Mongolia: tailor-made-trip

It is really difficult so start talking about Mongolia after Russia. This was already my third time in Russia, which made it a bit familiar to me – even if I hadn’t in the Asian part so far which is definitely completely different to the European part (people- and landscapewise). But Mongolia is still completely different to Russias Asian part even though the Buryat people are ethnically related to the Mongolians, and speaking Russian sometimes helps a lot in Mongolia...

Well, we (the two French girls I got to know in Ulan Ude – Sylvie and Gwen – and me) went to Ulaanbaatar by bus which was a great decision: it is not only nearly 4 times cheaper than the train but also wastes far less time at the border (1h50min in our case instead of approx. 7h with the train – no joke!!). Driving on the road we quickly got an idea of how our trip to Mongolia would be like: great landscape all the way long!!

However, entering the capital we felt really quickly that we wouldn’t like it... We stayed two nights, using the day we had in the city for the organisation of our trip and a short sightseeing tour to the main square, the main road and the monastery, which was unspectacular apart from the really amazing statue.

The people in the capital were not really nice or open (well, I guess capital cities or big cities are often like this). What really annoyed me personally was the traffic: a complete mess where everybody is only tooting all the time.

As a pedestrian you really have to take care, because cars would for sure not stop: a few times I got nearly hit by a car... Everybody says that in Russia drivers wouldn’t pay attention: bullshit!! you put your foot on the pavement in Russia and the cars will stop for you! But don’t expect that in Ulaanbaatar!

The atmosphere in the hostel reflected a bit what we had already read in guides before: everybody writes and says that it is difficult to travel in Mongolia by your own and that you should rather take an organised tour or rent a jeep with driver. Both options are cheaper the more people join is so all the other backpackers in the hostel are either trying to make you join their tour or their jeep-trip. Everybody is on the look for his own tailor-made tour, and believing this bullshit (that you can only travel in Mongolia with tour-operators or jeep+driver) they end up with having the same trip like everybody else... and this competition for travel-mates really poisons the whole atmosphere. 

 All three we really didn’t like this attitude and agreed upon leaving UB as quick as possible: So already the next morning we were sitting in a crowded bus, only with Mongolians, on the way to Kharkhorin. Without even being asked the woman next to Gwen passed her her telephone: her daughter was renting gers in Kharkhorin where we stayed the upcoming night! The woman – like all other Mongolians we met afterwards – was really nice and helped us a lot!

The next day we went on to Tsetserleg: we knew approximately at what time the bus from Ulaanbaatar would pass so we would just stop it and hop on. This bus was completely overcrowded: all seats were taken and moreover loads of stuff (people seem to buy loads of stuff in the capital to get over the winter...) was packed in the corridor. We as well had to sit in the corridor in the beginning till other people were getting off... 

The time on the bus passed really quickly and the kids on the bus sitting near us were happy to have some entertainment after having been on this bus for hours… I must say, the rides on the busses made us seeing and understanding so much of the country and the people than a trip with a jeep somewhere! Furthermore: not speaking the language doesn’t hinder you of getting in touch with people!

In Tsetserleg we finally stayed for 3 nights, going to the hot springs Tsekher on the second day with a really nice taxi driver, that would drive us all the way through the great landscape to the hot springs and back. He would always stop for us when we wanted to make photos of the great landscape and of all the animals and the gers. And I am now proud of speaking a few words in Mongolian: I can say cow, horse, sheep and snow (yes, you could see the snow on the top of the mountains...) – I should put “Mongolian – intermediate level” on my CV :D

All in all I really enjoy my trip to Mongolia so far and am really happy to travel with two really great girls who have the same idea of travelling like I have: without using tour operators but trying to organise everything by ourselves and getting in contact with the locals as much as possible. However, tomorrow we are off to a few-days-tour to the Gobi-dessert with jeep and driver, which is really the only way to travel there... Looking forward to this as well!