Change of plan!

Ok, Newsflash.. we have decided at the last minute to change our route and head to new lands!

Our plan was to head to the furthest Russian city of Vladivostok and into China from there, but due to a number of reasons (visa problems - we would have to stay in vlad for 6 days, cost - accommodation is beaucoup $$$, and distance - 3.5 days on the train which we didnt mind but just to visit another Russian city we could use the cash for better things)
Although we would have liked to go we feel that the cost involved is disproportionate to what we would get out from the trip. We were only really going because I wanted to say we have travelled the whole distance on the railway and to visit the Russian far East. We have realised that Russia's beauty more often that not lies in its countryside and not its cities! The Cities have been fun but its a long way to go just to visit another one!

Now we are heading South from Ulan Ude into the land of Ghengis Khan. Tomorrow we will visit the Mongolian Consulate (a great big purple building with some kind of domed hat shaped roof) to pick up our visas and will catch a bus to the boarder on Tuesday Morning. Hopefully by the evening we will have made it to Ulan Baator, Mongolia's Capitol, where we will find our bearings and head out to the famous countryside and hopefully the big bad Gobi!

More to follow...