Just back in Ulan Batar after 2 busy weeks out in the countryside. I was stuffed around a bit a the beginning of the programme, they wanted me to teach at a training centre in UB - 8 hours back to back per day, with no resources to draw upon!!! and I was provided with a flat of my own (which i was locked in for 24 hours as I couldnt get the heavy metal door open!!!) with cable tv but no one to talk to! Not much of a cultural experience there. More like a usual TEFL teaching job, except I was paying to do it rather than receiving a pittance in return for my efforts!
So I told them I wasnt happy and off to the orphans I went. They failed to mention that they were at summer camp, 200 km from UB, situated in a lovely gree valley, miles from the nearest sealed road, with electricity but no much else. I had one of the 30 huts to myself, a flimsy wooden structure with two rusty bedsteads and a bare lightbulb. Washing was in the little stream down the hill. This was simple camp life!!! There were about 80 kids, ranging from 6 to 20, more girls than boys! They were really lovely, well behaved kids. There were a few local teachers there but they had their own kids with them and didnt really interact with the kids at all. There were no programmes or facilities so I had to ration the paper I had brought with me in the hope that it would last the 10 days (it did but the pens didnt - bad mistake taking felt pens!!!! their clothes were a mess!!!). But we had a lot of fun. I was entertainment central for about 12 hours a day - i kicked them out about 9pm to get some peace and quiet, but the time actually flew by. Playing, drawing, abc's - I never want to hear the abc song again!!! some of the littlest ones were so keen to learn, turning up after every meal for another round of practising.

My classroom was the steps of my hut. It was such nice weather most of the time, sunny and hot all day long, and i had a lovely view out over the valley and in the distance were layers of mountains. Most of the countryside is pretty sparse, very few trees, although we had a thick pine forest behind us. The bird life was amazing, eagles, hawks and falcons could nearly always be spotted spiraling on a thermal current somewhere and twice i saw flocks of vultures, making huge black streaks across the sky with their 3metre long wings.
Some Japanese came to visit the camp, they were kind of sponsor parents for some of the children who put on a concert for them. The traditional Mongolian songs are lovely, beautiful harmonies, only slightly marred by the tinny sythesizer they chose as the accompaniment.