Friday 7:30am Time to wrap up.

Well, the blog has been a bit of a failure owing to the lack of access to the internet anywhere outside UB. We are back in Beijing with our flight home leaving at 6:35 this evening. We have had a fantastic time- stand by for the photos and travellers tales when we get home....







Visibility this morning: around 300m. And it's not a fog.

Leaving UB railway station.

Next stop Shivee Gobi.

Thursday 10:00 am. Back in mobile coverage area.

Shrine on the way back to UB from Ikh Nart.

Wednesday 7:00pm

Visiting a local herder family Ikh Nart.

More Ikh Nart

Sunset Ikh Nart.

Arriving at Red Rock Ger Camp.

Within Ikh Nart Reserve. The concept is that once the gers are pulled down at the end of summer there is no trace left behind.









Outside our ger.





The dining ger.

6:00 pm Refuelling.

Between Shivee Gobi railway station where we left the train and Ikh Nart Nature Reserve.

Monday 9:00am

Ready to leave the Zaluuchuud for the train into the Gobi.

Friday 11:00am Leaving UB

Today we go to Terelj National Park for a couple of nights in a nice hotel before we head off to mix with the yaks. 60km trip takes around 2 hrs. Could be an interesting road.

Thursday 12:00pm. In UB.

Thunderstorm yesterday afternoon. No drainage in the streets so we had a very wet walk back to the Evergreen Hotel.



The bank where the ATM gave us tugrik. $1= about 1150 tugrik. A 500ml can of beer is 1200 tugrik.


Today we tried to get some Eternal Heavenly Sophistication, but they were closed.



Not sure if this is before or after sophistication.

1:30pm Wednesday. Ulaan Baatar

We are here at last. Now to find our transfer to the hotel.

9:00am. Near Choir.

Still desolate outside, but we saw a small gully and a rock about an hour ago.
That was noteworthy.

4:30 am Wed. Somewhere in the Gobi.

Sun is up already so only a couple of hours sleep. Desolate outside.

12:45am Zamin Uud, Mongolia

Mongolia at last. Another session minus passport.
Officials seem less even welcoming than the Chinese, but maybe they are just as tired as we are.

10:00pm Tuesday. Erlian.

Still in China but only just. We are waiting at the station while the train changes from wide to narrow gauge before crossing the border. Takes 3 - 4 hrs. Our passports and tickets have been taken for immigration. No ticket,no ID and no one here speaks English. However the two guys next to us are from Wishart & Chapel Hill so we're in good company.

4:10pm Jining South

2pm Tuesday. In Datong.

6 hrs into the trip. Around 24 hrs more to go.

Leaving Beijing.

Train 23 to Ulaan Baatar (or Ulanbator or just about any other combination of the above)

Culinary adventure #2

But this one I avoided. Starfish, cicadas, grasshoppers & scorpions( still alive)

4:00pm. Hail in the Gobi Desert

Great Wall day 2

Last night we slept on the Great Wall. Slept may be a bit of an overstatement, but it was certainly an experience. Storms overnight but clear by morning. We can actually see the sky for the first time since getting here!
Walking by 6:30, hot already by then and literally steaming from the rain.

Great Wall IV

Jinshanling. Mr Wong's house.
We made to the end of day 1 !!!!

Great Wall III

Great !! More steps!

Great Wall II

Karen & "Betty" chatting during one of our frequent rests in a watchtower on the wall.
It's hot & it's humid & it's a long way.

Great Wall, Sunday

Culinary adventure #1

Ordered something last night that turned out to be raw mince. Hmmmmm. All good this morning though. Should be walking the Wall today although I have a heavily strapped ankle after Beijing pavement adventure #1. We'll see,

Wangfujing St

Where you can buy anything you can imagine, as well as a good selection of things you can't imagine.

Out & about in downtown Beijing.

Capitalism is alive and well in the Communist state.

Beijing at last!

Nine minutes past midnight. We are being held on board waiting for quarantine officials to come and check everyone's temperature. The day isn't over yet.

Waiting, waiting.

On board Air China 116 on the tarmac in Hong Kong. Forecast delay of 1 hr due "air traffic control flow problem" at the Beijing end. We appear to have an Aussie pilot by the sound of it

Hong Kong 6:30pm

Heat & humidity like a solid wall just in the airbridge. It's 33 degrees at ten to seven in the evening!
Tried our first Chinese phrase at the Air China desk: "Thank You"