Weather-Temps

Le temps! en general on parle de la pluie et du beau temps quand on a pas grand chose a dire... c'est peut-être le cas, mais ds ce pays de fous c'est un sujet a part entière qui nécessite tout un "post".

Je croyais avoir survécu a l'hiver rudissime, mais on m'avait dis tu verra l'hiver ce n'est rien, le printemps est fou et bien plus désagréable!... je n'y croyais pas, grosse erreur! c'est vrai le printemps est fou et insupportable! On passe toutes les saisons en une semaine! De 25 degrés a 5 degrés en une nuit! Hier est l'exemple parfait... une journée d'été parfait, plus ou moins 25 degrés, et fêté comme il se doit avec un bbq au bord de la rivière! en tongues et débardeur.. mais voila qu'aujourd'hui il neige! oui! oui! vous avez bien lu! il neige et on est de retour au 5 degrés! si pas moins! Je n'y comprends rien, et a vrai dire je commence a en avoir assez! On m'a aussi dit recement que l'été arrive en juin... Je n'y croyais pas mais il s'est avéré vrai avec le passage de l'hiver au printemps, après Tsaagan Sar (nouvelle année Mongole). Donc j'attends la semaine prochaine avec impatience!

Pour ajouter un peut de piment on a aussi des vents de malade, des tempêtes de sable qu'ils appellent, pour moi plus de tempetes de poussiere et salete! On a parfois vraiment l'impression que c'est la fin du monde, les arbres sont pliées, la poussiere rend la visibilite presque nule, on a du mal a respirer (il faut une écharpe) et les lunettes sont obligatoires! Ca vaut peut-etre la peine d'être vecu une fois, mais une seule fois!

I do believe this subject needs a post on its own!
I was told spring was crazy in this country, very moody! I never expected this though!

For the past month or so we've been having the most amasing changes! the temperature can drop of 20 degrees from one day to the other! The best example is yesterday a proper summer day, around 25 degrees, nicely spend by the river with a bbq and today not only it's 20 degrees less but it has been snowing! I've been swopping from flip-flops to boots from one day to the other! It's impossible to predict, and some people could think is quiet amusing i just had enough! Also they have stopped the heating (is central for the whole city) and my flat is now quite chilly, 2 weeks ago i was boiling!

Also, the wind, it does sometimes feels like the end of the world has come! the trees are bending, the dust (they like to call it sand storms, but is more of dust and dirty) reduce visibility and cover your skin with a layer of unknown substance... the massive sunglasses are a most! The positive note is that with the little rain and, i have to admit it, the snow, they have settle the dust a bit, so when the wind comes there's less to carry around!

I've also been told that it will settle down by June, so not long to go... I did laugh the first time i heard after Tsaagan Sar (mongolian new year) the spring will come, and it did happen! so I'm now hoping that "the summer will come in June" (next week) is true!

This photo was taken the 26th of May!

Sunday's trips

Sunday has become the day out of the city, as much as before I had in a way to drag myself out of the warmth... lately is just the normal regular thing to do... the weather, although very changing... is getting warmer, and enjoying it plus getting out of the pollution is a most.
The predict destination seem to be Gachuurt easy access, the bus, plus the beautiful scenery by the river. I've been also working on my tan... for now very restricted, but the reading a book with a nice glass of wine by the river has become part of my sunday routine!

Les dimanches au soleil, sont devenus part de ma routine... D'autant avant j'avait du mal a me sortir de la maison bien chaude, maintenant avec le tps qui s'améliore, sortir est indispensable! Souvent on finit a Gachuurt, car c'est très facile d'accès en plus d'un paysage sublime au bord de la rivière. Mes dimanches sont devenu, rivière, soleil, livre et un picninc de luxe... Et je m'en plains pas!

Peter ready to picnic! all the gear necessary, the hat, the coat, the bag and of course the beer while walking!

The taxi droped us in the middle of nowhere, we then looked for the river...

It's green!

Bon, c'est peut-etre apres 6 mois d'hiver rude et pas un pet de pluie, voir la verdure est tout un evenement! je n'aurais jamais crut dire ca un jour, mais je reve de pluie! une bonne pluie tropicale! Le printemps est bien conu par ces tempetes de sable/poussiere, et une bonne pluie aiderai! en plus d'un peu de couleur dans ce desert!

After 6 month of a hardcore winter the green is arriving slowly but surely! I never thought I'll say this, but I miss the rain. The spring, known to be very sandy/dusty, could do with some heavy rains (not snow!!! we had a few these last days, followed by a 20* celcius day, very very logical as you can see).

Cette photo a ete prise depuis mon balcon, le batiment rose derriere est le headquarter de Nations Unies. Les feuilles se battent mais elles y arrivent! Enfin!

This photo was taken from my balcony, the pink building behind is the headquarters of the UN.

My new flat!

