We get in the car, adjust the seat so that the pedal distance is just right, buckle up, and put two quarters in the slot. I choose 3 players, level of difficulty, my route, start the engine, hear the rumble of a muffler-less rally car, and I’m off…as if I’m in a video game.
Driving in Mongolia has been the highlight of the trip for me. I’m not one that even really likes video games, but for me driving through western and central Mongolia is the ultimate video game.
Which Way?
When you are driving you are faced with constant decisions; mainly – which road do I take? In fact I have a hard time called them roads in Mongolia – they are more like paths and they spread out like tendrils of a complex spiderweb. You can’t drive very far before you are faced with a decision of left or right? But you are forced to make that decision in a split second as you are going 30 mph. It never fails, as soon as you decide to take the left tendril, you begin to beat yourself up because you think the right would have been a better choice! Truth is – they were all pretty much the same…full of holes, bumps, divots, dips, and sharp rocks…sometimes bolders.
Scanning for Pitfalls
When driving you can do absolutely nothing else; there is nothing relaxing about it. You are on watch, constantly. When I drove I couldn’t look around me at the landscape because my eyes were constantly scanning for pitfalls about 20 ft. in front of me. I honestly could barely even have a conversation with Dave or Deb when driving as I was unable to multitask with my brain so focused on the ever-changing road that lie ahead of me. In fact, I would realize that I would forget to blink I was concentrating so hard which made eye drops a necessity. Many times we reverted to ‘group watch’; the other person in the front seat would be responsible for the road on the left side of the car and tire and would call out potholes and big rocks.
Speed Racer
Most days we never got out of 3rd gear when driving in Mongolia. The moment you would get up any speed on a good patch of ‘road’, you’d have to slam on the brakes to avoid falling in a crevice that would certainly engulf your car and spit out your shocks or tire. It had actually been 3 days since we had used 5th gear at one point. Dave exclaimed that it excited him and frightened him at the same time!
Get a Grip!
Most of the time I had visions of the Dukes of Hazard in my head as I drove. I felt like I was constantly moving the steering wheel; yet this wasn’t for a TV effect, it was to avoid pitfalls! They say to be a safe driver that you should have your hands at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock, but that was impossible as so much downshifting was necessary that I could only have one hand on the steering wheel and the other had to be on the shifter. The driving was a constant process of stops and start which required a lot of shifting and concentration. I realized that I had been gripping the steering wheel so hard out of stress that I started to get callouses on my hands!
Driving in Mongolia in an inappropriate car with low clearance was the ultimate adrenaline rush. Who needs video games when you have the real thing?
Where was the hardest place you’ve ever driven in the world?
By Charu September 15, 2011 - 10:57 am
Loved meeting you and I would not have been as calm as you were –probably would have cried and broken down! Brave girl! Glad you were able to get through this 🙂
By Sherry September 17, 2011 - 6:46 pm
Great meeting you too! There were definitely tears during this trip…but it had nothing to do with the car!
By Nancy & Shawn Power... Inspiring YOU to Travel! September 15, 2011 - 11:57 pm
Glad you enjoyed driving through Mongolia even though you had to totally focus on that and nothing else.
Today we had a challenge, same as you- low car BIG potholes and rocks… we were trying to find a place to park to take the Na Pali coast hike.
Safe driving!
Nancy & Shawn
By Sherry September 17, 2011 - 6:45 pm
Hope the bottom of the car came out of it unscathed!
By Mark H September 16, 2011 - 6:14 pm
I once drove in Bangkok at peak hour though that is more stopping and waiting, than it is driving. Nothing for me beats the rigours of outback Mongolia.
By Sherry September 17, 2011 - 6:44 pm
Mark – I hope you make it there and drive yourself in the middle of nowhere – it’s really quite an empowering feeling! A bit nail biting too…but fun overall!
By Erik September 23, 2011 - 9:39 am
I did not enjoy driving in Jaffa, Israel, but for other reasons- one way and poorly labeled roads.