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MONGOLIA    DIARY  3

Photos  Map&Plan  Diary 1  2  3

          From Diary 2.
17. We get some sleep, and then head out towards nature. It turns out to be a large, very flat swamp area we come to. We find a new high-rise building with cinemas and not least: A cafe with a view of the area.
Then we cross in through the somewhat scattered newer city through the huge Mini Mongol park to an old temple. Most of all, it looks like a villa where the owner has made a half-hearted attempt at a temple.
We just make it to a coffee-cake break at the terminal, before we are turned away from the bus. It turns out the lady sold me tickets for yesterday's bus at 14:00. At least, I can buy new ones for the one that leaves in a minute. And they leave on the dot.
Another trip through the endless green hills of Outer Mongolia. They are really beautiful, and there are really many animals and tents here. And I have a lot of crappy photos of great motives.
We are dropped off at the Dragon terminal, ten kilometres outside the city. Despite the fact that this is the road the airport is on, they have no idea which bus that stops on the main road outside the airport. Nor any other way to reach the airport.
Back in Ulaanbaatar, we take care of Claus's strawberry smoothes abstinence, and seek out the city's tourist information. The lady looks up, giggles at my English, and continues reading without a word.
An employee in a kiosk calls the shuttle bus office, helps us to get online, gives us an app so that we have internet in all of the chain's 100 kiosks in UB, and writes on Messenger with the shuttle bus office. We find a pizza and don't get home until 11pm. The highlights from day 6
18. Claus is looking for a disc golf course, far out in the countryside. I stay in the city, and first try the big Naran Tuul Market, was closed last time.
Strangely enough, it still is, but I saw some residential areas on the road, even with tents. The huge market is bordered by containers, some of which have advertisements for saddles.
A little disillusioned, I enter a multi-storey mall, with mobile phones, make-up, bags, shoes, clothes and little else, which the modern Mongolian might want to buy.
I follow a parallel street to the main street, and here there are several shops. But also Soviet housing estates, shacks with soda and vodka and fancy houses. I try several reasonably authentic restaurants and snacks, but as a vegetarian, I end up at a rare bakery that has an excellent salad in the fridge. They call it a Caesar salad, but there are neither the traditional ingredients nor Caesar in it. Around the bakery are a number of specialist shops with tea, honey, herbs, nuts, plants and the like.
I continue in the parallel UB and reach an old temple; Choijin Lama Temple/Museum. As one of the first places, they only take cash and I save my last for buses. However, that doesn't stop me from taking a few photos, over the high walls.
I continued in the southern parallel street, passing the national theatre, beautiful squares, impressive Soviet mansions, fancy high-rise buildings, small shops in wooden sheds and everything in between. Here are some statues of famous Mongols, abstract camels, gazelles and the like. Close to the centre, an old truck comes rattling most unexpectedly with 3-4 camels. I only thought they were down in the Gobi. And I had just packed the camera away, to prevent getting too many photos of buildings. And I have given up on people: with the exception of their faces, they are no different from Danes and South Americans in the cities. There are no real visiting shepherds here.
At the southern end of the city, I cross over to the northern parallel street. At first, it looks like allotment houses, then there is a large space that is now used for parking. A shortage like in all other big cities.
I stop at a GS25 kiosk, for internet and a Craft Coke, not a draft beer. It tastes like an Irma cola: not sour, but rich in cola taste. There are a lot of bookstores in an area, from used book sheds to huge fancy stores.
I follow the river out to some blocks of flats, most having small shops in sheds in front of the blocks: A really widespread phenomenon.
A patisserie has coffee and beautiful cakes - which, not surprisingly, are decorated shortbread. At least the garnish is tasty and it costs less than a latte.
There are quite a few, who greet me really politely, and surprisingly, they are mainly young teenagers.
I am home before Claus, after a short break, I trudge east off the main road. Here is a Russian Orthodox church, a strip club and a large area in the area of ​​the long stream, with wooden sheds and tents.
I'm back in the twilight at nine o'clock, and still alone. Head the bed at 11 o'clock, and reckons Claus has found another place to sleep. Well, he make it back at midnight. He did get to throw around his plastic, but not at the course he were heading for. The highlights from day 7
19. We find the place where Mongolian Airways once had an office. A nearby travel agency gives us the new address. A waffle shop slows us down, but the employee also finds an airport bus for us, something no one else has been able to do. As expected, Claus's return ticket has been cancelled, but for a fee, it can be restored.
Then we find the Nature history museum with dinosaur bones from the Gobi desert. It's not big, but it's a really big collection of real dinosaur bones and stuffed animals.
We agree, the national museum can wait until the next time we are in Mongolia, and the museum of modern art can entertain Claus tomorrow.
I'm trying to book a shuttle bus to the airport, but haven't really heard from them. We try to find the public bus from the central square that runs every three hours. It just doesn't show up at five o'clock.
We see a few patisseries from the inside, and then I take the bus home for a shower. I am back at the square at 19:30 and the bus arrives at 19:36. The driver just smokes a cigarette, Claus comes by and says goodbye, and we drive off at 19:42. The schedule says 20:00 and I am the only passenger on the last bus of the day.
I have nine hours at the airport, and sleep the first seven on a good bed. Then I can go through security and fly to China. My minimal luggage has met all my needs and is perfect.
Mongolia may not have been fully explored on this tour, but we have made a good impression, and I feel only the Gobi is missing.
 The highlights from day 8
20. A short flight and I'm back in Beijing; China. Three hours is plenty, and then it's off to Frankfurt. Meaning; we are ready to fly but sit and stare for 90 minutes. The captain doesn't really know why, as he doesn't understand the Chinese air traffic controller's English.
The Luftwaffe forgot to bring headphones, so the movies on the twelve-hour flight are a bit boring. I get a flight attendant to find a used pair, and I talk a lot with my Chinese neighbour, who works in Copenhagen and has travelled a lot.
When just the plane in Frankfurt - unlike her.
In Copenhagen airport, I walk right into a train, stopping in Roskilde close to midnight.

Considering the short time to plan, and the long flight, it have after all been a nice tour. I have spend around 12,700 DKK/€1,700, of which the flight make up 80%. I have only made 1100 photos, and not all are good.
See the highlights from the entire tour here.
Expenses DKK K ₮366;
Flight 9654 4657 1287
Insurance 0 0 0
Hotel 855 1772 114
Stuff 81 39 11
Transport 470 227 63
Food 1504 1 201
Admission 87 42 12
Total: 12651 6737 1687

Photos   Map & Plan   Diary 1  2  3