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<li class="cat-item cat-item-408"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/beijing" >Beijing</a> (14)
</li>
<li class="cat-item cat-item-4594"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/japan/brooding-in-japan" title="A series of reflections about two years spent in Japan.  ">Brooding in Japan</a> (6)
</li>
<li class="cat-item cat-item-1232"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/cambodia" title="Just your standard Siem Reap/Ankor stop.  Four days in February, 2006.">Cambodia</a> (3)
</li>
<li class="cat-item cat-item-4591"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/capitals-tour-of-asia" title="A two week, winter romp from Seoul to Tokyo on the smallest budget possible.  ">Capitals tour of Asia</a> (24)
</li>
<li class="cat-item cat-item-4588"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/chinahong-kongmacau" title="Entries from my February/March, 2006 trip.">China</a> (16)
</li>
<li class="cat-item cat-item-4593"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it" >Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it</a> (88)
</li>
<li class="cat-item cat-item-2223"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/chinahong-kongmacau/hong-kong" title="The most entertaining city I've been to in Asia.  When you're Chinese visa expires, this is where to come!  March 31st-April 6th, 2006.">Hong Kong</a> (4)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-3035"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/iceland" >Iceland</a> (11)
</li>
<li class="cat-item cat-item-963"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/japan" title="I've compiled my entries over my past two years in Japan into an orderly group.    ">Japan</a> (33)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4595"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/capitals-tour-of-asia/japan-on-the-cheap" title="How to travel in notoriously high-priced Japan by living like a bum!">Japan on the cheap</a> (14)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4598"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/kazakhstan" >Kazakhstan</a> (3)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-3705"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/capitals-tour-of-asia/south-korea" title="December 25, 2006-January 1, 2007.">Korea</a> (10)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-3412"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/kyrgyzstan" >Kyrgyzstan</a> (9)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-2984"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/chinahong-kongmacau/macau" title="A quick stop for a Visa and food, March 5, 2006.">Macau</a> (1)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-278"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/mongolia" >Mongolia</a> (24)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4596"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/nanjingsuzhou" >Nanjing/Suzhou</a> (3)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-24"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/poland" >Poland</a> (4)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-2718"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/shanghai" >Shanghai</a> (8)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4589"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/teaching-english" title="Thoughts and reflections about my time teaching in Japan.">Teaching English</a> (10)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4587"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/thailandcambodia" title="Entries from my February, 2006 trip.">Thailand</a> (12)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4590"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/trip-preparationdeparture" >Trip preparation/departure</a> (5)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-3401"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/uzbekistan" >Uzbekistan</a> (10)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4594"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/japan/brooding-in-japan" title="A series of reflections about two years spent in Japan.  ">Brooding in Japan</a> (6)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4593"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it" >Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it</a> (88)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-3035"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/iceland" >Iceland</a> (11)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-963"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/japan" title="I've compiled my entries over my past two years in Japan into an orderly group.    ">Japan</a> (33)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-278"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/mongolia" >Mongolia</a> (24)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4589"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/teaching-english" title="Thoughts and reflections about my time teaching in Japan.">Teaching English</a> (10)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4587"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/thailandcambodia" title="Entries from my February, 2006 trip.">Thailand</a> (12)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4590"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/trip-preparationdeparture" >Trip preparation/departure</a> (5)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-3401"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/uzbekistan" >Uzbekistan</a> (10)
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    [4] => <li class="cat-item cat-item-4588"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/chinahong-kongmacau" title="Entries from my February/March, 2006 trip.">China</a> (16) </li>
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    [18] => <li class="cat-item cat-item-2256"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/sweden" >Sweden</a> (2) </li>
    [19] => <li class="cat-item cat-item-4589"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/teaching-english" title="Thoughts and reflections about my time teaching in Japan.">Teaching English</a> (10) </li>
    [20] => <li class="cat-item cat-item-4587"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/thailandcambodia" title="Entries from my February, 2006 trip.">Thailand</a> (12) </li>
    [21] => <li class="cat-item cat-item-4590"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/trip-preparationdeparture" >Trip preparation/departure</a> (5) </li>
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Beijing (14)

Brooding in Japan (6)

Cambodia (3)

Capitals tour of Asia (24)

China (16)

Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it (88)

Hong Kong (4)

Iceland (11)

Japan (33)

Japan on the cheap (14)

Kazakhstan (3)

Korea (10)

Kyrgyzstan (9)

Macau (1)

Mongolia (24)

Nanjing/Suzhou (3)

Poland (4)

Shanghai (8)

Sweden (2)

Teaching English (10)

Thailand (12)

Trip preparation/departure (5)

Uzbekistan (10)

Archive for May, 2007

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Central Mongolia, Day Six

Thursday, May 3rd, 2007

The nomads are on the move. The springtime is plagued by dusty winds and we’ve found many ger camps huddled in drainages and near rocky outcroppoings for protection. In the summer the camp moves about 5km down the lakeside and when we wake up the carts are packed up and ready to go.

