Mongolia > The front suspension is broken

At nine o’clock we are standing at the door of the Land Rover dealer. A young man is already walking towards us. He speaks reasonably good English. For us it’s important that the oil in the transfer case is checked and that the front suspension is inspected. They immediately check the entire car. In the workshop several mechanics are working on cars. Range Rovers. During the inspection it turns out that the left front suspension is broken. That must be the reason why, for the past few days, we’ve been hitting the wheel arch on deep potholes. They also advise replacing the rear brakes and changing the oil in the differential.

Mongolia - The front suspension is replaced at the garage in Ulaanbaatar

We decide to have these things done. Then we’ll be good to go again. By the end of the afternoon we can pick up the car. We walk to the terrace of Café California for lunch with coffee. The weather is beautiful today. The sky is a clear blue. A thermometer on a pole across the street shows 33 degrees. When we return to the garage, the mechanic proudly shows us the replaced parts. The front suspension lies on the ground in two pieces. Clearly broken. With the new springs, the car immediately stands noticeably higher on its wheels. Because the rear springs weren’t replaced, it even seems to lean back a little. We pay and drive back to the hotel. Just in time we realize that the wheel nut key is still at the garage. A quick return—otherwise we wouldn’t be able to remove our own wheels anymore.

Mongolia - The Russian monument commemorating the victims of World War II

At the end of the afternoon we drive to the monument on the other side of the city. It is busy. Rush hour in Ulaanbaatar. Traffic doesn’t take the rules very seriously. People stop in the lane for straight-ahead traffic in order to make a left turn. Or they drive past a line of waiting cars just to cut in at the front. Even the public buses do this. Pedestrians run across the street rather than walking. You really need to pay attention. Halfway there, Wilco’s front tire turns out to be flat. Quickly the engine is pulled over. The first flat tire of this trip. There’s a small hole in the inner tube. The outer tire shows no damage. Replacing the inner tube goes quickly, but the outer tire doesn’t want to go back over the wheel. An older passerby immediately helps and starts pushing and pulling on the tire. Together we manage. On the southern side of Ulaanbaatar stands a large Buddha statue. The golden statue was donated by the Buddhist community from Korea. Just behind it, on the mountain, lies the Russian monument commemorating the victims of the Second World War. We decide to eat first, and then climb up to the monument at sunset. We are in the Korean district, so we eat at a Korean restaurant. At the monument it is crowded. It seems as if everyone only comes here once the sun goes down. Souvenir sellers only now begin to display their goods. It is half past nine in the evening.