1. I hitched all the way from Russia to Ulaan Bataar. It took me about 9 hours. Quicker than the train!
2. I was camping near Ich Tamir with 2 Italians and the greatest Mongolian driver/guide/translator you can imagine. We were having a campfire and then a guy on a horse came over and told us it was the land where his animals grazed so could we please keep the fire small as they don`t particularly like the taste of burnt grass. We agreed and gave him some beer and airag (fermented horsemilk). Then he said we were having breakfast at his place the next morning. It was really cold that night, it had already started snowing in the evening (in august!), and in the morning my hand and feet were all red and stiff. I had some vodka but it didn`t really warm me up. When we got to this guy`s ger, it was like heaven. Mongolian milk tea never tasted so good, and then they brought stools so we could sit by the stove and warm up. I was so greatful I gave one of the girls my jumper.
3. We (the Italians and I) climbed a volcano.
4. I rode a horse.
5. When I was staying with a family near Gaachuurt with 2 American girls, we had beer and vodka with 3 guys named Bataar. They wanted to take us to the disco (we would have made great trophies I guess), but our `mother` wouldn`t let us.
6. A cute drunk Italian guy picked a flower for me.
7. I rode a camel.
8. I saw a gazelle being chased by a dog - luckily the former could run faster!
9. Inside a small new temple in a ruined monastery in the mountains, a young monk showed us (me and 2 Dutch people) all of the musical instruments there and played them all.
10. I beat at least 5 Mongolians at a drinking game before a 14 yo boy beat me (but he may have been cheating).