Here's a recording of a performance at the Drum Tower in Beijing I took.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tokyo is my No. 2!
Typed: 6/13/2011
Japan is amazing. Quite beautiful in every way. I think Tokyo has made it to the No. 2 spot in my favorite cities (No. 1 being Paris). I love the tree lined streets, the small but clean and sturdy roads. Sidewalks that are gushing with flowers of every kind. It smells wonderful here. It smells like what spring should smell like!
What I noticed right off the bat when we walked out of the airport was how serene it is here. The people are so polite and peaceful. Something that Justin keeps saying is: Now he understands where the background for Super Mario Bros. comes from (because the streets are so perfect and clean and fake looking).
Now, Tokyo is still a happenin' place. We didn't have to go too far to find where all the people were at. We walked around Ueno Park, did a little pedal boating in the pond, looked off into a shrine surrounded by a pond infused with lilies, turtles, koi. It was beautiful. All the while people were still peacefully quite.
We went to the National Museum (which was more interesting than the one in China), had our fill of sushi & fresh fish, roamed around the Imperial Palace's Gardens and spent an ETERNITY in the underground world better known as Tokyo Station. My goodness, it's about the sizeof a medium sized city. It took me a good 45 mins to go from one side to the other (and I was speed walking & sweating profusely-- I don't know why I added that).
We took the Bullet train to Fukuoka, Japan. Justin was unimpressed with it. I think he thought it would make your cheeks flap because it was going so fast. It did go really fast (especially compared to the old fashion train we took from Ulaanbaatar to Beijing), but it was a smooth fastness. I am going to miss all the friendliness of Japan. How strange it was to see people politely letting others off the subway before they entered, or seeing people in the streets bowing to each other-- even the workers on the train would bow to us everytime they passed our compartment. Now we're in Fukuoka. It's an amazing city! I wish we had more time here. But, tomorrow we're off to Pusan, South Korea.
Japan is amazing. Quite beautiful in every way. I think Tokyo has made it to the No. 2 spot in my favorite cities (No. 1 being Paris). I love the tree lined streets, the small but clean and sturdy roads. Sidewalks that are gushing with flowers of every kind. It smells wonderful here. It smells like what spring should smell like!
What I noticed right off the bat when we walked out of the airport was how serene it is here. The people are so polite and peaceful. Something that Justin keeps saying is: Now he understands where the background for Super Mario Bros. comes from (because the streets are so perfect and clean and fake looking).
Now, Tokyo is still a happenin' place. We didn't have to go too far to find where all the people were at. We walked around Ueno Park, did a little pedal boating in the pond, looked off into a shrine surrounded by a pond infused with lilies, turtles, koi. It was beautiful. All the while people were still peacefully quite.
We went to the National Museum (which was more interesting than the one in China), had our fill of sushi & fresh fish, roamed around the Imperial Palace's Gardens and spent an ETERNITY in the underground world better known as Tokyo Station. My goodness, it's about the sizeof a medium sized city. It took me a good 45 mins to go from one side to the other (and I was speed walking & sweating profusely-- I don't know why I added that).
We took the Bullet train to Fukuoka, Japan. Justin was unimpressed with it. I think he thought it would make your cheeks flap because it was going so fast. It did go really fast (especially compared to the old fashion train we took from Ulaanbaatar to Beijing), but it was a smooth fastness. I am going to miss all the friendliness of Japan. How strange it was to see people politely letting others off the subway before they entered, or seeing people in the streets bowing to each other-- even the workers on the train would bow to us everytime they passed our compartment. Now we're in Fukuoka. It's an amazing city! I wish we had more time here. But, tomorrow we're off to Pusan, South Korea.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Too Much to See in Beijing
Typed: 6/9/2011
We’ve seen some great things the past few days including the Drum Tower, Bell Tower, some street markets, some Buddhist Temples, and ate some fabulous, succulent Peking Duck. But I was most excited about today because it’s bike day!
