UB
8 Mar 2014 | Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
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It's time to go to the next country: Mongolia!
Mongolia is a bit special for hitchhiking, they don't have much roads -they like to start and finish roads in the middle of the desert apparently-, and they don't have much cars. And for the little that can be done they expect to be paid for rides. Nevertheless, as soon as I am in Zamyn-Üüd across the border, I try my luck. I ask an old lady the way to Ulaanbaatar -as I have to go there quickly to arrange my next visa that might take some time processing- and she points at the desert: this way!
After three long hours walking in the desert, finally on some road I found, by minus 20 celsius, without seeing a single car or truck (well, one that gave a 5km ride) , I was ready to pay for my ride in case I would got any. Finally a car shows up, agrees to take me to UB for a little fee, and after some checkpoint drive back to Zamyn-Üüd and put me in the train (my understanding of Mongolian is close to none haha).
That gives me the flavour of my travel accross Mongolia: no hitchhiking, it's by trans-mongolian that I will go.
In the train I meet Mohammed, an Algerian traveller that just cycled accross Russia and Mongolia to China during the winter and is on his way back, it's good to share stories and ideas with him!
And finally I arrive in Ulaanbaatar (lit. 'the red hero') -or UB as they call it here-. I stay at Uli's, a german guy who has been living and working there for the last height years. It's really nice encounter as we share a lot on our view of the world. He is considering quitting his job to work on a little organic farm in Germany with some friends, where he already spends his winters.
I come again three weeks later to get my visa back (photos are from both my stays), the weather is already much warmer and the city more enjoyable. But this city has no charm, Mongols are not made for cities.