Train to Ulan Batar, Mongolia and experiences so far in Mongolia

Been a while, I well know since last post/journal entry but we've been "on the road" as they say and out of internet access for much of the time. 

• Our last night in UU, one of our favorite places yet, we saw Jack again at the hostel; you may recall from previous blogs we had met him  initially on the Moscow walking tour and then again on the shore of Lake Baikal; he had ridden his bike from Irkutsk to UU and was on his way in a few days to come here to Ulan Batar (UU from now on b/c it takes me so long to type the  whole thing in!), the capital of Mongolia.  
• What a small world but yet again the Trans Siberian train route we've been doing is, in its own way, a VERY popular trip for many, many people so it's not uncommon to see people we met on one leg of the trip later down the road.  In a sense, we've met a family of fellow travelers to share stories, adventures and hints of where to go and what to see and do next.
• Back to our travels before I digress again!  Left UU on 9/5 to take the morning train, a departure from our normal late night trains, to UU, a 23 hour ride.  Our 1st providnitsa, i.e. train attendant, was SO much nicer than the others we'd met.  Our cabin mates were Mannfred and Fernando (remember the ABBA song), a German father and son team from Germany traveling to Beijing together before Fernando, who is Natalie's age, continues on a 2 year around the world trip and hoping to work in Aust. for a year, hitchhike across the US and then work his way back to Europe on a boat via Montreal.
• Without exception, all the people we'd met in the UU hostel going on to UB were taking the 12 hour bus ride rather than the train.  I had looked into that but the reviews and comments I'd read when planning the trip recommended the train instead.
• Scenery from UU to the border was much more beautiful than what we'd seen all across Russia before that: no more of the same birch trees for thousands upon thousands of kms, but lakes and hills and mini mountains that reminded us of home in Colorado and also of the Black Hills of S. Dakota.
• I can see why some prefer the train after we had to wait more than 5 hours at the Russian border to go through all the formalities including a very small dog coming on board to sniff out people hidden in our miniscule luggage area under our seats and above the door; that was followed by police officers doing the same thing.  
• We were luckily able to get off the train and wander around the tiny park behind the station; Steven read his Kindle and I picked up oodles and oodles of empty liquor bottles and 1 litre beer cans littering the park - wearing plastic gloves would have been a smart idea! 
• There were 2 19 yr. old guys on the train with us who had mistakenly booked the train one day later than they should have; that meant they were leaving Russia 13 hours after their visas expired; they ended up having to pay 600 Rubles right on the spot plus another 2000 into some sort of account - don't think they'll make that mistake again.
• Another 2 plus hour stop at the Mongolian border with very friendly Mongolian police/customs staff as opposed to the very dour Russians; again dog and police looked for stowaways then 6 local money changers came on board each one hoping to exchange travelers' rubles for the Mongolian togrog, the local currency.
• There are NO coins in Mongolia BTW; at an exchange rate of 32 togrog to the USD, you need a gazillion bills in your wallet at anyone time to pay for anything.  For example, I paid 2000T for 2 bananas and a tomato, then 45,000T for just a few groceries at the State Department Store here in UB, a massive 6 floor building that looks like any upscale US dept store but the grocery prices are as cheap there as any other place we checked out.  Getting so used to having grocery stores as part and parcel of the big stores - nothing like one stop shopping!
• Again, through luck and fortuitous planning, our hostel here in UB is all of 200 m from the State Dept Store and Peace Ave, or what we could call Main St.

Now 9/11: thoughts first of all to all those affected by the horrific events that occurred on this date.  I didn't have enough time to post pictures with what I'd written below before we left for our second trek/tour here in Mongolia.  Have notes galore from our last several days so at some point, hopefully soon, I WILL get to them and the pictures of this intriguing country.

• Left on a pre-arranged 1 night/2 day tour with Khongor Guesthouse in UB, about 2 hours after getting off the 23 hour train ride from UU, to Terelj National Park which is NW of the capital.  I had asked for the last 6 months if Khongor could please see if anyone else wanted to go on either of the 2 tours we wanted to go on to get out (i.e. for the company and to reduce our per person costs) and see the countryside away from UB but had heard nothing back from them.  I asked other Khongor guests in the 2 hours we had if anyone was interested.
• Those of you who know us both well might find Steven's following comment amusing. He said on 9/6 that he realized for the first time in 28 years where you, Nina, get your gift of the gab meeting new people.  Do you remember, hon, when we were all camping in both state and provincial parks eons ago and the first thing you'd do when we got to a new place is scamper off by yourself while we set up camp and go meet everyone and find out all there was to know about the park, the people and bring kids your age back to our campsite like the Pied Piper?  Well, your Mum is just like that, much to Dad's amazement after 31 years of wedded bliss!
• I/we've met so many people from all over the world and exchanged email addresses with them and hope that some of them at least will find their way to Littleton for some home cooked meals, baked goods and a warm bed.
• Luckily a 69 year old Dutch/Belgian woman, Cissy but pronounced Cece to our North American ears, was up for the tour as was Yasu, a 35 year old Japanese businessman traveling without his wife this time.  Steven and I were so lucky they both wanted to go because we had a couple of days with them and obviously got to know them and they us much more than just a few hours spent in the train.
• Natalie:  thought you'd be interested to know that for whatever reason there were probably more "seniors" here than young adults at Khongor - nice that for once people our age traveling the Trans Siberian route from SPB to Beijing were in the majority!
• A sidebar:  when planning the trip, I think we both thought that there wouldn't be that many people adventurous enough to do this wild and crazy trip.  Wow - were we wrong.  Can't tell you how many people of all ages are doing much the same route we are and of course trips of far greater length and breadth too than we.  We're already "planning" the next trip in our minds - Eastern Europe and Istanbul is high up there now but that may well change of course.  We'd thought of Aust. and NZ but they both sound way too tame for us now!
• I hope the pictures and descriptions will suffice til I have time to write again.

  

  Jack at UU hostel: had met him in Moscow, then hiked with him by Lake Baikal, then saw him our last night in UU.  Where next?

  
  

  

  Views from train en route to UB, Mongolia.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Mannfred doing his typical Angela Merkel pose!

  
  

  

  Very common sight from train.

  
  
  
  
  

  

  In front of our carriage en route to UB: note the sign in window.

  
  

  

  Steven relaxing in "park" at Russian border.

  
  

  

  One of the reasons the tr4ain takes so long from UU to UB: cows on tracks all the time!

  
  

  

  At Mongolian border at long last!
  

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  • Photos aren't loading properly so am giving up the ghost for tonight so at least you'll get to read and see something.  Have lots more photos to share when I can - sorry about that!