Marraine!

Une petite dedicace a ma filleule Capucine, nee aujourd'hui tard dans la nuit apres nous avoir fait attendre plus d'une semaine!

J'en suis toute fiere! et impatiente de te rencontrer!

I can smell the end...

It's been strange times on this side...

The 2 years contract is coming to an end and I still don't know how I feel about it... The truth is I've been running around like crazy finishing the project and trying to wrap up ends just to avoid thinking about it...

I do have many other adventures to post here, photos, stories and all, but the overload of work and the strong reticence to accept the fact that i do and will have to say goodbye at some point is hindering the whole process...

As you probably already know I'm headed to Burundi next, in a similar kind of project, this time only for 6 month, so Sophie's world in Asia will become Sophie's world in Africa...

As for now I've uploaded 2 new posts, enjoy and check soon, more to come!

Canoe in the Tuul River 31.05.09

On a beautiful spring day we headed upstream of the river Tuul (UB river) and wore our captain/marines/anything-like-it hats and off we went down the river to UB.
Very nice indeed when the cold weather's been playing hide and seek with the warm weather... as usual the scenery is stunning and with good company you can make the good times!
Lazy as I am, and you all know it... the paddling at the end against the very strong wind on a still water became part of the fun as i started barking (so they say! I was just expressing what everyone thought... bloody wind!!!)

Getting the canoes ready, waterproofing everything just in case...

It is just stunning, or have i been here too long?

you can guess what will happen next huh?

it was freezing cold...

sur la rive... on pose...

avec Capitaine Claire

it is true, the river was rather shallow hence very slow floating (except for the 2 second of excitement when the boys felt in the water), so getting a bit bored and tired of paddling all the time... we had to create the action!

la vue et les rencontres par contre tres sympa!

Life is hard sometimes...

This lady ran to the boys canoe and jumped in it... was quiet hilarious as she stay there for a while, and had to walk the river up to her camp afterwards... probably the vodka she was drinking didn't help her thinking...

Crepes & Poker... 30.05.09

Many wonder how we spend the time in UB... Sometimes making crepes (pancakes), if you find all the ingredients, exaggerating again, as it is possible for this one!

with the cooks Claire and Darima
And then we head for poker night...
Let me introduce you to Natasha, the Russian poker player...
Yes is me! I tried to role play the game so i could win against all the freaky-guys-semi-prof-players but even then i lost all my money! Good times though!

Wknd in Manzushir, Ruth's Bday, Walking back to UB (23/24.05.09)

We all like a bit of fresh air... We all like a bit of celebration... and the 2 together is rather nice... So 17 of us (mainly VSO's vols and staff) headed to Manzushir monastery/temple/museum/ruins.... to spend the night and 4 of us decided to come back to UB by foot as done last May 2008. The idea to climb the Tsetsegun uul (2300m) and the head down to the city, it's about 7-8 hour walk...

i know i shouldn't compare but this time not only we had a lovely warn/breezy weather but also and above all we didn't get lost!!!!!! so all good times!

the beginning of the afternoon, chilling by the ger...

night time the celebration starts, all you need is some music and a lot of happy people!

all in, no matter the age!

And next day, the walk... and here we start...
perfect blue sky!

This one is for my fellow manzushir walkers: do you remember, this is the spot were we had lunch and nearly died frozen...?

the amazing owoo, this time snowless!

the group: Claire, Aki, Chris, me

the boulder fields haven't moved...

We are oh! so close... this is the presidential valley... if you get 2 close you might have a close encounter with the security...
to avoid them we had to go down and up the mountain again... and as you can imagine no, i wasnt very happy to have to climb again!

and Zaizan! this is the south of the city... from there we took a bus (down there in the valley i mean!), the wrong bus... so ended up having to walk still...

The link to last year's walk, Manzushir Part 1

Hike (17.05.09)

In major need to get out of the city, we decided to go and hike to Tsetsegum mountain, however we didn't make it: the restricted area was closed to the public to prevent fires.... we went around the mountain and tried again... this time we were too far from the intended pick but the guard did let us in, and off we went for a little picnic up the hills, no tsetsegun though... exercise, fresh air, good company and a way to realise i need to stop smoking and being so sedentary!!!

Respite (sometime in May)

It's been tough times in the office... many changes happening, a bit of tension... i decided to take it the European way and invited my colleagues at home to have a couple of drinks and just have a good time together... no work-talking allowed... it ended up the Mongolian way with vodka pouring and some salsa lessons... good times!

Terelj or Sarah's farewell wknd (24-26.04.09)

Sarah's last time in the Mongolian country side... Terelj will never let us down... I could come here every wknd and never be bored... This time close to the turtle rock and we even made it to the monastery...

A little stroll that lasted 5 hours...

and the turtle!

From the turtle to the monastery

lost in the bushes, seriously!

Finally!

always so peaceful in these places...

the ger camp, you can see the green is starting to pop out!
soon! soon!

the whole group
Peter, Sarah, me
Saskia, Claire, Joltz (?)

VSO-Sarah's-Pinoi Diner... 23.04.09

hmmmm Philippino food!!!!

Cycling to Nukht (12.04.09)

We dont get to do much exercise in this city, not at all actually... so every now and then we look for some physical challenges... the bike perfect idea! if you forget the mad traffic, the pollution and the pavements... Once you are out of the city is a whole new story! and is worth the whole hassle!

On the way out, a warehouse (some paper cardboard warehouse)

pretty impressive

Note the guy on the roof!

spot the red head, he was able to get really close to it, only after a long time they asked him to leave...

and no water in them...

voyeurism

the distraction finished we keep going...

on the way back, the first ice cream of the year!

tired? no never!