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. Passport has Russia visa so that does show I will probably be moving on.
No one at the hostel could tell me where the bus station was so I had to take a taxi. Nearest I could get was about 4 sub way stations away. The taxi seemed to go for ages and I thought he was lost but eventually he pulled up at a bus station. All the way across town, 20min drive, for less than $5. NO ONE at the station could speak english. Eventually I found out there was no bus today, they sent me to a guy hanging around and he wanted 280 to take me. (I thought to another bus station) I told him to shove it and got an old lady on a trishaw to take me fo 20Y. She took me to a dodgy bus station full of boonged out dodgy buses. The bloke in the office ignored me, then wanted 200 for a ticket. I walked out and negotiated with a taxi for 280. mmmmm I turned down a taxi starting at 280, paid 20 to get to another taxi for 280?? What's going on...think about it. The neighborhood is my kind of place. They are cooking all sorts of food in the streets and there are bars on all the windows. I have missed the best part of Beijing. We sat for a while doing cherades and I thought the taxi driver wanted to take me to UB on friday but I want to go on thursday. Eventually he phoned a friend and we sorted it. He is gonna find me a dodgy hotel in Erlain tonight and I will cross the border tomorrow and take bus or train to UB tomorrow.
He said we were leaving at 2 but at 1.30 we headed off. There was a mongolian girl in the front and we stopped to pick up a Russian guy. Then we had to pick up 3 Russian hookers, so I had a ride all the way with a car load or hookers. We eventually set off at 3.30.The traffic was crazy. We were on 4 lane dual carriage way freeways in gridlock at 3.30 in the arvo. We spent about an hour trying to get through the traffic. Even after we "left the city" the traffic was still crazy. We were just carving in and out of the traffic and swerving around the trucks.
We passed the Badaling Great Wall. It is very impressive. I have seen lots of pictures of the Great Wall but it is not the same as seeing it in real life.
2hr into the trip, about 200km from Beijing and there is still a smog haze. I have not seen the sky since I got here.
Lots of stops for the girls and a comfortable seat so the trip was OK. I expected the driver to stop at a greasy spoon or truck stop for a meal but he stopped st a deli. I had a packet of chips and a packet or Oreo's. I was looking forward to something greasy.
The hotel the driver "found" for me was OK. A couple of the hookers, the Russian and me stayed there. It was clean. I have no Idea of the name cos it was written in Mongolian and Chinese. It was a bit pricey when I paid 108Y for 6hr.
Next morning I was up early to find the train station cos the cabs hang around the train station to take you over the border. I asked the girl at reception and she seemed to point the way I thought. I walked off with absolutely no idea where I was or where I was heading. I thought this is crazy so I hailed a cab. He didnt speak english (there is a pattern here) so he phoned a friend who didnt speak much english. We eventually sorted it and I am sitting here waiting for a bus. There are not cabs over the border today so my only option is the bus and I hope it will get me there in time to get the train tonight.
Who would have thought Im sitting here in the middle of no where and no one speaks english but I am still able to tap into the bus station network and send you this update?
I lied a bit before Im really still in China but waiting, with ticket in hand to cross the border. Just been for a walk downtown Erlian. It is a border town and I cant see any reason for it to be here. Most people crossing the border do it on the train and dont get off here but the place is booming. In fact all the small towns we passed through last night were booming. All had a new high rise office block under construction or a heap of blocks of flats or both. Erlain seems to be a city of have's and have'not's, and not very interesting.