Goodbye Russia!

Ulan Ude is so close to the Mongolian border that it doesn't really feel like Russia anymore.

We stayed at another homestay, this time with hot shower and indoor toilet, but with just as much food as the last. The town itself is pretty small and there's not much to see, apart from Lenin's head, the biggest head statue in the world. Now that's some ego.



Nearby there are a couple of really beautiful Datsuns - Buddist monastries. They follow Tibetan buddism here and in Mongolia, and it's the most colourful religion in the world. Cathedrals and mosques seem so sombre in comparison.

We had this guide to drive us from the town out to the temples, and on the way back announced that we would be going to have lunch with a traditional Buryat family. As we drove past a very siberian looking wooden village, she said, 'Usually we would be stopping here for lunch, but the family has moved into the city.....' and in minutes we pulled up in front of a soviet era housing block. Very traditional. Inside, the apartment was fully equipped with widescreen tv, electric keyboard and tropical fish tank - we were greeted by our host, dressed top to toe in traditional costume, and her six-year-old daughter, in a trendy tracksuit.

The whole thing was so surreal. We were fed a four-course Buryat feast in a luxury apartment, and they made us try on their costumes. After lunch we played a traditional game with sheeps' ankle bones (ugh!). They had clearly made so much money out of feeding tourists that they had chosen a better life, but i kept thinking, 'If they love their culture so much, and if they want to preserve it, why did they leave it behind?'

But, as Tim says, this is the way toursism works and i guess everyone deserves Sky TV and running water!