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4 kids world tour year
  • Ezyian
  • Flo M
  • Ezyian
  • Flo M

4 kids world tour year

With mum and dad, we visit 36 countries on a world tour in 365 days. We visit schools, homes, and hospitals to experience the lives of other children Leggi altro
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  • 4 kids world tour year

    Under the sea🎵 Under the sea 🎵

    15 aprile 2023, Repubblica Dominicana ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    "Ariel, listen to me!
    The human world, it's a mess.
    Life under the sea
    Is better than anything they got up there…"

    We are in the Dominican Republic because it's the optimal mix of two things we want to do and one thing we need to do.

    Wish one: Was Lennox and Lola getting a PADI diving licence. ( The smaller two are too young).

    Wish two: go 🏄‍♂️ and windsurfing.

    Need: Fly back to Europe to get to Asia, Mongolia, to be precise.

    Jump two paragraphs if you want to skip the travel tips section.

    To tick off the last one first, it costs $450 from here to Istanbul*, whereas from Miami, it's over $800, and from other Caribbean Islands, over a $1,000. So if you are too clever, then you might think coming here is saving us $2,000 or more 😉.

    * The cheapest flights by far from Europe to Mongolia are from Istanbul , and bizarely you can take your carpet on board. Can't wait to see why that is so.

    Coming back to wish 1, the older kids passed the theory part last week. Thank you, Grandpa, for the birthday present of that part.

    Today, as you can see in the 1st picture, the practical lessons started. In the morning in the pool, and in the afternoon in the beautiful Caribbean sea. This might not yet be the paradise of the British Virgin Islands for divers, but it's a good place to start without bankrupting your parents. I'm glad the excitement of yesterday was for real today.

    The 2nd wish will be addressed by moving to Cabarete next week.

    Oh, and that song at the start is the horribly catchy "Under the Sea" from the film Little Mermaid. I advise you not to listen to it. Otherwise, there is a risk you it will circulate in your brain forever.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GC_mV1IpjWA    Leggi altro

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  • 4 kids world tour year

    Low Cost Package Tours and Big Brother

    22 aprile 2023, Repubblica Dominicana ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Low cost all inclusive is the niche of the Dominican Republic in the Carribean. All inclusive, even booze. Alongside sun seekers, the island also has a reputation for attracting sex seekers of all ages and sexes.

    All inclusive, all planned for you is the diametric opposite of our tour. We do like sun, sea, and sand, but we are too old and respectful of each other to have any interest in that other value proposition.

    We are here simply as a logical
    , logistical stop, that also allows the kids to get a sub aqua diving licence ( well done Lennox and Lola ), and hopefully so that Flo can try her hand at windsurfing again ( former pro). So we have moved 400km North West to Cabarete . A six hour car journey in a rented car. It is a bit tricky, but after all the previous wild drives. This was a piece of cake for someone as experienced as me 🤣.

    Now, this probably should have come first. Big brother is here. Not the TV show, not 1984, but rather half-brother Max.

    The kids were over the moon to see him after so long, and he was immediately roped into their beach, pool, and other activities, including ( good for him, helping with the home schooling). Bravo Max. 👏

    I should note that Flo and I are also very happy to see Max again. It's been great that brothers Max and Alex could both join us at different times on the tour. The same goes for cousins Audwyn and Cedric, and of course, Grandpa Bernard.    Leggi altro

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  • 4 kids world tour year

    I was too harsh on the Dominican Rep

    25 aprile 2023, Repubblica Dominicana ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    In a previous post, I was less than complimentary about the Dominican Republic. That was based solely on our experiences in Punta Cana, where we stayed for a week.

    We then moved to Cabarete, which is 250km North West as the crow flies, and I have to say this place is totally different and much better. This is not package tour heaven, instead its a major spot for wind and kite surfing, and as you would expect, it has a different look, feel and vibe. The coastline is largely free of large hotels, and there are lots of small bars, cafes, hotels, and hostels.

