In UB you have lots of cars, buses, micros (minivans that function as buses of sorts), and your own two feet. In “cities” in the countryside you might see buses, but you are much more likely to find micros, cars, 69’s (aka jariin yuce--cozy yet indestructible Russian jeeps with minimal shocks that can be fixed with anything—and result in a ride not unlike a cross between the Indiana Jones Ride and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disneyland—minus seatbelts and with bucketfuls of dust tossed in), Russian vans, horse or camel carts, and, of course, your own two feet. A couple years ago you would have seen lots of motorcycles and sidecars, but, at least where I am, they have become few and far between.
The goal of all of these forms of transportation (with the exception of feet and animal carts) is to pack in as many people as possible, which is ironic considering that Mongolia is one of the least densely populated countries in the world. Personally, I haven’t done too much busing or taking of micros (although I was once in a micro with 23 people), but my 69 record is 16 people for a four-hour ride. Ouch! So, all you people who have been to Mongolia and experienced these forms of transport, what are your records?
1 comment:
So many records! It's hard to know which one to talk about! Let's see.... I was the only passenger in a van who didn't feel like throwing up after our 3-hour ride through the mountains in northern Mongolia. Or maybe I should mention my participation in the shortest horseback ride on record, in which we miraculously managed to stay on the horses' backs!
Mongol Mama's Papa
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