{"id":2817,"date":"2018-10-27T16:54:33","date_gmt":"2018-10-27T22:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theagostins.com\/?p=2817"},"modified":"2018-10-27T16:54:33","modified_gmt":"2018-10-27T22:54:33","slug":"fifty-six-hours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rickagostin.com\/?p=2817","title":{"rendered":"FIFTY. SIX. HOURS."},"content":{"rendered":"

Upon arrive back in \u00d6lgii our first order of business was to get a plane ticket back to the capital. We had heard plenty of horror stories of the bus ride from \u00d6lgii to Ulaanbaatar and we were willing to do just about anything to avoid that\u2026 anything except spend 2 more weeks in the thriving metropolis of \u00d6lgii, Mongolia.<\/p>\n

Apparently August is back to school time, which means every kid in the country is making their way to school … in Ulaanbaatar. Those with means fly and those without take the bus. And with only<\/em> one airline in the country and only<\/em> one flight every other day<\/em> from \u00d6lgii to Ulaanbaatar we were looking at\u00a0at least 2 weeks before we could get a seat. Any seat!<\/p>\n

So, looks like we\u2019re taking the bus. We asked around about how long it should take to get to UB on the bus, \u201cTwo to Five Days.\u201d DAYS. DAYS! They are measuring the time in DAYS<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

We give up on the plane plan and go to where the buses leave from and start asking prices. It\u2019s basically the same price for a mini bus (11 passenger van) or the big bus, and when they showed us which seats were available on the big bus (for gringo like us) we opted for the mini bus. Hindsight that might have been a mistake, but I have absolutely no plans of ever finding out if the big bus is any better. I think you see where this is going \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n

We make a deal with a minibus guy and he says that we\u2019ll be leaving at 1:30pm Mongolian time. “Great!” we\u2019ve got plenty of time to get some lunch and get back. So we leave our big bags and go around the corner to grab some lunch. We make our way back at 1:25 to see the last bus pulling out of the parking lot\u2026<\/p>\n

WHERE DID OUR BUS GO?<\/strong>
\nWHAT HAPPENED TO MONGOLIAN TIME?
\n<\/strong>Where are our bags?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Luckily, a guy in a Toyota, who kind of speaks english, says he\u2019s been waiting for us and to hurry up\u2026 we jump in and then make a number of stops at various alley\u2019s picking people up and dropping people off. Even switching drivers at one point. We have absolutely no idea what\u2019s going on but Toyota guy is insisting, in broken English of course, that he\u2019s taking us to the bus with our bags. #Trust<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

By 1:45 we\u2019re at what seems to be at a combination minibus mechanic\/corrugated aluminum sheeting company\/family home where the minibus we made the deal with is as well as 4 high school age kids. We arrive as they are wrapping everything up in a trap on the roof where we\u2019re told our bags are. The Toyota guy takes off and we proceed to wait thinking we\u2019re leaving any minute and how lucky we are that it\u2019s just us and some high school kids\u2026 plenty of room. You see where this is going …<\/em><\/p>\n

Three more trips from the Toyota guy later and it\u2019s now a quarter to 4 and we\u2019ve got our 11 passengers. As we start getting in the van we\u2019re told we need to sit in the back. Oh, no. We know this routine. We\u2019re sitting right here in this middle row, we got here first. After a little back and forth they realize this isn\u2019t our first rodeo and give in.<\/p>\n

By the time we leave town we\u2019ve made 2 more stops and we are comfortably<\/em> sitting 5 wide on a 3-person seat with 17 people in an 11-passenger van looking at over 1000 miles of open fields between us and Ulaanbaatar.<\/p>\n

\"Fifty<\/a>Through multiple breakdowns.<\/p>\n\n

Being towed across a river by a tractor.<\/p>\n\n