G – reporting
So after arriving in Ulan-Ude the night before so late and so tired it was beyond funny and then initially being unable to find somewhere to stay we ended up at the Hotel Buryatia where we took what we could get which was a suite for 3600R ($127 arg!) and I use the word suite loosely it was more like a 1960 living room!
So in the morning 1st order of business was internet and breakfast which achieved at the Marco Polo café, top marks BTW for the 1st good cup of coffee since leaving Canada, once online we found a nearby hostel a fellow traveler had mentioned and we headed up there.
The GBT hostel was great for just under $40 we got a private room and somewhere behind a locked gate to park “swiss” and most importantly a shower and laundry facilities, interesting fact Russia does NOT have Laundromats which when you’re living on the road can be a problem.
Also staying at the hostel was our friend Paul who we 1st meet on the ferry from Korea and so we got to share our mutual stories of our epic drive across Siberia over dinner that night at a Mongolia restaurant which to put it charitably was OK but hey I don’t think anyone goes to Russia for the food!
The next day I headed out to check out the markets around town while B rested as it seemed the OK meal from the night before had given her an upset stomach, later that day in the wonderfully warm 30c evening me, B now feeling better and Paul wandered downtown originally with the intention of going to a culture event at a local museum but as it became clear it would require a half hour ride in a hot smelly minibus we deferred to a beer tent for cold beverage and then on to the Marco Polo for some food as in the evening it’s a restaurant
When we got there we found the 2 English we meet on the road just before Khabarovsk having dinner so we all moved to a bigger table and spent an enjoyable evening together even if the red wine we ordered was chilled and then martin very generously picked up the tab (if your reading martin thanks mate J )
Sunday morning we head off to a Buddhist temple about 30k outside town to do our 1st real touristy thing since we arrived in Russia it was very beautiful but as usual we couldn't read any of the information but it was still good, the rest of day was quiet I got the truck totally repacked and threw some stuff that we really didn’t need away and now feel much happier about the way all our gear we have is arranged which should make camping much easier, after some shopping at the MEGA TITAN supermarket which sounded more like a Japanese giant robot we spent a quite evening at the hostel as tomorrow was Mongolia VISA day.
So Monday at 9:30 found me, B and Paul standing outside the Mongolia consulate waiting for the gates to open at 10 we thought being there early would mean we would be in 1st but as the clock ticked closer to 10 the waiting crowed swelled and at 10 it was massive free for all but in the end the process was completely painless, we just handed in our passport and form then paid the $97 fee and where told to come back at 5, and so we where back outside in 20 minutes, so after breakfast at Marco Polo the coffee was just too good to miss, we went to some shopping malls, which is a loose term in Russia as they seem more like indoor markets, looking for a bed sheet as the last couple of days of 37c weather had convinced us that we needed something lighter than the sleeping bags, after that back to the hostel for some email, picture sorting and lunch and before we knew it was time to head back to get our visas.
Pick up was as easy as drop off and it was all over in minutes, Paul was heading to Mongolia straight from the consulate so we said our sad farewells as I don’t think we will catch up with him again, and headed back to the hostel to finish packing as tomorrow we head to Lake Baikal and back to camping.
So after arriving in Ulan-Ude the night before so late and so tired it was beyond funny and then initially being unable to find somewhere to stay we ended up at the Hotel Buryatia where we took what we could get which was a suite for 3600R ($127 arg!) and I use the word suite loosely it was more like a 1960 living room!
So in the morning 1st order of business was internet and breakfast which achieved at the Marco Polo café, top marks BTW for the 1st good cup of coffee since leaving Canada, once online we found a nearby hostel a fellow traveler had mentioned and we headed up there.
The GBT hostel was great for just under $40 we got a private room and somewhere behind a locked gate to park “swiss” and most importantly a shower and laundry facilities, interesting fact Russia does NOT have Laundromats which when you’re living on the road can be a problem.
Also staying at the hostel was our friend Paul who we 1st meet on the ferry from Korea and so we got to share our mutual stories of our epic drive across Siberia over dinner that night at a Mongolia restaurant which to put it charitably was OK but hey I don’t think anyone goes to Russia for the food!
The next day I headed out to check out the markets around town while B rested as it seemed the OK meal from the night before had given her an upset stomach, later that day in the wonderfully warm 30c evening me, B now feeling better and Paul wandered downtown originally with the intention of going to a culture event at a local museum but as it became clear it would require a half hour ride in a hot smelly minibus we deferred to a beer tent for cold beverage and then on to the Marco Polo for some food as in the evening it’s a restaurant
When we got there we found the 2 English we meet on the road just before Khabarovsk having dinner so we all moved to a bigger table and spent an enjoyable evening together even if the red wine we ordered was chilled and then martin very generously picked up the tab (if your reading martin thanks mate J )
Sunday morning we head off to a Buddhist temple about 30k outside town to do our 1st real touristy thing since we arrived in Russia it was very beautiful but as usual we couldn't read any of the information but it was still good, the rest of day was quiet I got the truck totally repacked and threw some stuff that we really didn’t need away and now feel much happier about the way all our gear we have is arranged which should make camping much easier, after some shopping at the MEGA TITAN supermarket which sounded more like a Japanese giant robot we spent a quite evening at the hostel as tomorrow was Mongolia VISA day.
So Monday at 9:30 found me, B and Paul standing outside the Mongolia consulate waiting for the gates to open at 10 we thought being there early would mean we would be in 1st but as the clock ticked closer to 10 the waiting crowed swelled and at 10 it was massive free for all but in the end the process was completely painless, we just handed in our passport and form then paid the $97 fee and where told to come back at 5, and so we where back outside in 20 minutes, so after breakfast at Marco Polo the coffee was just too good to miss, we went to some shopping malls, which is a loose term in Russia as they seem more like indoor markets, looking for a bed sheet as the last couple of days of 37c weather had convinced us that we needed something lighter than the sleeping bags, after that back to the hostel for some email, picture sorting and lunch and before we knew it was time to head back to get our visas.
Pick up was as easy as drop off and it was all over in minutes, Paul was heading to Mongolia straight from the consulate so we said our sad farewells as I don’t think we will catch up with him again, and headed back to the hostel to finish packing as tomorrow we head to Lake Baikal and back to camping.
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| Ulan-Ude! |
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| Me, B and Lenin's giant head |
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| Picture at temple! |
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| One of the many temple bulidings |
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| Nice puddy cat! |
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| Templetastic. |
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| Prayer Wheels |
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| Its the giant head again! |
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| Paul almost ready with Swiss in the background. |
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| Farewell Paul. |
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