Monging in Mongolia
I don’t know why, but I have always wanted to come here. This place kicks serious ass (in the parlance of my Yank roomy - I am sure my accent is Americanising). We trained in from Irkustk and spent a pointless 9 hours at the Russian/Mongolian border - the Russians really are miserable twats. I grew to despise the bastards. It was so refreshing to arrive in a country where people smile. It was good to see the changing racial characteristics too as you really start to feel far from home when you walk down the street and you are the only white guy. Young kids staring at you and stuff - it amuses me - what with my longish fair hair and blue eyes. We transferred from Ulan Bator (or UB if you are a cool local) and headed to Terelj national park where we lived in a Ger camp for 2 days. I went horse riding for 3 hours and I picked it up no problem. I looked like the Marlboro man with my denim jacket and galloping horse in this fantastic landscape. I really bonded with my horse and he would gallop off at a twitch of my heels or a whisper in his ear - mint! The rest of the group just walked along in a group like a bunch of faggots. I climbed a nearby mountain the next day but the flies were a real problem. Good views if you could tolerate the flies. Then it was an international sing song around a camp fire. The nights here are so dark, you can easily make out the Milky-Way cloud in the night sky and become encapsulated. You see way more than back in Blighty. Back to Ulan Bator for a night and I spent the time wandering around eating lamb kebabs on skewers (lush and only a quid) and having massages (only 3 quid). The people eat alot of meat here, particularly lamb. I forgot to take my camera so I have no pics of UB. Tomorrow we head to China and I just wish I could stay in Mongolia longer - the place is beautiful and the people are legendary. I can finally post a couple of pics.
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