Europe - Asia boundary

So I know I've said in a previous blog that I was at the Europe-Asia boundary in the Urals. The geographical boundary that is. But one question I wanted to answer with this trip was whether there is a gradual or an abrupt change between Europe and Asia.

I am now in Mongolia, and am acutely aware that I am definitely in Asia - even though they still use the (now familiar) cyrillic script. This got me thinking, where did the change actually occur? There was a definite change in driving attitudes from East to West across Russia: the further east you go, the less lane discipline there is - in Ulan Ude they don't even bother driving on the road half the time! But I haven't quite reached the craziness I've previously experienced in Asia - I think because I've come across very few motorbikes on the roads. Actually in Mongolia they drive like the Italians - a bit crazy, sound their horns a lot, skip red lights, but will still brake for pedestrians. I wasn't convinced they would in much of Russia...

Saying this I'm pretty sure I can define where the boundary between Europe and Asia was for me. Lake Baikal. But it wasn't an abrupt border. Not a complete change, just a realisation that things were no longer European. Irkutsk (on the west side of the lake) is definitely European. The population was predominantly caucasian, although attitudes were changing and there was a definite increase in Asian features as I travelled further East. The other side of the lake, in Ulan Ude, the population was predominantly asian. Buryat to be precise - it is the capital of the Buryat region.

Now in Mongolia caucasians stick out as tourists. Thinking back I think we did in Ulan Ude as well, although we were by no means the only caucasians as we seem to be here in Ulaan Baatar. So that's my border, Lake Baikal, it's just a little fuzzy.

So I've spent the day in Ulaan Baatar, and tomorrow I head off to ger camps for much of the week. Mongolia is cheap, and I feel like a millionaire (with about 2000 togrot to the pound). It's the coldest captial in the world, and today was warm and sunny - for the first time I didn't wear a coat all day! Although the wind is cold, and you have to stay in the sun.

Mongolia seems to be a nice place - people are friendly and smile a lot (and not just those trying to please the tourists!), so I'm looking forward to the next few days living in a yurt!