11 - Mongolia, land of the eternal blue sky
preskakujem náš pobyt na jazierku tvällen (18 nocí), je to taká pecka peckovatá, že aby ste to pochopili, musel by som vás tam zobrať na minidovolenku (3ks už som tam dostal, ďalšie dúfam budú nasledovať),..
týžden na slovensku by bol takisto na tri blogy minimálne, ale nechce sa mi tu rozčulovať,.. poďme radšej hneď do mongólie,..
how to get there - ako sa sem dostať? existuje asi sto spôsobov, my sme zvolili Bratislava Sofia ryanair let za 18 eur (1hod 8 min), z letiska sofia na hlavnú vlakovú ide priamo metro, platiť sa dá kartou 0,84 eur,.. na vlakovej sme cca po troch hodinách chytili nočný vlak do istanbulu za 36 eur,.. 4 posteľové kupé (inak dokonalý setup pre partičku kamarátov, s nami boli dvaja rusáci a s takými sa ja nebavím),.. ono mohli sme letieť aj napriamo bratislava istanbul za 52, let išiel asi o hodinu neskôr, ale to by som zmeškal moju vysnívanú vlakovú trasu (tak či tak som si ju neužil, keďže mi na slovensku trhali zub a stále som bol na liekoch kvôli bolesti),.. v istanbule sme strávili 8 nocí, to vám je tak nádherné mesto, boli sme tam už niekoľkokrát, ale až teraz sme si ho konečne užili tak, ako to máme radi,.. (ja len že dobrodružný výlet sa dá podniknúť jednoduchšie ako si myslíte,.. sofia aj istanbul určite stoja za návštevu)
istanbul - ulaanbaatar 231,5 eur, no nekúp to? mognolian airlines - MIAT, aj som sa velice bál, že čo to bude zač, ale nakoniec jeden z najlepších letov, aké sme kedy mali,.. super príjemný staff, boeing 767 je parádne lietadlo s konfiguráciou sedadiel 2-3-2, takže máte istotu, že budete mať okno alebo uličku, veľa miesta na behanie,.. podával sa obed, a to už si ani nepamätám, kedy naposledy som mal jedlo v cene,.. pred pristátím bagetka,.. kávička a džúsiky dvakrát,.. no skrátka 7 hod 40 min ubehlo ako voda, žiadne turbulencie,.. úplná pecka,.. jediný problém bol, že sme pristáli o piatej ráno miestneho času, čo bola v tom čase akoby naša polnoc,.. úbytko otvárali až o dvanástej, čo pre nás znamenalo 7 hodín ráno,.. nechcelo sa nám ísť do neznámeho mesta, vonku teploty pod nulou, ostali sme teda na letisku, striasli sa taxikárov, dali si kávičku a čakali až na bus 10:30,.. v prekvapivo dobrom kurze som zamenil doláre za lokálne fufne,.. lístok do mesta iba cash kúsok nad 4 eur,.. ono je to nezmyselne 50 km ďaleko,.. fungel nové letisko Chingiss Khann,.. lebo šak mongoli nemajú asi miesto, však áno,..
when to go - ha ha, na to je veľmi ľahká odpoveď - určite nie v novembri !!! tipujem, že ideálne je sem prísť na začiatku leta,.. s vlastným stanom a trochou outdoor jedla, pripravený stopovať,.. verím, že tak by sa tu dalo zabaviť,.. ostatné je fakt len pre naozajstných nadšencov,..
where to sleep - vyskúšali sme za vás 6 ubytovaní, takže vy už tieto nemusíte,.. you are welcome,.. 4 x ulanbátar, všetko priamo v centre, cena okolo 9 dolárov/osoba,..2 x mimo hlavného mesta, cena priemerne 3 krát viac,.. všade dáka patália, tomu sa asi nedá vyhnúť nijako,..
kongor guesthouse and tours - super lacák, iba 6,33 eur osoba,.. malá izba síce, ale cool spoločné priestory,.. a dokonca bola aj raňajka,.. chleba, maslo a lekvár,.. povedali sme si, že na prvé tri noci zoberieme to najlacnejšie, čo ulanbátar ponúka, a potom už pôjdeme iba do lepšieho,.. na tomto ubytku nebola prakticky žiadna chyba,.. iba trochu hlučný byt v činžáku,..
