Drinks & snacks

There aren't many things that I miss from home, but I must confess that I have missed red wine a little. I hadn't had any wine at all since 2 April, but the other day I finally had a glass.

On the menu it only said "Merlot (France)", and it cost 3000 tugrigs (about 1,80 euros) for 100 ml. I found that very expensive indeed (I have adapted to the Mongolian cost of living) and slightly risky, but I still decided to order a glass. It was actually very good and I got so excited about it that I took a picture.

To complete the French touch, I ordered a dish called "French schnitzel". I have no idea what was supposed to be French about it, maybe the mustard sauce.

I mentioned earlier the vegan restaurant Loving Hut (there are several Loving Huts here - it's a chain, I have discovered). Believe it or not, but there is another vegan place, called Luna Blanca. It's a calm and nicely decorated restaurant where I had a very reasonably priced and tasty lunch today. They have several interesting berry juices and fruit teas on the menu. I ordered ginger tea with sesame seeds - yum yum!

On Sukhbaatar Square there were three gers set up today. With the huge Coca-Cola advertisement as a backdrop the culture clash was complete.

While having a nice cup of caffelatte this afternoon, I saw in the Mongol Messenger that UB will get a new airport in 2015, located 53 km from the city. A new "super highway" will connect UB and the airport, they promise. Hmmm. Be prepared for long transfer times.

As I'm writing this, there is a fashion show on television. Young designers have made modern versions of the traditional Mongolian clothing. Stunningly beautiful!! Mongolian culture is so strong and alive; it's something that I really admire here.