The Ramblings of a Grouchy Traveler

I was wrong....Ulaanbaatar is not just a bit of an eyesore....after having spent a good chunk of the day walking around, I feel like I can now say that UB is quite possibly the biggest eyesore on the planet. No offense, but Mongolia, you need a better capital city.

Today has been a so-so day. I'm a little sleep deprived (the result of too much coffee at the Beijing Airport, the presence of 7 snoring roommates, no pillow and a bit of traveler's anxiety), a little sunburned (which is infuriating because I was so judicious in applying sunscreen SPF 65 this morning, and reapplying this afternoon!), and a little grouchy. I received some relatively upsetting news via e-mail this morning, which has sort of put a damper on my day. Finally, the weather has been quite grey and drizzly today, which tends to put me in a meloncholic state of mind. In my travel experience, I knew that a day like today was bound to come along sooner rather than later. It's impossible to go on a trip of any length without having a couple of days that just make you wanna go home and fix a cup of tea. However, it still sucks when bad days sneak up on you. That being said, I'm convinced that tomorrow will be a better day!

Due to my mood, I didn't really do much today. I arrived in Mongolia sooner than I had originally planned, so I've got some time before I'll be meeting up with my colleagues. UB isn't a city that is particularly rich in culture and history (well, at least not in the culture and history that I, as a complete foreigner, can really appreciate), so the next couple of days are going to be spent just walking around, visiting a few museums and monastaries, getting my paper work in order before heading out to the field (this could actually prove to be a bit of a challenge....apparently, some palms may need to be greased), and doing some reading.

Some observations about Mongolia (or at least UB and its citizens):Mongolian sounds like a fascinating language; it's a member of the Ural-Altaic family of languages, which means that it's related to Turkish, Hungarian, Kazakh and Korean. It sounds quite gutteral, and if you're not listening carefully, you might mistake it for Russian or some other Eastern European language. Mongolians have a pretty distinct look; certain features seem to be very typically Asian (eyes, hair coulour/texture, bone structure of the nose), but some remind me very much of Aboriginal Canadians from the North, especially the cheekbone structure. Also, many Mongolians have very fair skin and pink cheeks, which is remarkable considering how intense the sun is here. UB is not a city for pedestrians; car traffic is pretty insane, and drivers seem to believe that the horn is a leaning post. That being said, Ulaanbaatarians (correct me if that's not the correct term) are quite friendly, smiley and want to be helpful. The owner of the guesthouse where I'm staying speaks perfect English, and he has a wicked accent. I should try to record it so y'all can hear it.... There are a lot of French and British tourists here. I think that there must be some sort of historical tie between France and Mongolia.

One final note, it's sort of insane how much difference a border can make! China and Mongolia are SO wildly different, it's almost difficult to believe that they're neighbours. The best thing about Mongolia so far?? This will sound ridiculous, but it's definitely the uncensored access to the news! For the last three weeks I've felt so cut off from the world outside of China (i have some things to say about China's state-run CCTV and journalism in China in general, but that'll have to wait for another day)....the last thing that I remember making the headlines in North America was that Paris Hilton was going back to jail. Okay, I've been rambling on, I should go. Hopefully when next I write, I won't be in such a cranky mood. Peace and love!