    Our rythm here is that the kids do home school up till lunchtime, then we all at varying times head to the beach and stay there till sunset. As you can see in the photos, we have a huge area all to ourselves.    Leggi altro

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  • 4 kids world tour year

    Into the unknown - Stopover

    28 aprile 2023, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    After 109 days in South America and the Carribean, we are off today, on another big adventure, where we have no idea whatsoever to expect. We are headed to Mongolia, with a few days stopover in Istanbul. Most of the places we go to, either Flo or I, have been to before, but neither of us has been to Mongolia.
    We do know that in the period 1200-1350, the Ghengis Kahn and the Mongols built the largest empire in history, only for it to collapse due to in- fighting, bubonic plague, and famine. But what's happened in the last 700 years. What awaits us?

    The only thing that we know of well is the Mongolian yurt, which is now popular with Glampers. Those in the US may associate the Mongolian barbeque with the country, but in fact, that dish originated from Taiwan, and strangely, it's a stir-fry, not a barbecue

    Normally, we also get info from other travellers, but in this case, we haven't met anyone who has been there. The closest might have been a colleague ( Michael G), who took part in Teams meetings ( online video calls), with a fake yurt background. I don't know if he did that out of love for the country or just to be fashionable.

    So it's a leap into the unknown...and from the Caribbean it's a long leap, so long that we have to fly via Madrid and Istanbul. As I write, we are in Madrid, but only for 6 hours.    Leggi altro

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  • 4 kids world tour year

    Why stop at once round the world?

    28 aprile 2023, Turchia ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    This post is simply to note that today, we have completed one full circle of the globe. We passed about 800km south of Geneva at 1845.

    We didn't go home because we are far from finished. We go back to Asia to those parts that, due to Covid, were closed to outsiders in 2022.

    Once round, if you went in a straight line, it is 40,000km. In fact, we have covered 3x that distance since we move north and south, more than west to east.    Leggi altro

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    Culture Clash

    1 maggio 2023, Turchia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We are in Istanbul, and strangely it’s a place that I haven’t been to before, despite it being part of Europe. Quite why I don’t know, because this place is certainly worth a visit. It seems on this May 1st holiday weekend that quite a lot of other people had the same thought.
    The 1st impression of this place is that by European standards, it's huge. A city of 15 million people with not so many tall buildings. The other immediate impression is that it’s a pretty location, and down town, the old mosques are simply stunning. Throw in good food at reasonable prices and what more could you want? ( A beer at less than $8, actually 😊)
    So its quite fun to explore and I always enjoy plugging the gaps in my knowledge of history, although when I asked the guide why the Ottoman empire fell apart, his answer was supremely vague, “corruption”. So, I am going to have to Google to fill that gap.
    In the first two of four days here we have visited Hagia Sophia (the worlds oldest cathedral, now a mosque), the Blue Mosque and the remnants of the Roman Hippodrome, as well as the cistern, ( a massive underground water storage that dates from the 6th century AD. We also visited the Topkapi Palace which was the seat of the Ottoman sultans, and there we were one of the first to visit the whole place, since it only opened in full two weeks ago, after a major renovation.
    This is a place where cultures clashed throughout the ages. That conflict is neatly summed up in Hagia Sophia being the worlds 1st cathedral, then becoming a mosque, then a museum, and now in the last two years a mosque again. Unfortunately, unless there is a change of President on May 14th, the creeping Islamisation is likely to continue. That’s a sad modern situation that the Sultans would not have agreed with as they quite explicitly did not shut down Christianity in the Ottoman Empire. Despite this growing conservatism, Istanbul is certainly not like many parts of the Middle East, there are no odd looks or hassles for women without covered heads in the streets, but there is no option but for women to cover their heads if they wish to see inside the mosques. Our “girls” dealt with that clash with some innovative forms of head coverings.    Leggi altro

