Damn you train lady - 7th August

I'm lying in bed in Ulan Baatar feeling very sorry for myself. The train journey from Russia to Mongolia was hellish... I mean really the worst journey I have had since leaving the UK for a number of reasons. The total time was approximately 23 hours but we spent 11 of those at the border crossing on a train, which we were not allowed to leave (only briefly for a time - check out the proud driver), with no air conditioning in a  temperature of about 35 degrees. The border crossing itself was actually quite smooth and the Russian side didn't even check all the documents I spent so long (and so much money) procuring, damn them. In addition and probably the real cause of my sorrowful mood is that I have acquired a serious case of the squity bum. Being on a train did not help matters as when at a standstill the train lady locks the toilets - can you see where I'm going? no toilets, no getting off the train, 11 hours..... It was wretched.

So we finally arrived at 6am and I got a lift to the hostel, unfortunately it was with ten 20-year old French people. They were so incredibly annoying it was unreal. I think they must have thought me such a grumpy old bitch but seriously we arrived at the hostel at 6:15am they thought it appropriate to play the guitar and have a little Jack Johnson sing-a-long, for fecks sake! I hate that shit so much, it makes me into a raging facist. I just stared at them with my mouth hanging open...... how on earth a group of people can be quite so disgracefully arrogant is beyond me.

All I wanted to do was sleep and rest my weary bum, but in desperation to sack off the french fries (who contined to sing and hence wake the entire hostel), I had a shower and ventured into the city. I made a list of tasks for the day, and began by getting some cash (it's so cheap here, it's brilliant), a sleeping bag (for the camping), a sim card (tooks me hours of wandering around a "mobile phone" store but I did it), some toilet paper (for emergencies - UB has some pretty nice toilets it turns out) and some snickers'. I achieved all of this early on and left me with time to spare so feeling very ropey I headed to the Natural History Museum. It was actually not bad, had some good meteorites and dinosaur bones but wasn't particularly impressed with the stuffed animals including - 5 snow leopards, 4 golden eagles, 4 brown bears and 2 rare elk, and a display of about 50 puffer fish (what they have got to do with Mongolia I have no idea). It also saved me getting drenched in the afternoon thunderstorm - a thunderstorm like no other I have experienced, and meant I was very close to a toilet for about 3 hours. The city is unusual - it ranges from sky scrapers (all quite new and some still being built), to old concrete buildings and even yurts. But it is friendly, and welcoming. I plan to do a bit more sightseeing when I am back after my tour and my bottom is repaired but I took some snaps of the centre square......

So I'm now back in bed, in my new sleeping bag, feeling ill, and trying not to worry that I am leaving in 1 day on a 20 day camping tour around Mongolia. I've prayed to the God of All That is Good and Kind to restore my bottom to a robust state in the next 24 hours but I think shes not listening, which is not a surprise because I never liked her anyway. So I think I'm in trouble. I hate this sort of thing because all you can think about is food.... I'm dreaming about dahl, and I know there is an Indian restaurant around the corner. The question is: is now the right time for a curry? Isn't it always the right time for a curry? yes, yes it is, you're right, you are right! No you're not right, green tea for me only.