{"id":283,"date":"2016-05-27T14:20:40","date_gmt":"2016-05-27T14:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jesidewalks.net\/?p=283"},"modified":"2016-05-27T15:25:32","modified_gmt":"2016-05-27T15:25:32","slug":"hybrid-cards-coal-trains-and-big-bellies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jesidewalks.net\/2016\/05\/27\/hybrid-cards-coal-trains-and-big-bellies\/","title":{"rendered":"Hybrid cards, coal trains and big bellies"},"content":{"rendered":"
We are sat at Chuka\u2019s desk while she adds up numbers on a large notebook: we are investigating options for a short tour during our second week in Mongolia, now that we have our visas for China. \u2018It depends how far you want to go, the most expensive thing is the gas\u2019 she says to us in French, but it will be difficult for her to plan a very good trip with only four days to spare, and we would spend much of it in a van. We think about the options while she turn to breastfeed her son; her apartment also serves as guest-house and office.<\/p>\n
She has convinced us that her small family-run business is truly aiming to provide sustainable and responsible tourism options for the growing influx of travellers to Mongolia. Her agency is a member of the community-based tourism network, and is committed supporting local environmental initiatives. We learn that the government has announced that \u2018tourism is now a strategic area for economic development\u2019, yet another sign of increasing reliance upon foreign investment.<\/p>\n
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We entered Mongolia from Siberia, south of Lake Baikal, and what struck us most was the change in infrastructure. The train engine was now steam powered, chugging along at a gentle pace on the single railway line. Occasionally, we would stop at a station to let a train loaded with coal pass by, headed for Russia. In Ulaanbaatar, we stepped out to broken sidewalks and pot-holed pavement (I soon understood why we only saw cyclists using mountain bikes), car-packed roads and old public buses spitting out spells of black fumes. Combined with industrial sites still located near the city centre, the persistent itch at the back of our throats told us that the large proportion of hybrid cars had little or not enough impact on air quality.<\/p>\n