gana's guest house and tours - v druhom ubytku sme sa rozhodli, že chceme mať hajzlík aj kúpeľňu na izbe,.. chyba,.. ten sifón smrdí ako stoka,.. jebne ma,.. žena sa síce tvári, že ten smrad necíti, ale ja normálne spím prvú noc s buffkou na ksichte,.. druhý deň sa smrad takmer vytratil, tretí a štvrtý už ho nevnímam ani ja,.. špecialita tohto ubytka je jurta na terase, krásny výhľad na rozjebaté okolie s jurtami, prašná cesta, pozliepané ploty z kadečoho,.. ale inak sme stále v centrovatom centre, len je tu čára a za ňou sa stratil asfalt a začína divočina,..
city guesthouse and tours - náš favorit,.. tu sme na trikrát strávili 9 nocí,.. je to klasický byt so štyrmi izbami plus chodba a hajzlík s kúpeľňou v jednom,.. naša izba je malá, ale má prenádherné tapety a cítime sa tu najlepšie,.. ostatné tri izby sú stále zatvorené a netušíme, či tam niekto býva, nikoho sme nestretli,.. raňajka a spoločný priestor je v druhom byte cez chodbu,.. tam bývajú dlhodobo traja ľudia a pes plus je tam dormitory, takže zvyšných hostí dávajú tam,.. 9 dolárov aj s raňajkou je good deal,.. ale ak by nás tu bolo v byte 8, už by to asi nebola taká zábava,..
terelj ulaanbaatar - tak tento hotel už zažil aj lepšie časy, rozpadáva sa nám pred očami, na recepcii týpek s chabou angličtinou, ale dohodli sme sa,.. parádna raňajka v cene,.. málokedy máte posteľ, ktorá je širšia ako dlhšia, neskutočné letisko máme,.. ale celkovo katastrofa,.. voda v umývadle netiekla vôbec, ale to prežijeme,.. hostí bolo asi 10, samé matky s deťmi,.. priemer asi dve na každú,.. a to bol bordel teda veliký, lietali ako šarkani po chodbe do neskorej noci,.. ale aj to sa dáko dalo zvládnuť,.. čo ma vytočilo najviac, že nám druhý večer odišiel záchod,.. tak kua už zas, sharovaná kúpeľňa je stokrát lepšia ako naberať vodu do kýblika a zalievať hovno namiesto splachovania,.. ani som to nereklamoval, pretože dohadovať sa s mongolom, to je ako dohadovať sa s mongolom,.. v okolí hotela, resp v mestečku terelj to vyzerá monumentálne,.. žiaden asfalt, iba jurty a domčeky, beznádej a zúfalstvo,.. nemám veľa fotiek, ale detské ihrisko a parčík, to ti je krása bohova tuná,.. tie vyjadrujú takmer všetko,..
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| hotel aj s jurtami vonku,.. ale zima bola na ne |
khakhorin hostel - veľmi pekné miesto, príjemná izba,.. raňajka top,.. cena šialená, ale čert to ber,.. prvá noc OK,.. ale potom sa začalo niečo diať s radiátorom,.. v jednom momente sa otvorili dvere a bez zaklopania nám do izby vbehol údržbár, ani som ho nestihol pozdraviť,.. iba zmätene behom pol sekundy od polky izby kukol na radiátor, na nás a bez jediného slova odišiel,.. pre tieto prípady sa vždy zamkýňame, ale teraz dáko nevydalo,.. no a potom ten radiátor hučal celú noc, žena si, samozrejme, nič nevšimla a ja som nedokázal zaspať a zobudil sa v noci asi tristokrát,..
Mongolian vision tours - toto miesto má hodnotenie 8,8 na bookingu,.. izba bola malá, sprcha a hajzlík na chodbe v novom šate, žiaden zásadný problém,.. vytočil som sa na prvej raňajke, kedy to týpek nezvládal, v malej kuchynke sa tlačilo cez 10 ľudí a čakalo na neho, kým urobí praženicu,.. druhé ráno už bola raňajka ready a nikde žiadnych hostí,.. ale aj tak tu vládla taká nepríjemná atmosféra, ťažko to opísať, ale nepáčilo sa nám tu vôbec,.. napríklad pri check-ine berú 10 tis fufňov zálohu za kľúč a keď som ho vracal, musel som najskôr zobudiť tetu, tá len znudene mykla hlavou, že ho mám položiť na stôl, a keď som jej negentlemansky pripomenul, že zálohu mi treba, tak sa s prevracajúcimi očami dotrepala k stolu a dala mi desinu,.. keď tak nad tým rozmýšlam, všade kde sú ľudia, je to katastrofa,..