Today started out very promising. Justin and I were up by 7:30 and out the door by 8:30. Our plan for the day was to rent some bikes and bike to the Temple of Heaven, Natural History Museum, Chinese History Museum, Mao Mausoleum, Forbidden City and finally the Night Market. We ended up doing 3 out of those 6 things. We started off with a great breakfast of Egg McMuffins & Hashbrowns at a McDonald’s we passed on the way.
I was so excited to ride my bike! It was a little scary at first because of how busy the traffic is and the bike lane is next to car lanes. But I couldn’t help smiling with my shades on and the wind blowing in my hair as I pedaled swiftly. Justin, however, didn’t have such a good experience. His bike was pretty crap. One of his pedals didn’t work at all, so the whole time he biked with his right pedal only. His chain fell off a couple of times and finally he even fell off his bike at one point after struggling to adjust the seat that was too high for him. Oh man, it was quite comical for me. But, I did feel bad for the poor guy.
Anyway, the Temple of Heaven was beautiful! It was so humid out today that I was a little miserable and seeking shade, but I was glad to see it. While we walked inside the gates of the park, everywhere we turned there were people snapping pictures. It made me wonder just how many pictures I have been in over the course of my life. How many people/tourist have an Ashlie in the background of their group photo from DisneyWorld, Big Ben, or the Temple of Heaven?? I wonder…
Well, both of the museums that we went to today were just ‘eh’ for me. It was great to get out of the heat and into an air-conditioned place, but I’m not a museum girl. The first one (Natural History Museum) had dinosaurs, some stuffed animals from the Americas and some human science sections (including this huge womb!).
But the Chinese History Museum had many artifacts from…well, Chinese history. It was interesting, but at this point Justin and I were burnt out. We’d biked several miles in the 96 degree heat with high humidity. We decided to put off the Mao Mausoleum and the Forbidden City until tomorrow and to just bike through the Night Market on our way back to the hostel.
We got lost. We went around in circles looking for where the Night Market was supposed to be. I feel like we were soooo close! I know it was just around one of those corners. But after an hour of riding around and around we decided to add that to the list of things to do tomorrow. We’ve really pooped ourselves out this trip. Beijing just can’t be done comfortably in 5 days. Let that be noted! We finally got to 9 Dragons House around 4:30. What a long day.
Now, our tummies are full with absolutely wonderful Chinese food (the best so far) and we’ve showered, I think we’re done for the night. We’re totally pooped, man.
We’ve seen some great things the past few days including the Drum Tower, Bell Tower, some street markets, some Buddhist Temples, and ate some fabulous, succulent Peking Duck. But I was most excited about today because it’s bike day!
Today started out very promising. Justin and I were up by 7:30 and out the door by 8:30. Our plan for the day was to rent some bikes and bike to the Temple of Heaven, Natural History Museum, Chinese History Museum, Mao Mausoleum, Forbidden City and finally the Night Market. We ended up doing 3 out of those 6 things. We started off with a great breakfast of Egg McMuffins & Hashbrowns at a McDonald’s we passed on the way.
Anyway, the Temple of Heaven was beautiful! It was so humid out today that I was a little miserable and seeking shade, but I was glad to see it. While we walked inside the gates of the park, everywhere we turned there were people snapping pictures. It made me wonder just how many pictures I have been in over the course of my life. How many people/tourist have an Ashlie in the background of their group photo from DisneyWorld, Big Ben, or the Temple of Heaven?? I wonder…
Well, both of the museums that we went to today were just ‘eh’ for me. It was great to get out of the heat and into an air-conditioned place, but I’m not a museum girl. The first one (Natural History Museum) had dinosaurs, some stuffed animals from the Americas and some human science sections (including this huge womb!).
But the Chinese History Museum had many artifacts from…well, Chinese history. It was interesting, but at this point Justin and I were burnt out. We’d biked several miles in the 96 degree heat with high humidity. We decided to put off the Mao Mausoleum and the Forbidden City until tomorrow and to just bike through the Night Market on our way back to the hostel.