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  • 4 kids world tour year
    13

    Europe Asia Europe Asia

    4 maggio 2023, Turchia ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Our stopover in Istanbul is coming to an end. In the last two days , we visited the spice market, the grand bazaar, and some viewpoints, and took a trip down the bosphorus. In doing so, we have been hopping back and forth between Europe and Asia. But today, no more hopping. Instead, we fly for 8 hours to Ulaanbaatar capital of 🇲🇳 Mongolia.
    People told us we maybe shouldn't go to Istanbul, either because of the recent earthquake or because of the elections in 10 days' time. I am glad we didn't listen since this has been both fun and enlightening. Istanbuhl was incredibly important historically, and now it's also a charming modern city. That's not to ignore the political and economic problems of Turkey, but rather to say one has to give credit that this is a wonderful place to visit.

    For this part of the trip, we had three "luxuries." 1st, we did not need to plan the details, as this was done by Grandpa Bernard and his travel agent. 2nd and very important, Bernard joined us along with cousin Audwyn for our stay here. Third, Grandpa generously invited us for lunches and dinners that would have blown a big hole in our budget. Thank you, Bernard, and thank you, Audwyn.    Leggi altro

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    Phew... thank you Saihnaa

    5 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We had an uneventful flight from Istanbul to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, but we had the small issue that we arrived at 03:30 and needed to be out of the hotel at 08:30. After passport control, baggage collection, and a long car ride into town, we made it to bed around 05:30. So we had about 2 1/2 hours of sleep 😴.

    Why did we plan to be out of the hotel at 0830 ? Simple, this was our one and only chance to get a visa for China. You can't get a Chinese visa through an agent because you need to submit your fingerprints. They only open 3 mornings a week. It takes 5 days to issue it. I should mention that the application is 10 pages per person, including your entire employment history and education. On top photocopies of airline tickets and hotel bookings are required. So, in total, we had 186 pages of documentation. Sorry, I mispoke. In fact, our documentation when we arrived was only about 90 pages, as I had only copied the travel bookings once. So we had to visit the Embassy twice. Total time taken 2.5 hours! But wait, we are not finished, we have to pay at a bank, and that's complicated too. So, finally, around 1300, we are done.

    Phew! We got it done ✔️ 🙌

    Stress level dropped from off the scale to relaxed 😌.

    Now we go for some well-deserved lunch. On the way, we take our pictures in front of the parliament building and the statue of Ghengis Kahn.

    Thank you to our guide, Saihnaa, without whom we would have had no chance. A true angel.    Leggi altro

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    Uhbi to Gobi

    6 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Early morning, we set off from Uhbi* ( Ulaanbaatar) to cross part of the Gobi desert and stop at an area called the White Stupas ( see pictures). They are unusual sandstone cliffs in the middle of an otherwise flat dessert.

    * Local hipsters call it Uhbi.

    Along the route, we saw many wild horses, camels, and sheep. There are 70 million such animals and only just over 3m humans.

    Most Europeans associate deserts 🏜 with searing heat, and even though we knew that wasn't the case, we were surprised just how bloody cold the Gobi is, even in May. Since we travel light, we didn't have much warm clothing, so we bought some in Uhbi at a 2nd hand shop. However, that turned out not to be enough, and on our first night, we were all very cold. The yurt ( actually called " ger" here was heated with a camel dung stove. Unfortunately, that only lasted till 8 pm, and from there on, the temperature dropped continuously through the night. I put on two sweatshirts and was still cold. Brrrrrrr!    Leggi altro

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    Dalanzagad and Yolyn Am

    7 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Yesterday, we were about 10 hours south of Ulaanbaatar in and near Dalanzagad, which in Mongolia counts as a city ( just over 20,000 inhabitants).

    The city has character and some charm, despite the majority of buildings being directly or indirectly Soviet style. ( Until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, much of the development of Mongolia was led and supported by the Soviets).