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| raňajka vo vision tours |
what to do in mongolia - stráviť 18 nocí v ulanbátare nedokáže hocikto, chce to naozaj odhodlanie a pevný charakter,.. nám sa to podarilo,.. niežeby sme z toho boli nejak nadšení, ale niekedy si proste človek nenavyberá,. k tomu sme pridali 4 noci mimo mesta a tu je našich zopár tipov na strávenie pekných chvíľ v tejto monumentálnej krajine,..
explore streets of ulaanbaatar - ono, po pravde, túto časť mám zo všetkého najradšej, len tak vybehnúť von a všímať si veci naokolo,.. ako napríklad autá - 90 percent z nich má šoféra na pravej strane vďaka dovozu z japonska, a teda okrem toho, že to vyzerá smiešne, je to aj kua nebezpečné tipujem,.. toyota prius je bezkonkurenčne najobľúbenejšie tunajšie auto,.. autá majú len dve farby - bielu a čiernu,.. deti sa vozia na prednom sedadle, šofér má skoro vždy v ruke mobil alebo cigaretu, alebo aj aj,.. a zásadne sa nebojí cúvať na križovatke,.. mesto ma neskutočne kokotsky zorganizovanú dopravu, milión áut v prakticky neustálej zápche, autá sú pohodené doslova všade, nerozumiem, ako to parkovanie tu funguje,.. nedá sa nijak vycúvať, ani tie autá posunúť, ani nič,.. základ je, samozrejme, trúbiť ako blázon,.. na každej križovatke je policajt a riadi dopravu,.. jednoznačne najjednoduchší spôsob, ako sa niekam dostať, je pešibusom,..
okrem šialenej dopravy je mesto zahalené v hustom šedom mraku,.. asi nemá na dillí alebo pakistanské lauhare, ale je to podľa štatistík najznečistenejšie hlavné mesto na svete,.. nefúka vietor a neprší,.. 250 slnečných dní v roku,.. na vykurovanie sa používa uhlie, toho je tu asi nekonečno,.. z jedného našeho ubytka sa z komína hodiny valil čierny dym,.. raz sme šli na bus kúsok ďalej od centra a fuck, to bol hardcore ktorý sa len ťažko opisuje, normálne sa nedalo dýchať, ten dym bol všade okolo ako taká hmla,.. úplný masaker,..
ľudia nosia iba čierne veci, najobľúbenejšia značka je the north face a všetky jej fejkové sesternice,.. ale dosť často stretávame miestnych v ich tradičnom oblečku, a to je parádne,..
mesto je samozrejme plné “sovietskej architektúry”, len treba mať otvorené oko a objavíte naozajstné poklady,..
najznámejšia budova je The Blue Sky - hotel reštika, office atď
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| the blue sky |
streetart hunting - veľké prekvapenie, velice príjemný street art tu majú, vyberám iba pár najlepších kúskov,.. netreba nič hľadať, iba mať otvorené oko,..
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| Topková kaviareň R.O.C. |
food hunting - čo sa jedla týka, prekvapivo, mongolsko, teda špeciálne UB je absolútna pecka,.. po vzoru miestnych objavujeme čaro kórejskej, japonskej a čínskej kuchyne,.. a, samozrejme, sem tam aj dačo z mongolskej,.. ono je to ako v bratislave, tam si tiež nedáte halušky,.. grécke suvlaky, ramen, india na račku, bunbonambo na miletičke,.. najesť sa dá na každom rohu, platba kartou je štandard,.. v hypermarketoch je obrovský výber alkoholu z celého sveta,.. ak je to vaša mánička, trpieť tu nebudete,..
vyberám iba tak narýchlo dve naše miestne najobľúbenejšie fast food siete,.. okrem toho, samozrejme, chodíme do tých najzapadnutejších vývarovní, aké si len viete predstaviť,.. plastový obrus, teta vo fertuške, zopár štamgastov, menu bez obrázkov v miestnej hatlaninke, 100 percent jedál s mäsom,.. mongoli,,. sem tam žene zmenia mäso za vajko, sem tam mám tie mäsá dve ja,..
shulundu (keď chcete googlit) - obrovská porcia polievok, nudlí a lokálnych dumplings za rovné 2 doláre, takéto logo hľadajte,..
loving hut - absolútny top favorit,.. cele menúčko už máme zjedené,.. vegánska reštika,.. 2,50-3,05 eur za veľké porcie,.. veľmi príjemné prostredie, bezkonkurenčný pomer cena/výkon,.. https://lovinghut.com/mg/ (asi je to dáka sekta, ten vegetarianizmus sa rozširuje ako mor)
variť sa tu moc nedá,.. ingrediencie v obchode sú tak dvojnásobok ako hotové jedlo,.. majú tu doslova každých 100 metrov také funny kórejské obchody ako “nice to CU”, “GS 25” alebo “instant ramen”, kde si kúpite a sami si zalejete čínsku polievku,.. velice obľúbená činnosť pre miestnu mládež,.. určite sa zastavte a kúpte si napríklad trojuholníkový kimbap, odporúčame my aj 10z10tich influencerov,..
