I’ll admit that I’ve been delaying writing this blog as I’ve now left it so long that I expect to get RSI halfway through. Here’s hoping huh?
So we are now in Mongolia and maaan it’s an improvement on Russia. This disappoints me as I’ve always had a soft spot for Russki but bloody Nikita’s guest house on an island on Lake Baikal has scarred me for life. Lonely planet has a lot to bloody answer for as it gave this place such a glowing review that we felt we couldn’t miss it.
Uh huh.
Not only were we both ill (told you that train ride damaged me, and of course I had to infect Al as well, only fair) but it rained practically the whole time we were there, we had to fight to get a room that didn’t have copious amounts of goat excrement all over the floor, the 3 meals a day including in the exorbitant daily rate ALWAYS consisted of a tiny bit of fish, a lank lifeless salad and 3 day old bread and last but not least the bloody shop selling beer was closed allll the time. I hated the entire place and every single inhabitant of Khuzir at the time but upon calmer (and healthy) reflection there were some pretty cool elements to our trip. The island and lake were stunning, even in the freezing wind and rain, and the trip we took up north was great. When we were driving the windows were misted up so couldn’t see the scenery, we instead had plenty of time to admire the extreme skill of our driver in our Russian hybrid of a tank/people carrier. Seriously I was in awe.
So we are now in Mongolia and maaan it’s an improvement on Russia. This disappoints me as I’ve always had a soft spot for Russki but bloody Nikita’s guest house on an island on Lake Baikal has scarred me for life. Lonely planet has a lot to bloody answer for as it gave this place such a glowing review that we felt we couldn’t miss it.
Uh huh.
Not only were we both ill (told you that train ride damaged me, and of course I had to infect Al as well, only fair) but it rained practically the whole time we were there, we had to fight to get a room that didn’t have copious amounts of goat excrement all over the floor, the 3 meals a day including in the exorbitant daily rate ALWAYS consisted of a tiny bit of fish, a lank lifeless salad and 3 day old bread and last but not least the bloody shop selling beer was closed allll the time. I hated the entire place and every single inhabitant of Khuzir at the time but upon calmer (and healthy) reflection there were some pretty cool elements to our trip. The island and lake were stunning, even in the freezing wind and rain, and the trip we took up north was great. When we were driving the windows were misted up so couldn’t see the scenery, we instead had plenty of time to admire the extreme skill of our driver in our Russian hybrid of a tank/people carrier. Seriously I was in awe.
(Do I look like I'm enjoying myself?)
Also, I quite like the town, Khuzir, that Nikita’s was in, it had a pretty wild west feel to it, rickety wooden houses just plonked anywhere, no roads just dirt tracks and cows everywhere. Felt like a communist Delhi. I also was reminded, yet again, that I am my mother’s daughter as I thoroughly enjoyed the 15 min ferry rides at either end of our trip. The second one possibly as we were heading back to civilisation. One last great thing about our trip to Baikal was the people we met. Reeta & Saara, 2 cool blondies from Finland who we ended up travelling with in Mongolia and Vittorio, a flamboyant, slightly queenish, loud guy from Napoli who amused me no end. His reaction to the place was more extreme than mine and made me feel a whole heap better!
Following Baikal we got back to Irkutsk, which of course benefitted from this timing as we fell on all things civilised like starving folk. Literally. As soon as we got back to the hostel I made the most of being the only female there by taking a 45 min soak in the only shower as is my right. Following this Al and I hot footed it to the London Pub for a slap up meal and some beer. Culture be damned! Had a 2 course meal, used a flushing toilet 4 times in about 2 hours just because I could and got drunk on a pint of Baltika 7 and felt like a new woman. Irkutsk, despite your raffish nature and seeing a man rough up his wife on the street, I love you.
On to Mongolia! I love you even more. Ulaan Baatar is brilliantly mad, easy going and in your face. Everyone that I’ve spoken to has said get out of UB as soon as you can but following Russia, I took to this place like a duck to water. But then again it might just be that Al and have regularly had gut busting meals for about £8 between us. It also reminded me that ice cold showers are never a good idea when trying to wash as much hair as mine. Brain freeze!