We got lost. We went around in circles looking for where the Night Market was supposed to be. I feel like we were soooo close! I know it was just around one of those corners. But after an hour of riding around and around we decided to add that to the list of things to do tomorrow. We’ve really pooped ourselves out this trip. Beijing just can’t be done comfortably in 5 days. Let that be noted! We finally got to 9 Dragons House around 4:30. What a long day.
Now, our tummies are full with absolutely wonderful Chinese food (the best so far) and we’ve showered, I think we’re done for the night. We’re totally pooped, man.
Where am I?
Typed: 6/7/2011
Beijing is AMAZING! Oh man, I LOVE it! It’s beautiful, it’s green, it’s sunny and warm! Our hostel isn’t even a hostel, it’s more like a hotel. I’m lovin’ it. Speaking of “I’m lovin’ it”, guess what our 2nd meal in China was. McDonald’s! I know some people are getting annoyed with us right now for not getting on the Chinese grub, but how on Earth could I pass up a MCDONALDS? In fact, I ate there today, too…and plan on eating there once a day while here in Beijing. Oh how I’ve missed fast food chains. Not only that, but the Coke was the single best Coke I’ve had in over a year now. Something about fountain drinks just make them so much better. Maybe it’s the paper cup that it’s served in? I dunno, but Mongolia better shape up and get some fountain drinks!
Before I get too excited and type about all the novelties the 21st century brings (that we’ve been missing out on in Mongolia), let me create some order to this post and start from the train station when we first arrived yesterday at 2pm.
The warmth made me smile and Justin and I made our way to the front of the train station to find a loooooong line for the Taxi.
Apparently you can’t just hitch-hike rides like you can in Mongolia. So, we made our way to the line and waited…because that’s what we do when we see lines. We stand in the back and wait our turn. That’s not how it goes in Mongolia. Mongolians don’t have much of a concept of ‘queuing up’ or waiting ‘their’ turn. I’m not sure what they think, but they don’t acknowledge whose turn it is by how long the person has been waiting. It’s more whosever elbow is strongest gets served first. Well, while Justin and I were in line we watched as some Mongolians that were on our train with us (not Davaadash’s family) walked right up to the next taxi (in the front of the line) and tried to get in. I couldn’t believe it! What did they think this long line of people queued up by the words "TAXI” (which is the same in Mongolian) were doing? Just hanging out? It just blows my mind how lining up isn’t a part of their culture. I think they are in for a culture shock in Beijing.
Anyway, we were also in for a culture shock. What were we thinking coming to China and not knowing a lick of Mandarin?! We jumped in that Taxi and tried our hardest to explain that we’d like to go to our hostel (9 Dragon House). English didn’t work, and Mongolian didn’t work (though we kept trying to speak Mongolian to him?? I’m not sure why, it’s just what would come out of our mouths). I could tell he was very frustrated. We had a map of where the hostel was, but he wasn’t understanding it until he saw the Chinese script and after that we didn’t have anymore problems. We were dropped off in a small alley & kind of confused, but safe. Chickens were walking about pecking at a pile of marvelous cilantro(!), men swinging in hammocks and red paper lanterns lit the way.
We had a great evening just walking around the neighborhood (finding the McDonald’s and eating there for dinner) and coming back to our hostel for a great night’s sleep.
Onto today: The Great Wall. It is just that. A Great Wall. Beautiful scenery, great hike. Now we’re pooped, sunburned and needing of a shower.
