[slideshow] Reading through my last couple of posts, I’m not sure I gave Mongolia its dues as a place to visit. Although it is hard to find many people who have travelled here, the handful that have seem to have spent months in Mongolia and found many things to keep them occupied. Plus, a the…
The food came as a bit of a surprise – it wasn’t included in the trip and we were told we didn’t need to bring supplies, so we did pay over the odds for a range of meat and lard dishes in various guises. The descriptively titled first meal of ‘meat noodle soup’ was revolting…
[slideshow] Following a day of sightseeing in Ulanbataar (which is all you really need to get a general feel for the place) and an overnight stay in the comedy hotel, we took a 50km bus trip into the Outer Mongolian countryside to stay at the Terelj National Park Reserve. The scenery was spectacular and for…
After two days travelling on the Trans Mongolian railway from Irkustsk to Mongolia – complete with an eight hour, toilet free customs stop at the border – we rolled into freezing Ulanbaatar very early in the morning. Still dark, we were greeted by our two guides Batar and Bata (pronounced the same but never were…
The ritual of the Russian “Banya” was something I thought I could live without. However, I was persuaded otherwise. Following a motivational talking to and a pep talk to get over my bathing suit body issues from a very kind, yet matter of fact Bristolian buddy, I donned the ill-fitting cozzie, hiking boots and a…
[slideshow]Heading down the icy stretch from the Guesthouse to the roadside it was impossible to not be in impressed by the view of the worlds’ deepest lake (up to 1637m deep in fact). Lined with a mixture of soviet style tower blocks and capitalist condominiums interspersed with wooden chalets and shacks, the road to the Lake…
[slideshow]Arriving at a bustling Irkutsk station at 10.45am we were ready for a decent breakfast (which did not consist of noodles), a healthy dose of fresh air and a good wash! Met at the platform by an enthusiastic “Costa”, who was to be our guide for the next few days, we marched across the crowded…
After a gruelling four day stretch on the Trans Siberian Express from Moscow to Irkutsk we had quick conflab in the carriage to offer fellow travellers some survival tips: MUST DO’s: Pack Baby Wipes – ESSENTIAL for every eventuality and main source of washing (as no shower on board and toilets are locked at illogical interludes for…
Expecting to board my first overnight train with my new found friends, I was somewhat put out to find that I was on the half an hour earlier train…by myself. Fortunately their guide was kind enough to let me join their transfer to the station and to take me to the relevant carriage, but after…
[slideshow] Although not overtly welcoming to tourists during the winter season, St Petersburg or “Piter” as its affectionately know by the locals (and previously known as Petrograd and Leningrad), has plenty on offer for avid sightseers such as myself! Few of the descriptions at main attractions and museums are in English, but the architecture, alley ways…