Look out for the manholes...

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Hello Everyone!
So I've made it to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and it sure is an ugly city...so much dirt flying around, and the buildings aren't much to see, but I've read that that is to be expected. Tomorrow I'm going to stay with some nomads in the desert in a traditional felt house (a ger). We will ride horses through the desert, and I will get beautiful pics, and post them...
Today I checked out a Buddist monastery that has a beautiful golden standing Buddah statue. I met another solo woman traveller from Alaska and we checked out the city together today. We met this old MOngolian guy how read our palms and was very interested in what Marleyse's palm said...we couldn't understand a word and another old guy was trying to translate. It was quite interesting, but he wouldn't let me a pic. He had these stones and he whispered her name into them over and over...quite strange actually.
Then walking down the street I stepped on a manhole and the cover turned and I almost fell in! I really thought I was going down....so dangerous. Good thing my cat-like reflexes kicked in! Marleyse was so worried/enraged and thought we better notify the store nearby so they could set up barricades or something (like what would happen in America), but the guy just looked at us like you dragged me out here for that? So what!? and went back into the store...so from now on I better not walk on manholes. I learn new things everyday!

The train ride was a lot of fun. It was 30 hours and we had to get out at the Mongolian/Chinese border for about 4 hours last night while they changed the boggies on the train (Mongolia uses 1.5 meter wide tracks to prevent attacks by rail), and also to get through immigration procedures. I shared a compartment with a 25 year old Russian guy named Artom and his mother, and a 38 year old Mongolian man. Artom spoke English and is very nice. He is from Tomsk and so he will show me around there when I arrive. The Mongolian guy wasn't creepy which was a nice change from the Chinese guys who took pictures of me when they though I wasn't looking on the Chinese trains. I also met some more people (British, Irish) who shared a compartment with Adam, a guy who was staying at the same hostel as me in Beijing. We had a good time together on the train, and even shared some Jieks Daniels- fake Jack Daniels which is apparently "brewed with the finest grapes" in the best "wineries" in Hong Kong...haha it was whiskey, but not very good. I got up this morning to see the sun rise over the Gobi desert. It was really beautiful.
Well I'm in desperate need of a shower, and have to get some rest before my nomadic adventure.
I don't know what it is about this area, but the train was boiling hot, and so is my new hostel, we asked to have the heat turned down and apparently the can't...hard to sleep when you are cooking.
Talk again soon!

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Comments

[Aunt Mic]

Hi Erin
Very interesting people you are meeting, did you learn any of the language when you were in Korea. I realize they all speak a different language, are any of the words becoming familiar?? I bet you will find the local liquor very different from ours, no quality control over there. Can't wait to see your pictures we will have to have a post travel party. take care and look after yourself, don't be hanging with any really weird people Love Aunt Mic

[markandshelbywhipp]

Well Erin you sure do have a great adventure everyday. We are so happy you didn't fall into that manhole. Keep an eye open for those, as you say it is not like at home. It is nice that you meet nice people to go travelling with you. Your Gobi desert adventure sounds nice. We look forward to the pictures. Take care. We Love you. Love Dad and Mom xxxooo

[Erin Marie Boyer]

So Interesting
Hi, I'm a teacher in Seoul and for my summer break I was thinking that we (me and my hubby) might go to Mongolia. We may now have settled on going to Moscow instead, but its really interesting to read about it. I love your blogs!