2 September

UlaanBaatar..........still!!

Well I'm still stuck in this horrible city of alcoholics and pick pockets! UB is the absolute opposite of the whole of Mongolia and I can't wait to get out of here!
So what's happened since my last blog? Well, I've done lots of clothes shopping as I had donated everything to the CDPF charity.
I've had my pockets picked, losing a pile of dollars and I've been trying to get a Chinese visa so I can complete my journey by giving a 'green cheque' in Tianjin to offset my carbon footprint. The Chinese are being most unhelpful about issuing a visa even though I have a letter of invitation (and various other paperwork) . They are insisting on having the original letter even though its in China, I hope DHL keep their word and its here in the morning!!
I have managed to catch a lovely cold turning me into a pile of snot and I've wrecked my back, the pain down my legs is getting so bad that I may have to go to the hospital, but tomorrow I must be at the embassy to sort out my visa or I will miss my chinese deadline. God knows how I will manage to stand for hours at the embassy waiting to get in,  I guess its going to have to be another 'grit my teeth' day and go to the hospital after the embassy. Trying to explain my back problems to the hospital might be an interesting experience as well! Let's just hope it goes well as my usual pain relief just isn't working!
So I'm really hoping that the embassy is satisfied with all of my paperwork tomorrow, it will be my 3rd visit now and I just want to get the official side of my journey over and get home on my flight booked from the 13th September.
Last night I had dinner with a few other of the rally teams who were leaving today. The ambulance and taxi teams and we had a great night out. They were all teasing me that I had a blog following of middle aged housewifes (the mum's of the ralliers), sorry ladies but I'm already taken!
BTW.....hello to Matthews mum!
That's all for now, I will bog on my Chinese progress soon.