Angel Hostel Ulan Bator

... biscuits - a bit like Mexican churros but without the sweetness. Then lunch was homemade meat and vegetable dumplings, steamed over the same sort of wok on a stove. Really quite tasty and very filling, and no entrails in sight (or not obviously anyway).

Thomas, Chris and I were then taken out horseriding whilst Marketa had a nap in the ger. I was a bit scared as have never been on a horse before, but apart from my horse slipping off the road once it ...

... know if the train was late etc

The train arrives, we all go out to the platform, everyone's handing over their tickets as they step onto the train. I reach for my envelope full of tickets and can't find my f******* Mongolia to Beijing ticket!!!

I'm amazed and thinking "oh ****" at the same time. This is so far from good.

The lady who ran my hostel was on the platform and runs over to ask what's wrong. I tell her ...

... bad phrase book and some charades, we ought to manage. I just hoped he'd been properly briefed as to the type of trip I required!

Unfortunately, after several days of following what was essentially a track connecting the different valleys and the gers within them, it became clear that he hadn't. As hard as I tried to explain my desire for a real, raw adventure, away from the comfort of gers and the well-trodden tracks of horses and off-road vehicles, I just wasn't ...

... breakfast and set off to their Nomad Ger.

AMAZING 4 DAYS
We travelled about 180 miles through terrific countryside of open plains and mountains, finally arriving at the Ger at 18.00. We were warmly greeted by our Nomad hosts.

A Ger, although a portable construction of wood, felt and some plastic, it is a warm colourful, cosy habitat. This family have 4 Ger tents, one for cooking, one for the grandfather and 2 for the men, women and ...

... Nico) en une journée, j'ai échappé de peu à l'amputation du talon gauche
- Record d'hygiène : 14 jours sans douche (mais moi j'utilisais au moins des lingettes, à la différence de certains...)
- Record gastrique : 1 seul caca normal en 18 jours
- Record du plus grand nombre d'écoute d'un album : "Delserkin" de Ganzorig, un petit bijou du folfklore mongol passé en boucle sur lecteur cassette (autoreverse!) du van pendant les 2300 km du trajet.

A bientôt en Chine,

... responsive horse who I named
Ginger Rogers, Chris rode Betsy and Damo named his steed Psycho
Horse. An apt name, given the total unpredictability of its
behaviour.



At the ger we met the
family that owned the horses and they plied us with milk tea. From
the name it doesn't sound too bad, but unfortunately butter is the
primary ingredient, not milk. It's an overwhelming taste, but we had
been instructed to accept anything we were given ...

... it intense. Thinking back, I feel silly because about 2 days before I left in June there was a lightning storm above Pleasant Hill and a friend and I drove to the top of a hill to get a better view because lightning storms just don’t happen often. Now, I see lightning every few days now, and much more intense storms than the one I went out of my way in Plesant Hill to view.

Two days ago we were supposed to have ...

... vodka shot, and asked about our lives as we asked about theirs. The unfortunate "incident" really is not reflective of the Mongolian people, but rather of humanity and its failings as a whole. Stuff like that could happen anywhere, and it's just sad that out of such a tiny population in such a large space, we happened to meet a crazy one.Even the group he was with showed concern for our driver the next day at the police station, and I like to ...

... the street and opened his hand saying 'money money!' when I shook my head, he pulled out a huge wad of cash to show me, incase I misunderstood him, what he wanted. 'Oh yeah sure,' I thought, ' you don't have enough of that so I'll give you some more' ...... Right. Other times they will just swear at you and blow smoke in your face. Some of them get boxes of gum or cigarettes or soap, or whatever and walk from table to table in the ...

... though seeing something besides camp and the airport. I am curious about what the city center will be like. Then the next time I will have off will be the beginning of July for the Nadaam festival, Mongolia's largest festival.
I will try to keep this up as often as I can, feel free to email me to get on my ass about updating it and sending me current events from the US cause I have no idea what is going on in the world outside of camp.

Best Wishes,
Laura