After a couple nights we were off on a 7 day tour around central Mongolia with the lovely Reeta & Saara, our driver Pata and our guide Ogi. We basically drove from place to place on dirt tracks and stayed with nomadic families or camped along the way. Throughout the whole trip we saw endless (and varied!) countryside, from grass plains from horizon to horizon, alpine like forest, desert dunes and shrubs and vast meandering rivers. The country is flat out beautiful. We also saw an endless procession of eagles, vultures, horses (seriously SO MANY HORSES) sheep, goats, chipmunks (that carry the plague apparently, fact), camels and yaks. The gers aren't half bad either, obviously nicer when they are clean (sipping mare’s milk, bleugh, next to a fly covered bowl of what looked like sheep brains is never pleasent, but as forms of accommodation go they were pretty damn good. There is something seriously homey about getting your fire going in your ger and sitting happily in a room that is literally 20 degrees warmer than it is outside.
My toilet going experiences were much improved in the countryside as, basically, Mongolia was my toilet. After the various holes in the ground experienced in Russia, going to the loo in the great outdoors was, frankly, a real pleasure. Amazing views, no queues and the occasional yak to keep you company. On the long drives through completely flat countryside we discovered that I had the eye for rooting out suitable dips & hollows in the ground to provide adequate cover for a quick loo break. After a while I’d be looking for such spots for Reeta & Saara as well. Ogi didn’t need my services as she was happy to have a quick squat wherever which was a little awkward at times! Anyway, rather than witter on here are a few photos showing my personal highlights of the trip.
Following Baikal we got back to Irkutsk, which of course benefitted from this timing as we fell on all things civilised like starving folk. Literally. As soon as we got back to the hostel I made the most of being the only female there by taking a 45 min soak in the only shower as is my right. Following this Al and I hot footed it to the London Pub for a slap up meal and some beer. Culture be damned! Had a 2 course meal, used a flushing toilet 4 times in about 2 hours just because I could and got drunk on a pint of Baltika 7 and felt like a new woman. Irkutsk, despite your raffish nature and seeing a man rough up his wife on the street, I love you.
On to Mongolia! I love you even more. Ulaan Baatar is brilliantly mad, easy going and in your face. Everyone that I’ve spoken to has said get out of UB as soon as you can but following Russia, I took to this place like a duck to water. But then again it might just be that Al and have regularly had gut busting meals for about £8 between us. It also reminded me that ice cold showers are never a good idea when trying to wash as much hair as mine. Brain freeze!
After a couple nights we were off on a 7 day tour around central Mongolia with the lovely Reeta & Saara, our driver Pata and our guide Ogi. We basically drove from place to place on dirt tracks and stayed with nomadic families or camped along the way. Throughout the whole trip we saw endless (and varied!) countryside, from grass plains from horizon to horizon, alpine like forest, desert dunes and shrubs and vast meandering rivers. The country is flat out beautiful. We also saw an endless procession of eagles, vultures, horses (seriously SO MANY HORSES) sheep, goats, chipmunks (that carry the plague apparently, fact), camels and yaks. The gers aren't half bad either, obviously nicer when they are clean (sipping mare’s milk, bleugh, next to a fly covered bowl of what looked like sheep brains is never pleasent, but as forms of accommodation go they were pretty damn good. There is something seriously homey about getting your fire going in your ger and sitting happily in a room that is literally 20 degrees warmer than it is outside.
My toilet going experiences were much improved in the countryside as, basically, Mongolia was my toilet. After the various holes in the ground experienced in Russia, going to the loo in the great outdoors was, frankly, a real pleasure. Amazing views, no queues and the occasional yak to keep you company. On the long drives through completely flat countryside we discovered that I had the eye for rooting out suitable dips & hollows in the ground to provide adequate cover for a quick loo break. After a while I’d be looking for such spots for Reeta & Saara as well. Ogi didn’t need my services as she was happy to have a quick squat wherever which was a little awkward at times! Anyway, rather than witter on here are a few photos showing my personal highlights of the trip.
(The ubiquitous prayer bells)
(L'il old lady starting our fire)
(Me man, me make fire)
(Yaaaaaaak)
(Some of the countless birds of prey)
(Mongolia is my toilet)
(Taking it all very seriously)
(Had the slowest camel so this was my usual view. Be thankful it's not scratch and sniff)
We are now back in UB trying to drum up a tour to the Gobi that doesn’t take 7 days again. We’ve met a Cuban lady who is a producer doing a show here on social issues in in Mongolia who is cool so we’ll see if she wants to come with. In the meantime we are just meandering around, looking at the Bogd Khan winter palace and the ridiculous presents that us foreigners gave to him, leapordskin covered ger anyone? How about an ordered shipment of stuffed animals representing every endangered animal out there? No? How about some jade chopsticks or a waistcoat made out of plus 700 mink shins? Madness. Alex was also particularly enamoured with the as much as you can eat Mongolian buffet we went to last night so we may be here a while people.
The next blog shall be from the mid boggling China, until then a bein tot!
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