Into Russia

Bright sunshine had us up before 8:00 am looking around the main and only street in the village to see what was happening and when we should start lining up for the border. I took the opportunity to exchange most of our remaining Mongolia money for Russian roubles and Nina got the chance to take some photos of a lady milking a yak.

Eventually I noticed a few vehicles lined up at the border post gate so we paid for last nights parking, got that gate opened and moved up to join the lineup waiting for the border post to open.

In typical Mongolian fashion there was a lot of jockeying for position at the border post gate; why Mongolians think that three vehicles abreast at a gate wide enough for only one is an efficient way to do things is still beyond me; but we sat in the truck mystified watching these antics. Along the way uniformed officials collected USD14 in tax from us and 4800 T (Mongolian currency) as a toll to leave the village.

We observed that biting insects seemed to be a problem. Some of the army personel were covered up like winter to keep the insects away while others simply resorted to the Mongolian equivalent of the "Aussie salute".

We eventually got into the border post having collected our very small checklist piece of paper at the gate.

Some of the border staff had enough English to direct us to the right places. First, hand in the vehicle document obtained when entering Mongolia, next call at the customs desk and give them the vehicle details, next passport control and get the exit stamp, then a vehicle inspection. At each stage a signature was put on that small checklist piece of paper. Then we were done. At the exit gate our passports were checked (again) and that checklist was collected.

From the Mongolia border post it is about 5 km of rough dirt road to the geographic Russian border and a large steel gate.

The gate was opened for us by a uniformed Russian official who (spoke English) took our passports and the vehicle papers and dashed into an office/hut. A few minutes later he reappeared handed back our documents together with a blue form which recorded us and the vehicle. He told us that the customs and immigration post was 20 km down the road.

Now in Russia the road was paved and somewhat smooth. Again we revelled in the smooth going.

At the Russia border post we had the truck tires sprayed with some chemical; that cost us 100 roubles (USD3) and then joined a couple of trucks while we waited to be admitted to the post. While we waited a number of tourist on motorcycles exited the post heading towards Mongolia.

Within the Russia border post we were directed to the appropriate stations by staff with some English. Passport control was first, them customs (to process the vehicle), then a customs inspection, then transport control and then done. At the exit gate the officer reviewed our passports and collected the blue form we recieved at that first Russian gate.

So now we were back in Russia, and on paved roads!!

For about 50 km as far as the town of Kash Agach the road was flat and the landscape grass covered like the steppes of Mongolia but after Kosh Agach we entered more mountainous country of river gorges, snow capped mountains with forested flanks. A really pretty drive; and perhaps the first "real" mountain scenery of the entire journey.