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| Act like a local,.. nice to CU airport,.. |
cinema - urgoo cinemas,.. do kina chodíme vždy, keď sa dá,.. a tu majú pondelky len za 3,30,.. klasicky komplex, pukance a celý ten cirkus okolo,.. škoda, že sme boli len dvakrát, ale zato na super mongolské filmy,.. nerozumeli sme ani slovo, ale bol tam zlý policajt, teta, ktorú nabúchal týpek z vedľajšej dediny, kopec júrt, jázd na koni, nejaká tá action a jedna sekera do hlavy zaťatá,.. no skrátka, zábava na úrovni,..
old soviet monument - Zaisan, preparádny sovietsky monument nad mestom, na pešo ako inak,.. ulaanbatar ako na dlani, činžáky a činžáky,.. medzi nimi jurta alebo socha budhu veliká,.. super miesto,..
hiking around ulaanbaatar - ulanbátar je 1300 m nad morom a menší kopček tu hneď za mestom už má cez 2100 m,.. najchladnejšie hlavné mesto na svete zažíva najteplejší november ever,.. teploty sa pohybujú od mínus 16 do plus 8,.. nejaký mini sneh by sa našiel, ale keďže skoro neprší, neni toho veľa,.. ideme na výlet, jedna MHD, štart prakticky v meste,.. veľmi jednoduchá navigácia, nikde nikoho,.. krásne výhľady na mesto,.. v 2023-ťom prebrali mongoli československé turistické značenie,.. našli sme presne tie dve tabule, ktoré sú v článkoch vyfotografované plus jednu jedinú značku na strome,.. ale musím povedať, že veľká spokojnosť, kopec stromov a popadaných konárov,.. perfektné miesta na prípadný kemping,.. okrem zatúlaných koní a diviakov, vás zaručene nebude nikto otravovať,..
searching for swimming pool - veľmi príjemne strávený poldeň hľadaním bazéna, kam by som sa mohol hodiť,.. gúgel nám dal 3 tipy,.. prvý sme našli veľmi rýchlo, ak som to dobre pochopil 8 eur vstup na hodinu,.. druhý sa nachádzal v škole, chvíľu nam to trvalo, konala sa tam práve veľká rekonštrukcia,.. no a na treťom sme sa skoro dohodli,.. tetuška za prepážkou si zavolala na pomoc mladú babenku a tá mi všetko vysvetlila,.. vstupné je cca 4 eurá na hodinu, ale potrebujem HIV test,.. ten mi vraj na počkanie urobí tá teta v bielom plášti a stojí to 8 eur,.. tak sme šli radšej na obed,..
trip to terelj plus chinggis khan statue complex - tento výlet ponúka každý hostel za 70-80 dolárov na osobu,.. my sme zobrali jedno MHD za 500, bus do Nailaih za 500, a odtiaľ minibus do Terelj za 4000 fufňov,.. spiatočne teda cca 2,8 eur/osoba,.. plus sme išli stopom jednu časť, kam nechodia autobusy,.. ale to nás zobrali miestni bez debaty do 5 minút každým smerom (obe, ako inak, toyota prius),.. chápem, že stop nie je pre každého, ale brať si jeep so šoférom na takúto kokotinu, to je o hubu tiež,.. keď už sme boli v tom národnom parku, tak sme si tam našli úbytko na dve noci a urobili aj túru a ponaháňali miestne pamiatky,.. samotný park nič extra, ale veľmi príjemný bol budhistický chrám,.. veľa luxusného ubytovania všade, skoro všetko zatvorené,.. v lete to tu vyzerá asi inak,..
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| turtle rock |
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| view from monastery |
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| view from monastery |
trip to kharkhorin - prečítal som knihu o džingis chánovi,.. akože super, tisíce mŕtvych všade kam sa pohol,.. postavme mu pomník a tvárme sa, že aký je to borec,.. mongolská ríša, dobrý fuckup,.. ale neodbáčajme,.. v roku pána 1235 strýko džingis založil hlavné mesto mongolskej ríše, po našom karakorum,.. dlho nevydržalo a takmer všetci ho prakticky ignorovali,.. až oveľa rokov neskôr sa tu objavil budhistický kláštor erdene zuu monastery, ten sme si prišli pozrieť,.. a ešte penisovú skalu, penis rock,.. toť dva hajlajty tohoto absolútne beznádejného mestečka,.. ono, popravde, naším hlavným cieľom bolo vypadnúť z mesta,.. a 360 km jedným smerom by malo stačiť na to, aby sme si povedali “videli sme kúsok mongólie”,.. celé slovensko by sa do mongolska zmestilo cca 32 krát,.. 3,5 milióna obyvateľov má teda miesta až až,.. cesta bola absolútna topka,.. tisícky zvierat - kone, kravy, ovce, prasce, ťavy, supy a ich hostina na zdochlinách, tých je tu mrte všade tiež,.. kopce a planiny, minimum stromov a riek, sem tam dáka jurta,.. asfalt iba na hlavnej ceste,.. tá sa tiahla pred nami akoby do nekonečna,.. rovná čiara,..
