Ulaanbaatar (Red Hero)

Exploring this interesting somewhat deserted city

Deserted because of the Lunar Festival (Tsagaan Sar)

We were left to our own devices, and took to the streets,

quiet, empty, eery, and yet exhilarating.

We just wandered.

Nothing was open,

apart from our eyes, ears,

and skin (feeling the chill and sun at the same time)

Cold but exhilirating
Closed for business (and fun)
So we made our own fun.
Deserted, quaintly European street

listen to this magic sound

Sühbaatar Square

Ulaanbaatar was built by the Soviets in 1924 hence the Red City name

(my assumption)

See the statue of Genghis Khan central and large

This is the main square.

Full of surprises ;

Ice Sculptures

No signs, No warnings, Just experience.

And experience we did.

Very difficult to walk on the ice – see the video 😉

We found one store that was open:

Like any department store anywhere in the world.

Such beautiful flowers.

And I even replaced the power pack which is now safely in the

hands of the PRC 😂

Quirky, quaint, queer – just surprises

We wandered around, finding corners, spaces and

EVEN the Beatles – go figure 😂

But that was not the quirkiest

How about an ATM Pizza Machine!!!!!!!

We couldn’t read the instructions or we would have had one

There was coffee, cake, sharing and hang out time

And preparation for a day today,

The likes of which you will not believe –

but will have to wait

Welcome to Mongolia

And what a welcome it was.

I happened to arrive on the first day of the Lunar New Year,

Tsagaan SAR (white moon) :

a celebration of the transition between Winter and Summer.

The celebration dates back to the 13 Century in a country that is largely Buddhist and Shamansim

It is a Huge, National celebration with shops closed for three days,

Families travelling to see their elders;

Everyone dressed in national dress.

AND TRAFFIC

The downside to this amazing day, was a normal 40 minute trip from the airport to our lodgings took FOUR HOURS.

I kid you not.

I was so taken aback that I didn’t take photos!!!!!!!!!

I did take a walk – I got out of our stationery vehicle,

walked two kilometres up the road and back again

I swear our car had barely moved.

The kids slept, even Malan (Husband and driver) had a doze at the wheel.

They were watching their phones and I could hear Trump in his now infamous debate/discussion/whatever over and over again as they watched it.

Mothers were taking their children for walks and ‘the other’

as we all waited for – well, for four hours.

When you are a guest and new traveller,

or perhaps it is just that when you are Me,

you have no idea where you are going or how much longer this whole thing would take.

So it makes it difficult to pace yourself.

And just like that we turned left and we were home.

Great relief for everyone, in every sense of that word 😂

And then the fun began.

A flurry of cooking, whipping, beating, folding, chopping, laying.

A Feast to celebrate the first day of the New year.

An entire rump of a cow is presented, sliced and thankfully not all eaten at once.

In fact it is kept and shared over months with families.

That beef carcass (note the portrait of Genghis Khan)

Dumplings or Uuts – the Mongolian National Dish

There was the traditional cheese (which I equate more to a Christmas tree)

It is home made and stored every year in muslin

‘pulled out’ for this celebration

and It would appear, put away again.

No one eats it but it is very impressive.

There was eating,

talking,

and drinking.

That carcass 😊
Unadulterated joy
Tired travellers, but hey, Vodka works….

Fun all of it.

And Finally, bed….

Tomorrow (well today that was) we explore Ulaanbaatar.

When I get time…. I promise.

Air China

Airports, flights, luggage


I cannot lie,

(well I can, and on occasion do, 😉)

but in this case, I cannot lie ;

I am impressed.  

 Beyond impressed with Air China and Beijing airport and the whole experience.   

It was cheap, that was the first thing that drew me to it.   

The reviews were as always, good and not so good.

But I booked.

Then I tried to check in on line and the circle went round and round – for two days.   🙄😩

Setting up some concern in my belly, my heart, my mind….. you get the picture.

Nothing to be done but fly to the airport and see.   

Fly to the airport is a bit optimistic 😂

Because anyone who knows Melbourne knows that getting from the south east (me) to the airport can be, no, always is a challenge.   

Try Friday night and the challenge comes with a capital C.

Clearly I should have left today, Sunday as there are no red lanes showing.   

Friday evening was RED ALERT.  

 Oh, why didn’t I leave today? 😂

For better or for worse, Tullamarine Airport here I am. 😂

And there was the queue – as long as any virgin airline queue I have seen.  

BUT DIFFERENT.   

It moved, quietly, smoothly and no one seemed agitated or concerned they wouldn’t get through –

everyone smiled or to be honest, read their phones,

confident in their (yes, almost all were ‘Asian’) Air China.

And so I was checked in, easily, courteously.  

It felt so generous.   

She did ask me if I had a charger pack in my checked in luggage.  

Yes said I.  Please remove it.   

And so I unlocked my case and removed it.   

No one rushed me – it was so unusual – a sheer joy.

It felt so generous.

She asked me if I had a charger pack in my checked in luggage. Yes said I.

Please remove

And so I unlocked my case and removed it.

No one rushed me – it was so unusual.

Sheer joy.

I said goodbye to my bags, hoping I would see them again in Ulaanbaatar.

I did, which is more than we could say for Claire’s luggage coming from Istanbul. No arrival till Tuesday – 4 days to go !!!!!!

Claire in Istanbul on her way to Ulaanbaatar, blissfully unaware her luggage was not joining her

Customs was equally smooth and boarding was absolutely on time,

as was take off.

The hand luggage saga – almost always a battleground it seems,

went smoothly.

Somehow everything fitted, there was no moving ‘furniture’

banging closed etc etc. AND the plane was full.

Civilised is the word that comes to mind.

I noticed no alcohol was served.

Did that make a difference I wonder?

The screen map was amazing, you could rotate it any which way and see the whole world and where you were flying – fabulous. 

Loved playing with the maps – such fun.

We landed spot on time, and again, almost instant disembarking.

Welcome to Beijing 🇨🇳 (PRC)  and cameras EVERYWHERE

White eyes looking down on us, absolutely everywhere.

Spotless, beautiful, easy to move around.   

Heaps and heaps of comfortable seating.

People sleeping on long seats.

A few coffee shops open (it was 5am)

Good free wifi but no facebook h

owever, facebook messenger worked –

go figure?

Just ‘feel good safe and cosy’

despite (or is it because of) the cameras.

The next leg was equally uneventful,

on time, quiet, clean, d

are I say it had a vibe of Swiss efficiency

with a gentler demeanour.

And now to the crux of the Chinese efficiency machine.

I had in fact two power packs in my case –

I had completely forgotten as I never travel with them

(well clearly not Never, 😂 but you know what I mean 🙄)

One I had removed and carried in my hand luggage.

One I Had removed For me.

I would never have noticed.

Unlocking my case when I got to our lodgings,

I found a piece of paper which did not look familiar.

It was not, familiar that is.

It most certainly wasn’t familiar.

It was a letter from the Checked Baggage Inspector etc of the PRC

to tell me they had removed a power pack

(and neatly locked my bag again 😂)

They had unlocked my bag, taken it, left me a note and locked it up again!!!!!   

The funny thing is if they had not left me the polite letter,

I would never have known my case had been opened,

never mind that I was missing a power pack 😆

Welcome to China!!!!!!!

I would do the whole trip again without a second thought.

It was great, white cameras, baggage searchers and all.

And this is only the beginning.

Hold thumbs…..