    It's interesting to see how the restaurants are similar to those in the DDR, but with old-fashioned chinese furniture and exclusively Mongolian food. Some old people still dress traditionally, but that will be gone in the next 10-20 years. The only supermarket for a few hundred kms is interesting too. Inside it resembles a chaotic warehouse, with a disproportionate amount of space for sweets and biscuits. Since Mongolian dishes are overwhelmingly lamb and noodles, maybe there isn't much need for a broad range of goods.

    In the afternoon, we went for a short hike (7km) in Yolyn Am, which is a canyon, with a frozen over river. The signs say there are snow leopards, wolves, bearded eagles, and ibex here, and indeed, we did see the latter two. The ibex stood 100m above us on the edge of a straight cliff face, blissfully unaware that one false step would mean certain death. The eagle was flying to teach one of its offspring.

    Despite the frozen rivers, the night in a yurt near Yolyn Am was warm and comfortable thanks to better draught proofing and a stove that stayed on all night. Amazing improvement over the previous night.    Leggi altro

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    Khongor Giant Sand Dunes

    8 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We are 3 days off road for a stretch of about 500km. Today, we covered the first half, and we stopped at a yuart owned by a nomadic family. I guess the nomadic part is a thing of the past since they are well placed next to massive sand dunes to catch the passing trade in tourist stays.

    Unlike the two previous places, they invite us into their yurt for lunch, a typical lamb and veg soup. They are now Grandma and Grandpa, and I suspect the kids and grandchildren have moved to a city. They have some nice family picture collages in two frames.

    In the afternoon, we climbed the sand dunes. No mean feat, since they are over 300m high, and climbing is not so easy as you sink in and slip back.

    The way down is easy. I use the Reinhold Messner method, whilst Flo and the kids rolled and swam down.    Leggi altro

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  • 4 kids world tour year
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    Hazardous transport: Camel vs Dromedary

    9 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Scientific paper on Camel and Dromedary hazards for humans.

    Study photos for camel here. For dromedary see Egypt day 2.

    Hazardous Transportation: Camel and Dromedaries: Risks related to gravitational issues : Systematic review of randomised controlled trials

    Author: Ian G McGillivray

    Author affiliations: Currently on Sabbatical

    Objective: to determine whether the risks of major traumas differ between camel and dromedary riding

    Background: My wife asked, is it safe to ride a dromedary in Egypt, and she asked Mongolia if it was safe to ride a camel. I needed an answer.

    Design: Systematic review of randomised controlled trials

    Data Sources: Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library of Databases; appropriate internet sites and citation lists

    Study selection: Studies covering traumas related to camel and/or dromedary riding

    Main Outcome Measures: Death, Major Trauma defined as an injury severity score >15

    Results: I was unable to identify any randomised controlled trials covering camel and/or dromedary riding

    Conclusions:
    As with many studies concerning reducing death and major trauma, the safety of one mode versus the other has not been subject to rigorous evaluation by using randomised controlled trials.
    Advocates of evidence based medicine have criticised the adoption of the use of only observational studies . I think that everyone might benefit if the protagonists of evidence based medicine participated in a double blind, randomised, placebo controlled crossover trial of the two species and a horse.

    Footnotes: This line of reasoning is copy pasted from a similar article “Hazardous Journeys: Parachute use to prevent death and trauma.“ BMJ 2003 ; 327 GCS Smith, JP Pell. I hope Smith and Pell will see this shameless plagiarism as acknowledgement of their groundbreaking publication.

    Funding: Savings from working for Big Pharma

    Competing Interests: The author is the author of an unpublished observational study[1]. The author states his partners questions did not influence the study design, not conclusions.

