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Published: April 21st 2008
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Waiting Impatiently
Are we ready to go yet? So a summary of my weekend so far.
Friday:
I took off for Naran Tuul (the large black market) after work and soon after I got into the taxi, the wind began to pick up. By the time I got there, dust was kicking up but it wasn't too bad within the market walls. The market itself was indeed interesting. A WIDE variety of cheap import goods are available but there was a corner featuring Mongolian antiques and artifacts. Though I was tempted (I have a couple gifts in mind) I still don't feel right about buying Mongolian artifacts. This is because I really feel that artifacts should stay in their home countries, unless being distributed to reputable museums. After all, would i want to see relics of the Civil War being coveted by a foreigner in a distant land? No. And the same goes for family heirlooms though some Mongolians seem more than happy to try and sell these things. Just doesn't rest easy with me. So I passed it up for now, and I will hope to find other made-in-Mongolia products that don't make me so morally gray. That being said, I did pick up a clock radio,
The River
Beautiful and FREEZING river. Literally huge ice chunks floating in it. a messenger bag, sunglasses, and a watch (though the band broke because I was being mean to it this morning.) I'll go back there at a later date I'm sure though I doubt it will be any less crowded than it was on Friday. It was lovely because it was well-attended but not in a crowd-packed manner which made it easy to maneuver and allowed me to keep an eye on my possessions. I also enjoyed a bit of haggling. By the time I got home I was pretty beat and DIRTY but found sleep very fitful. The wind picked up quite a bit and was blowing trash around and banging my windows. This made me start several times in the night, even with one earplug in (I somehow lost the other one.)
Saturday:
I woke up early to find that it had rained overnight and I called Carrie to make sure that plans were still in place to go out to Gachuurt. It was on and so I took a taxi out to the school and a bunch of Korean students piled into a mini-bus and others got into the Suv with Carrie and myself. We drove out
Atop Cemetary Hill
There's the farm in the distance. there and first thing we got a tour of the farm. I was really pleased to see that this was an organic farm and learning about the innovative ways they've managed to cultivate food in greenhouses. Then we walked down to the river which was quite lovely and had lunch (fresh cucumbers, apples, and Korean rice balls.) The river was filled with floating chunks of ice and the kids amused themselves for quite some time, throwing rocks at the ice. I also discovered that some of the kids were very good at skipping rocks. Then a game of soccer ensued though I loafed about taking pictures instead. Then: the ball gets kicked into the river and floats down the other side. Carrie, demonstrating a spunk i had not expected, rolled up her pant legs and waded across the FREEZING water to retrieve the ball. She was quite red and sore when she got back but pleased with her victory. Then we built a fire (I was quite proud to have been the one to start it, after several failed attempts by others) and we roasted sausages over the flames. Then we spent time just hanging out, the kids bursting into
Beautiful cemetary
I would totally be okay with being buried here atop a beautiful hill. spontaneous activities (though rock throwing remained a favorite.) We then walked back to the farm and I saw a huge cemetery nestled on hills across the road. Ms. Deborah enthralled me with a tale of her last visit, in which she found a DEAD BODY lying there, half devoured by wildlife and birds. Seems that in the winter the ground gets too frozen and so bodies will sometimes crop up, left to nature. I rather liked this concept, seems to make much more sense than a coffin and plopping the body into the ground.
So Carrie and two of the Chinese teachers hiked the hill with me and I was pleased to find I wasn't as winded as I had anticipated (the altitude and elevation is very high in UB.) There was also an excellent view from atop this hill and I took several photographs of the graves and scenery laid out before us. Unfortunately there were no horses about (Carrie suspects its because its not tourist season yet) so we didn't do any riding, though I definitely plan to return. Then Carrie dropped me off at “California” a restaurant with burgers. Though I had been craving one, after
Gachuurt
The neighborhood I wasn't as pleased as I thought i would be. This could also be due to the fact that I was quite red from all the sun (the rain having cleared up in early morning) and I was very sore and tired.
So i went home and Gala dropped by to fix my door. Then I went about reading my Lonely Planet in further detail, contemplating a trip to the Gobi. While the idea is still appealing, the book does express concern that without a reliable driver and a good guide, it is easy to get stranded in the desert for several days... days which can be fatal if you're not prepared. SO, I may pass up that particular opportunity and stay in Central Mongolia, as there are lots of great places to ride horses and go to museums. I have my eye on Khujirt, where there is a hot springs spa of sorts, and naturally occurring springs near a waterfall. Sounds quite scenic and much closer to UB. There's some other ones listed so we'll have to see what happens and how much disposable $$ i have towards the end.
Now I'm home with my radio, feeling
Tourist Gers
Though most looked pretty deserted. It's not tourist season yet. very uncomfortable from my sunburn. I also have a creeping headache probably from dehydration. Thinking about going to bed early and getting up tomorrow to go to museums that I missed last time I went to the square. Lonely Planet has a good “UB in four days” layout that I might try out, one weekend at a time.
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