COMING SOON HOUSE ADVERTISING ads_leader
So on the 16th June we arrived in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. We woke early on the train and looked out to desert type land, so we knew we were close. We actually got off the train at around half 6 local time and we were immediately met by our guide holding our names aloft.... feel quite importnant!! Although it would be the last time that would be happening!!
Chukat, our Mongolian guide, then gave us a tour of Ulaanbaatar, which lasted around 2 hours. We seen "Zaisan" Hill, Sukbaator Square, the Government buildings and Gandom Monestry. The city was very much a soviet city trying to finds its own identity and the huge amount of construction work going on proved this. Even in the city centre the Ger camps sat side by side to blocks of flats.....
We were quite hungry having just woke up and had no breakfast so we asked if we could grab a bite to eat. At around 8 in the morning not much was open, but Chukat took us to a restaurant which was open, and we had a meal you would probably have in the evening (it was probably last nights re-heats) but it
was good and it came to the grand sum of a quid each!! Crazy but happy days indeed!! I already liked Mongolia!! HAHA.... I can hear Glyn already!!
Foloowing our tour we were swiftly on the road to the main Elstei Ger camp, but prior to this we stopped off to buy the nomad family some rice, flour, sugar and oil.
On arrival at the Ger camp we were shown to our Ger, and it was very well equipped. Beds, small stove, even a pair of slippers each.... wasn't quite what I expected, but then I didnt really know what to expect to be honest!!
We were fed generously and lapped up a four courser for lunch.... again my views of Mongolia were increasing!! Always thinking of my belly! We pretty much had the day to relax before heading off to the family the following morning, so we chilled and met some really nice people. Ofcourse we had a beer along with Airlee and Ian who we had met previously in Irkutsk, and played a little ankle bones, which takes a bit of explaining so I will leave that for now.
So the time cam to
venture on our "small" Mongolian horses to the Nomad family and become the Nomad!! We left at around 10:30 in the morning and we were there around 11:00. It was fun on the horse and I even managed to get up to a trot!
The family consisted of a young woman with a 4 month old "monstar" baby, and next door in the other Ger, her parents in law and their young boy, who we swiftly nicknamed Mogli, or Wullie! I will come to that!
The Ger was also very well equipped, with a TV, Fridge Freezer and washer dryer... but ofcourse the Ger had no power!!!!! The goods were wedding presents! We were dressed up in the Mongolian outfits and laughed at... but hey ho, whatever kept them happy!! The lady also showed us her wedding photos, which was a laugh in its own! I maybe cheekily, spotted something in one photo! She showed us a photo of her siblings with her parents in the front, and in the background her father-in-law was taking a piss beside the Ger.... tears were rolling down my face!!
And it got better!! More Tears!! Our first job as a
Nomad was to go shovel shit!! I said to Sharon when we first got in the Ger that it smelt a little like shite, but thats cos they use the cow shit to burn in their boiler/cooker. So we had to turn the cow pats over to dry them out. We were laughing saying we had paid a fortune..... to shovel shit!! happy days!! Although over the duration, we found ourselves turning the pats with our trainers wherever we were!
The little lad next door kept us going throughout our stay! He was hilarious....running about on his make shift horse more often than not slapping his bare arse to speed things up!! Things were quite different here! The young baby had no nappies, so it was simply held between the mums legs and everything was let go on the floor.... then a quick wipe and things were good again!
We cooked a bit, played Mongolian cards, herded some cattle, which escpaed the following morning! Chukat tied the fence not us!!
We slept with the family and found ouselves getting tucked in during the night.... we must have looked cold!
The following day we took the horses
back to the main camp, and this time got up to a gallop. Respect to the horseriders though!! My legs were buggered!
We slept most of the remainder of that day and had to rise and be away by 5:30 the following morning for our trip to Beijing, and onto our next country... CHINA!! So keep posted, Beijing will come soon!
Its okay mum.... since I am posting this.... I am still safe!! And Aileen...since you read this now.... I am looking after Sharon, or she is looking after me!!
COMING SOON HOUSE ADVERTISING ads_leader_blog_bottom
Tot: 0.111s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 10; qc: 55; dbt: 0.0753s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Donnie
non-member comment
horse
the horse takes a better photo than you two !!!!!!