Blogs from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Asia - page 41

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Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar April 27th 2006

My short time in Beijing only allowed for a brief taste ... but it really was delicious, right down to the Peking (Beijing) duck we feasted on for my birthday dinner. Having arrived in Beijing from India, a few things became immediately apparent. The air was cool and crisp (down to approx 15 degrees from 45 when I left India) - quite a relief, as I was struggling to fit my winter clothes into my pack! As part of the planning for the 2008 Olympics there were trees being planted all around the city, blossoms were in bloom and everything was neatly organised without a scrap of rubbish. Construction in Beijing is going crazy, apparently whole city blocks of hutons have been razed and construction is underway on massive new buildings - all part of the ... read more
The Forbidden City, Beijing
Birthday Beijing (Peking) Duck
Gobi Desert Dust Storms

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar April 23rd 2006

Hello I hope you are doing well. My last days in Thailand were, great. I love that festival. The last day of Songkran was unreal. The streets were packed. Vehicles, scooters, bikes could barely move. I could move faster by foot and that gave my/us the upper hand. Music was being played from everywhere and people were dancing in the streets. Huge blocks of ice were thrown in everyone's barrel of water so that cooled things off. Some had bottles of whatever and would give you a drink/ pour it over you mouth, if you wanted it or not. It was a party that lasted all day and went all night. Chis and I went with our friends who run the guesthouse. Pon and Tip and the others. Their thai names are long and hard to ... read more

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar April 9th 2006

The train pulls into Ulaanbaatar at 5.30 am. We cannot believe that we are in Mongolia. Our first impression (despite being shattered) is that it is blxxdy freezing, and that the people smile here. We are met by a very friendly female guide called Ogii who takes us to our minibus where Brendan, Matt and I wait half an hour for a couple of people arriving on a later train. It feels so cold, it was about -15. The people turn out to be a couple called Claire and James from Belfast. We go straight to a decent hotel where we have access to showers and a sauna. The former was freezing which was a disappointment after the train, but we were mollified by the lovely sauna. After a hearty (eat all you can) buffet breakfast ... read more
27m high buddha in Ulaanbaater monastery
Buddha's feet
Brendan gets past the guard dogs

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar March 21st 2006

People who hear the words "six-day train trip" will usually have one of two opposing reactions. This either sounds enchanting and relaxing or like total hell. In order to acheive the former experience, we bought first class tickets for the six-day journey. Many people break up this trip in either Ullan Bator, Mongolia, or Irkutsk, Siberia, but we had so much trouble buying tickets in Beijing. Our Russian visas couldn't afford us getting stuck along the way, so we decided to buy tickets straight through to Moscow. We found that most of the other travellers in our car were also tourists making the same 6-day journey. Needless to say, you get to know people pretty well in six days. We were also fortunate enough to have a social director on board - Anni, a half-Japanese, half-Swedish ... read more
Mongolia from the train window
Ullan Bator, Mongolia
The Mongolia Dining Car

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar January 18th 2006

Mongolia Jan 13-18, 2006 Temp: -25 to -30C during the day and -33 to -40C at night… WHOA Momma! Snow cover: 7cm (very arid here) Warning: this is a LONG blog… for this reason I have included an index: 1) Intro 2) Irkutsk to Ulaabataar (UB) Train Ride 3) UB 4) Mongol Empire History 5) JDV’s Dog Sledding Adventure 1) Intro I can now say that I have lived through some of the coldest temperatures I have ever experienced. Before I get ahead of myself, I will recount the most frustrating train journey of my life. 2) Irkutsk to Ulaanbaatar Train Ride We’ll pick up where I left off last in Irkutsk (Siberia) where I boarded a train headed to Ulaanbaatar (UB). I could not figure out how it was going to take us 36 hours ... read more
Dog Sledding
BBQ
Dog Sledding on sheer ice

