Two months in Mongolia

It’s been two months here already and the place really feels like home. The work is going well. I gave a presentation to an organisation who have set up the first volunteer centre in Mongolia. I talked about volunteer centres for 2 hours. How did that happen? (I don’t think I talked about them for 2 hours in the whole 5 years I worked in one! – Only kidding if any former colleagues are reading!) I will be helping them in their planning for the year. There is so much scope to get involved in different projects here.

I’ve been on two trips to the other places I’ll be working at on my placement – Darkhan and Choibalsan:

The journey to Darkhan was by shared taxi. This began by nearly being assaulted by an aggrieved taxi driver who felt I should have got into his car and decided he was going to drag me into his taxi whether I liked it or not. There was a long wait until the taxi was full, and then another wait until his boot was full of packages to deliver, and finally, after 2 ½ hours we were off. The next 3 ½ hours were spent next to a complete drunk who at various times tried to hug me, wrestle with me and sleep on me. Fun trip, might get the bus next time.

It was interesting seeing the health volunteering project in Darkhan (the current person managing it doesn’t like volunteers!) The volunteers are great and laid on a horhog for us. Obviously there was vodka – my mistake was being, apart from the main host, the only other man there.

This meant leading the way with the vodka drinking. I’m not sure if the pure lumps of fat from the horhog helped the vodka go down – or the vodka helped the fat go down…. Either way, I wasn’t half as damaged as I should have been!

My second trip was to Choibalsan. It is the fourth biggest aimiag centre in Mongolia with 40,000 people and 1 ½ hours away from UB by plane. I was staying in a hotel for the week which, as I soon discovered, was the local knocking shop. Judging by the many knocks on the door in the middle of the night, I had taken the room of a popular girl. I thought about opening the door, but they would have been sorely disappointed!! Choibalsan is soooo quiet, and I, in my wisdom, have agreed to spend the coldest months of the year there! In Choibalsan, the husband of another VSO volunteer fell down a manhole (breaking 3 ribs). I found it difficult not to laugh when he told me the story. At least I know when it happens to me – I won’t be the first.

Despite the risk of frostbite I am looking forward to working in Choibalsan. My counterparts are really keen to work together and I think we can develop their volunteering programme quickly.