Beijing is AMAZING! Oh man, I LOVE it! It’s beautiful, it’s green, it’s sunny and warm! Our hostel isn’t even a hostel, it’s more like a hotel. I’m lovin’ it. Speaking of “I’m lovin’ it”, guess what our 2nd meal in China was. McDonald’s! I know some people are getting annoyed with us right now for not getting on the Chinese grub, but how on Earth could I pass up a MCDONALDS? In fact, I ate there today, too…and plan on eating there once a day while here in Beijing. Oh how I’ve missed fast food chains. Not only that, but the Coke was the single best Coke I’ve had in over a year now. Something about fountain drinks just make them so much better. Maybe it’s the paper cup that it’s served in? I dunno, but Mongolia better shape up and get some fountain drinks!
Before I get too excited and type about all the novelties the 21st century brings (that we’ve been missing out on in Mongolia), let me create some order to this post and start from the train station when we first arrived yesterday at 2pm.
The warmth made me smile and Justin and I made our way to the front of the train station to find a loooooong line for the Taxi.
Apparently you can’t just hitch-hike rides like you can in Mongolia. So, we made our way to the line and waited…because that’s what we do when we see lines. We stand in the back and wait our turn. That’s not how it goes in Mongolia. Mongolians don’t have much of a concept of ‘queuing up’ or waiting ‘their’ turn. I’m not sure what they think, but they don’t acknowledge whose turn it is by how long the person has been waiting. It’s more whosever elbow is strongest gets served first. Well, while Justin and I were in line we watched as some Mongolians that were on our train with us (not Davaadash’s family) walked right up to the next taxi (in the front of the line) and tried to get in. I couldn’t believe it! What did they think this long line of people queued up by the words "TAXI” (which is the same in Mongolian) were doing? Just hanging out? It just blows my mind how lining up isn’t a part of their culture. I think they are in for a culture shock in Beijing.
Anyway, we were also in for a culture shock. What were we thinking coming to China and not knowing a lick of Mandarin?! We jumped in that Taxi and tried our hardest to explain that we’d like to go to our hostel (9 Dragon House). English didn’t work, and Mongolian didn’t work (though we kept trying to speak Mongolian to him?? I’m not sure why, it’s just what would come out of our mouths). I could tell he was very frustrated. We had a map of where the hostel was, but he wasn’t understanding it until he saw the Chinese script and after that we didn’t have anymore problems. We were dropped off in a small alley & kind of confused, but safe. Chickens were walking about pecking at a pile of marvelous cilantro(!), men swinging in hammocks and red paper lanterns lit the way.
We had a great evening just walking around the neighborhood (finding the McDonald’s and eating there for dinner) and coming back to our hostel for a great night’s sleep.
Onto today: The Great Wall. It is just that. A Great Wall. Beautiful scenery, great hike. Now we’re pooped, sunburned and needing of a shower.
1 year down. 1 year to go!
Typed: 6/5-6/2011
Today is our 1 year anniversary living in Mongolia! And we’ve left for China! The train isn’t so bad at all. I’m pretty sure we got 2nd class tickets instead of 1st because there are some way nicer compartments than ours-- but ours definitely aren’t as bad as the 3rd class we took to Sukhbaataar a couple of weeks ago. 2nd class is very comfortable. Here are a couple of reminders for the next time we take the train:
Bring your own toilet paper!
Bring wet wipes
Snacks, water, more snacks!!
Books to read
We were put in a compartment with an older man and his grandson. They both are Mongolians who know English and seem to be well traveled. We played many rounds of Texas Hold ’Em and other various card games. Davaadash (the grandfather) , was traveling with his wife, children and other grandchildren to visit a son who is a consulate living in China. They were in other compartments, but came in and out of ours to play with the white folks, or to talk. Davaadash got Justin to sing a Mongolian song with him on the train. I think he was impressed with Justin. There were some uncomfortable times but all in all, the 30 hour train ride wasn’t so bad….but maybe would have been better in 1st class.
Crossing the border into China was pretty awesome. The last Mongolian town we went through was Zamiin Uud and it’s quite a desolate and sandy place (comparable to Mandalgov--our town), but almost immediately after crossing the border into the Chinese side there were trees, flower gardens and even classical music blasting from speakers to welcome us (at least that’s what I think the music was for). It was a little eerie, but nice at the same time. It was like 10pm at night when we went through that Chinese town.
