Blogs from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Asia - page 39

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Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar August 11th 2006

Dates have got a bit muddled but bear with us - part of this entry was supposed to be in yesterdays...... Spent a fairly relaxing day exploring the city after the train journey. Ulaan Baatar is undergoing big changes with lots of new buildings, huge adverts for electronics and many huge American cars and 4X4's. Things change only a tiny distance out from the centre though and the poverty is obvious. There are many young children running around without shoes asking for food and money - UB apparently has a real problem with street children who live in the sewers and heating pipe systems under the city. It's really sad to see, some of nthem look as young as 5. We bought some food to give to them and it's really amazing to see how they ... read more
Mmm.....
Mmm.....
Mmm.....

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar August 10th 2006

Well, here we go again, another day, another train.....left Irkutsk station at 9pm and climbed on to a very different train from the last - this time packed with Europeans - don't know where all the Russians and Mongolians were but we shared the carriage with backpackers from Germany, France, Holland, Sweden, Spain, Italy, South Africa, Finland, Ireland, UK, Poland and even a guy who lives just down the road from us in edinburgh. No more need for gesturing which was a welcome relief for a while but it did feel wierd to be 'back in Europe again' for a while. We shared our compartment with 2 Dutch girls who were lovely and were travelling for 5 weeks. Somehow we became the compartment where everyone decided to sit and have a vodka party which was interesting ... read more
Last views of Russia
Life on board
Life on board

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar August 9th 2006

What ho from Beijing! As usual, I'm a bit behind in my updates (blame the time difference!), so here is the much-awaited (he says, adding a sense of anticipation) update from Mongolia. After 7100kms of travelling from the UK, I finally made it to Mongolia. Really chuffed as I've realised that I'm now over half-way to Oz - Darwin is 7000kms away (as the crow flies) and I haven't taken a single flight yet! It's been strange travelling through different time zones by train - changing your watch in Russia to allow for a 2 hour time difference in 1 journey, but at the same time remembering that all trains run according to Moscow time. I was in Mongolia for about 2 and a half weeks - what a fab place. The train ride from Ulan ... read more
Wrestlers Preparing For The Nadaam
Mid-Wrestle
Watching Another Sunset

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar August 2nd 2006

Having arrived back from Khatgal, after a torturous 24 hour journey, the first thing I did was shower. Having not had the opportunity to ablute for 6 days, this was a welcome relief and made me feel almost human again. In the evening we went out for a few beers with the new recruits from the hostel. The follwoing day I was up again at 06:00 to call home and then spent the morning laying on the super-comfy sofas in the Golden Gobi. the staff here have all made us feel so welcome and when we found out that, due to our visas expiring, we could either leave today or extend them which would mean another 7 days in UB, the decision was an easy one. Uugi's brother Bob treated us to lunch and I went ... read more
Mongolian Friends

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar July 27th 2006

Well guys, sorry about the long time between blogs, again!!! At the end of our last entry we were about to embarke on the loop of Thakek. Well, what an um, experience!!! Dave and Luke "easyrider" Vaugn had a ball. I found it, challenging to say the least, (understatement of the century). Although we only had a couple of bike crashes, my worst being fish tailing on the slippery clay road and getting winded, breaking the front mud guard off my bike and getting covered in mud, (all this happened in front of me in slow motion, but the worse part part was that there was a a fully loaded truck head straight for her, and she's sprawled all out in the middle of the road, unable to move). It could of been alot worse, but ... read more
The three stooges
Bridge in Vang Vieng
Butterfly near our bungalows

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar July 27th 2006

La despedida Madrugar, madrugamos. Un lavado rápido en el cuarto de aseo. Un desayuno opíparo. Un cruce de palabras con la joven encargada y la camarera que nos habían servido el desayuno para enterarnos de que su música preferida es el techno y el pop mongol. No conocíamos a ninguno de los cantantes que nombraban y que hacían sonar en el reproductor de CDs. Un lavado de dientes. Y una breve charla sobre la propina que les dejaríamos, ¡eran tantos y habían sido tan amables! Que nos sorprendieron cuando salimos del ger. Estaban allí todos con los que nos habíamos relacionado en el campamento turístico de uno u otro modo. Esperando para decirnos adiós. Colocados de manera desordenada, entre la cerca y la furgoneta. Nada servil. Nada estilo mansión inglesa en la que el servicio despide ... read more
De camino a la Reserva Natural de Hustai Naruu
Camellos
Los takhi se acercan

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar July 26th 2006

Intento de vida urbana en pleno campo Al campamento no le faltaba detalle. Lo digo porque por la mañana pudimos disfrutar de una ducha. No, no era como la de un hotel, ni era como la de casa. El agua no estaba caliente pero tampoco fría y algún que otro gusano, negro y regordete, pudimos ver por el suelo. El ger también era un simulacro de casa. Sus camas, sus armarios, su espejo para peinarse, su mesa central, su alfombra, sus taburetes y su estufa, que nos vino muy bien la última noche, simulaba una habitación de hotel con ciertas peculiaridades. (Luego nos daríamos cuenta que lo que realmente simulaba era un ger que solo se usara como dormitorio.) Pero, al fin y al cabo, era el campo, así que ni se me ocurrió hacer un ... read more
Monasterio de Erdene Zuu
La ciudad de Karakorum
El paisaje mongol

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar July 25th 2006

Aclaraciones sobre los rusos antes de llegar a Ulan Bator Otra vez en el pasillo. Esta vez con un misionero norteamericano desplazado a Ulan Ude, ciudad rusa, que bajaba a Ulan Bator, capital de Mongolia, a renovar su visado. Nos enteramos así de que los rusos sí ríen, bromean y son amables, sobre todo con los niños, pero solo en el ámbito más íntimo de familiares y amigos. Según él, que está casado con una misionera rusa, la actitud pública del ruso se debe al control estricto al que estaba sometida la población, cualquiera podría ser un informante de no seguir la ortodoxia, lo que les volvió inexpresivos, para intentar pasar desapercibidos, y ariscos, desinteresándose por los demás, para dejarles claro que no los estaban controlando. Recordé lo que acaba de leer en el libro Casetillo ... read more
Paisajes mongoles desde el tren
La Estación Central de Ulan Bator
A la salida de Ulan Bator

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar July 24th 2006

July 24-25 Well after another day of relaxing in UB and playing minesweeper at a local internet cafe, we once again attempt to take a trip on the 25th. The innitial attempt to go to the observatory is dashed when the creepy lighthouse keeper has decided to herd goats for several weeks. Taking the local bus we then end up at Terej National Park for 1500 T a piece, skipping the park entrance fee due to it being a local bus. After hiking a local ridge and finding a camping spot it is eventually agreed to spend the night in a local Ger as the weather has turned for worse and the ramstein music coming from the Giant disco ger is simply irresistable. The day ends with wandering around a local village and escaping some very ... read more
National park
gangsta apartment

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar July 16th 2006

The highlight of the Mongolian year is the Naadam Festival held anually between the 11-13th July. It consists of the 3 'manly' sports; Archery, Wrestling and Horse racing, although the popular Ankle-Boning has been added to the roster in recent years. Although we had never actually planned to be in Mongolia for this event, it just so happened that we were and what a bit of luck that turned out to be! Having arrived back from the Gobi the previous evening, I managed about 4 hours sleep before waking up at 05:00 to call home and let everyone know that I was safe and well and up to this point, have not yest decided to jack in my job and become a nomadic herdsman on the Mongolian steppe. We had pre-booked a day-tour from the hostel ... read more
Archery - Naadam
Archery Parade - Naadam
Opening Ceremony - Naadam




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