    Ethical Approval: Not Required

    [1] The author concluded that the statistically significantly shorter legs of camels meant that the risk of trauma or death was reduced and that the 2nd hump reduced the risk of falling off backwards. He therefore concluded that the frequency and severity of accidents for camels would be less.    Leggi altro

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    Ulzibat's nomadic family

    9 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    We stayed the last two days with a nomadic family. We shared meals cooked by them, and this afternoon, we spent two hours asking Ulzibat about life here. (The conversation was facilitated with Google translate)

    Throughout the year, they live in three locations. They farm 60 camels 🐫, 200 sheep ànd goats, and as a side business, they have 3 yurts for travellers.

    Despite the extra earnings from tourists, the work here remains hard. Today, for example, Ulziibat's wife left to go look after the sheep and goats for 3 days. She sleeps wherever they are.

    The school here for 200 children is 50km away over dirt track roads or no roads at all. In winter, when temperatures reach -40C, the people here and the school move to one of their other locations.

    The supermarket is 250km away. Ulzibat goes there 2 or 3 times a year. Locally, there is a tiny shop that sells a very narrow range of goods.

    The food is good and tasty, but always the same. Savoury donought bread and sugar lumps for breakfast, local tea, lamb soup or goat soup for lunch, rice or noodles with lamb or goat, potatoes, carrots and cabbage for dinner.

    The food seems to be unchanged since the time of Chingis Kahn. The clothes, at least in warmer months, have changed, with western clothes the normal for 95% of the people. Ulziibat's tells us that in winter, they do use traditional lamb skin coats.

    The discussion, like the hospitality, was open and warm. The kids loved to play with Suka and learn from him the basics of setting a stove and cleaning floors . Our final dinner was prepared by Lola and Nora, whilst Ulzibat gave them the quantities and the tasks.

    All in all, it was a wonderful experience, and great learning for adults and children alike.    Leggi altro

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    The goatherd found the city goats

    10 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    This morning, we got lost in the Gobi desert. Actually, it wasn't us, it was the driver. We spent the best part of an hour lost and driving across ever more scary crossings, including one where we got stuck in.

    However, in the Gobi, in most places, there is a 2G signal, and so the driver called our host a few times and got guidance. That meant looking where the sun was and trying to derive the correct direction. That didn't work, so the host, a goatherd, came on his motorbike and led us over more very stony scary non existant roads.

    He is used to doing this for his goats, as they roam over vast distances. In the late afternoon, he looks for them in his binoculars and then goes on his motorbike to bring them back to the modest farm. In the evening, they stay put, even without a fence.

    So today, for him, the only difference was that he brought home city goats.

    The kids loved the afternoon playing around the farmyard and alongside us using Google translate to understand how they live. We also had a laugh with them and the odd vodka shot or two.

    The welcome at the nomadic farmyard is warm and generous. The food may always be goat or mutton, but we haven't been tired of that yet.

    Check out the toilet ( plastik seat on top of a hole) about 60m away from our yurt. A painful pee run when it's cold at night.

    The dog kennel is also original. An old Russian mini bus wreck, thàt looks a bit like a VW camper.    Leggi altro

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    Out of the desert at the 4th attempt

    11 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We headed out of the desert today, but not without event. It's a 450km drive on dirt track roads and completely off-road. According to Maps, the route does not exist.

    In the morning, we said goodbye to the Amaraas family, and then we headed to see the red cliffs ( see photos). The place is famous as the first site where dinosaur eggs were found (oviraptor)

    Halfway through our ride out of the desert, we also visited an abandoned budist monastery ( see photos).

    I think what might stick most in the memory was the long, at times unsettling and wild, journey out of the desert.

    En route out of the Gobi, we had a series of problems. For example, there was a sandstorm. We got lost. It rained we got lost. We needed fuel, but the first three petrol places were all closed or abandoned. At a fourth, we were assured that the petrol pump was in use, but nobody knew where the attendant was. A tip that she might be at the tiny pub turned out to be wrong. So we camped on her doorstep until she eventually arrived. We gave her a lift in the car back to her workplace. The smell of alcohol meant the tip to look in the pub had a reason behind it. Nevertheless, she saved our day, as we filled the tank and two extra 20 litre canisters.

