Visa again

Well well well, one thing is sure, this is very difficult to have a visa for Mongolia.

So I had to go back to UB (Ulaanbaatar) to make my visa validated.
So we (me, Buya and some other people) left Darkhan at 6 am :-)
The direction the immigration office, we have been there at 9am 30.
But some papers were missing ….

So we spent the all day to get all the papers ready, after a few hours I have received my resident card, this one

For lunch I had some sheep, well some, a plate full of meat!!
Well I love it, so this is really ok!!

We went there and away in UB, from one office to the other one, from one internet cafe to the other one, to download some paper and to print it

On the right this is Buya, on the left … I don't know his name, but he drove us everywhere!!

This is UB, don't think this is warm, despite the sun outside this is -30 degrees!!!

As I say they have a lot of supermarket

and small shops and cars

everything that you need if you know where to search, and that is the problem I think!!!

I told you this is very white, this is a view of the city

and the surrounding mountains

and both:-)

One door of UB

White mountains again, there will be a lot of pics of white mountains I think!!!!

at 5 pm we got all the paper, I have done my fingerprint, paid a paper here and there, but we have to come back next week to take my passport back :-(
So we took the bus to go back to Darkhan.
You see this is the window of the bus, this is starting to freeze, at the end it was all white!!!

From the bus I took pictures of typical mongolian men, so nice.
At the bus office a guy had a problem, I don't know what, so the police came and they have started to fight, so we went out!!!
And then I saw the men with blood on his face and with a very high voice he was telling the police crying: why you were so brutal I am bleeding (well this is what I guess because I don't understand mongolian)
This was funny the contrast of I am a big man and I fight and after with the blood, bouhhhh I am bleeding
Well this is mongolia!!!

I like their clothes very much!!!
We were back in Darkhan at 10 pm, what a day
I need a good sleep!!!

Monday

On Monday I finally met Zenee, the man who has organized everything!
After chatting a little bit we went to the university (100 meters away) to meet the other teachers.
I also met a lot of chiefs there. I also received my planning!!

After that a teacher from Korea and his friend from Korea  show me a big supermarket near the dormitory.
This is really great. I bought some cereals, bread, sweets, jam, meat, there is everything that I need!!!







On the afternoon I talk with Tsogtoo about one of my lesson. He explained my what he was doing.
Show me the room and everything!
So now I have a better idea of what I am supposed to do.
For the database course this is clear, for the project management course, this is the first time somebody is doing it, so it's all by me :-)

Ok now how does it looks where I am??
Ok very white :-)

 Very very very white :-)
There are some mountains surrounding

This is another part from the universty

This is the way out my dormitory to go to the supermarket for example
:-)
The road is icy, but not so slippery, ok you have to be a bit careful, but with my shoes this is ok!

This is the entrance of my dormitory.
Well the alphabet here is Cyrillic,  again another one, why??????
Ok but this one shouldn't be so difficult to learn!!!

This is another view of the dorm.
The bags outside this is where the student put the meat, this is so cold outside you don't need to put it in a fridge :-)

This is the university where I will teach, 100 meters away from the dorm so this is ok.

And the famous yurt, they are everywhere,  but I am not going near because there are some dogs ….

1st day in Mongolia

After a night of sleep, this was ok by the way, 2 very warm duvet and my sleeping bag, Buya came to take me for some shopping.

We first started with a breakfast/lunch. Meat again, with some rice and vegetables, very nice!!
And then we took a collective taxi again to go the the old or the new I am not sure Darkhan.
There we went to a bazaar, well this is actually a market.

First thing to buy are shoes!! And I have seen some beautiful mongolian shoes.

They are fitting me perfectly and they are beautiful, I love them, and ok they are warm.

Oh today in the morning it was -40 degrees, but during the day with the sun this is going up to -25 degrees, but without wind this is really ok, and with my boots no problem!!!

The only thing is that the hair in my nose are freezing, this is a really strange sensation!!!

For the inside I also bought this, even more warm!!!

