A year ago today I was in Mongolia! It was such an amazing country… I loved staying in the ger camp, eating delicious food, hiking, and seeing the giant Genghis Khan statue. Riding a camel was kind of scary though!
Category Archives: Mongolia
Saturday 9
1. Have you ever been to Atlanta?
Yes, twice to get my Korean visa. The first time we stayed downtown and went to an NBA playoff game. We also ate at The Varsity. The next time I just stayed at an airport hotel.
2. Do you enjoy traveling by train?
I do, for short periods of time. It’s more relaxing than flying or driving. I did the Trans-Mongolian Railway from Beijing to St. Petersburg last summer. We stopped three times but there still was one leg of the journey that was five days long! I really needed a shower.
3. What’s your go-to karaoke song?
I don’t really have one. My ex and I used to sing “Hit Me Baby One More Time” as a duet. Here you can see me and my friend Kathryn singing karaoke on a cruise last September.
4. Do you drink tea?
On occasion… I’ve been drinking these teas lately since I received them in a blog swap.
5. What’s the most recent thing you purchased for your home?
I bought cupcake salt and pepper shakers for my future cupcake-themed kitchen.
6. Are there dishes in your kitchen sink right now?
Not sure.
7. Have you ever been fingerprinted?
Yes, for jobs.
8. What was the last check you wrote?
To my mom to pay for the internet.
9. What color are your eyes?
Hazel.
First Things First
1. First thing I reach for in the fridge
Usually if I’m just opening up the fridge for a snack, I’ll have a pickle. Claussen’s are the best!
2. First car accident or traffic violation
The first one I can recall is when I was around 20 years old and got in a car accident while on vacation. That really sucked because I had to get someone to take me home and then come back and get my car a week later. What a pain!
3. First BIG accomplishment I’m proud of
I’m most proud of my traveling experiences (I’ve visited 34 countries)!
Trans-Mongolian Railway, June 2012
Single Ladies Link Up
10 Things I Love About Myself
1. I am a good friend. I am thoughtful, I remember things, I make an effort, I don’t back out when I say I’m going to do something.
me and my friend Cindy (skiing on Tuesday)
2. I am well-traveled.
Mongolia, June 2012
3. I am intelligent and doing well in grad school.
4. I can cook and bake some delicious dishes (most of the time).
5. I like to do things by myself (going to the movies, traveling, etc.).
but when you travel by yourself, you tend to take photos like this all the time (Laos, June 2012)
6. I love my two cats like they’re my children.
7. I have cute toes. And a cute nose.
8. I have an exciting life and am always trying new things.
riding an elephant was scary! (Thailand, July 2011)
9. I throw great parties.
Santa’s Mustache Bash, December 2012
10. I’m fun! I will sing karaoke or be the first one on the dance floor.
Carnival Cruise, September 2012
Wednesday Hodgepodge
1. Lake Superior University has once again published a list of words/phrases they think should be banished from the Queen’s English… Here’s the list for 2013: fiscal cliff, kick the can down the road, double down, job creators/creation, passion/passionate, YOLO, spoiler alert, bucket list, trending, superfood, boneless wings, and guru. Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why?
Boneless wings. They are basically chicken tenders. Chicken wings have bones. ‘Nuff said. On a side note, I use “spoiler alert” quite often! Oops…
2. When was the last time you rode a train? Where did you go?
The Trans-Mongolian Railway! I rode all the way from Beijing, China to St. Petersburg, Russia (with three stops along the way).
3. Bagels… Yay or nay? Favorite ‘flavor’? Favorite topping?
Sometimes. I like “everything” bagels with cream cheese. Blueberry and cinnamon raisin are good when I want something a little sweet.
4. ‘Tis the season of awards shows… If you could star in a movie already made, which one would you choose?
I would play Miranda Presley in The Thing Called Love.
5. The move towards single gender classrooms has been making the news in recent months… What say you? Do you think kids perform better if separated by gender and are taught differently or is that discrimination? If you’re a parent, is this something you’d support in regard to your own children?
I don’t agree with this. Seems ridiculous to me.
6. What’s your favorite thing about staying in a hotel?
Not having to clean up after myself! Blasting the AC, watching TV, clean sheets, taking a bubble bath… Everything!