    The driver doesn't use GPS. Instead, he uses distant landmarks and the sun, and when we get lost, we look for nomad settlents to ask them the way

    About 2.5 hours later than planned, we arrived in Kharakorum. This time we stay in a hotel. It has no heating, but the desk boy finds us an electric heater. Unfortunately, Lennox knocked it out in his sleep, so we all woke up rather chilly.    Leggi altro

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    21

    Kharkorum: Chengis Kahn's capital

    12 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Today, we are in Kharakorum. This was the capital of the Mongol empire. Chengis Kahn chose the location, but it's not clear if he was ever here after construction. He was almost constantly on the move "pacifying" new countries. It ceased to be the capital after only 150 years, when the Ming dynasty conquered Mongolia, and the Mongol empire collapsed.

    Then, as now the city had about 20,000 inhabitants, but the old city was very different. Inside a city wall, there were separate areas for Budists, Muslims, and Christians . Each with its own distinct architecture and places of worship. Many of the inhabitants were skilled prisoners of war. Blacksmiths, carpenters, etc. who were needed to build the town and to make weapons.

    I know all this thanks to a fantastic museum built with Japanese help. What's really fantastic in Mongolia is that for parks and museums, there is either no entrance fee, or at most, it costs $2.50 for adults, and children are free. In this particular case, the modest entrance fee comes with a private English speaking guide.

    The only part of the old city that remains is the budist part. Indeed, there are still monks and a working temple. We were all fascinated by visiting the temple where a group of monks endlessly chant prayers. No photos were allowed, but I captured the sound (videos).    Leggi altro

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    Strange Springs

    13 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    After the day we visited Kharakorum, we spent the late afternoon and evening at Tsenher Hot Springs. The approach to the springs and the countryside behind it is the 1st time we experience GREEN rolling hills covered in 🌳. Stunning landscapes and views.

    The springs themselves are rather underwhelming. It's a gentle stream that emerges from the ground that is collected in a small and ugly concrete reservoir. From there it's transported to hot baths in 2 or 3 hotels. Iceland, this is not. We were tempted by the hotels, but in the end, we chose to stay again in a yurt at 1/3 of the price.

    The hotels have fancy yurts, showers, and hot baths of some sort, but they destroy the innocent character of the area. The charm of a yurt is more than anything, meeting the local people. 28 high-end yurts in neat rows lack that entirely. It's the first time we encounter that tourism is having a bad effect. It's probably a sign of more of the same to come.    Leggi altro

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    Long, scary but beautiful drive

    13 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    We drive from the springs near Kharakorum to Khuvsgul Lake. Its about 450km, so that would be about 4.5 or 5 hours, right? The travel company told us the day before yesterday was the longest drive, and that took about 7 hours.

    Not so fast. It's a bit suspicious that the driver wakes us up at 6:30. He wants hot water for his pot noodles, but probably there is a hidden agenda. Whatever, off we go around 7:30.

    I am guessing that we will arrive at 7:30 pm. ( It's 630pm right now).

    The day has been quite a drive, quite an adventure. Until near the end, we did about 450km off-road. We crossed rivers, fields of spiky stones. We climbed hills that seemed impossible, and we decended on steep, narrow, heavily rutted tracks. At times, the car was tilted at extreme angles . We had a tyre blow-out in the middle of nowhere.

    Despite all that, it was a highly enjoyable day. Incredible scenery, lonely rivers, endless plains, and a variety of mountains.    Leggi altro

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    The outer bit of outer Mongolia

    14 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    Outer Mongolia was the name given by the Ming dynasty to what is modern-day Mongolia . Inner Mongolia is a province of China. In the English language, "Outer Mongolia " was/is often used as a metaphor for a far distant land.

    Today, we are on the northernmost part of Mongolia near the border with siberian Russia at Lake Khuvsgul.