starý antonov (atlas obscura ako náš obľúbený zdroj inšpirácie) - toto sme si nemohli nechať ujsť, veliký antonov ebnutý medzi činžiaky, v jednom školskom areáli,.. krásna vychádzka na pešo samozrejme,..
couchsurfing - s nikým sme sa nebavili posledných 20 dní,.. je to ťažko, v istanbule iba hotel style úbytko, tu síce máme hostel, ale v ňom nikto,.. buď nemá angličtinu alebo je to teta, čo robí misionársku činnosť,.. oprášil som teda couchsurfing,.. jirkov profil na mňa vybehol ako prvý, okamžite som vystrelil email, ani som poriadne nečekoval, čo je zač,.. a, samozrejme, ani nebolo treba,.. týpek, čo pracuje a býva priamo na ambasáde, 100m2 byt, hostí ako blázon, lebo šak čo iné už sa len dá robiť v ulaanbaatare,.. kúpil som fľašu gruzínskeho vína a pozval nás na večeru,.. parádny večer, pivo, víno, mongolské jedlo, borec milión príbehov z cestovania plus tá jeho mongolská teta nám vysvetlila pár mongolských špecialít,.. velice velice cool stretko to bolo,..
workaway - v celom mongolsku je len 17 projektov, nebolo ťažké si ich všetky prejsť a zistiť, že nám nič z nich nevyhovuje,.. ale oslovila nás jedna teta z darkhanu, velice velice nás chcela na dva týždne do svojho angličtinu vyučujúceho štúdia,.. zaváhali sme,.. učiť deti angličtinu 3-4 hodiny denne mohla byť naozajstná zábava,.. starneme, uprednostnili sme pokoj a kľud pred príbehmi, ktorými na pive zabávame kamarátov,..
no a tak pomaly si tu žijeme,.. niektoré dni ledva zvládame jedlo a kávičku vonku,.. je to naháňačka,.. ale stihli sme čo to naplánovať do budúcna,.. už čoskoro nás čaká mesačná južná kórea, vrátane 12 dňovej ženinej vipassany (ou jee, ďalší fishing retreat pre mňa?) a potom už potvrdený workaway projekt v japonsku, na ten sa teda tešíme velice,..
sorry za otrasné foto,.. všetky naše tri mobile sú katastrofálne,.. ale furt lepšie ako ništ,.. v kórei máme velké plány kúpiť nový mobil,.
o málinko viac foto a v trochu lepšej kvalite nájdete na tomto odkaze: foto mongolia
English version:
I'm skipping our stay at Lake Tvällen (18 nights), it's such an amazing experience that to understand it, I'd have to take you there for a mini-vacation (I've already taken 3 people there, I hope more will follow soon)...
A week in Slovakia would also be enough for at least three blog posts, but I don't want to get upset here... let's rather go straight to Mongolia...
How to get there? There are probably a hundred ways to get there. We chose the Bratislava-Sofia Ryanair flight for 18 euros (1 hour 8 minutes). From Sofia airport, there's a direct metro to the main train station, card payment is possible, it costs 0.84 euros. At the train station, after about three hours, we caught the night train to Istanbul for 36 euros. 4-bed compartment (otherwise a perfect setup for a group of friends, we were with two Russians and I don't talk to them). We could have also flown directly from Bratislava to Istanbul for 52 euros, the flight was about an hour late, but I would have missed my dream train route (I didn't enjoy it anyway, because I had a tooth pulled in Slovakia and was still on pain medication). We spent 8 nights in Istanbul, it's a beautiful city, we've been there several times, but only now have we finally enjoyed it the way we like it... (just saying that an adventurous trip can be taken more easily than you think... both Sofia and Istanbul are definitely worth a visit).
