A yak!... anyways, we took a long and rather ardous 14 hour drive out of the Gobi, traveling from Omnogovi Aimag (Aimag is "state") through Ovorkhangai Aimag, finally into Arkhangai Aimag. The last hours of the day were spent slipping and sliding into completely empty mountains. The road was invisible, and our only hope was the occasional car coming the other way, each of whom our driver flagged down to ascertain teh correct route. FINALLY, around 9 (we had gotten up at around 5am) we reached Khujirt, where we stayed in a ger owned by relatives of Marik's.
Quite a cool experience, the ger was painted beautifully, and even had the carpet depicting some magnificence of their great Ghenggis Khan.
Cards are the ultimate companion of life in Mongolia, both at home and on the road.
It had been a loooong day.
Not uncommon sight. No, Marik isn't stuck, he's just trying to dig the car out. The white jeep saved our guts. Guess who it belongs to!?....
World Vision! Made us laugh.
Contemplating the first attraction in the ancient capitol city, Kharkhorin: The Penis Stone. Pointed so subtly at the mountain shaped like a vagina, in order to deter the monastery's monks from fornicating with the local woman. Legend has it, it worked.
The Ancient Monastery.
Blue is the Mongolian ... sort of very holy color. Yellow Buddhism was founded in Mongolia.
We broke into a museum? ... It was quite empty, notice the cases behind Steven.
Me and a turtle that once marked the cornerstone of a worldwide empire!
Ida, aka Gobi Girl! (5/15)
ReplyDeleteWhy isn't anyone commenting on your blogs?!
The reason I haven't been w/ you b4 is that i
couldn't remember where i saved you, or how to
find you...then, this week, I joined MIVEST (Made in Vermont Etsy Street Team), which is
a bunch of Etsy artists from VT who market together & support each other. Part of the deal is to contribute to our blog, which meant setting up my own blog which i've wanted to do for @ 2 yrs. Lo & behold, my blog listed me as following yours! So I think I've read all your posts & pix, & I'm so glad!
I never could have done what you're doing at
your age! Congrats on not only surviving, but
making friends, having fun, & contributing to
the ill-behaving Mogolian youth! Looking forward to seeing you at home, Candy