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar January 17th 2006

We're not sure if you've heard, but about 10 days ago, Mongolia dramatically crumbled into political uncertainty with the mass resignation of a bunch/clutch/flock/herd/murder (you choose) of politicians from the majority "communist" party. This has left us with daily subzero demonstrations in the main square and no discernable government. Corruption is the catchcry of protesters and politicians alike, with accusations flying (mostly true, from what we hear). There's no need to be concerned...the dramatic scenes on telly showing what seems to be gas or smoke engulfing the demonstrators is just the combined frozen breath of the unhappy masses. We're fine, and just a little excited to be living in a lawless state. We battled through the worst weather we've seen ever, anywhere (maybe a line-call with our attempted climb of Ben More in Scotland) on Saturday, ... read more
Sleeping Beauty
Manzushir Monastery
Frozen Trees

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar December 29th 2005

We think it's safe to say there'll never be another Christmas like it. Apart from a massive oversupply of yummy food and a lone Santa hat, it bore little resemblance to festivities of years gone by. One of the most remarkable novelties was the recently departed fox which travelled with us, securely strapped to the roof racks of Zulaa's van. Thanks to the lack of tourist activity at this time of year we had the luxury of a sleeping ger and a party/eating ger an hour out of civilisation. While Mel got to work preparing a delicious hot soup for lunch the rest of us busily plastered our surrounds with tinsel, balloons and colourful paper snowflakes. All of us pleasantly stuffed on soup, we headed to the (mostly) frozen river, via the Great Wall of China...a ... read more
Our Christmas Ger
Getting into the spirit
Sweating over the stove

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar December 21st 2005

It's snowing, YAY! After months of sub-zero dullness, Mongolia has finally lived up to its promise and is blanketed in white. Even better is the fact that the snow began as we were astride little Mongo horses, trotting (bouncing painfully) through the countryside on Sunday. This latest escape from the city had us riding said horses over countless frozen rivers... slightly unnerving for human and beast alike, but very cool! Last night we farewelled our "friendly but a little daft" Irish buddy. She was mildly shocked and dismayed when we suggested that 6 large bags of check-in luggage and 3 carry on bags might stray slightly into the excess category. We await word of her success or otherwise in departing the country and doing it all again in China. The snow (and school) continues. We discovered ... read more
Turc burial ground
Each stone represents a tribe member
100 Monk Cave

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar December 13th 2005

As the temperature difference between here and home topped 80 degrees Celcius, we somewhat stupidly ventured into the Mongolian wilderness once again. We set off with little more than a sleeping bag between us, and with the slim and rather vague promise (from our friendly but daft Irish travelling companion) of shelter and sleeping gear. The destination of choice for our much-needed weekend escape was Khustai National Park, only 2 hours out of the city, but a complete world away. This magical expanse (yet again, frozen and dusty) is home to the largest population of wild horses in the world - the takhi...the Down Syndrome equivalent of the horse species, with two extra chromosomes. We encountered 2 takhi herds up quite close, got stared down by a stallion, almost got charged by a bull, and spotted ... read more
Takhi Horses
Khustai National Park
Oh, deer

Asia » Mongolia » Ulaanbaatar November 3rd 2005

We thought we'd share with you some of the everyday trials and tribulations that come with living in the land of Chinggis Khan: Names: Between us, we teach about 320 kids, whose parents seemed to know at their births that some poor unspuspecting Aussies would one day show up and have to decipher the tongue-twisting jumble of consonants that they bestowed on their little darlings. We offer you a typical class list: Tumennamstai, Erkhembayar, Purevdemberel, Tsolmongerel, Yanjinlham, Khishijargal, Uurtsaikh, Naransaikhan (who has a spectacular mullet!), Mandakhgerel...and then Batgerel, Battsengel, Batbileg, Batbold, Batbayar and Uugii, Ogii, Boggii, Moggii and Huggii. Funny admin staff: We love the admin chickie - she makes us smile. She gets about in little pleated skirts and runs through the hallways in her lethal-looking stilettoes, usually sporting an infectious grin. She h... read more
Cutie Enhkjin from 5D
Skulls by an ovoo
Before the bath!




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