In French Guiana and its administrative center of Cayenne (Cayenne) to get there as soon as I never dreamed. And rightly so. Life is preparing another surprise for me. Thanks Cayenne I was in Mongolia, and it was an unforgettable trip.
I apologize for that little confusion that I made in your thoughts. In the second case Cayenne is not a city, and a car. It is believed that the SUV Porsche got its name from the hot pepper varieties, and to me that's closer to one version, geographic, because it is better to explain the surprising tendency of the car to change places, and its ability to survive in any conditions. And in this I was able to make.
To the question «Are you going to Mongolia with Porsche?» Can not be answered in the negative. About this amazing country as a child I told my father, who spent a lot of on duty time. And now I'm flying to Irkutsk to sit there behind the wheel of Porsche Cayenne, along with several lucky and go to one of the most unusual places I've been.
When we say «third world countries», we mean primarily economic structure and living standards. Mongolia really belongs to the «third world», but the meaning of this expression changes as soon as you cross the border of the country: it is simply different. The pace and rhythm of life, the meaning of life, the laws of existence and the main priorities — it's not like in Europe or America, and differently than in developed Asia. And perhaps unprepared are Europeans would be difficult. But we were not alone. Our guide from Irkutsk, knows all about the local customs and traditions, and even the well-speaking Mongolian, as well as «oases» of European civilization in the form of several Porsche Cayenne helped us temporarily assimilate into this unique place and get the most out of the trip.
... To the border with Mongolia and settlement Mondy reach us no difficulty. About 300 km and almost perfect road did not test for a powerful and passable cars. Slow down, we had been only near the boundary: 20–30 kilometers began obstacle: the road went through numerous hills and mountains, and asphalt reared in these areas, creating additional undulating terrain — «Amur waves» as we called it.
Most likely, the low car here would have a bit harder, but still sufficient clearance allowed us to go at a good pace without being afraid to catch another «bloating» front overhang.
Passage of the border, the feelings, the procedure is more formal — but until then, if you are not suspected offender. Check passports and filling in some paperwork quite quickly, and then inspected with dogs exposed to cars, mirror and studied the bottom machine, but it's pretty relaxed, probably affects the proximity of Mongolia.
After crossing the border the asphalt ends. Then in front of us we lay the vast expanses of the Mongolian steppes and hills in the distance surrounded by mountain ranges. Sayan mountains are beautiful, especially when the sun and the blue sky and white clouds, hangs somewhere in the chest area of the giants, only emphasize the power of nature.
The first concerns about the quality of the roads were in vain. Dry soil is rocky and our car was not dangerous. In many ways, of course, because of the tires Michelin, in which were shod cars.
Here I was expected to open: I did not know that Michelin and Porsche have cooperated in the development of these special tires for off-road vehicles, and the result was a special rubber compound and its particular strength in off-road operation.
After a while the fear to break the wheel stepped back, and we will have given yourself and the car in free steppes of Mongolia. Some children's excitement fills us, and we were playing at the wheel «Cayenne» as if had never raced on the machines! It was something: thanks to the unique wheel drive distributes the torque between the axles, even turning out different wheels on the surface of different texture, we did not experience any discomfort. And the bumps and irregularities, the stones that fall here and there, literally «swallow» perfectly tuned suspension.
During the trip we tried the sands and fords, experienced off-road vehicles at present, and there were moments when it seemed everything failed, will need a winch (incidentally, such follow us on technicals in any case), do not select. But whether because of the properties of the car, whether because of the skills of drivers, we have always chosen each time on a flat surface, and continued on their way without any loss or damage, and only once on the same vehicle at once cut through both right wheels on a sharp, protruding to the side stone.
In addition to test Porsche Cayenne and even one Macan in a roadless roads of Mongolia, we had fun in other ways. Amazing beauty pleased reserved Peninsula, where we were brought to the airboat. Airboats — a special design with a boat engine equipped with huge additional blade fan mounted behind which allows travel both on water and on ice reservoirs.
Lake Hovsgol captivated by its beauty. It is also called the younger brother of Lake Baikal, as both lakes have similar characteristics, except that Khubsugul smaller and smaller. It is extremely clean — the people drink his water, but its color is a little bluer, compared to Lake Baikal — the greener. Here it is found a huge number of fish, and on the banks of the wooded nature reserve is growing a lot of mushrooms and berries and the magic herb called Sagan-Dailami, which restores strength and energy, and raises the tone.
Curious was also meeting with a local shaman, about which tells an interesting story, though it raises to his feet terminally ill and your life reads like a book. None of us, however, did not dare go to her «personal device», but all willing to look at traditional ceremonies performed by her about the ancient shamanistic sanctuary «Arvan-Gurvan-About» and brought the gifts to his About responsible for year of birth.
And of course — the local cuisine. It is impossible to understand the country, if you do not try it the national dish. In Mongolia, the food is very simple, even austere, which is defined as the climate and living conditions. In this author's cuisine restaurant in Irkutsk, where we were taken to return to Russia, appeared in comparison with her tasteless and non-living.
The main components of each of the Mongolian cuisine — meat and flour. There are also potatoes and fish. By the way, the potato — the only culture that is cultivated in Mongolia.
Options foods made from flour and meat are very numerous. This buzy (Mongolian dumplings) and pies that resemble familiar pasties. Soups of meat and potatoes or meat and dough, as well as from sheep's offal. Perhaps the glamor of Moscow and would have been incompatible with all these menus, but in terms of yurts and wooden houses camp site «Saillant Radiyan» (which translates as «Land's End») is nothing more delicious and come up with was impossible. Well, it turned out to be the most delicious khorkhog — fresh lamb, roasted with hot stones inside a huge cans.
I did not want to leave. And the reason was not only the harsh and primitive beauty of Mongolia, but also in the extraordinary comfort of the trip, which was created for us Porsche Cayenne of all colors and shapes.
