Last night

I packed and packed yesterday and then had people over to pick up all my extra stuff. We raised about 70,000tugriks for charity even though a lot of people didn’t turn up. There’s a lot of stuff still left behind. No one seemed keen on my camping stuff – everyone’s in winter mode and can’t imagine camping so no one wanted sleeping bags/mats/stoves etc. Bugger.

7:30pm we went downstairs to the French Bistro for a fancier dinner than I imagined. I wanted drinks on the verandah but it turned in to dinner, which was lovely anyway. The waitress thought it was my birthday so brought out a birthday cake thing with a candle, and everyone played along and sang happy birthday. It was pretty funny!!! We ate and chatted and my intake of volunteers gave me a cool silver necklace with my name written in Mongolian script.

Bah. I’ve never procrastinated about writing this blog thing until today. Last night was so special that I’m worried I’ve forgotten details. So many nice people said so many nice things last night! I guess there’s not much else to say though. After dinner I went to Xanadu with a few others. I wanted to say goodbye to another couple of people properly and I was all packed – and knew I wouldn’t sleep anyway.

I was there for a while, had a chat etc etc and got home by about 12:30. I double checked all my stuff, did more stuff and by the time I got to sleep I had to wake up (literally, I got an hours’ sleep). I woke at 4:15am to shower, get dressed and get my stuff organised. The taxi came at 5:30am. I loaded the car and Julian, a very lovely French guy I’ve been seeing for the past couple of weeks came with me on a whim. I didn’t want anyone to come originally because it’s just easier, but something made me want someone with me – and I soon found out why.

I grossly underestimated how much my stuff weighed. I had researched everything and gone over my options to make sure baggage was flexible. When I checked in – the first of the entire flight – I was 37kg overweight. I had 60kg of luggage. It’s a lot, but it’s not really. It’s lots of slippers, vodka, books I wanted to keep and stuff like that. The lady sent my bags straight on to the conveyor belt and by the time I found out that it was going to cost over $2000 to pay for the excess baggage, it was too late.

I eventually got through to the ticket lady that I was not going to pay that much, and that I wanted my bags back so I could rearrange. It’s extremely difficult to negotiate and to find other options when you don’t speak the language of the airport. I hadn’t slept for two days (still got no idea how I’m functioning) and I needed more options but there were none – I couldn’t talk to different people about different options because it’s Mongolia – nothing is simple, very few things are fair and no one gives a rats ass.

I got my bags back eventually and had to pull everything apart. It was more like ripping shit apart. I had to take out all my books, the vodka, my favourite camping stuff, my favourite coat, some clothes, dad’s tripod. If I had more time, I could have done such a more systematic job. But there was no time and I just got angrier and angrier with myself for getting in to the situation. I know it’s my fault, but it was extremely difficult to foresee. I had no way to weigh my bags before I left my house – that would have been a great start. I had no way to ask for extra baggage from MIAT (Mongolian airlines) because I’m a volunteer (most other airlines allow it; MIAT usually just let you through with extra. I had tried contacting them to no avail.). There was no letting through, and they decided to charge me for the excess on my MIAT flight as well as the excess on BOTH my Singapore Airline flights. I always knew I’d have to pay some excess, but had organised with Singapore to have an extra 10kg which by the time I rearranged, would have put me in good stead. MIAT wouldn’t recognise my extra baggage that Singapore allowed so I had to pay for and extra 14kgs. MIAT charges 4200tugriks/kg (about $3). Singapore Airlines charge $44/kg. It’s bloody significant. And there was nothing to do, as there was no time to argue.

I have to hope that I can talk to Singapore Airlines and get a refund on the baggage I was allowed. If not, I spent 919000 tugriks getting 6 pairs of slippers, Kazakh rugs and winter clothes home.

I am unbelievably ashamed and angry at myself. It was a foreseeable problem. I could have posted stuff home, but I had calculated and heard from others that it was cheaper to pay excess baggage due to the way MIAT functions. But no, not this time. So angry.