    It was a big surprise when we arrived yesterday to see that the lake is still in Mid-may frozen. The boats are not ice breakers, so we can forget a boat ride. Instead, we opted for a 3.5-hour hike to a peak of 2300m that has a commanding view of the lake.

    The walk was fun even if the weather was cloudy and hazy.    Leggi altro

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    Its the 15th of May...

    15 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ 🌫 -2 °C

    ...and it snowed overnight. Surreal, this is early summer in the northern hemisphere. We are only 50 degrees North, that's six degrees less than my hometown Dundee, and it's the same latitude as Brussels!

    So this morning, Oscar and I made a Mongolian snowman ( see pictures), whilst the other kids did home schooling inside.

    In the afternoon, everything thawed, and we went for a walk along the lake shore.    Leggi altro

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    Following the sun to Buddha

    16 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    ... and it snowed again. This time it could have been less fun, as we had to drive 400kam East. However, very strangely, the snow is super localised and only lasts 2 or 3 km.

    We stopped for lunch at another Soviet style restaurant, this time with two large murals, one clearly budist, the other?? ? We must stand out, as the other guests took our photo, without asking. First shots just us, then with them. It made me think that I hadn't seen a single other European child in the last two weeks, so maybe we do stand out a bit.

    The drive today is through wide valleys, flanked by hills and mountains. It gets greener, and the number of dwellings goes up a little.

    We passed through Erdenet, which is a town of 100,000, and is the 2nd biggest city in the country. It was founded by the Soviets for a collective in the 1930s. Most of the houses are quite nice, each with a wooden fence and garden. On the other hand, the industrial area is ugly and stinks ( coal power station, etc).

    We thought we were staying in or near Erdonet, but luckily, the driver had other ideas. We had asked him to take us to Amarbayasgalant monastery tomorrow, but he decided to go today.

    That added 45 minutes of bumpy off-road, at high speed to the journey .

    It was worth it. The valleys en route are beautiful, and the location of the monastery is outstanding, as are the Buddhas and Stupas.    Leggi altro

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    2nd last day in Red Hero

    18 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Red Hero is the translation of Ulaan = Red, Bataar = Hero, which must surprise most people, but not those who know Mongolian history 😃. This city is a post revolution creation of the soviets. Of course, there was a town here before, but even that in typical Mongol style moved 28 times.

    The architecture and streets could be any siberian city. The Mongols also changed the alphabet they use to Russian, so even the signs look as if we are in Russia.

    I also read today that UB is the worlds coldest capital city, even if it's more or less the same latitude as Geneva. In January, the average maximum temp is -16C, and only in July 2 are nighttime temperatures above 10C, and even then, only just.

    So Ulaanbataar is not a reason to travel 1000s of kilometres, but it is, of course, the gateway to the wonders of Mongolia.

    We have stayed here in an apartment, that is really great, even if outside it's ugly. 3 bedrooms, kitchen and living room. 2 bathrooms with hot showers. Luxury for $64 per day.

    The kids spent the morning home schooling, then later in the day we went to the natural history museum, which has many interesting fossils found in the Gobi desert. Really good place, even if at first we were dubious at going in, because the outside was so shabby. Inside quite the opposite.

    I loved how the height and weight of dinasaurs were shown in graphics with camels, horses, sheep, and goats ( see photos).    Leggi altro

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  • 4 kids world tour year

    On t'aime Mongolia

    19 maggio 2023, Mongolia ⋅ 🌬 5 °C

    15 wonderful days in Mongolia, even if at times our bottoms were frozen. Even today, it snowed, and a strong cold wind said goodbye to us as we entered the airport.

