Mongolian traffic

I am sure everyone who had traveled Mongolia by car has written something about Mongolian roads. So I don't want to be an exception.
Mongolia had its own sets of trafic challenges
- roads conditions. Only a small percentage of Mongolian roads are paved, however a layer of tar does not guarantee a smooth ride. One moment as smooth as it can be, you let drop your attention and kabammm, you drive right into that big pot hole, or over a hump, Bodenwelle, that sets you airborne. And then miles after miles horrible conditions, one pothole after the other. So on these really bad bits, thereof are a lot, you are constantly trying to dodge the holes, you eyes glued onto the road ahead trying to figure out the smoothest route. Very often you dodge onto the left-hand side; nothing wrong with it unless there is some oncoming traffic which is playing the same game.
Or you are dodging and at the same time another car is overtaking you. That really takes the spotaneity out of the dodge game as, before you dodge, you have to check your rear view mirror if some Prius is passing you by, to avoid you dodging into him.
Hmm, tomorrow i'll have about 100km of that ahead of me. Perhaps i should rather trundle through the country side???
In my experience when driving over passes the approach to the top is never paved. Too steep? Who knows. But the gradient doesn't make for good conditions neither.
Driving piste can be really fun though with a wide choice of tracks. One getting bumpy? Choose the next one. Somebody coming towards you? Just change lane. And if you run out off drivable options just drive over the paddock.
Of course when it gets rocky and narrow only the lousy option remains.
The advantage of this? You learn exactly where your wheels sit . So caintoads beware: once back on Australian roads there is no more missing you!!!!☠
- bridges: always slow down before crossing one. They are never even. Big distances in width our height or both of the panels and potholes, slowly wins the game
- animals crossing the road. I had them all so far, apart from camels (i've seen them only well off the road). Goats, sheep, horses, yaks, cows, dogs, earth squirrels. Hmm, where are the cats? Haven't seen a single cat so far!!!
If there would be so many animals on the roads in Australia it would be a slaughter house. Considering the amount of dead cows there are.Read more