Special start to the day - went to Gandantegchenling Monastery (which means 'Great Place of Complete Joy') a 5 min walk from hotel. Got to sit with monks as they chanted their morning prayers, complete with drums and cymbals. Felt very privileged to be with them and the local people worshipping. Part of the monastery is the Buddhist University of Mongolia! Wasn't all peace, enlightenment and tranquility though! On the way there we had to walk past a local ta...

Huw's Bit Back to UB from the NP and that drive!  Spent the afternoon walking UB taking in the last day of the National Festival.  Walked to the wrestling arena and it was packed - their Grand Final day.  Managed to avoid the pickpockets and spent some time in the city centre.  First ever Korean food for dinner - outstanding!  More sights in UB tomorrow then off to Russia tomorrow, 2 days on the train!    Christine's Bit We were lucky as we arrived at...

Huw's Bit Picked up at 9am for the 2 hour drive to the NP which is 65km away - 2 hours surely not!  I'm going to find it hard to describe what happened next! Basically after about 45mins we turned off the very poor main road bitumen surface and drove on...well the grasslands and dirt tracks. There was a rough 'road/track' to follow but bascially you drive where you want and make up the rules as you go along!  Got invovled in numerous games of chicken and who c...

Chinese-Mongolian border crossing was amazing!  5 hours for both sets of officials to do their stuff - not a smile from the lot of them!  Last Mongolian official did say 'gwudbi' but I think it may have been in a sort of sinister 'James Bond' villain type of way!   Anywho the feat of changing bogeys (train wheels) was incredible - all carriages raised off the ground by hydraulic lifts and then old bogeys shunted out and new ones shunted in - all passengers st...