7. Do you have a ‘word’ for 2013? What’s the story behind your choice?
No…
8. Insert your own random thought here.
Busy day… Job interview, manicure, Zero Dark Thirty, and my BFF Cindy’s birthday dinner!
Tuesday 10
My Life in 10 Photos
My kitties
Riley Moonshine & Diesel Gambrinus
School
My textbooks for this semester
My family
My sister Callie, my brother Zach, and me
My friends
Cindy, Laura, and me
Reading
My current reads
TV addiction
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Traveling
Riding a camel in Mongolia
Food
Indian food is my favorite
My home (western North Carolina)
DuPont State Forest
Blogging
Riley helping me write a blog post (she was so tiny in September!!)
The Year in Review
(I got this questionnaire from Nicole, who got it here.)
What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
I rode a camel.
Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t remember if I even made any resolutions last year… So far I have vowed to visit Greece, finish my master’s degree, get a job as a librarian, visit every brewery in WNC, and attend a book signing in 2013.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, my friend Jinhee (just a few days after I left Korea!) and my stepsister Ruth.
Byuri
Klay Audrey
Did anyone close to you die?
No.
What countries did you visit?
I lived in Korea and visited the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Russia, Poland, Grand Cayman, and Mexico.
What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
A job as a librarian.
What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory?
July 17, the day my boyfriend and I broke up.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Traveling on the Trans-Mongolian Railway from Beijing to St. Petersburg.
What was your biggest failure?
Gaining weight instead of losing it.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
The worst was a very painful jellyfish sting in Vietnam!
What was the best thing you bought?
Well I didn’t buy it, but I received this awesome waterproof, dustproof, coldproof, shockproof, and crushproof camera!
Where did most of your money go?
Traveling!
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Moving home to NC after two years in Korea.
What song will always remind you of 2012?
Gangnam Style!
Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? The same
Thinner or fatter? Fatter
Richer or poorer? Poorer
What do you wish you’d done more of?
Appreciating Korea while I lived there.
What do you wish you’d done less of?
Spending money.
How did you spend Christmas?
At home with my family, eating dinner and opening presents! I didn’t take any good group pics unfortunately, but here are all the “grandkids” (my nephew Carter and nieces Olivia and Klay).
Did you fall in love in 2012?
No.
Who were your best friends?
Ohee in Korea and Cindy in NC.
I was her Maid of Honor!
We threw an awesome Christmas party together!
What thing did you do that was meaningful to others?
Donated to several charities.
What was your favorite TV program?
The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, Homeland, Dexter, Sons of Anarchy, Game of Thrones, Justified, Girls, Cougar Town…
Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hmmmmmm I don’t think so.
What was the best book you read?
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
I’m not that into music.
What did you want and get?
Custom painted TOMS, a Kate Spade wallet, kittens…
What did you want and not get?
A job as a children’s librarian.
What was your favorite film of this year?
Magic Mike? LOL. Also Argo, The Hunger Games, Moonrise Kingdom, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Pitch Perfect.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 30… I made pottery, went swimming, went out to dinner, and had cake and drinks at my house!
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
My year was pretty awesome but getting the job I wanted (children’s librarian) would have made it awesomer.
What kept you sane?
Reading, blogging, my friends and family.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I developed a huge crush on Tom Hardy. And Rebel Wilson became by role model. 🙂
What political issue stirred you the most?
I tried to avoid politics as usual.
Who did you miss?
Everyone in NC when I was in Korea and everyone in Korea now that I’m home!
Who was the best new person you met this year?
My nieces Olivia and Klay. 🙂
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
It’s OK to move on and start over.
Quote that sums up your year:
“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”
2012 Review Extravaganza: Second Quarter Recap
April:
I went to the Hello Kitty Cafe.
I went to the Jindo Sea Parting Festival.
I went to the Lady Gaga concert in Seoul.
May:
I visited Gyeongju.
I went to Changdeokgung Palace.
I had an awesome time with friends camping on Muui Island.
I watched the Lotus Lantern Parade in Seoul.
I said goodbye to all the amazing friends I had made during my two years living in Korea. 😦
I headed out on my five week epic Asian backpacking trip… In May, I visited Hong Kong and Vientiane, Laos.