From this point in the trip we’re pretty much retracing our steps back to U.B. Shaga cruises down to Tsetserleg and blows a shoe spring on the drum brakes. Being the awesome driver he is, it’s changed in 45 minutes. We get to Kharakhorum, the ancient Mongol capital with enough time to wander around its dusty streets and play some pool with the local high school kids.At night we’re treated to a Mongolian folk concert. The most traditional instrument is the Morin Khuur, a boxy two-stringed bow instrument with a horse head on top. Other instruments he use can be found in China, Korea, and Japan as well, although he claims their design can be traced back to his homeland. The most unique aspect of music here is the tonal throat singing that resonates from the lungs, mouth, and nasal cavity, creating a two-toned harmony that is both beautiful and haunting. The show is a great finish to our trip, and so is the bottle of vodka we polish off afterward.

Posted in Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it, Mongolia | No Comments »

Central Mongolia, Day Five

Thursday, May 3rd, 2007

The three of us are officially sick of yak meat and I don’t care if I ever touch milk tea again. Since we didn’t hire a guide we eat like the locals who follow a tried and true rotation of rice with meat, noodles with meat, and buuz (meat filled dumplings). There is a squat toilet next to camp with the most beautiful view of the lake, but thanks to our diet of fatty meat we’re not enjoying the view as often as we would like. It’s always nice how quickly strangers make friends when put in 24 hour contact for a week in a foreign situation. It doesn’t take long eating this food for the jokes to turn to the bathroom variety. We are lucky to have found each other and it’s random how the trip finally came together.

Six days ago Danielle and I were on a search for other travelers to make our trip more affordable. Since our guesthouse wasn’t sending out a trip we started searching other Ulaan Baatar guesthouses for solo travelers to join us. We had no luck at Lonely Planet’s hotspot, the UB guesthouse, but Danielle managed to forget her new camel hair hat on the common room sofa. When she went back for it I told her to bring someone back for our trip and Winslow happened to be the guy sitting on her hat. It was fate.

Despite our unhappy stomachs Danielle has convinced us that bouncing around on horses all day would be a good idea. I figure I should ride one of these little Mongolian pygmy horses at least once while I’m here. It’s been eleven years since I’ve been on a horse and it’s only my second go at riding. Our guide Taogwaho leads us down to the lake and out into the black craggy lava field that hides countless lava caves and sink holes, in one of which sits a pond frozen solid. Three hours on a horse is enough to tide me over for the next ten years.

After a while the wet wipe baths don’t cut it anymore and we’re all anxious to get the layer of dust and grime off. Muugi number two is the family man feeding us and gives directions to the spring they drink from. We set out over the small hill behind camp with an army of children, two of which follow us for 2km toward the forested drainage where we expect to find water. The small boys finally turn back and we continue up and find a small stream. The three of us stake out our respective spots and have a quick washdown and then relax in the warm afternoon sun. Having worn the same clothes for days it is nice to strip down and check for ticks since the area is teeming with them.

On the way back Winslow and I hike up the neighboring ridge and enjoy the gorgeous view of the lake from the top.

At night Winslow and Shaga play chess and the younger kids end their camera shyness and pose for a shoot.

Posted in Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it, Mongolia | No Comments »

Central Mongolia, Day Four

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007

We head out early for our furthest destination, White Lake, where we’ll spend two nights. It’s a slow ascent up the valley floor and we finally come to a small grove of trees near the stunning gorge of the Chuluut ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it, Mongolia | No Comments »

Central Mongolia, Day Three

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007

We leave a wildly waving, jumping Muugi in the morning and head north toward the town of Tsetserleg. The three of us can’t help but notice that Shaga seems less sure about this route than in days past. “This is ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it, Mongolia | No Comments »

Central Mongolia, Day Two

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007

The old woman is up a 6am stoking the fire and making the milk tea. This is the Mongolian staple served everywhere you go and you’ll either hate it or kind of like it. I’m of the latter group as ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it, Mongolia | 1 Comment »

Central Mongolia, Day One

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007

We meet at 9am and meet our driver Shaga, a 58 year old ex-truck driver who turned to the growing tourism industry five years ago. After a quick grocery run we’re off into the wide open expanse. The area west of ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it, Mongolia | No Comments »

Getting out of UB: The Central Mongolian Team

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007

I’ve been trying to get out of town into the countryside but have found only one person who wants to go, a British girl named Danielle. With just two of us we can’t afford it so we’ve been searching the ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it, Mongolia | 1 Comment »

Ulaan Baatar

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007

Batjargal has lived half his life under communist rule and half after. His careers and stories are all the more interesting to me because if his life’s dichotomies. In the 90s he used to fly to Germany, buy a couple ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it, Mongolia | No Comments »

How I came to Mongolia

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007

I met Ogie in Beijing while staying at the Leo Hostel south of Tiananmen. She walked into the common room and let everyone know she was Mongolian. I might have guessed. Her high cheek bones and long black hair give ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it, Mongolia | No Comments »

Taking the local train, Mongolia

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007

I turn to Batjargal’s worker and ask him if he wants me to move so he can take a rest. We’ve cleared out our compartment of the Chinese after a brief standoff. This is a Mongolian train and there’s little ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it, Mongolia | No Comments »

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Archive for May, 2007

Central Mongolia, Day Six

Central Mongolia, Day Five

Central Mongolia, Day Four

Central Mongolia, Day Three

Central Mongolia, Day Two

Central Mongolia, Day One

Getting out of UB: The Central Mongolian Team

Ulaan Baatar

How I came to Mongolia

Taking the local train, Mongolia