
It costs around 12 USD. I will comfortably stay here tonight. I have requested the lady. She is a very nice lady.
Another reason of staying here tonight is Tomorrow when I will leave for the national park, She'll handle the money exchange, SIM, and approval for the national park. It will be easy for me. I have come to a restaurant for food. The lady from the hotel recommended it.
It's a local restaurant. Since I don't know the language, I saw the pictures and ordered food. She gave me the tea.
Along with a lot of Mongolian currency notes in my hand. called Tugrik. I exchanged 200 USD. I have 20,000. There is a picture of Genghis Khan at the back. I hope I will be able to spend 5-6 days with them.
Let's see. Normally, it costs 50 USD at least. Even if I go to the cheap country. It depends on the fuel as well. Fuel is a little expensive here.
Anyway, let's see. How much is it? 2000 no, 1000. There is a picture of Genghis Khan on almost every currency note. These are a lot of currency notes but different.
It will be difficult to carry them in a wallet. Let's wait for the food. Till then, let's have tea.
Food has arrived. It looks delicious. There are noodles in it. If I am not mistaken, this is lamb. Noodles and lamb with some vegetables. The food is delicious.
Let's enjoy it. I am very hungry. It costs approximately 4 USD. As I mentioned earlier, the population here is mainly Kazakh. All the restaurants here serve Halal food. I was told that I will find Halal food here and in Ulaanbaatar.
But it will be difficult to find it in other places. There is Kazakh population on the side of National Park. But on the other side of Mongolia, it will be difficult to find it in Ulaanbaatar. I'll see when I go through that area.
That's all for now. I hope you liked this vlog. Remember me in prayers and don't forget to like, subscribe and share. Bye.
2024-12-30 14:57