June:
Continued/finished the five week epic Asian backpacking trip which included the Trans-Mongolian Railway! I visited…
St. Petersburg, Russia
Trans-Mongolian Railway
We did the Trans-Mongolian Railway from Beijing to St. Petersburg over two and a half weeks in June 2012. We booked the train tickets and stopover hostels and tours through Lupine Travel for 999 euros per person. According to both my research and other travelers we met on the train, their price is pretty cheap. I highly recommend them. Everything went smoothly and it was much easier than if we had attempted to book everything ourselves. And you don’t need to pay a bunch of money for a guided tour (with a guide with you on the train); that’s just silly. As long as you do your research ahead of time, everything should be simple to figure out. Also the tours we did to Terelj National Park and Lake Baikal were amazing and we might have thought them too expensive if we had booked them ourselves separately. So it was nice to feel like we were splurging!
We departed Beijing on Tuesday, June 12. It was approximately 30 hours to Ulan Bator. This was the best of all four of our train rides. The train car was the nicest, with a fan, and there were not many people on board. On our car there were only six of us (all foreigners) and Daniel and I had our own cabin, which was awesome. (Lupine Travel states that during this leg of the journey you will be in a six-berth cabin, but somehow we ended up in a four-berth cabin.) Unfortunately I was pretty sick the whole time so I just slept a lot. The scenery in northern China and southern Mongolia is interesting though, so make sure to look out the window a lot! I ate once on the Chinese dining car (fried chicken and rice) and it was OK. When the train stopped at the border, we got out and went to the store but then got back on the train quickly so we could be on board while they changed the wheels for three hours. Everyone else was stuck waiting around at the train station. There aren’t people selling things at the stops in China and Mongolia and there weren’t many long stops other than border crossings.
We stopped over in Ulan Bator for three nights, where we stayed at Golden Gobi Hostel and did a two day tour with a ger stay.
Our next leg of the journey was the worst. It was around 35 hours to Irkutsk but we stopped for 12 hours at the Mongolia/Russia border. It was torture! So hot on the train (no fans) and a lot of the time we couldn’t get off the train to go the bathroom. (The bathrooms are locked at stops.) Apparently other trains don’t stop for so long; we were just unlucky enough to be on the one that did. For most of our ride, we shared our cabin with a nice Mongolian woman. But right before crossing the border, another Mongolian woman got on, and she was obnoxious. She had tons of stuff she was smuggling into Russia (liquor, clothes, souvenir-type items) and she and all the other smugglers on board were trading items and hiding everything in the cabins. After we crossed into Russia and dealt with immigration and customs, all the smugglers got off. I visited the dining car once (on the Russian half of the journey) and had a very small and expensive “Greek” salad.
We stopped over in Irkutsk for four nights. Two nights were spent at Admiral Hostel and two were spent at a guesthouse on Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal.
Our next train ride, from Irkutsk to Moscow, was the longest at around 83 hours. Somehow Daniel and I both had bottom bunks, which was annoying. I much prefer a top bunk so I can sleep during the day. The first night we shared our cabin with two Russian women, who were only on board for about six hours. The next morning two younger Russian men got on shared the cabin with us for a day and a half. I liked them as they were considerate and stayed on their top bunks or out in the hallway unless they wanted to use the table to eat. (I don’t like people sitting on my bed all day!) On the second day we shared the cabin with them, they broke out a bottle of whiskey and got Daniel and a New Zealander we had met, Jeff, quite drunk. Communication was attempted and we learned that they were police officers. They even let Daniel and Jeff try on their hats. A few hours after they got off, two older Russian men got on and became our cabinmates. They were kind of stinky but kept to themselves. We visited the dining car a few times on this trip, sometimes just for beer and sometimes for (pretty good but expensive) food. The last day on board was the worst. I was sick of all the food we had available, bored out of my mind, and counting down the hours until we reached Moscow. And really in need of a shower!
