JUL 31, 17 .. TRAVEL DETAILS ON MY TRIP TO RUSSIAN SIBERIA ..

Hello All .. If you will, please read this closely.

IF you read between the below lines, you can tell that I myself have-no-idea of the availability of a computer during the next several days. If I am able, I will call Patti (IF I can call Patti from Russia ) to advise Patti of my current situations. Patti can then call Andrej who will publish very short, interim Posts such as : Cap is safely in Russian Siberia. Expect me to pull off a miracle. Be happy with interim reports.

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TUESDAY AUGUST 1st, 2017 

Tomorrow morning, Tuesday the 1st of August 2017, at approximately 10:30am, I will be leaving Ulaanbaatar (bottom red balloon ), driving North with friends in their private automobile, to Sukhbaatar (top red balloon ), Mongolia. The drive ranges from 4-1/2 to 5 hours depending on weather and traffic and road conditions.

It is really special, it is an honor, to have friends such as Deegi and Saina, and to be able to experience Mongolia with Mongolians by private automobile.

En route, we will drive through Darkahn (center red balloon above ), the third largest city in Mongolia.

Darkhan from the highway (above) and railway station (below).

This will NOT be a new experience for me. I have made this automobile trip three or maybe four previous times with Deegi and Saina. I have also taken a train North once and returned to Ulaanbaatar by train twice.

If you are interested, below are two links to Posts on blogspot at bobbacaps showing some photos of road trips I made back in the summer of 2015.

http://bobbacaps.blogspot.com/2015/08/aug-19-15-traveling-mongolian-highway.html

http://bobbacaps.blogspot.com/2015/08/aug-19-15-traveling-mongolian-highway_19.html

Tomorrow evening, August 1st, I will stay in ‘our’ (Patti and Gullible stayed here with me in the autumn of 2015) very favorite little hotel in Sukhbaatar. I am assuming that it is still in operation.

You have to look very, very closely at the above photo to see the ‘house cat’ I show below. Wonder if ‘house cat’ will still be there?

‘Our’ room. This little hotel is such a very ‘sweet old friend’.

Deegi and Saina will stay with friends / relatives in Sukhbaatar.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2nd, 2017

(Now it gets a tad sketchy )

4am. Arise at O’Dark O’Clock and drive to the Mongolian / Russian Siberian Border.

Oh yes, yes indeed, I have been there before.

Below is the actual automobile crossing from Mongolia into Russian Siberia.

There is a ‘buffer zone’ between the two countries. Below is a Mongolian soldier on the Mongolian border.

Our destination is Ulan-Ude, a bit of a drive North from the border crossing proper.

Wednesday night, August 2nd as well as Thursday night August 3rd, I will be staying overnight with Russian friends in Ulan-Ude.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 3rd, 2017.

I will be staying the day and the night with Russian friends in Ulan-Ude. This gives me a full working day to explore Ulan-Ude and hopefully to purchase a Russian Sim Card for my cell phone. Then, when David and I go to Irkutsk by train on the 18th and 19th of August, I will be able to have telephone contact with Patti the minute our train enters Russian Siberia.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4th, 2017.

Deegi and Saina will pick-me-up at the home of my Russian friends in the morning. We will then drive South from Ulan-Ude to a weekend retreat someplace between Ulan-Ude and the border with Mongolia. Then, after attending the retreat (It is in-the-works that I may speak IF they can arrange a translator) we will continue South, back across the border into Sukhbaatar.

They will leave me at ‘our’ wonderful hotel in Sukhbaatar on Friday night. Deegi and Saina will then drive South back to Ulaanbaatar.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5th, 2017.

I plan to stay the day and the night in Sukhbaatar.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 6th, 2017. 

Now it’s the Dealer’s call : Deuces and Jacks, the Man with the Axe, a pair of natural 7’s takes all.

I may, I may not, take the train back South to Ulaanbaatar. Right now I am ‘leaning’ to staying in Sukhbaatar.

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Well Folks, that is it for now. I must (literally) get-packing.

“What’s that ‘Zilla. You thought I was going North to Ulan-Ude on Thursday the 3rd of August?”

“Ah ‘Zilla! So-too-did-I. Deegi called me a few hours ago (this being Monday the 31st of July ‘Zilla) and said,

“Hi Cap. This is Deegi. We are leaving tomorrow morning (that being Tuesday the 1st of August) at 10:30am.”

Gulp. “OK Deegi.”

Another in a series of never-ending excellent ‘Zilla questions and observations.

Still Smiling.

Cap

Since sometime in July or August of 2015, when I was told that ‘people’ in Southern Siberia wanted to meet me, I have been waiting, hoping, and yes praying for tomorrow, the day I head for Russian Siberia.

I was NOT about to say,

“Ah Deegi. I don’t think that I can make the trip tomorrow. I thought we were going on Thursday.”

FOR PATTI.

Tuesday, August 1st – Drive North to Sukhbaatar. Lv at 10:30am. Stay the night in Sukhbaatar at ‘our’ little hotel.

Wednesday, August 2nd – 4am leave to cross the border into Russian Siberia. Continue to Ulan-Ude where I will stay the night with Russian friends.

Thursday, August 3rd – I will stay the day and the night with Russian friends. This gives me a 24-hour day in Ulan-Ude. Getting a Russian Sim Card for my cell phone is my number one goal.

Friday, August 4th – Head South from Ulan-Ude in the morning. En route visit a weekend retreat. I may give an open talk. I will stay the night at ‘our’ hotel in Sukhbaatar. Deegi and Saina will then drive back to Ulaanbaatar.

Saturday, August 5th – I will stay the day and the night at ‘our’ hotel in Sukhbaatar.

Sunday, August 6th – I may, I may not, stay in Sukhbaatar. I am leaning on doing so but ..

Monday, August, 7th – Deuces and Jacks, The Man with the Axe, a pair of Natural 7’s takes all.

Gullible, Does The Shadow Know?

At some point I will take the train South from Sukhbaatar back to Ulaanbaatar to meet up with David for our trip to Irkutsk on August 18th.

• ← JUL 30, 17 .. STUPID PILLS? .. AM I TAKING STUPID PILLS?
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