Day #59: Tour preparation

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Tomorrow I will embark on a 12-day tour of the Gobi desert, with two people I hardly know at all, an Italian guy and a German guy. Today I spent a day enjoying being able to eat for the first time in a few days, sorting out what I did and didn't need to take (I am leaving my two dresses and one pair of heels at the hostel) and thinking about not having internet or phone access for the next 12 days. This led me to consider how internet-dependent I am, and that maybe it is not such a bad thing to have enforced separation from outside communication.

I also went for a walk down Peace Avenue, the main street in central Ulaanbaatar, which is pleasant enough, not beautiful but interesting enough buildings and shops, and not too crowded (on the pavements, anyway - the traffic is anarchic even with the police there to direct it). The focal point of the city is Sukhbaatar Square, a large space dominated by a gigantic statue of Chinggis Khaan (looking like a kingly Buddha, broad and imposing), but relatively serene despite its proximity to Peace Avenue.

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