Istanbul-Ulaanbaatar for 230 euros, what's not to like? Mongolian Airlines - MIAT, I was very afraid of what it would be like, but in the end, it was one of the best flights we've ever had. Super friendly staff, Boeing 767 is a great plane with a 2-3-2 seat configuration, so you're guaranteed to have a window or aisle seat, plenty of room to move around. Lunch was served, and I don't even remember the last time I had food included in the price... a baguette before landing... coffee and juices twice... in short, 7 hours 40 minutes flew by, no turbulence... absolutely fantastic... the only problem was that we landed at five in the morning local time, which was like our midnight at that time... the accommodation didn't open until twelve, which meant 7 hours in the morning for us... we didn't want to go into an unknown city, the temperatures outside were below zero, so we stayed at the airport, shook off the taxi drivers, had coffee and waited for the 10:30 bus... I exchanged dollars for local money at a surprisingly good rate... the ticket to the city was only cash a little over 4 euros... it's unreasonably far, 50 km... brand new Chinggis Khan airport... because, of course, the Mongols probably don't have space, right...
When to go? Ha ha, that's a very easy answer - definitely not in November!!! I'd guess the ideal time to come here is at the beginning of summer... with your own tent and some outdoor food, ready to hitchhike... I believe that's how you could have fun here... the rest is really only for true enthusiasts...
Where to sleep? We tried 6 accommodations for you, so you don't have to... you're welcome... 4x Ulaanbaatar, all right in the center, price around 9 dollars/person... 2x outside the capital, price on average 3 times more... some problems everywhere, it's probably unavoidable...
Kongor Guesthouse and Tours - super cheap, only 6.33 euros per person... small room though, but cool common areas... and even breakfast... bread, butter and jam... we said we'd take the cheapest Ulaanbaatar has to offer for the first three nights, and then we'd only go to better places... there was practically no fault with this accommodation... just a bit noisy apartment in a tenement...
Gana's Guest House and Tours - in the second accommodation, we decided we wanted a toilet and bathroom in the room... mistake... the siphon smells like a sewer... it's driving me crazy... the woman pretends she can't smell it, but I literally sleep the first night with a scarf on my face... the smell almost disappeared the second day, I don't even notice it on the third and fourth... the specialty of this accommodation is a yurt on the terrace, a beautiful view of the broken surroundings with yurts, a dusty road, patched-up fences from all sorts of things... but otherwise we're still in the very center, just there's a line and beyond it, the asphalt is gone and the wilderness begins...
City Guesthouse and Tours - our favorite... we spent 9 nights here in three stays... it's a classic apartment with four rooms plus a hallway and a toilet with a bathroom in one... our room is small, but it has beautiful wallpaper and we feel best here... the other three rooms are still closed and we don't know if anyone lives there, we haven't met anyone... breakfast and the common area are in the second apartment across the hallway... three people and a dog live there long-term plus there's a dormitory, so they put the other guests there... 9 dollars with breakfast is a good deal... but if there were 8 of us in the apartment, it probably wouldn't be so fun...
Terelj Ulaanbaatar - this hotel has seen better days, it's falling apart before our eyes, a guy with poor English at the reception, but we managed... great breakfast included... you rarely have a bed that's wider than it's long, we have an incredible airport... but overall a disaster... the water in the sink didn't run at all, but we can live with that... there were about 10 guests, all mothers with children... about two on average for each... and it was a big mess, they were flying like kites down the hallway late into the night... but even that could be managed... what pissed me off the most was that the toilet broke down on the second night... so damn it again, a shared bathroom is a hundred times better than scooping water into a bucket and pouring it over poop instead of flushing... I didn't even complain, because arguing with a Mongolian is like arguing with a Mongolian... the surroundings of the hotel, or the town of Terelj, look monumental... no asphalt, just yurts and houses, hopelessness and despair... I don't have many photos, but the playground and park, that's divine beauty here... they express almost everything...
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| Hotel with yurts outside... but it was too cold for using them. |
Khakhorin Hostel - very nice place, pleasant room... breakfast was top-notch... the price is crazy, but whatever... the first night was OK... but then something started happening with the radiator... at one point the door opened and without knocking, a maintenance guy ran into our room, I didn't even have time to greet him... he just glanced confusedly at the radiator, at us, from the middle of the room in half a second, and left without saying a word... we always lock up for these cases, but this time it didn't work out... and then the radiator was humming all night, my wife, of course, didn't notice anything and I couldn't fall asleep and woke up about three hundred times during the night...
Mongolian vision tours - this place has a rating of 8.8 on Booking... the room was small, the shower and toilet in the hallway were new, no major problem... I got pissed off at the first breakfast when the guy couldn't handle it, over 10 people were crammed into the small kitchen waiting for him to make scrambled eggs... the second morning breakfast was ready and there were no guests anywhere... but still, there was an unpleasant atmosphere here, it's hard to describe, but we didn't like it here at all... for example, at check-in they take a 10,000 tugrik deposit for the key and when I returned it, I had to wake up the lady first, she just nodded boredly that I should put it on the table, and when I ungently reminded her that I needed the deposit, she dragged herself to the table with rolling eyes and gave me the ten thousand... when I think about it, everywhere there are people, it's a disaster...
