So, despite coming back and collapsing for a bit, I eventually decided that I needed to get out and try and pay for the visa once and for all, seeing as I have until Monday to do it, I could have left it a bit later, although I then realised that the bank would have closed had I chosen to do such a silly thing... Hence, not knowing where the flower shop is (this is apparently the best place to change money), I went to the post office and took out 7000 togrogs, which I calculated was about 50 dollars. I then went to the desk and asked them to change it, only to be turned away by the woman who said that they didn't do less than 100 dollars. When I asked her where I could get it, she mentioned the flower market, but as I turned away, she shouted out after me that it is more dangerous there. I went outside the building, dithered for a bit, and then finally decided to take out another 7000 togrogs and get the whole 100 dollars taken out (the visa would have been 30 dollars, except that I needed it for Monday, which made it 'urgent', and therefore upped the charge to 50 dollars - still 60 pounds less than what I had been told it cost!). As I took this to her instead, I saw her smile, and I reckon she knew that she had caught me out already.
Anyhow, after this, I walked straight out and saw a Golompka Bank right across the street (apparently paying for a Chinese visa here MUST be done in dollars which have to be cashed in at a Golompka Bank). I walked straight across the street and confidently walked into the bank, just to find that the whole interior had been ripped out and there were just some workers standing around inside of it. It was hardly necessary then, to understand that that particular branch of the bank was not going to be processing my visa. I then decided to go to the Golompka Bank next to the Hostel and try and get everything processed there. However, once I had turned up, the people at the bank stared at me in utter confusion, and one of them asked me if I had the account number for the Chinese embassy, and when I told them that I hadn't, they insisted that it was impossible for them to do anything without the account number.
Slightly frustrated, I left that Golompka Bank and decided that my best bet would be the bank which is situated directly across from the Chinese embassy, as that would be the most logical place to go anyway! I walked all the way back, therefore, and found the bank fairly easily (it opens 9am - 8pm Monday - Friday) and walked in to find several queues of people lined up and waiting for the tills. After some time, I made it up there, handed over the document and gave them the 100 dollar bill which they required. Fortunately, this time the man was incredibly efficient, wrote down all of the information and gave me the receipts I needed and 50 dollars change. Clearly the account number wasn't 100% necessary in order to get everything processed, or, if it was, the Golompka Bank there were way more in the know than the other branch!
After paying the bank fees, I happily walked back via Sukhanbaatar square, braving all the traffic, which is quite hectic here, with people casually crossing the road anywhere and dodging the cars. Sukhanbaatar square is the central square of Ulanbataar, and is presided over by a huge Ghenghis Khan at the front of the Mongolian Parliament. There were, however, surprisingly few tourists in the square, mostly Mongolians hanging out or taking family photos with the great Khan as their backdrop. After this, I headed straight back, via the State Department Store to buy some food. Once back inside, I met Erias again, the Spanish guy who had left the same day I arrived, who has been riding around Mongolia and living in a yurt for the last 3 days, and with Louis and Mikio, who both got back a short while before.
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