Darkhan

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We left UB for the country on a Sunday morning. We were very happy to leave the bustling city for the vast landscapes of Mongolia countryside. Our first stop was Darkhan, Muno's parents' house, and where his daughter Michelle is being looked after.

Less than an hour out of the city, we got our first flat tyre. What a good start for our journey!

Darkhan is the aimag centre of the Uul Aimag, 219 km from UB. It is a mining town with hardly anything special, except that we got to visit Muno's parents' house, and of course for Muno to see his dearest Michelle.

We spent the afternoon at Muno's parents' house while the van was sent for tyre replacement. We had lunch prepared by Muno's mother - potato salad, dumplings, and cookies. It was the first time I tried the mutton dumplings. Hmm, I think I prefer chinese dumplings.

The van was finally done up, in the late afternoon. We left Darkhan in the evening for Selenge Aimag, where Amarbayasgalant Khiid (monastery) is located. But it was too late to visit the monastary when we reached there, and had to checked into a Ger Camp nearby.
We almost did not get to stay at the ger camp as the camp did not receive our reservation. There is no telephone at the camp (There is no telephone network outside towns for most parts of Mongolia). Apparently, the camp operator did not go to town the week before.

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Photos

Group photo at Ulaanbaatar Hotel before leaving the city
From Left: Puujee, Zaya's father, Zaya, Nyaama, SS, Yiren, Me, Muno

First flat tyre
I think we were barely half an hour out of UB when the tyre punctured.

Lunch at Muno's parents' house
That is Muno's mother at the back.