All the stuff that got pulled out got sent home with Julian. I don’t know what’s going to happen with it all, I’ll figure that out later when I’m not so angry.

The line to get through the xray machine was LONG and I was already really running late. I pushed right to the front and tried to whiz through. Of course there was a pair of scissors in my first aid kit that had to now come onboard with me. I had to sift through to find them, wasting precious time. I was shaking uncontrollably.

Scissors gone, I had to make it through customs. I am on a HG work permit which means I have (had) an Alien Card. Mine was stolen and never replaced because my work was lazy. The customs guys were um’ing and ah’ing over my passport and my Alien card – what to do? Meanwhile, I was suppose to have boarded on my plane 30mins ago. I was now shaking so badly and my entire body was racing under stupid stupid stress, just because my work didn’t organise my leaving the country properly. I was instructed to sit and wait.

I couldn’t sit and wait. I called our volunteer manager and put her on the phone to the customs guy. They worked it out – my Alien card was stolen, there’s a police report and my work knows I’m leaving without skipping the country.

It was 8:03am and my flight was scheduled for 8:05am. I was basically f---ked. Julian was waiting outside in case I missed my flight (which might have been a better, more functional option than spending 2.5days in transit to get home). He was pissed with me for being so disorganised etc. I don’t think anyone could have been more disappointed in me, than me though.

I got my passport and RAN. I pushed in to a line, got directed towards a gate and hightailed it. I walked on the plane, unloaded all my shit (that I didn’t put as baggage) and sat down. There was no relief. I was on the plane, but what next? I’d just met this really nice guy, I was leaving some beautiful friends, I was quitting a job 6mths early, I was going back to Australia for a world of unknown jobs and opportunities. So many things – I cried halfway to Seoul. I slept a bit, cried a bit. Sighed relief but it wasn’t – I was hoping that I would miss my flight, so that the imminence of all these life changing decisions would disappear and so that I could see what happens with this guy.

But I made my bed a long time ago and I committed to leaving Mongolia for a multitude of reasons. Mongolia was starting to tear at my sanity too.

The lady I sat next to on the plane was Mongolian, with no English. She was going to see her son in Korea but couldn’t fill out her arrivals card. I made up an address for her but everything else we got down on her little form.

I was SO lucky that I didn’t cancel my phone contract yesterday. I forfeited about 30,000tugriks of bond but it assured I’d have my phone at the airport. Great decision. Without that phone, I would have been up shit creek. It meant I could make a call and get the visa guys to let me through before my plane flew off. Phew! On the plane I was so sick and nervous that I couldn’t eat. That doesn’t often happen to me. Last night was the same. I was feeling so ill.

My plane arrive in Incheon, South Korea. I sat at the baggage terminal a while just in case my bags came through. They didn’t. I went to find something to eat. There were options. And the lady I bought stuff off was nice! And the purchasing was so simple. The food tasted amazing and I just sat down and soaked in the efficiency and cleanliness that is South Korea’s airport. I talked to the info desk lady and she called my hotel to get them to pick me up. She was so nice. It was all a bit overwhelming. It’s hard to explain.

I got picked up, got to my hotel room, showered, sat, organised myself and had a short rest. I went for a walk outside. The air is so clean and it smells so good I breathe in so deep I lose my breath. I went for a walk along the beach and watched some horses train on the sand. I plucked up the courage to eat at one of the many seafood restaurants along the water. All the seafood is live and you order it, they plate it and you cook it at a BBQ on your table. I got a menu and didn’t understand a work. Korean isn’t something I’m familiar with. The boss came over, took me out the back and we mimed what I wanted to eat. I chose a fish, chose how to cook it (most of it is raw and I didn’t want raw fish today, I did NOT need food poisoning today).  It came out, cooked on my BBQ and I ate the whole thing. It was pretty cool. It wasn’t amazing, but that’s just because I wanted vegies and salad…………………….. yuuuuuuuuuuuuum.

