Departure

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Today is the 19th and i'm leaving again tomorrow for a 9 day trip into the Gobi. I didn't want to do such a long trip but I have to because this is the only group i found to go with. There are only about 10 tourists left as it's so cold.

I love getting all the personal emails from everyone. I can't write too many back as it's so expensive, but please keep 'em coming. Linda please print them out for Grandpa too, I hope he can read this stuff.

I will be out of communication again for the next 9 days at least. On the 29th i'll be taking the night train up to Irkutsk which is in Russia, from there I may only have time to shoot directly to Novisibrsk which is my connection city down to Kazakhstan. From here to Irkutsk is a 35 hour train ride including time at the border where the pissed off Russians search for illegal mongolians. from the stories however i don't think russian life is anywhere near as good as mongolian, it's a poor poor poor place.

They are an estimated 3-5 thousand street children living on the streets of Ulan Batar. Their survival is dependent on climbing into the sewer wells to stay warm as the temperature is almost cold enough to make Vodka freeze. Look at that.. my cultural refrences are already centered on central asian and russian examples. For instance my beard until i shaved two days ago was as hairy as a yak, or, after this trip i won't have a togrog (um lauts over the o's). I even say things like "i reckon that's enough tea for the trip" "are you keen on an extra person" "does the trip include petrol?". I'm starting to take the piss out of myself...i mean make fun of myself. Internationalisms make british english easier to understand, hence the funny word choice.

My driver that I mentioned, Chaka, who was erally really good to me over the last two weeks has asked me to send him a blood sugar monitor because he cannot find one in Mongolia. He is a diabetic. I'm not sure if they are really expensive, but perhaps someone has an idea on how I could get one to him.

i'm off. check back in two weeks or so. i'll beon on the train to russia, then kstan,.

s

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