So, we stopped for 2 hours in Erenhot in Inner Mongolia, China. The train had to change its wheels so most passengers got off to walk around Erenhot and stretch their legs. Well, Justin and I were starving. We knew we had about 2 hours (but by Mongolian time it could mean anywhere from 45 mins to 3 hours) so we felt a little flustered and rushed in our first Chinese city ever! And….we ended up eating at a Mongolian restaurant. Call us crazy, because we totally are. Who hops the border from Mongolia to China and immediately eats at a Mongolian restaurant??? These guys. Us. Sad and pathetic, I know. We were rushed and we know absolutely no Mandarin, but we do know Mongolian. So we were able to talk to some friendly Mongolians at the restaurant and help several other travelers (some Irish men) with the menu and ordering. I’m still shaking my head that this was our first meal in China.
We got back on the train around 12:30 am and I had one of the best sleeps in the last 2 weeks. I still woke up at 6:30 though (dang sun getting up at 4am!!). We had breakfast and lunch on the train. (They didn’t feed us meals while in Mongolia, but in China we got served TWO meals!) Almost to Beijing.
Today is our 1 year anniversary living in Mongolia! And we’ve left for China! The train isn’t so bad at all. I’m pretty sure we got 2nd class tickets instead of 1st because there are some way nicer compartments than ours-- but ours definitely aren’t as bad as the 3rd class we took to Sukhbaataar a couple of weeks ago. 2nd class is very comfortable. Here are a couple of reminders for the next time we take the train:
Bring your own toilet paper!
Bring wet wipes
Snacks, water, more snacks!!
Books to read
We were put in a compartment with an older man and his grandson. They both are Mongolians who know English and seem to be well traveled. We played many rounds of Texas Hold ’Em and other various card games. Davaadash (the grandfather) , was traveling with his wife, children and other grandchildren to visit a son who is a consulate living in China. They were in other compartments, but came in and out of ours to play with the white folks, or to talk. Davaadash got Justin to sing a Mongolian song with him on the train. I think he was impressed with Justin. There were some uncomfortable times but all in all, the 30 hour train ride wasn’t so bad….but maybe would have been better in 1st class.
Crossing the border into China was pretty awesome. The last Mongolian town we went through was Zamiin Uud and it’s quite a desolate and sandy place (comparable to Mandalgov--our town), but almost immediately after crossing the border into the Chinese side there were trees, flower gardens and even classical music blasting from speakers to welcome us (at least that’s what I think the music was for). It was a little eerie, but nice at the same time. It was like 10pm at night when we went through that Chinese town.
So, we stopped for 2 hours in Erenhot in Inner Mongolia, China. The train had to change its wheels so most passengers got off to walk around Erenhot and stretch their legs. Well, Justin and I were starving. We knew we had about 2 hours (but by Mongolian time it could mean anywhere from 45 mins to 3 hours) so we felt a little flustered and rushed in our first Chinese city ever! And….we ended up eating at a Mongolian restaurant. Call us crazy, because we totally are. Who hops the border from Mongolia to China and immediately eats at a Mongolian restaurant??? These guys. Us. Sad and pathetic, I know. We were rushed and we know absolutely no Mandarin, but we do know Mongolian. So we were able to talk to some friendly Mongolians at the restaurant and help several other travelers (some Irish men) with the menu and ordering. I’m still shaking my head that this was our first meal in China.
We got back on the train around 12:30 am and I had one of the best sleeps in the last 2 weeks. I still woke up at 6:30 though (dang sun getting up at 4am!!). We had breakfast and lunch on the train. (They didn’t feed us meals while in Mongolia, but in China we got served TWO meals!) Almost to Beijing.