Tomorrow at 6:30am I’m off again to the airport, for my flight to Singapore. I stay for 6hours there and then fly on to Sydney. I’m excited about getting to the airport, just so I can eat whatever I want for breakfast. I’m not excited about having to hide my excessive carry on baggage, complete with winter coat, laptop, camera bag, big country road bag and very big handbag. I’m hoping I’m awake enough to try to find out about refunding my excess baggage. Yuk. I just want to get home, and do nothing, and be organised and eat properly. Not long – not long to go!

Last day in Mongolia

Bah. I didn’t sleep last night, I feel so terrible today! I have managed to get my bags packed – there’s two. One full of slippers and rugs and the other full of clothes and vodka. I have no idea how much it all weighs but it will definitely be overweight. It will be a similar price paying excess baggage as it will be to post stuff home, and at least with excess baggage I might have more luck actually getting my stuff at the other end.

Olgii finished in a hurry. We were so sleepy after eagle hunting. Shops only open at 10am, and we had to leave at midday for our flight. We had two hours to go to the museum and buy our Kazakh stuff. The Kazakh stuff is SO BEAUTIFUL. I could have bought EVERYTHING. It’s now taking up an entire suitcase full – shitballs. Excess baggage will cost me a fortune. BOO! But posting it home will cost about the same, so I may as well just bring it with me.

We boarded our flight with plenty of time to spare.

		Olgii from the air VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The above photos are taken from the plane – SUCH a beautiful flight! And not bumpy, thank goodness. I don’t do so well with scary flights.

Arriving in UB, we saw the pollution, got caught in epic traffic and got home around 7:30pm. I had French Bistro steak for dinner as I needed a decent bloody meal and the pasta with pesto I have left doesn’t suffice. I began packing, organised myself and went to bed. I didn’t sleep.

Today I packed some more and was/am thoroughly unconvinced that I am organised even though I’ve walked around the house a bazillion times trying to think of what I’ve forgotten. It wasn’t an easy feat. I’ve had to borrow Sarah’s pink suitcase to take home as well. My luggage will come in at least at about 35-40kg. I had to repack plenty of times in order to fit it in. The six bloody pairs of slippers I’ve got don’t help. Nor do the Kazakh rug stuff I bought. Nevermind.

Below: in the preliminary stages of packing; my bag that must be sacrificed. It’s been around the world with me a few times now. It’s got mould in the bladder and waterline (that won’t come off). The main zipper no longer zips. Everything else is functional, but a bag with no zip is no bag at all. Its life is over and when I get home I’ll order a new Dakine bag online because I love this one so much, hopefully the next will be just as cool; six pairs of slippers. Bloody slippers.

Tonight at 6pm the other volunteers are coming over to swoop in and rid me of my unwanted stuff. I’m charging them entry, and for some of the nicer things – the money will go to a charity of some sort. Then I’ll move down to the French Bistro, have a feed and say goodbye to a few more people. I don’t want to go to bed late. I want to be home by 9pm, 10pm at the very latest.

I’m epically tired. I can’t sleep when I lay down to nap and I don’t have time to sit and watch a tv episode to calm me down. My peeps are coming over in an hour, I’ve got to figure out what the hell I’ve forgotten……

I went to work to say goodbye. I gave everyone a little Australian thing – kangaroo pin, keyring etc. It wasn’t too difficult and it wasn’t sad at all. And now it’s OVER. Sweet. Now I just have to say goodbye to my friends, which is always WAY harder. And I have to get to the airport – 4am wake up, 5:30am taxi pickup and then my flight leaves at 8am. Fingers crossed all goes well with my visa and passport and I’m allowed out of the country!

Eagle Hunting!

Early start – 8am with no breakfast to meet our eagle hunter. It was a two hour drive along some very gusty valleys. The scenery was, as per usual, amazing. We weren’t allowed to take photos on the horses in case they spooked, so I didn’t get many photos at all.

