Ulaan Batar is known to be the coldest capital city in the world. Coming from a tropical country like Malaysia the idea of going to the 'Switzerland of Asia' seems so cool!
Well, cool is an understatement! My first winter was downright depressing, essentially because I was not used to the lack of sunlight in the long dreary months of winter. The weather starts to cool down by early November and right up till May we still get bits of snow.
It's end of May now and I'm occasionally still in my Uniqlo winter jacket. Most of the other time, since maybe April onwards, I'm in a regular fleece jacket. And then through out the summer months, I am in track pants and short sleeves. Come September, my 'Japan winter jacket' will start emerging and that will keep me till mid November. My most used jacket will be my long winter coat from December till March - worn every single time I leave the house.
If you are moving to Mongolia, purchase winter jackets from here. Perhaps the few things you can purchase outside of Mongolia would be the Uniqlo stuff - their thin thermal wear is great coz you can add on layers without much bulk - right down to thermal underwear if you can.
No other winter apparel will be able to help you stand up to the 'deadly' -40 C which hits you in January. And sheep and yak wool, with the occasional cashmere, will adorn your closet space in no time - for your head, your ears, your neck, your body, your legs, your feet and even on the souls of your feet. You'll find all these here and you will need them if you want to spend any time outside getting as much sun as the 5 hours permits. And yes, the sun rises close to 10 and set by 3.
Cashmere in Mongolia is of high quality and really worth the investment. Especially if you are an avid traveller to cold places.
Rain. It seldom rains in Mongolia and even when it does, you don't really need a huge umbrella to weather the rain. Just a water proof hoodie and some rain boots (which you can get here) and you'll happily go splashing in the soft rain of Mongolia - as opposed to the harsh torrents in a tropical county!
I'm in my 3rd year now. And if anyone asks me, I would still say I am a tropical girl. But this cold is bearable now. I guess my clothing too has equipped me to handle it better. Like my Mongolian friends tell me "You just need to know how to layer yourself well!" And indeed there is an art to it. An art I have perfected.
No comments:
Post a Comment