Training: Complete
6/4/2011
So Justin and I spent the last two weeks in Darkhan attending training on how to be trainers for the new Peace Volunteers that will be coming to serve in Mongolia tomorrow (for 2 years). We worked hard days, but I am not complaining at all. It was great to feel like we’re getting something done and to stay completely busy. Also it was magical, just magical being in an apartment! This is the apartment Justin and I will call home this summer (until mid August). It is going to be soooooo hard going back to ger living. So hard.
The food here is great! I’ve had yummy yogurt with walnuts and cranberries (just like I used to have every morning in the States!!). Also, Justin and I were told of a place that had Dr. Pepper! This is the first ever DP I’ve seen in Mongolia! And you better believe we bought the store out. We also have a TV. We get one English channel-- which is CNN! So, I’ve been quite spoiled because my morning and night routine now includes watching World News on CNN.
I know Darkhan is sounding like a dreamland to you, it is! They even have a restaurant called Texas. Yep. There were a few evenings when Justin and I wanted dinner and said, “Let’s go to Texas”. It sounded awesome to just say it. “Okay, Let’s go to Texas”-- Like we were going home. We spent our 5th year Wedding Anniversary in/at Texas last Friday (May 27th). And another tid-bit of awesomeness-- a store here carries Jalapeños! They will definitely be bought out by the end of the summer!
We’re leaving for UB this afternoon, then tomorrow morning Justin and I are off to China via the Trans-Siberian Railway.
So Justin and I spent the last two weeks in Darkhan attending training on how to be trainers for the new Peace Volunteers that will be coming to serve in Mongolia tomorrow (for 2 years). We worked hard days, but I am not complaining at all. It was great to feel like we’re getting something done and to stay completely busy. Also it was magical, just magical being in an apartment! This is the apartment Justin and I will call home this summer (until mid August). It is going to be soooooo hard going back to ger living. So hard.
The food here is great! I’ve had yummy yogurt with walnuts and cranberries (just like I used to have every morning in the States!!). Also, Justin and I were told of a place that had Dr. Pepper! This is the first ever DP I’ve seen in Mongolia! And you better believe we bought the store out. We also have a TV. We get one English channel-- which is CNN! So, I’ve been quite spoiled because my morning and night routine now includes watching World News on CNN.
I know Darkhan is sounding like a dreamland to you, it is! They even have a restaurant called Texas. Yep. There were a few evenings when Justin and I wanted dinner and said, “Let’s go to Texas”. It sounded awesome to just say it. “Okay, Let’s go to Texas”-- Like we were going home. We spent our 5th year Wedding Anniversary in/at Texas last Friday (May 27th). And another tid-bit of awesomeness-- a store here carries Jalapeños! They will definitely be bought out by the end of the summer!
We’re leaving for UB this afternoon, then tomorrow morning Justin and I are off to China via the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Ready, set, go!
And we're off!
We've made our way to Sukhbaatar in Selenge, Mongolia. It is beautiful here! Justin and I took the train from UB- Sukhbaatar. We boarded at 9pm on Tuesday and got to Nadra's apartment at about 5am on Wednesday. Justin and I thought we'd brave 3rd class (even though we'd heard to avoid it). We figured since we are traveling together that it wouldn't be so bad with a partner. And it really wasn't bad. It wasn't comfortable by all means, but it wasn't bad and definitely worth the money we saved from not going on 1st or even 2nd class.
Here's a picture of the inside of 3rd class. There are seats for 8 people per compartment, but we only had 2 other people in our compartment.
There were 6 beds available in our compartment. I took a bottom bed while Justin bunked up top. He strapped himself in with the straps to make sure he didn't roll off the bed during the night.
The beds were just boards (what we were expecting), but no bedding whatsoever was provided (not what we were expecting). There wasn't any heat on and it was a very cold night. :(
But, we made it! And we're here! And it doesn't look like Mongolia to us. There are trees, and grass and actual houses! I've only seen a handful of gers. Which is opposite in Mandalgovi (you'd see thousands of gers, but a handful of houses). Since the town is very close to the Russian border the town has a lot of Russian influence. It is a really cute town.
