Yesterday was a pretty chill out day. I had to get a train ticket to Russia so I went to the train station to get it. On the way I passed what looked like a wholesale market and there were guys out the front chugging bottles of Vodka at 8.30 in the morning. I lined up with the usual pushing and shoving, only to be told not here. I have to go over 2 streets, turn left and there. I did that and found a building said Railcom. It was closed. On the way back to guesth...

I have got 15 pages of notes here so I will try to keep it brief. I have just spent 5 days in the middle of nowhere in a countrty that is considered the midle of nowhere. 4 days were on dirt roads, some 80km/p/hr roads and some of them walking pace. I lost count of the rivers we crossed, only one went over the bonet when we dipped in, the Onon. We were 4wd in snow and once nearly got bogged. I stayed in a yert the first night with a family of nomads and the other...

I walked to the hostel cos it wasnt too far. It was freezing, it has been around 1deg all day and when I went out for dinner it was snowing so I stopped at Mr Pizza. I went out earlier to look for a tour to the east (most people go south to the Gobi) and to find a new SD card for my camera. I did find new SD but had to walk all the way to Fujifilm to get it cos no one else sells them. I have tried for 3 days. I put a post on LP looking for a tour and there might ...

It was INSANE. So I had some trouble in Beijing finding the bus and station etc so I took a taxi. I arrived in Erlain at about midnite so I was stuck with the hotel the taxi driver picked. It was OK but I was only there for 6hr. My research said there was trains every day and about 6 buses everyday. I couldnt find them and at the train station in Beijing they told me train only on Tues and Wed. (same as Trans Mongolian). .I was up early to go to the train station...

I legged it to the Mongolian Embassy to get my visa. There was no problems, after we worked out which way the line was gonna go. I saw the 2 Tassie chicks who were there the other day, they had come back cos the line was too long the other day. I got a 30 day visa valid for the next 3 months and even though the signs around the place say you need letter of invitation I got visa without any other paperwork. Only thing I gave them was the form and my passport. Pass...