Reflections from the train - in between Mongolia and China -

We now have reached China safely. Spent 4 days in Beijing, are currently in Xi'an (3rd day) and tomorrow our train to Chengdu leaves.

Internet (and computer access in general!) so far has been a little challenging, and we are biting our fingernails as we don't have a pc ourselves. It goes per minute in the hostel, and internet cafes dont accept you unless you have a Chinese ID card - obviously we don't.

The story below is what we wrote on our iPhone on the train to China,... pls don't notice the spelling mistakes. We didnt have time to write anything else yet, so you will have to do with these additional thoughts :) Sorry..... Also, the photos are not really possible, since we have an upload speed of 0,5 kB/S :S 

We forgot to write about a few funny (or less funny) things we had seen in Mongolia:

- the mini version of public toilets
Even as an adult, the huge gap in between the two planks of a pit toilet can horrify you. Not even mentioning the hole before the toilet that sometimes appears as they simply dug out too much sand. Jumping over the hole, balancing on the two rotten planks, staring in the pit with crawling maggots while holding your breath...then try to unbuckle your pants without anything falling down... Not the most funny thing to do, especially not if your a kid. We were wondering how they do that! Answer: in rural areas you just squat on the street for small business:) In more urban areas wefound the mini version of a pit toilet, reaching up to Jan's waist. The stinking smell is however not half. - transport is a fascinating construct in Mongolia.
A) In Ulaanbaatar public transport is cheap. 1 way costs 400 Tugrig, or 22 eurocents. However, traffic is mad, jams all over at any time. Busses are full, and people are comfortable with pushing around. The bus is accompanied by a lady in blue that will come around to collect your cash.
B)The practical solution to not having frequented public transport in rural areas is riding a motorbike. Helmets are luxury, we've seen only 1! And it is normal to take your kids with you, one in the front, one in the middle or two or three or even a goat!!:) We've seen them riding one with 5 people!
C) Furthermore, you encounter the highest density of Landcruisers and Hummers outside Las Vegas!! Even though 40% of the population earns less than 400 USD!!! ( How are they able to afford a 100000 Dollar car?!... (by the way, half of them had a steering wheel on the right,imported from Japan)
D) Bikes are available but rarely seen. (maybe 5? within two weeks) - although it would definitely be the quickest (not safest) means within the city
E) roads are awful and actually only exist within the city.(also in a relatively poor condition). 42000 km roads, 2000 km asphalt. Probably the main reason for driving these too big cars. But it also means that you can observe people zigzagging across the road, regardless of whether there are cars approaching from the other side or not!
F)To prevent the smog in the city, a license plate system exists that forbids people with a specific nr. (eg 2 at the end) to drive on specific weekdays (eg. tuesdays). Not that this helps...people drive through backalleys to illegally drive into the city, but most of all, they exchange license plates with others for a day! The fine for driving with an unallowed license plate is around 180000 Tugrig, around 100 euro! - this is the only place in the world (next to Russia of course) where they use the Russian UAZ vans which look like from the 1950s but are still produced the same way... They consume (a diesel) ridiculously little: only 20ltrs/100km!!! Fuel costs around 83 ct. The tires have an inflatable inner-tire!! So you can fix them yourself when they are flat (happens quite often).

- the weather in Mongolia is very continental and therefore cold during the night and warm during daytime. It's the country with the coldest capital with 70-80 degrees difference between day and night) october is the month where it changes; when we arrived it was a hot 26 degrees, when we left (only 2 weeks later!) it was snowing

- Gobi (and main fraction of the country) is desert. Nevertheless, there are lots of animals to find like eagles, steppe mouse, wild sheep and camel, snow leopard, ibex gazelles, ravens, vultures, horses,.... Who can cope with the scarcity of water, lack of rich food, big temperature differences, hard winters and lots of dust:)) It is a miracle! Even the cows drink saltwater and eat dry grass when necessary! 

- Unfortunately, many Mongolians seem to forget (ornot appreciate enough?) their rich culture, customs and heritage from the old days. They seem to be focussed on catching up on the western world and trying to sell their country to mining companies.... Abilities like throatsinging, playing the morin khuur, etc. are mostly just to be heard in concert halls. Thanks Todo (Tuguldur, our friend Begzsuren's son) for keeping it alive! - one culture aspect that is still very prevalent is the del, the traditional cloak, worn not only at festivities, but also as it is practical and keeps you warm! They are beautiful and although you see them everywhere in the city, many prefer western style clothing. H&M and Vero Moda clothes in non-branded stores are available, yet at a price 5 times as high as with us. And it doesnt seem to matter that the gravel roads are not suitable for high heels; an inheritance from Russia?

- the supermarkets are full of German stuff, unfortunately they sell the cheap stuff (Alpengold chocolate, Ja! Toilet paper) against the A-brand prices. Fortunately they don't appreciate the expensive brands (Lindt) as much so there are some bargains. And you find little treasures like Schokolinsen! In general, food price levels are not cheaper, but more expensive! We managed, but our fatty-horse/sheep/goat diet could use some vitamins now....

- Ulaanbaatar is boiling. Not only from the smog, but it is growing so fast! More and more people come to the city. The hard winters force nomadic people to give up their traditional ways of life. Privatising ofland is easy: everyone has a right for 0,07 hectare. Mark your land, put up your Ger and then go to the municipality to claim permission is the motto. The south side is one massive construction site, in the north the Gers pop up like flowers in spring.

- there are many "small" crimes and thieves. Under 700.000 Tugrig (400 euro) it is not considered a crime, sorry. Warnings are everywhere and they should definitively be taken seriously, although we were fortunate enough to not have experienced it ourselves. We lost our mascotte from the outside of our bag, but that was actually somewhere before Mongolia. :'(

- rubbish systems don't work. Inside the State Department Store (as big as an KaDeWe or Bijenkorf and with the same offer of products) there are separatedr ubbishbins for plastic, paper etc. However, the system behind it doesn't function as it all goes into the same rubbish van. Inside the Ger district, many people just dump it. Next to the waterhouses, (100 liter costs 100 tugrig (divided by 1800 for euro) the rubbish piles up. The waste water goes into the big hole next to the pit toilet. That groundwater ends up in the river and the river flows to the Lake Baikal, which contains 20% of the total freshwater of the earth!!!

- Hospitality in Mongolia is endless. You don't need to knock on a door, just enter. And that is true! We've experienced Mongolia as one of the most friendly countries, with an extreme hospitalty for strangers that we normally see only between good friends in Europe. We sincerely hope that these values will not be lost in the race for the natural resources this country has. The 51% should be Mongolian owned rule only helps if the Mongolians can afford it, which is an obvious no.

As in most places, we wish we could have stayed longer, and we wish we could have done more.