Although it's been 2 month since I moved, I thought it was about time I put some photos of my new cosy mini flat... For Mongolia is a very modern one... i have to say I've been very lucky since i got here... nothing is falling apart, is clean and I even have a little balcony... Little problem, but not really related to the flat... is the hot water... it's quite random, and I've learned not to take it for granted... Also the stairs are absolutely disgusting... During the colder days I used to find families sleeping on my doorstep, that's fine with me, but the problem is they sort made the 2nd floor their toilet (i live on the 3rd). Now that is warmer I haven't seen anyone (also maybe related to fact that I've stopped the hardcore partying so coming home earlier) but the 2nd floor still the toilet... Basically is just a question of holding your breath when going up!

Cela fait plus de 2 mois que j'ai amenage dans ce tout petit et super mignon studio en plein centre de la ville... Je me suis dis qu'il etait bien temps de mettre des photos! Pour la Mongolie c'est un apart relativement rare, car parquet a terre et des murs blancs... il est propre et tout marche, bon a part 2 prises qui sont a moitie sorties du mur! J'ai eu de la chance depuis que je suis arrivee et j'en suis consciente... Les seules stout et qui n'on rien a avoir avec l'apart c'est le manque d'eau chade un jour sur deux... en tout cas j'ai apris a ne pas compter dessus... Et bon la cage d'escalier qui sert de toilette pour les sans abris... il suffit de ne pas respirer pendant la monte et le tour est jouee!


So, as you can see in the photos is a studio on a L shape, kitchen on one side, room on the other, in this photo you can see the arch that leads to the entry where the door to the bathroom is.

Voici les photos, l'apart est en L dans un coin la cuisine dans l'autre la chambre/salon... j'ai meme un ptt balcon!

Here, the room bit.
Chambre/salon

And here the kitchen side.
Cuisine

Let's walk to Terelj... (10-11.05.08)

Gachuurt - Terelj two places where I've been. 30km separate them. weather slightly warmer. A group of people in search of challenge. a group of people with too much energy to kill. A group of people with the need of getting out of the city. the cocktail was perfect. The challenge was raised. Get a bus to Gachuurt 9sort of north-east of UB) then walk to Terelj national park, the town and next day walk to the Turtle rock, then catch the bus somewhere on the way back to UB (all of it around 45-50 km) Challenged achieved not without a full load of memories, images and i have to say physical injuries and pain...

We left UB around 10am, the meeting time was 9.30, but there's somethings that never change and i was late... Anyhow we arrived to Gachuurt and started the trek a 11am, with the high hopes of getting to Terelj town by the end of the day. We had a poor map and trusted our orientation senses, well, i trusted Mateo and Andrea's... Also we expected to meet some herders on the way that could guide us. We decided to avoid climbing too many mountains and choose to go around them, through the valleys. we though, we planed and the "is only 2 hours away" kept coming up, as well as, the "we turn around that mountain and we'll be there"... Till today i don't know if it was a trick or if he really thought so.
By then we were quite worried because we had to meet someone who was taking the bus to Terelj, and was gonna camp with us. We had no phone signal so couldn't tell him we were not gonna make it, we had to make it! We had very little and short breaks, just keep on walking! Well the walking bit wasn't a problem, but walking and talking requires a fair amount of concentration and more than that: breath! Monika and i kept been left behind, Mateo will wait for us and literally push us. But don't get the wrong image, we were slow, well i wouldn't say slow but slower than Mateo's 2m long legs. but we were the "motivators". The slowly but surely really applies here!
By the end of the afternoon, we met 2 random guys who were drinking vodka in the middle of nowhere, as you certainly only do in Mongolia, who put our hopes up: just up 2 mountains and we were supposed to see the town. Yes! we can do it I said! Come on guys what is two hills with heavy backpacks when we've been walking all day????? Anyway my little speech worked; Andrea took Eliza's bag and we started the climbing only to get to the top of the second mountain to see nothing but more mountains and a beautiful owoo. Morale: do not trust drunken men in the middle of nowhere!
All this, but he had to keep on going, still no signal and our friend should've been arriving to Terelj by then. There was no other choice, it was already 6pm, Terelj was still 2 hours away when the phone started working, just to find out with relief that he didn't take the bus. So then it was all a matter a finding a spot to put the tents to protect us from the wind which was getting unpleasantly cold. I think by then we were all looking for some rest, chill out time, eating something and enjoying the scenery. Unfortunately it started freezing. Meant to be sleeping in 2 tents, we went for the all in 1 to try to get some human warmth. Useless! personally i couldn't sleep at all, the mind is a bitch, once you start thinking you are cold there's no way back. By 6am we all, one by one, made it out of the tent with our sleeping bag to the sun. Some kept sleeping kissed by the sun, I just started my night! Eliza, a genius, had brought Nutella, which does really cheer you up in that situation.
But it wasn't finished.... we still had to make it to Terelj and just the thought of it was depressing. The "motivator" was gone, no more, my feet really hurt, had a bad night.... But hey! we had to go, not without moaning of course! Ironically 2 hours later we did make it to Terelj, had a massive lunch and started playing with the idea of getting to the Turtle by horse (Terelj is quite touristy and you have loads of people offering you horse rides) We started asking for Km and prices, roughly 17km and they were asking ridiculous amounts of money for it.... And out of nowhere I heard myself say "no way! I'm walking it" It's reinforcing the crap touristy prices!" Monika exclaimed "she's back!" Mateo and Andrea laughed and Eliza sighed. We were off again! but not for too long... after an hour the big hill started and with no energy left we started waving at the cars (we were by the road then). When someone did stop we literally started jumping of excitement (the last reminds of energy). They drop us not too far from the rock formation where we chilled, tried some climbing and then waited for the fully packed bus back to UB.
All for all, we calculated 42 km, I'm sure it was more!

