On the way to UB

We leave the monastery and instead of the paved road we take a long detour on dirt tracks as Anders wants to visit the huge copper mine at Erdenet after reading about it in the LP. But we’re turned down at the gate by the security. So instead of going back the same way on the paved road, we keep going and take the long way on the dirt road. Soon after Bulgan we’re hit by a huge storm with heavy winds that makes any driving impossible, so we pull over in a field, cuddle up next to our bike and wait until it stop to pitch our tent. It doesn't last very long, so we start to cook something, and enjoy an incredible sunset (right before the mosquitos launch their usual dawn attack and force us to retreat into our tent). Next morning the sun is back and the temperature is excellent, 25-30 degrees, so we leave for a long ride (300km/8h) on not too bad dirt tracks until UB.

Arriving near UB we first notice (and smell) the clouds of pollution surrounding the city. We manage to find our guest house (Gana’s), a fine place on a little hill overlooking the city where we meet quite a few other backpackers (or other kind, such as this Dutch guy studying yurts here, and building them in Holland, or this German importing and mounting Chinese motorbikes).

I have a check on the web, hoping the new package is well on its way to UB.. no such luck: Philip let pass 2 days of holidays and.. didn’t even send it! He says UPS needs a private address, fair enough, so he could have selected any hotel out there where we could checked in meanwhile, but nope.. so back to square 1 after 2 weeks. I'm a bit disappointed after all the promises he made before leaving, about not taking too many spares and being able to ship them anywhere in the world. But then we're not on such a tight schedule that it ruins our day.

So now he says 8 days minimum to send it (how come the UPS office says 3 days ? and how come the German guys last week got a part sent in from Germany in 4 days ?). Within this time the first package might actually make its way to Russia, so we'd have a spare for the other bike..