27th July 2013
Flat Morning, Fizzy Night
Happy 21st Birthday Amy. We know from Face Book that you are all in California, but it is probably not yet Saturday there, if I think about it. Happy Birthday anyway.
Loads of emails and photos on Path from family, wishing us well and offering to collect us. Thanks guys. The clothes we wore yesterday and I washed last night are already dry. There was no sand or dust left in the bath. First time ever.
The Brian Rix farce for this morning. Hilde trying to explain the dog pooh on their carpets and shoes, to a bemused cleaner without a word of English!!!!
We are all so flat and tired this morning. It is the weekend, so we will probably not find out any more info about the containers. We know when the flights are, but as yet don’t know where we will fly to. If we have to wait to sort the cars out for too much longer, we will fly straight home.
We can’t seem to make any plans for how to spend the day. Meet in the foyer as rooms are being cleaned, and hopefully disinfected in Hilde’s case. Tim finally catches up with photos, and I catch up with blog. Result.
Should be checking out, but extended stay until at least Tuesday. Going a bit stir crazy so taxi to main square, maybe do museum, see dinosaur bones, and I am still on a flip flop hunt. Want to show off my freshly painted toe nails to some disinterested shoe shop girl. Atle just wants beer. Was sad to notice over lander had disappeared from front of hotel. Several men from Malaysia travelling the world on motorbikes. Some of them had spoken to Tim and Atle. They had their own photographer and mechanic. One biker had driven overland to the London Olympics last year. Respect.
The dinosaur was amazing. Read about it in the press. Mongolian president took out an injunction against American seller, stating it had been illegally imported from Mongolia. All the paperwork was displayed. Someone was finally charged, there was documentation and evidence to prove it has been stolen from the Gobi, photos to show it being packed up for its return. It had only been on display since after we left home last month. Good for you Mongolia. The remains were over 70% original. Also on display, dinosaur eggs from the Southern Gobi, a town we had driven through.
Walked around the newly named Chinggis Khaan, Square. Saw the famous statue of him and Marco Polo, the National Opera House and Natural History Museum. Save that for another day. Couldn’t find Dave’s Irish pub. Went to the poshest shopping mall in Mongolia, didn’t find £5 flip flops. Had the best bought coffee since Turkey. Went to the Blue Sky hotel, obviously new and not Soviet built. Rode to the 23rd floor, fantastic views over city centre, tenement blocks and hillside ger camps. Delicious cold beer, skewered beef and roast veg. Still not eating the salads. Long lazy discussion about current world world events. Deaths in Cairo, political changes in Iran and Turkey, corporate, private and public issues. I top trumped Hilde on the search for best toilet – loo with a view.
We step outside and I use my newly acquired skill. Hailing a taxi. You stand nonchalantly, with your arm limply out, looking the other way. Got taxi in less than a minute. 3,000T this trip. Getting better.
Beginning to pick up Face Book postings of Selbys in California. Will sends us details from the Caravan Club. They are recruiting Assistant Wardens for 2014. Think we would get thrown out for insubordination. Hope we would.
On way out to dinner, we speak to a man who is helping organise the Mongol Rally. All the cars are coming to this hotel, and he will be here for the next month. The first two cars arrive, and we ask which route they have travelled. Iran, Stans, Russia, Gobi Southern Route. The way we came. Wow!!!! Feel as if we have taken part ourselves.
Go to BD’s Mongolian Restaurant. Atle treats us to a bottle of real champagne, red wine and dinner. We choose raw ingredients and watch them being cooked. Sitting on the covered terrace we watch the lashing rain.
We had all lost sight of what we had achieved. We sip chilled fizzy, and reminisce. The highs, the lows, the roads, the people, the distances, the food, the weather, the smells, the colours, the music. The achievement. We did it. We are in Mongolia. We are in Ulaanbaatar. Cheers.
We decide we will definitely return, once cars are ready to crate. Not a disappointment any more. We can see family before they go on holiday or cycling. Atle and Hilde can collect their puppy. Home.