So the 2014 tour is over and we're flying back to Europe, Asia or the Middle East. Looking down at the plains from the plane, the sheer scale of Mongolia's size still cannot be comprehended; that the flight remains in Mongolian airspace for nearly two hours gives some idea. The criss-cross tracks cut into the terrain can be seen clearly from the air, as well as the parts of Mongolia we never got near: the mountains - for all the remoteness of the plains we traveled, the mountains look even more isolated. Like Bolivia and India that we experienced before, there's plenty more to see - but whether we will go back is another matter...
This trip has been especially difficult to blog because of the paucity of GSM coverage in Mongolia. As the country develops - and it is at a fast pace - this will change, but there are some places that may never see such mobile terrestrial networks; for these places, satellite communications will be essential. Already this is happening and we saw many gers fitted with solar panels and satellite dishes, no doubt for TV, but in future internet via satellite will become more practical and affordable. For me, I used technology developed in the early 90's to make my connection: the Iridium satcom system (thanks JP for suggesting this and loaning me your wifi access point). It is an extremely slow system: 2.4kbps, compared to old fashioned 'lightning fast' 56kbps dial-up or modern multi-Mbps ASDL or cable, but for email it is perfectly practical, provided you are happy with text. Next generation systems will no doubt increase the data rates, but cost for cost are unlikely to compete with mass market GSM type systems (FYI my Iridium phone cost $99/mth to rent, with $1.65/min call/data costs, details here). But for niche applications satellite will always have a place.
Thanks to Mrs Biker Dom for posting the emails I sent her to the blog site - due to the way Iridium email is set up, I couldn't work out a way to do this directly.
Once I get a chance, I'll add some pictures to the blog. And I'll also take the opportunity to correct typos, add a few more details and generally tidy the previous blog entries. But the essence will remain; I hope you enjoyed it.
A few words about the trip organisers: Warthog Mountaineering. Despite mountaineering in the name, they run trips on bikes, cycles, dog sleds, skis, through the jungle and of course up mountains. Charlie Perring, their rep for our trip says Warthog is about to rebrand and will drop mountaineering from the name, but not the portfolio. Overall it's a very impressive company with many non-bike trips that have also piqued my interest.
I'll end this journey as I started: by bike from the airport back home. I hope the bike is still there!
Until next time, Biker Dom over and out.....
This trip has been especially difficult to blog because of the paucity of GSM coverage in Mongolia. As the country develops - and it is at a fast pace - this will change, but there are some places that may never see such mobile terrestrial networks; for these places, satellite communications will be essential. Already this is happening and we saw many gers fitted with solar panels and satellite dishes, no doubt for TV, but in future internet via satellite will become more practical and affordable. For me, I used technology developed in the early 90's to make my connection: the Iridium satcom system (thanks JP for suggesting this and loaning me your wifi access point). It is an extremely slow system: 2.4kbps, compared to old fashioned 'lightning fast' 56kbps dial-up or modern multi-Mbps ASDL or cable, but for email it is perfectly practical, provided you are happy with text. Next generation systems will no doubt increase the data rates, but cost for cost are unlikely to compete with mass market GSM type systems (FYI my Iridium phone cost $99/mth to rent, with $1.65/min call/data costs, details here). But for niche applications satellite will always have a place.
Thanks to Mrs Biker Dom for posting the emails I sent her to the blog site - due to the way Iridium email is set up, I couldn't work out a way to do this directly.
Once I get a chance, I'll add some pictures to the blog. And I'll also take the opportunity to correct typos, add a few more details and generally tidy the previous blog entries. But the essence will remain; I hope you enjoyed it.
A few words about the trip organisers: Warthog Mountaineering. Despite mountaineering in the name, they run trips on bikes, cycles, dog sleds, skis, through the jungle and of course up mountains. Charlie Perring, their rep for our trip says Warthog is about to rebrand and will drop mountaineering from the name, but not the portfolio. Overall it's a very impressive company with many non-bike trips that have also piqued my interest.
I'll end this journey as I started: by bike from the airport back home. I hope the bike is still there!
Until next time, Biker Dom over and out.....
2 comments:
Nice Write up , thanks for that , nice style
Thanks Rob, glad you liked it.
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