And I also have these georgian socks which makes the all thing even more more more warm :-)

in the market there are only mongolian, ok, but many mongolian in traditional clothes. With these long colorful coats and the shoes like mine, and the hat.
I don't have pictures, but to make photos like that is not so respectful.

After that I bought this yak pullover, very nice too.

Ok I won't tell you the price because otherwise you will die :-)

This is very mongolia, and very red like my shoes!!!

And then I needed some mobile phone, so we went to another part of the market to buy one :-)
This is very convenient this kind of bazaar you can find everything :-)

After that we went to the food part to buy some meat. So there you will find entire animals or small parts. And since this is very cold you don't need a fridge or something to cool them down!!!

Then some potatoes, some rice and some stuff for my kitchen and my bathroom. And also some mongolian tea.

What is funny is that there when you buy cigarettes you buy them one by one, you don't buy the full pack.
There there is also some men with horses, not to ride them but to carry things.

One last thing to buy this is my sim card for my phone, for that direction the shops near the university. On a screen you can select your number, you pay and that's it (no need for any registration :-)).




After that we went to the university, the next building after the my dormitory, great not so much to walk!
This is Sunday but some people are there, but no teachers.
There in the teacher room there is wifi :-) Great, sad that this is not the case in my dormitory, but well that's ok!

For my dinner I cooked some rice and some of the meat, actually I am not sure what this is, goat or sheep maybe?
Very good and a lot of tea to get some heat!







After that I watch some tv, saw some mongolian wrestling and a lot of traditional songs.
Then this is time to go to bed, because tomorrow… well I don't know, somebody should come :-)
As they say in Mongolia, hufff … later.
And also because there is no more electricity :-)

Welcome to Mongolia

So This morning I woke up at 5am30, which is very very very early, but well no choice!!!
Then direction the Asakusa line to take the direct train for Narita international airport.
Kuramae is really a great place, in less than an hour with a direct train I am at the airport
This is goodI don't have to change because with my enormous suitcase and 3 bags this is kind of difficult!!

Ok at the airport, this is 7am, the counter are closed and will open at 7am20, ok I queue :-)
Then finally this is my turn, my suitcase is 23kg, the limit is 20kg
I don't say a word let's say what's happening...
Oh great this is going through without a supplement!!!

Ok direction the bording gate, after some controls, where you have to remove everything and show your computer

This is already time to check in and then when this is my turn, alarm, something is wrong

What my suitcase is there, is it too heavy after all???
No !!! But I have a lithium battery in it which is forbidden, but ok as a hand luggage
So I have to open the suitcase and search for this camera battery, mamamia, not so easy, but I found it

What a story!!!!

Ok first flight to Seoul, 2,5 hours, very nice plane, modern, my own TV, music that I can start when I want, a lot of space, near the window
a lunch, bref perfect.
Then In seoul I have to go to the transfer desk for my flight to Mongolia, because I fly MIAT now.

Oh my god!!! I have less 1,5 hours
This is another terminal: first 15 minutes to go to the shuttle train (I still have 3 bags with me and I am dressed with a lot of clothes, so this is getting hot!!!)
Then, shuttle, 5 minutes
Then transfer desk, 10 minutes, but this is the wrong one, return to another one, 5 minutes, and there 2 ladies over stressed
I have to queue and when this is my turn, they don't find me.
Of course my name is too long, it took again 15 minutes to have my boarding pass!!

How long now? 50 minutes, then 10 minutes to go to my boarding gate and there boarding direct!!!
What a story, can you image an old lady doing that?? No chance!!!

Ok this is a MIAT flight, actually I didn't wanted to fly with them, because I was scared about the condition of the planes :-(
But when I changed my flight I had no choice.
OK first impression, only mongolian, big people, sumos everywhere, yeah!!!!
2nd impression, is it me or I have the worse seat? Near the big exit door, in front of the cabin attendant, near the food??? and no window???

Ok the flight is not full so I asked and I could seat where I wanted!!
So I took a all row in the middle, just for me!!!!!!!
I have no window, but I can see from the side.
The plane is old, but no trouble at all, after a lunch again I slept the rest of the flight and just woke up 10 minutes before landing, just the time to fill my immigration card!