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| Breakfast at Vision Tours. |
What to do in Mongolia? Not everyone can spend 18 nights in Ulaanbaatar, it takes real determination and a strong character... we managed it... not that we were thrilled about it, but sometimes you just don't have a choice... we added 4 nights outside the city and here are some of our tips for spending nice moments in this monumental country...
Explore the streets of Ulaanbaatar - honestly, I like this part the most, just going out and noticing things around... like cars - 90 percent of them have the driver on the right side due to imports from Japan, and besides looking funny, it's also damn dangerous I guess... Toyota Prius is by far the most popular car here... cars only have two colors - white and black... children ride in the front seat, the driver almost always has a mobile phone or a cigarette in his hand, or both and they definitely aren't afraid to reverse in intersections. The city has incredibly poorly organized traffic, a million cars in practically constant traffic jams, cars are parked literally everywhere, I don't understand how parking works here. You can't back out, or move the cars, or anything. The basic rule, of course, is to honk like crazy. At every intersection, there's a policeman directing traffic. Definitely the easiest way to get somewhere is by walking.
Besides the insane traffic, the city is shrouded in a thick gray cloud. It probably doesn't compare to Delhi or Pakistani Lahore, but it's statistically the most polluted capital city in the world. There's no wind and no rain. 250 sunny days a year. Coal is used for heating, there's probably an endless supply of it here. From one of our accommodations, black smoke billowed from the chimney for hours. Once we went to a bus stop a little further from the center and, fuck, it was hardcore, hard to describe, you couldn't breathe, the smoke was everywhere like a fog. A complete massacre.
People only wear black clothes, the most popular brand is The North Face and all its fake cousins. But we often see locals in their traditional clothes, and that's great.
The city is, of course, full of "Soviet architecture," you just have to have an open eye and discover real treasures.
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| the blue sky |
Street art hunting – a big surprise, they have very nice street art here, I'm just picking a few of the best pieces. You don't have to look for anything, just keep your eyes open.
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| Caffee R.O.C. |
Food hunting – as far as food is concerned, surprisingly, Mongolia, especially UB, is absolutely fantastic. Following the example of the locals, we're discovering the charm of Korean, Japanese and Chinese cuisine, and, of course, occasionally something Mongolian. It's like in Bratislava, you don't order halušky there either. Greek souvlaki, ramen, Indian on Rača, bun bo nam bo on Miletičova. You can eat on every corner, card payment is standard. Hypermarkets have a huge selection of alcohol from all over the world. If that's your thing, you won't suffer here.
I'm just quickly picking two of our favorite local fast food chains. Besides that, of course, we go to the most remote diners you can imagine. Plastic tablecloths, a lady in an apron, a few regulars, a menu without pictures in the local gibberish, 100 percent of the dishes with meat. Mongols. Sometimes they change the meat for an egg for my wife, sometimes I get two meats.
Shulundu (if you want to Google it) – huge portions of soups, noodles and local dumplings for a flat 2 dollars, look for this logo.
Loving Hut – absolute top favorite. We've already eaten the entire menu. A vegan restaurant. 2.50-3.05 euros for large portions. Very pleasant environment, unbeatable price/performance ratio. https://lovinghut.com/mg/ (it's probably some kind of sect, vegetarianism is spreading like a plague).
You can't really cook much here. The ingredients in the store are about twice as expensive as the ready-made food. They have these funny Korean shops like "nice to CU," "GS 25" or "instant ramen" literally every 100 meters, where you can buy and pour your own Chinese soup. A very popular activity for local youth. Be sure to stop by and buy, for example, a triangular kimbap, recommended by us and 10 out of 10 influencers.
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| Act like a local,.. nice to CU airport,.. |
Cinema – Urgoo Cinemas. We always go to the cinema when we can, and here Mondays are only 3.30. Classic complex, popcorn and all that circus around it. It's a shame we only went twice, but for great Mongolian films. We didn't understand a word, but there was a bad cop, a lady who was hit on by a guy from the neighboring village, a bunch of yurts, horseback riding, some action and an axe stuck in someone's head. In short, entertainment on a high level.
Old Soviet monument – Zaisan, a beautiful Soviet monument above the city, on foot as always. Ulaanbaatar at your fingertips, tenement buildings and tenement buildings. Among them a yurt or a huge Buddha statue. A great place.
