Monday 14 September

I sleep poorly and am woken up fully by the train attendant an HOUR before the stop with a stout 'stand up. Ulaanbattar 1 hour'. And the lights turned on. Mal turns the light off. We were planning 30 min before to be sufficient. I can't sleep after that so slowly start preparing my stuff for leaving. At 5.50am local time we arrive in Ulaanbattar. Once off the train there is a bus waiting for us. It's cold and still very dark. On the way to the hotel we stop at a 24/7 bank/ATM/exchange place. May as well make the most of the time. Thankfully we are able to go straight to our rooms at the hotel and they have moved Thursdays breakfast until today as we have to leave very early. We are told there are washing machines in the rooms! I'm thrilled. We still have our washing pods from the states. The wifi is decent too. We get to our room and I'm impressed. Kitchenette, inside shoes ( they are slip on and I hope to take them with me!), separate bathroom and fan and big TV. All looks very nice and new. Malcolm finds fault with the finishing, but I'm happy. It's funny they have a kitchen when it's bare of all but a jug, 2 teacups and saucers and teaspoons! Oh, and I microwave in the hallway! Breakfast is at 7:30am so I use the time to prep the washing machine and clothes, take a shower and charge my phone and get updates. I'm so happy I can upload all my back log of blogs. When we leave for breakfast I put the washing machine on. Breakfast is amazing and I'm even more impressed! Soup, rice, salad and veges, sausages and spaghetti, custard, juice, eggs, pizza, pike-let like crumpet, and cereal milk juice and tea! I wonder if any is left over from restaurant yesterday but it looks fresh. I love my savoury breakfasts and in trying to eat more low-carb if I can. After breakfast we have just over 2 hours before we have a walking tour at 10. The washing is nearly done and I prepare to hang it out over chairs and our clothes line. I though maybe they should have got washer/dryers. I'll put the fan on when we go out. Malcolm naps and I try to catch up on correspondence. We have to wait in the lobby a little bit because there was some miscommunication regarding a bus that turned out not to be for us. Off for our walking tour of Ulaanbattar. First stop is the big square with parliament buildings. Around the square are pretty much all the significant buildings: theatre, mayor, stock exchange, post. It's hot and sunny. After the square we walk to a monastery. I was expecting a quiet, meditative place, but it wasn't really and the grounds seemed generally unkept. We saw monks chanting and a huge statue. Ppl spinning prayer wheels, but without much thought it appeared. Some where on their phones! It's lunch time, but we skip eating with the others because everything is pretty much meat. We walk back with another couple to the state department store and check things out! We get drinks at the top. Next stop supermarket, bottom floor! We stop for more drinks along the footpath and a lady gives us a brochure for a local fair trade store. I want to check it out and we part ways with the other couple. I buy a few things from the store then we walk back to the hotel. We need to book trains for china and I want to write some cards and prepare them for sending. Our time speeds by and soon we have to meet back at the square to go to a cultural show. It's a bit of a walk and we go via the post office. The show is lovely and informative. There was a contortionist who was a bit scary! I nearly fall asleep in the show im so tired. After the show it's what feels like a long walk in my tired state. We go to a traditional Mongolian BBQ. It's actually quote good. You pick the food and sauce and they cook. They also had prepared side dishes. It's a very quiet night and soon we are the only ones. The walk back to the hotel is better coz the air is fresher. I'm thankful for a shower and bed. My jeans dried too!