So I have to say: MIAT, OK!!!!

At the airport you can think not so many people!! But no no no, full, because seems that many flights are coming at the same time, how come???

Ok so wait and wait and wait, and finally, very easy a stamp on my visa and I am out.
Oh yeah from the 10 minutes I was awake I saw Ulaanbaatar, this is very white and surrounded by mountains!!!

Ok outside Buya (short version of the name) a teacher from the university is waiting for me

First we have to go out, tadada!!!!!! I am lucky today is only -25 degrees, so not so cold!
We first jump in his cousin's car to go to a taxi stand to go to Darkhan.
We took a collective taxi to go there. 3 people on the back, the driver and one father with his son in the front.
This is warm inside and the driver is very careful driver, so great.

I don't see so much from Ulannbaatar, because the night is already there, but there are many karaokes, supermarkets, hotels and restaurant and many people outside, and my impression is that many of them are not so dressed...

In the middle of the way we stop at a restaurant to eat, ship, rice, potato and some milk tea, very nice!

The road is ok, well in Ulaanbaatar there are many holes, after this is better, but you can't drive very quickly.

So how long did it take?

Well I don't really know, but all in one I landed at 4pm20 and I was in my room at 11pm, so not so quick!!

Ok this is my room, first impression, well this is big

 I have my own bathroom, kind of strange but it will make it. 

This was not the room where I was supposed to be, but the other one was not cleaned up. This one is a bit colder, but well, less than outside so this is ok!!!

And I even have a tv, so what else do you want!!!!

Last day in Tokyo and in Japan ...

Because tomorrow I am leaving for Mongolia. See this is my visa, well one part, the non critical one :-)
As they told me I went this morning to the embassy and everything was ready, so nice!!!!
But before that I got lost. I took the same subway and everything like like time, but they exit was different, why???????
Hopefully I knew on building that I have to look for, so head up to look for it, and after 10 minutes, oh miracle, I found it. Shibuya is complicated, see:

I went to the creperie I told you about, but no pictures this was forbidden, don't ask me why!!
I had a complete and a sugar/butter one, delicious :-)
And then some walk in Shibuya.
This is complicated there because there are many buildings

and restaurants with nice decoration

some funny shops

and when you search for something you really have to look carefully, because this is building everywhere!!!
But as always I managed, otherwise I would have asked, but today this was sunny so no hurry :-)

oh and there many people too!!
This is a big street to cross from everywhere!

Otherwise in Japan they are crazy about french things: clothes, food, design, everything.
See this is l'Occitane and before I was in a french creperie.
They are also fund of french girl :-)

another view of Shibuya

and this is the famous crossing. You see the people on the other side, the best is the walk straight and not look, people will walk around you otherwise this is very difficult :-)

After so much stress I have decided to try the other sento in Asakusa, and since I was alone at the beginning I took some pictures!!!
This one is very very very old!!!!!!
This is the hot bath: 42 degrees

And this is where you wash yourself.

Very very old I told you.
Well this is not my favorite but hot water is always great to relax and I enjoyed it.
So the pink thing is where you sit to wash yourself and in the yellow one you put some water. Then with your towel and some soap and wash yourself deeply and longly :-)
After you go where the siren are and you are the 4th :-)

After (and before) you go in the changing room, so old, but with wooden floor

for your weight, this is minimum 100 years old, don't you think?

It's where I put my stuff.
As I said this was not my favorite, but put me in water and I am happy, so I was very happy :-)

for the last time before months I took a picture of my favorite tower in Tokyo

also an happy cat in the sun :-)

and also my custard fish and my favorite chocolate, oh I will miss that.
Tomorrow I have to take the train at 6 am, oh my goooood, and after two flights I will be in the country of -40 degrees, youpi!!!!
A new adventure is starting, but as always I am sad to leave Tokyo and Japan and my friends here and my beloved sumos (by the way I saw one today :-)) and also Kuramae and Asakusa my favorite place in Tokyo!!!
But I will be back, if I am not changed in an ice cube :-)
So the next time you hear from me I will be in Mongolia !!!