Hiking around Ulaanbaatar – Ulaanbaatar is 1300 m above sea level and a small hill just outside the city is already over 2100 m. The coldest capital city in the world is experiencing the warmest November ever. Temperatures range from minus 16 to plus 8. There's some mini-snow, but since it hardly rains, there's not much. We're going on a trip, one public transport, starting practically in the city. Very easy navigation, nobody anywhere. Beautiful views of the city. In 2023, the Mongols took over the Czechoslovak tourist marking. We found exactly the two signs that are photographed in the articles plus one single sign on a tree. But I must say, very satisfied, a lot of trees and fallen branches. Perfect places for a possible camping. Apart from stray horses and wild boars, you're guaranteed not to be bothered by anyone.
Searching for a swimming pool – a very pleasant half-day spent searching for a swimming pool where I could jump in. Google gave us 3 tips. We found the first one very quickly, if I understood correctly, 8 euros entrance for an hour. The second was located in a school, it took us a while, there was a major renovation going on. And we almost agreed on the third. The lady at the counter called a young girl for help and she explained everything to me. The entrance fee is about 4 euros per hour, but I need an HIV test. She said the lady in the white coat would do it for me on the spot and it costs 8 euros. So we went for lunch instead.
Trip to Terelj plus Chinggis Khan statue complex – every hostel offers this trip for 70-80 dollars per person. We took one public transport for 500, a bus to Nailaih for 500, and from there a minibus to Terelj for 4000 tugriks. Return trip is about 2.8 euros/person. Plus, we hitchhiked one part where buses don't go. But the locals picked us up without hesitation within 5 minutes each way (both, of course, Toyota Prius). I understand that hitchhiking is not for everyone, but taking a jeep with a driver for such a stupid thing is also risky. Once we were in the national park, we found accommodation for two nights and did a hike and chased local sights. The park itself is nothing special, but the Buddhist temple was very pleasant. Lots of luxury accommodation everywhere, almost all closed. It probably looks different here in the summer.
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| turtle rock |
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| view from monastery |
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| view from monastery |
Trip to Kharkhorin – I read a book about Genghis Khan. Great, thousands of dead everywhere he went. Let's build him a monument and pretend he's a hero. The Mongolian Empire, a huge fuckup. But let's not digress. In the year 1235, Uncle Genghis founded the capital of the Mongolian Empire, Karakorum. It didn't last long and almost everyone practically ignored it. Until many years later, the Erdene Zuu Monastery appeared here, which we came to see. And also Penis Rock. Those are the two highlights of this absolutely hopeless town. Honestly, our main goal was to get out of the city. And 360 km one way should be enough to say, "We saw a bit of Mongolia." All of Slovakia would fit into Mongolia about 32 times. 3.5 million of local inhabitants have plenty of space. The road was absolutely top-notch. Thousands of animals – horses, cows, sheep, pigs, camels, vultures and their feast on carcasses, there are a lot of them everywhere. Hills and plains, minimal trees and rivers, occasionally a yurt. Asphalt only on the main road. It stretched before us as if into infinity. A straight line.
Couchsurfing – we haven't talked to anyone for the last 20 days. It's hard, in Istanbul only hotel-style accommodation, here we have a hostel, but nobody's in it. Either they don't speak English or it's a lady doing missionary work. So I dusted off Couchsurfing. Jirko's profile popped up first, I immediately sent an email, I didn't even properly check what he was like. And, of course, there was no need. A guy who works and lives right at the embassy, a 100m2 apartment, hosts like crazy, because what else is there to do in Ulaanbaatar? I bought a bottle of Georgian wine and invited us for dinner. A great evening, beer, wine, Mongolian food, the guy with a million travel stories plus his Mongolian girlsfriend explained a few Mongolian specialties to us. A very, very cool meeting it was.
Workaway – there are only 17 projects in all of Mongolia, it wasn't hard to go through them all and find that none of them suited us. But one lady from Darkhan contacted us, she really wanted us for two weeks in her English teaching studio. We hesitated. Teaching children English 3-4 hours a day could be real fun. We're getting old, we preferred peace and quiet to stories we tell friends over beer.
And so we're slowly living here. Some days we barely manage food and coffee outside. It's a hustle. But we managed to plan something for the future. We'll soon be in South Korea for a month, including my wife's 12-day Vipassana retreat (oh jee, another fishing retreat for me?) and then a confirmed Workaway project in Japan, which we're really looking forward to.
Sorry for the terrible photos. All three of our mobiles are catastrophic. But still better than nothing. We have big plans to buy a new mobile in Korea.
You can find a little more photos and in slightly better quality at this link: foto mongolia