After three nights in Moscow, our last train ride was to St. Petersburg. This was the only train ticket not organized through Lupine Travel. Word to the wise: Buy tickets online in advance! We didn’t and had to go through quite the hassle to go to the train station the day before and figure out how to purchase them after out hostel had trouble booking online and over the phone. (And all the fast trains were already sold out!) Luckily a nice Russian in line behind us acted as our translator. (Russians are much nicer than I thought they would be!) The ride was eight hours and we shared our cabin (this time we both had top bunks) with a young Russian couple. I napped and watched TV (The Shield) the whole time. No pics as my camera broke in Moscow. 😦
Tips:
- Bring entertainment: Books, cards, games, a computer loaded with TV shows/movies, a Russian phrasebook. There were outlets in the hallways so we could charge our computers (bring an adapter).
- Hot water is provided so bring cup/bowl instant noodles, instant coffee, tea, etc. Other good snacks are: sausage, cheese, bread, fruit, cucumbers, tomatoes, candy, cookies, chips, sunflower seeds, etc. Don’t forget water and maybe a powdered drink mix. Also a mug, silverware, plate, etc. Soap and a dishrag for washing your dishes is helpful (or bring disposable dishes). It’s polite to offer your food to your cabinmates but ours never accepted.
- Wear comfy clothes! If you’re going in the summer make sure they are cool because it can get a little sweaty. Bring flip flops/sandals too.
- Bring washcloths, toilet paper, and wet wipes. Sometimes the bathrooms run out of toilet paper. If you’re picky like me, you’ll use the washcloths and wet wipes to clean yourself every morning. I also changed clothes every day and used body spray, deoderant, facial toner, and facial moisturizer in an attempt to feel clean. NO SHOWERS!
- In Russia the train does stop every few hours for a decent amount of time so you can get off and buy food and drinks. Just check the time table posted in your car and remember it’s all in Moscow time. Set your watch to Moscow time! The bathrooms are locked during these stops so keep that in mind and pee a half hour before each long stop!
- The cabin attendant sells drinks. It’s much cheaper to buy beer from her, but it’s worth the money sometimes to drink a beer in the dining car just for a change of scenery and to escape your smelly cabinmates.
- If you want liquor, buy it before you get to the train station. Poor Daniel couldn’t find a bottle our whole trip.
- Try to get a top bunk if you can. More privacy and personal space.
- Pack a small bag with the clothes, entertainment, toiletries, and food you will need on the train. That way you don’t have to dig out and through your huge backpack every time you need something.
- Keep your passport, money, and valuables on you at all times. Especially if you get off the train at stops! You don’t want to end up stranded with nothing.
- Sheets, a pillow, a pillowcase, a blanket, and sometimes a bedroll and/or a small towel are provided.
- Lights are turned off during the day but at night there is an overhead light in the cabin and reading lights in each bunk that you can turn on.
- Bring bags with you for trash bags. Ziploc bags might also come in handy.
- Earplugs and a sleep mask will be needed if you’re a light sleeper.
Mongolian Steppe & Ger Stay
This was an amazing overnight tour and hands-down the best part of our trip to Mongolia. It was arranged through our travel agent Lupine Travel and Golden Gobi Guesthouse.
We had our own personal driver and guide who picked us up from the hostel in the morning. The first place we stopped was a rock pile shrine. Drivers stop there to walk around it or leave an offering for a safe journey. Some drivers just drive by and honk! We’ve now seen many of these shrines throughout Mongolia and Russia.
Next we stopped at and climbed up two rock formations. The first one had a cave. The second was Turtle Rock. At Turtle Rock we also got to ride a camel!
We had lunch at a family’s ger in Terelj National Park. It was surprisingly good. Bread with fresh cream, meat and potato soup, and khuushuur.
After lunch we hiked to a nearby temple. (OK, Daniel and the guide hiked all the way while the driver and I stopped and chilled about halfway through the hike.) We had some fresh yogurt when we got back to the ger as well.
In the afternoon we visited the enormous Genghis Khan Statue Complex. It was awesome! You can take an elevator to the top of the statue to get up close and personal. We also tried on some imperial Mongolian clothing.
Finally we arrived at the Kazakh family’s ger camp where we were to spend the night. We had tea and snacks, explored their camp, ate dinner, and went to bed! It was an exhausting day.
The next day we listened to one of our hosts play the tovshuur before departing. We drove to another town where Daniel and the guide took a horseback ride to a temple. The driver and I drove to meet them at the temple for a picnic lunch since I am afraid of horses. Then we headed back to Ulan Bator. What a trip!
Grown in Southern Ground 