China to the Gobi

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I'm lying on the floor of a Ger in the Gobi Desert. UB is full of internet cafe's, but i ran out of time to write before we came away. Our last few days in China were a good time, pretty slow - but what's the rush... We managed to spend a fair bit of time fucking around, shopping and packing for mongolia. Moved out of the more touristy area and experienced some real Chinese hospitality, caused a stir in a restaraunt ordering Peking Duck, and had a few beers on the streetwhile singing Hotel California and other hits with a local family.

finding the right train to get out of the smog provd to be easier than expected, despite H insisting we get a chauffer (we didn't). We took the overnight sleeper train and it was pretty much jam packed with westerners & rally social. Vicky, a friemdly Pom attached herself to us at the train station. As it happend the three of us had tickets to share a four berth cabin for the next 33hrs. Good tims, and a primo way to travel. just sit back, relax, talk shit over a beer and watch the world go by. City smog slowly turned into country smog, appropriately with Dr Seuss-esque Truffala trees (look out world!). Then we hit the border in the desert and sat for 5 hours till 2 in the morning. Druken midnight frisbee on the border was a good time and the two guys from team America reminded me why I'm not travelling to America and how unfortunately small the world can be.

On the Mongolian side, desert very slowly went green and the sky very quickly went blue. It's an amazing country and a total buzz to be cruising past isolated farmers hagin' out with their goats and tents. I definately felt like i was exploring a totally new place.

Despite the 33hrs, saying bye to out cabinmate at the UB station was frustratingly quick. You make and lose friends so fast while travelling.

Ulaan Bator is a crazy city, totally not "in the middle of no-where", but actually in the middle of no-where. It's full of cowboys - big belts, big glasses, jeans, and a hat. All the kids dress kinda east-meets-western with heaps of style and personality. There's a two day outdoor tranc party tomorrow, and the second night we were there the council put on a free concert in the centre of town with fireworks, a massive speaker array, and huge LCD screen.

First impressions of the tour group were a little disappointing and i was more than a little jealous of people hooking up in the backpackers & sorting out trips by themselves. I would've loved to stay a while and see what an outdoor Mongolian rave was like - BUT, things seem to be shaping up ok. H has found himself a friendly chick with a big camera to half-heartedly follow round (though he'd nevr admit it), and i'm kinda just cruising. The tour leader is good fun & Batar (one of the Mongolian drivers) & I have been having a choice time trying to understand each other.

We've been on the road (or really off road) for 4 days now - 15 to go... I've gotta go watch dinner be slaughtered....
The vans are Very choice, 4wd russian Combis. Basic as, but totally suited to this place & real easy to fix. Everyone drives the same thing so spare parts are never a problem. The country is flat as, and tracks just go everywhere. The only places it can be rough is where you cross another track, or dry stream beds that run down from the mountains. We cmp ach night, and cruise round at 60kph during the day. It's a big country and scenery changes quite slowly so it works quite well. It was pretty surral today racing accross the gobi in a pimped out Russian combi (zebra seats, half-mirror tints.. the works) with GnR on the stereo and a smiling surfie Mongolian behind the wheel. It's going to be a good time.

You're going to get this e-mail when I get back to UB and can type it up as the last thing I'm expecting to see is a computer out here. Figured I was as well write as i go anyway to relieve my boredom in the downtime, if not yours.
Take it easy, K.

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Photos

Train through Mongolia
So much more beautiful on this side of the border

Hangin out in Choir
One of the few 20min stops on the way.. a chance to stretch the legs and buy some airag

UB by night
This is Sukbataar square on our first night.. blown away :)

Our first campsite
Mandalgovi. A reat intro to the wilderness.

Bataar our driver at Yolan Am
As close to a glacier as we got.. this was pretty much it for the ice, but it's pretty crazy so close to the desert at the end of summer.

Pimped-out van
sahran our homie translator and Toudou the surfie driver.. these guys got style :)

Life in the Gobi
This little girl lives at Khongoryn Els and was helping us cook dinner

Inside a Ger at Khongoryn Els
This is the sheep that was slaughtered while I was writing.. definately a meat-off-the-bone experience

Camel riding after a "few"
Just on sunset, we climbed the dunes in the background later this night. Camels are ot the most comfortable ride!

Gobi sunset
An amazing day

Comments

[Ol_boss]

Yeah, you'd definately starve...
You should see their vege soup (apparently a sheep can be classed as a veg if stewed)! Oh, and happy birthday, I hear it went well :)

[Helen Lord]

gorgeous photos
Wow Kerry- i have read all your blogs and seen the photos which i think are all spectacular. Your blog is really interesting. Good on you for taking this great journey- you'll never forget it. Helen