Mongolia: Travel guide, visas and free housing · 2026

OOOralbek Otegulovjohnfkennedy · Nov 8, 2015Read

We have the document with our American J-1 visa in our hands. One hurdle cleared. But it was still too early to relax. How many people have received their visas only to fail to reach their destination...? Fearing this, we kept our plans secret. Because there is a thing called 'envy.' It is a very delicate matter, and it can easily trigger jealousy in anyone around us. Even one person with bad intentions could ruin all our plans. Trouble is always lurking. Unexpected difficulties can arise at any moment, anywhere... Zhuldiz and Aida might have told a few relatives and acquaintances, but only a few people knew that I was leaving for America. After returning from Astana, I went and told only my father. He allowed me in shocked mood. My mother didn't know about this either. You might ask, what kind of person doesn't even tell their mother...? But that was the situation. The two guys I lived with in the dormitory didn't know anything either. Only the faculty dean and some university professors knew. Having passed all exams in advance, on the evening of May 22, 2014, we boarded the Almaty-Moscow express train and headed to the Russian capital. Our silent and sudden disappearance was a surprise to many of our classmates. Some, even without us saying anything, sensed that we were going to America... We traveled by train for two days and reached Moscow. The Russian land is vast, and the nature is beautiful. If only the people were the same! Everything around is green. Lands that would be perfect for agriculture and other purposes are lying empty. People flock to Moscow in search of work. As a result, the villages are empty. No signs of life. And another thing I noticed is that there are plenty of signs here that remind one of the Soviet Union. We thought the English were a conservative people, but the Russians turned out to be even more conservative. Even though they are in first place in the world in terms of land area and cannot fully utilize their own land, these people are still eyeing Kazakh land. Calls to annex the north and east of Kazakhstan to Russia are heard from time to time. As if it wasn't enough that they already took some of the Kazakh lands...! On the first day, the constant document checks on the train were exhausting. We leave Kazakhstan, enter again, leave again, enter again! We cannot reach Uralsk by rail without crossing the border. Having taken Orenburg along with its region, they didn't want to leave even a patch of land where the railway passes! On the other side of the border are Kazakhs, and on this side are Kazakhs. One line that divided one people into two! I have two translators with me, what do I have to fear...? We arrived at Paveletsky station in the morning. The first photo reports from the Russian capital were made. To be honest, I didn't like Moscow at all! The people are heartless, the streets are full of trash... By noon, we reached Sheremetyevo airport. The airport is always crowded. But what surprised me here was not the crowds, but the 6 people lying on the stone floor of the airport among the people. Yes, 6 people. All members of one family. They are lying on their backs on the cold tile as if they were in bed! I was so surprised that I approached them and listened to their conversation, and they were Germans. I don't understand German. So I couldn't understand what they were saying. Father, mother, and 4 sons. Everyone looks at them with side-eyes, passing by with disapproval. They are not embarrassed by anything. Such an interesting thing happens...! While we were wondering about the Germans lying on the floor, a tall, thin, fair-skinned girl came and sat next to us and started a conversation in poor English. She flew to Moscow from Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. She is flying further to Venice. So we are taking the same flight. Her name is Narmandakh. According to her, it means sunrise! If I remember correctly, she was 27 years old. Her English is very poor. We barely talked to her. A

ВБВиктория Базароваraymig · Jun 7, 2013Read

I've been in Honolulu for four days now. The city is beautiful, it's warm, the weather is great, and there's no rain. I'm staying in the Waikiki area, 100 meters from the beach of the same name. The flora is stunning, everything is so colorful. I don't start work for another three days, so for now, I'm just burning through money. I'm staying in an international hostel, and there are so many people of different nationalities and ages here. Almost half the population in the city is Asian, so no one looks at me with surprise; they only get surprised when they find out I'm from Russia. I have to explain that people in Southern Siberia look just like this. Some people know where Mongolia is, which makes it easier. It's hard to find housing. Everything here is very expensive. And housing is mostly rented out for more than six months. I'm waiting for the girls from Riga. They should arrive soon, and then we'll figure things out. I think I arrived a bit too early... But on the other hand, I'm walking around and exploring the city. I've already walked the Waikiki area up and down. It's scary being alone, but it's okay. I hope I'll be fine :-)