Here are a couple pictures from Nadra's 5th floor apartment:
Here's Justin and Nadra. Justin was pretty excited to see some fish available at the local market.
We've made our way to Sukhbaatar in Selenge, Mongolia. It is beautiful here! Justin and I took the train from UB- Sukhbaatar. We boarded at 9pm on Tuesday and got to Nadra's apartment at about 5am on Wednesday. Justin and I thought we'd brave 3rd class (even though we'd heard to avoid it). We figured since we are traveling together that it wouldn't be so bad with a partner. And it really wasn't bad. It wasn't comfortable by all means, but it wasn't bad and definitely worth the money we saved from not going on 1st or even 2nd class.
Here's a picture of the inside of 3rd class. There are seats for 8 people per compartment, but we only had 2 other people in our compartment.
There were 6 beds available in our compartment. I took a bottom bed while Justin bunked up top. He strapped himself in with the straps to make sure he didn't roll off the bed during the night.
The beds were just boards (what we were expecting), but no bedding whatsoever was provided (not what we were expecting). There wasn't any heat on and it was a very cold night. :(
But, we made it! And we're here! And it doesn't look like Mongolia to us. There are trees, and grass and actual houses! I've only seen a handful of gers. Which is opposite in Mandalgovi (you'd see thousands of gers, but a handful of houses). Since the town is very close to the Russian border the town has a lot of Russian influence. It is a really cute town.
Here are a couple pictures from Nadra's 5th floor apartment:
Here's Justin and Nadra. Justin was pretty excited to see some fish available at the local market.
Look what I found!
I was so excited when I stepped foot into Nadra's apartment in Sukhbaatar, Mongolia-- even though I was severely sleep deprived from an overnight train ride.
Yes, while I'm here visiting her I don't mind being the weird cat-lady! I love them! It is so weird to be able to show my crazy excitement for them because Mongolians hate cats. I'm not talking about oh-I'm-just-not-a-cat-person type hate. I'm talking about screaming-scared-for-your-life type hate. They can transfer evil spirits, or bad luck. I have yet to meet a Mongolian who likes cats.
Nadra's kitties:
Oh, but it's been sooo long since I've been with a cat! It's been a year now when I had to leave Annie behind. I can't believe it's been that long!
My Annie:
Monday, May 16, 2011
Getting your Chinese Visa in Mongolia
I've been planning for this trip for a while. I did all my research on getting a Chinese Visa, the sites we want to see, the prices, the transportation, etc. I got all the paperwork in order and we got it all printed out (a few times, because...well, just because that's how it goes here in Mongolia).
Justin spent a good portion of the day on Friday running around UB trying to make things possible for us to get our Visas, but really ended up not doing anything because he found out that we needed to get our train ticket information (our way out of Mongolia & into China) for our visit application.
Problem: You can't buy train tickets in Mongolia more than a day in advance. So how can we get our train ticket receipt to show the Embassy in enough time to process our Visas? You have to go through a travel agency. I hate travel agencies. The reason is because they're over-priced. But I do understand that they take away a lot of the headache that planning your own trip can give. So...I was about to give in when......UB Guesthouse saved our lives.
There, on the door of their building, was a flyer saying they'd help with train tickets & visa-- perfect! And it was, they printed out everything we needed then said, 'you're done'. So all the running around Justin did the other day was sadly for nothing, but we went to the Chinese Embassy this morning and pretty much just went in and out. They took all our application papers, pictures, train ticket in, flight ticket out, and our hostel information while we in China. We can pick up our visas next Monday.
It wasn't so bad. Really.
UB Guesthouse has been good to us. We have a private room here, good pillows, hot showers, toilets, they've done our laundry, and now pretty much sealed our deal with our train tickets and visa application. Though, Khongor Guesthouse will always be my 1st choice. UB Guesthouse is a tough competitor.
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