Now that my feet have stopped aching I'm definitely up for a new challenge of the sort!

Gachuurt, the beginning

Arrived at the National Park

Lunch break

And through the Yaks

a little break middle of the hill

This is the view after that 2nd and last mountain we were supposed to climb...

No town as you can see!

Setting the camp, already freezing

Kissed by the sun

Not so ready to leave...

Families move their ger during the season... here a family probably searching for a "summer" spot! The modern way, no horses no camel a jeep and the ger at the back!

Finally! TERELJ!

Sorting the pain

Our lovely ride

Last spot, the rock formation! trying the climbing...

And the turtle rock

The sunset while waiting for the bus back home

Coloration April 2008

I still don’t know if I should be completely honest with you of the real motivation for such stupidity!

But as often I’ll just go for it, then probably regret it but be too proud to take it back….

So then, I ended up with dark hair…. Well for a while I’ve been noticing a fair quantity of white hair growing on my scalp (now then! You know everything….), all concentrated on the top front of my head. Perfect location for me to notice it at every glimpse on the mirror! I then decided to do some highlights; you know, to sort of fade the whitties with the rest of the hair.
Cheap as always, I asked a friend to do it for me and went on a mission to find some product. Tried several markets, no success. But when I did find a place which had them, it was all in Mongolian, Russian, Rumanian or any useless language for my Latin, Anglo-Saxon upbringing… Ended up buying what I thought looked like bleach. But oh! Big mistake!!!! My friend did question several times, beforehand, my real will to do it. To what I joyfully responded “What’s the worst it can happen?!” Well I had the answer to that one 30 min later…. The worst is fluorescent orange hair!!!! Seriously! It might seem hilarious now, but it really wasn’t at the time! Although I have to admit I was amused as well as horrified at the time. The friends present (we were having a diner gathering) looked amused, if not ready to burst into hilarious tears and tried to support me by saying that it was an original colour (meaning: oh! Good lord! What have you done?) And that it was a matter of getting used to it (by not looking of course!)
I slept on it, thinking, maybe they are right, maybe is just a matter a getting used to it… But next day, it looked as bad as before! So with a bandana around my head I went to work… Obviously I’ve had chosen to do it the day before a very important meeting with some Japanese donors!!! Left the office a bit earlier and headed to the market and bought milk chocolate colour! They are very creative on giving the names to the dying products! Meanwhile I had called a friend to the rescue. We met at my flat, and after she recovered from the laughter, we did the brown thingy, which ended up a bit orangy too, but a more acceptable colour!

Beforehand! the orange doesnt really show but trust me it wasnt good!

After.. sort of brownish-orangy, suitable at least to work!

Chilling out @ Terelj National Park (25-27.05.08)

It's been quite a while since this one, so mainly i'll just let you enjoy the photos... Basicaly what happen was, as it usually does around here, a friend called me and said something along the lines of "fancy a trip out of the city?", to what i usually say "yes of course! " Went to Terelj for the weekend, chilled, did some archery, walks, horse riding and then all freshen up went back to UB... Good times, great times...

The ger were we stayed...

Biggii showing the art of mongolian archery

James, we can see you've done it before... the hand by the ear gives you away!

feeling a bit like Joanne of Arc!

You do need the audience!

Later on we were told we needed more wood for the fire... and off we went on the ox!

Bold, our host

Apres l'effort le reconfort! just lazying around!

It definitely was a chilling weekend and i spend some time just playing with the camera... here trying the indoors light... Poh and James

Later, for the walk we came across a family that had newborns goats with brand new jeans on!

When the springs comes!

When the spring comes... and ice looks like diamond or lollipops or anything but ice... Stunning!

Collecting rocks

Some throw rock: Floating rocks... forgot the name in English!

Some fall a sleep...

The country of blue sky, yes! but also the most amasing clouds I've seen!