Goats, Ger, and Sunburn - Part 2

Racing Through Ulaanbaatar: Two Bus Terminals, Two Kilometers, Fifteen Minutes

I had 15 minutes to run 2 kilometers through Ulaanbaatar with 8kg on my back, my camera gear swinging by my side, and no sidewalks.

Why? Because I'd just realized I was at the wrong bus terminal.

The Perfect Plan

My girlfriend had helped me plan the perfect itinerary for Mongolia: sleep in a ger, stay with a nomadic family, and visit Kharkhorin near the ancient capital of the Mongolian empire.

But what really caught my attention were the sand dunes of Elsen Tasarkhai. I'd never seen real sand dunes, beaches don't count. Riding a camel through the actual desert dunes? Pure excitement! Yes, I'm a tourist. Yes, it was on my bucket list.

The bus to Kharkhorin departed at 11 AM at the Dragon Bus Terminal. I'd already learned not to trust Google Maps bus schedules in Ulaanbaatar after a few days in the city. So I left my Airbnb early with my backback and camera gear in tow, planning to grab a late breakfast and wet wipes at the terminal.

The wet wipes were crucial and coulnd't be missed. The 5-hour bus ride might not have any stops, or if it did, there might not be an actual toilet. That was the warning I got. My preparation had to be on point.

Everything went according to plan. Yes, the bus taking me to the terminal came significantly later than Google predicted, but I'd accounted for that. I arrived at the terminal craving Khuushuur, and was delighted there was actually a place selling them! Expensive and oily? Absolutely. Did I care? Yes I did! But not nearly enough not to devour them. I just love these things.

With 45 minutes left on the clock and a full stomach, E-Mart called out to me for those wet wipes. Preparation completed. I had everything ready and strode towards the buses. I looked around. I looked again. Not a single glance of a bus to Kharkhorin.

Do you know that sinking sensation in your stomach when you just know that something is very wrong?

With that premonition, I grabbed my phone, opened Google translate, and typed "Excuse me, is the bus to Kharkhorin departing from here?" A waiting bus drivers glanced at my screen. His head began shaking slowly. That was exactly the response I feared.

The New Bus Terminal

The bus wasn't here and I came to the wrong terminal. How was that possible?

In recent years, Ulaanbaatar built the New Dragon Terminal. A new and grand bus terminal towards the exit of the city. That's where I was standing. The problem? They kept operating the old one too.

They were even close to each other which made this even more bizarre. 2km straight west. I had 15 minutes left to reach my bus before I had no choice but to wave at its tail lights.

Could I catch a local bus for the short distance? No. There was not a single bus making that route in time. Would have been too easy. Taxi? None anywhere near the terminal either. So much for my preparation.

I strapped my 8kg backpack tighter, grabbed my shopping back with camera gear and wet wipes, and prepared myself mentally for Olympic-level speed walking. Not like I had any idea how that's done anyway.

Google estimated 30 minutes for this route by foot. I couldn't have that. I'd have to be faster and pray for a slight delay from the bus driver.

My girlfriend wasn't with me on this trip. She wanted to stay behind and spend more time with her family. I had one job...

Stress. Desperation. A slight glimmer of hope.

7 months later, I still remember the desperation and shock like it was yesterday. These experiences are what makes lasting travel memories.

Trusting in my own two legs, I started walking, hoping my bus driver would be as relaxed about schedules as the local drivers.

Ulaanbaatar Conspiring Against Me

Where were the sidewalks?

For sure the whole city conspired against me. It didn't want me to make this bus. Sharp, loose stones rolled under my feet with every step. Only a foreigner was crazy or would be unlucky enough to walk this route.

Dust filled my nose. My backpack straps dug into my shoulders. 8kg doesn't sound like much until you're trying to run with it. Drops of sweat ran down my back. My feet slipped on the uneven ground every few steps as the traffic rumbled by. What hope I had left diminished with every passing minute as I glanced at my watch.

I prayed Google wasn't lying this time and this was actually the correct road. Trust placed purely out of desperation as my previous experience on the way to the Naadam celebrations didn't spark much confidence in its navigation accuracy.