We sat and had a few bowls of tea (the milky, salty variety) and rugged up. I had so many layers on I could hardly move. It wasn’t enough, either. My toes and fingers were so cold they were close to falling off (literally). It was at least –15 degrees outside not including wind chill. We rode our horses for about 3 hours. It was a long ride. My bum is surprisingly not sore, at all. I’m pretty sure I was given the best horse, with the best saddle which made for a nice change. My bum was also significantly more padded than usual with some extra winter fat I’ve accumulated of late, as well as multiple layers of thermals, track pants and ski pants.

We rode and rode. My horse was great until he decided he wanted a drink but I couldn’t let him. It was downhill from there. To hunt for foxes and rabbits, you have to walk along the tops of ridges to get the best view. The hunter spots an animal, takes off the hood on the eagle’s head and sets him free on the prey. We were walking along ridgelines on our horses that were cranky, with gusty winds, freezing (well below freezing, actually) temperatures and a guide that wasn’t much help. We gave it a good shot but had to give up, it was too cold and too dangerous to be up there.

I don’t regret doing it but it certainly wasn’t comfortable. The scenery was unlike any other Mongolian scenery. The hills were like massive plasticine mountains thumbed up in to perfect peaks. The valley was unkept and uninhabitable. The winds blow such a gale that all the houses are tucked away in secret hiding spots. Animals in herds dotted the valley but were few and far between. The view continued forever and was just amazing.

Our horses finally got a drink at the bottom of the valley and we prepared for a decent ride home in the freezing, gusty winds. But no! We stopped! At a house! With a fire! And hot tea! We didn’t mount the horses again, they were too cranky and we were too cold. We sat and made friends while the nice eagle hunter rode home to ask our driver to pick us up. I know that sounds mean of us, but it was seriously cold and the horses had become so dangerous to be on (remember, they’re mostly wild to start with) that it wasn’t worth it. He could gallop home in 20mins. We could walk home in 1.5hours.

		Eagle hunting in Olgii VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

So we sat and drank more tea. It was a sparsely furnished house, with an old fire in the middle and a single bed on the side. There were blankets and kids toys, as well as kitchen gear in another corner. There was a bowl with a big stomach filled with milk. It was very soft yet tactile. It was tied together with a shoelace. It was a cow tummy, filled with cow milk that was being fermented to make dried yogurt curds. I showed a little too much interest and the guys opened it to show me. Then I had to try it. OH MAN IT WAS TERRIBLE. It was a thicker consistency than I imagined, quite like yogurt. It was lumpy and very salty and had the most horrible, concentrated fermented taste in the whole world. I put a tiny bit on my tongue and couldn’t even close my mouth. The guys thought it was HILARIOUS. They started to tease me with a spoon full of it. Do you want some – here, have a spoon full… NOOOOooooooooooo YUK! And they’d laugh out loud at the face I would pull. So they’d eat the spoon full of it as if to say ‘ner ner, it’s delicious and you don’t know what you’re missing out on’………….. They were really fun!

We waited for a good hour or so for our driver to come and collect us. I forgot to say goodbye and thankyou to the eagle hunter, and I still feel terrible. The lady of the house gave us all some dried yogurt curd to take home with us because I’d shown so much interest in it. I WISH I could bring some home and introduce you all to the variety of preserved dairy products in Mongolia. Unfortunately, I can’t, and the gift of dried yogurt curd has to go elsewhere as I can’t eat it.

One of the men who dropped in, a real character, had the BEST hat in the world. He guarded it like his newborn baby. I asked to try it on, and then got a whole spiel. He had used his eagle to hunt the fox. He skinned, tanned and cut up the fox and sewed it in to his hat. It was bloody fantastic. And so warm. He was obviously very proud of it. It was very new.

The driver arrived, we alighted and drove back to Olgii. I am now clean, fresh and fed, ready for bed. Tomorrow is our last Olgii day and my second last day in Mongolia. Scary freaking shit, man. Scary shit. This place is amazing. Mind you, courtesy of the terrible weather today I’m getting sick. OH NO!

xox