a quiet night at the hostel
by Rach
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
So there we are sitting in our hostel room, having read the warning signs and verbally been informed to NOT open the door to strangers. It’s late, dark and Grandpa has already been relieved of his camera by pickpockets on the bus when a knock sounds on the door.
We ignore it, but it doesn’t return the favour.
Eventually I ask who is there.
“UB Guesthouse” Likely story! They are the ones who insisted we not open up under any circumstances whatsoever. Naked Rob, emerging from the shower, advises leaving the door locked.
Peering through the security peephole I see a young Mongol girl and in the background a savage-looking Cossack complete with high black boots, long coat, flowing scarf, thick black beard and an apology for a poodle (or was that used-to-be-a-poodle?) hugging his head pretending to be a hat.
“Open the bl**dy door will ya?” he bellows in a deep gruff voice that perfectly fits his persona.
With the confidence that comes from being dressed, and prepared to slam it shut if marauding barbarian hordes are waiting on the stairs, Rob cracks open the door.
“About bl**dy time.” The voice resonates through our orange-floored, floral-wallpapered rooms as Cossack stomps in with complete disregard for all the hostel rules.
“Martin?” Rob enquires.
“Of course I am.”
“Well, ya coulda said, Mate.”
Good natured bantering and the ice is broken.
Wide-eyed, the children stare unbelievingly at this almost-giant, who strides into the room, bends down to their level and growls wildly at them. Too scared to be frightened, they sit silently.
By the time the visit is over, kids are happy to shake hands with this larger than life character, and by the second visit tomorrow they’ll be sitting on his knee and plastering kisses on his cheek.
Tags: children, dress, housing, postcard: Mongolia
rayres
[…] but he’d have daily access to a widely experienced tutor. Martin, in fact. Remember Martin? Click here if you don’t! Born in Germany to a Cossack father and mother with Austrian aristocracy ties, he […]