Google said I reached my destination but where was that supposed to be? I looked up and saw an old factory, mechanics working, and no buses anywhere in sight.

Was this really it? Had Google decided to add insult to injury and screw me over again? There was no time for doubt. I was already 5 minute late at that point.

Once inside, it finally started resembling a bus terminal. A very small one, with exactly one staffed counter. Naturally, a painfully slow and relaxed customer stood at the counter. Remember Flash from Zootopia? Imagine that in human form. Of course this had to happen when I'm already stressed out about being late.

When it was my turn, the lady at the counter delivered the news: the bus left right on the dot. All the stress and running, pointless, unnecessary. I'd missed it by a few minutes. Those damn wet wipes...

My only option was another bus leaving in 3 hours. I was waiting on a nearby bench as the growl in my stomach grew louder until it became unbearable. I had 30 minutes left until departure, enough time to head to the large supermarket next door!

With dried mango and some sweets in hand, I planted myself in my bus seat. Well, not really my seat as an older man actually sat there, but I sat down right next to him, in what I presumed had been his designated seat. Given the faint smell that reached my nose, this would be a long ride.

My eyes scanned the symbols in bus and they looked awfully familiar and definitely nothing like the cyrillic I had studied before coming here. Korean! I was sitting in an old Korean bus! Japanese cars and Korean buses. This country surely is unusual and surprising in the most unexpected ways.

Bladder, Please Hold

There was no way of knowing how many stops we'd be making on this roughly 5 hour trip. So my strategy was simple: don't drink until absolutely necessary. I'd rather have a dry throat than somehow having to beg the Mongolian driver to make an emergency stop. Couldn't have the locals laughing at the foreigner on the bus.

3 hours in, curiosity overcame me. I pulled up Google Maps and checked the map. How far along were we?

Halfway. Yeah, there was no way we'd be stopping. Bladder, you've been doing such a good job. Please hold on for the rest!

Distraction stroke soon. Sand dunes! We were actually driving right alongside Elsen Tasarkhai and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. Small, almost shallow, as if someone carefully placed sand in the middle of the country. But I didn't care. This was spectacular. Grassland slowly giving space for the dunes. Camels walking in small groups. Tomorrow, I'd be out there myself, my shoes sinking in the sand. Riding a camel. I felt like a small kid on Christmas.

It turned 7 PM and my bladder started to voice some concern about all of this. How much more did we have left to go?

Not even close... 5 hours, they said. 5 hours. Yeah, no idea how they got that estimate but it was definitely off by a good amount. Even without any traffic jam except the occasional cow planting itself right in front of the bus.

Luckily, not everything should be going badly today. The bus driver slowed down and a fleet of buses greeted us as we came to a stop. Finally, a rest site. I was saved. Bladder screamed in joy. Why that is so late into the trip, only they will know. Maybe trying to align the stop roughly with the usual dinner time? Your guess is as good as mine.

People flooded into the lonely restaurant. Bustling with groups of heads filling all the available space. I studied the menu and made a safe choice. My experience with rest stop restaurants in Germany taught me to be better safe than sorry. But this was good! Mongolian meat simply never disappoints.

I had no idea how long we'd be stopping for and trying to find familiar faces from my bus proved to be a futile exercise. I gobbled down my food and hurried back to the bus. No intention of getting stranded in the middle of nowhere. From the comfort of my seat, I could hear the bus driver screaming louder and louder at the crowd. Apparently not everyone was as concerned about the time as I was.

Kharkhorin

The last hour passed in a blur watching the grassland and mountain ranges run by as they were kissed by the golden sunset. An announcement mentioned Kharkhorin as we pulled up at a small grocery store. No bus stop sign, nothing indicating that this was actually our destination. I grabbed my bags and hurried my way out of the bus. I was exhausted. And there was still a 15 minute walk to my guesthouse waiting for me, assuming I could find it. Time to find that ger and tick off the next item on my checklist: exploring Kharkhorin.

On to the next adventure!

Next up: Kharkhorin and a sunburn leaving me in pain with every step I took

Read the series: Part 1: Goats, Ger, and Sunburn - Naadam Festival