    This morning, we managed to visit Monte Rosa junior school. The class was primary 6. As we entered, they were finishing a lesson on traditional Mongolian, which has writing from top to bottom of the page. (Since the 1920s, they mainly wrote with the Russian alphabet). The first impression was amazing. The teacher was energised, and the pupils were even more so. In Europe, our teachers are often stressed out. The pupils are disengaged. In Mongolia, what we saw bodes very well for the future. Even more so as they have an innovative learning plan that includes IT, financial basics, and health. Such aspects are often missing in Europe. Our kids leave shool unready to handle some of the challenges of managing their daily lives.

    Do visit Mongolia, but don't wait too long. It still has charm and a few tourists. It can be rough ( hard beds, cold weather, sand storms, crazy roads), but it is uniquely genuine and interesting. Both the land and its people.

    A big thank you to New Milestone Tours who helped me set up the trip for only $80. Amazing value, amazing service. You simply can't contact nomads on your own 😁. Google translate works only moderately well. For example, the driver told us, "There are no binoculars for the next 2 days." We were puzzled. Eventually, we understood what he wanted to say was " there are no petrol stations for the next two days." What's more you will save the $80, because the company negotiates the prices of cars, drivers and accommodation. For example, the starting price for a yurt is $200, and the negotiated price is $40-80 for 6 people. A hire car is more than $150 per day, negotiated price for an 8 seater 4WD $45 per day.    Leggi altro

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  • 4 kids world tour year

    80,000 tickets per day sold out

    20 maggio 2023, Cina ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    That's 480,000 tickets per week ( 6 days a week), all taken, not one left. It's not the Rolling Stones or that Elvis has shown up again. Its for entry to the Forbidden City in Beijing, and most foreigners will fail to get a ticket because the minimum wait time is a week, and almost no tourist stays in Beijing as long as that. Just for fun to get close, i.e. Tienemen Square, you need to register 24 hours in advance. Of course, we hadn't done that, and neither had the handful of other Europeans. The lady at the entrance explained we could visit next time we are in Beijing 😂.

    So, instead of visiting the forbidden city, we visited the Summer Palace, which is where those who lived in the forbidden city lived in the summer. Strangely, it's no problem to get tickets there, it's just a problem to get there. The hotel map suggests we get off the metro at Souzhou Jie, so after changing trains twice, that is exactly what we do. However, once outside the station, we use the maps app, and it tells us we need 1 hour and 10 minutes to walk there. Wtf! We ask some guys to help us get a taxi, and they laugh, but a 20 year old student comes to our help. She explains that to get a taxi, you need an app ( chinese language only), and you need a Chinese telephone number and another Chinese payments app. If that sounds impossible, that's because it is.

    But then, an old sexist trick worked. Our young student effortlessly waived down a taxi. Off went Flo, Nora, and Oscar. For the rest of us, she ordered a car. She went, and it came, but because we lacked a code sent to her phone, the driver refused to take us.. So we tried to wave down taxis. It took us half an hour. We just aren't eye-catching enough 😁.

    Safely at the summer Palace, we all enjoyed this pretty place. It reminded me of Japan because in the central area, it was absolutely packed with tour groups, but if you take a few steps off the main track there are far fewer people, and it's peaceful .

    The only thing missing at the Summer Palace was summer, hence the rather grey pictures.

    Later, we ventured out to a local restaurant that was a fantastic introduction for the children. We all loved it, and Flo learnt that next time she could order half as much and we would still be full. I have to say that sadly, the beer is not in the same league as the food, but it's still good enough to drink every drop.    Leggi altro

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  • 4 kids world tour year

    Great time at the Great Wall

    21 maggio 2023, Cina ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Some things on this trip surprise on the upside. Today was one of those experiences. I had no idea that the wall was so high up above the valley, along a mountain ridge. I had no idea that the surrounding countryside would be so lutiois and green, and I wasn't expecting the wall to be a relatively³ tough walk.

    So it was both different and better than expected. The walk of took about 4 and a half hours. The heat, which we were no longer accustomed to after Mongolia, made us struggle, but we soldiered on because it was so nice.

    To end the visit, we slid down the mountain on sledges. Great fun.    Leggi altro

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