Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

I've been in Mongolia two nights already, staying in UB at Liz's house. Liz is a New Zealander, but has learned Mongolian during her time here. Her families home is full of reminders from New Zealand. There is an English / Maori sticker in the bathroom telling people to wash their hands and her kids were trying to calculate the travel distance between Auckland and Whakatane when I arrived as part of their NZ correspondence school course work.  We had Rice Bubbles and Milk for Breakfast which has become a rare treat traveling through Asia.

I knew Liz and her family were in Mongolia before setting out, and I was told to contact them if I ever needed to.

Well, as chance would have it, I fell ill on the Trans Mongolian, arrived in Ulaanbaatar, and knew I was not up to finding a dingy guest house, getting ripped off by taxi drivers or keeping my wits about me to guard all my stuff. So, I called Liz, pleaded for help, and within the hour I was in Liz's house, quietly dying in their spare room, which was exactly what I needed at the time.

Tonight, my third night in Mongolia, I feel much improved. I'm in the country side after a 4WD and horse ride out here, (the horse was required to get us over the rivers the 4WD could not handle) and the scenery is stunning, sort of like Strathean in Autumn, which reminds me of home.