Clean Slate

 My future van? A Russian UAZ-452, which is everywhere in the Mongolian countryside. I am told it is tough but also not made for a comfortable ride. I need to give one a test drive on the way to Burghangai.Gray is the dominant color. Erdene Zuu Stupa inside Erdene Zuu The communists(both Mongolian and Russian/Soviet) destroyed almost all of the monasteries in Mongolia and murdered about 10,000 monks before Stalin urged some restraint as to present a better picture for foreign visitors, or so I have read. The first of many grasshoppers, afield full of them flying around makes a similar sound to a rattle snake. It takes some time to grow accustomed to that sound for a South carolina boy. The three manly sports in Mongolia are horse racing(long distance), archery and wrestling but Mr Naismith's game of basketball has caught on aas well. I saw many hoops in city and countryside. Enkhii on a yak.He got the Mongolian price. ...

Our driver with a James Bond assortment of changeable license plates sped us onto our first night's destination near the city of Lun. A strip of sand dunes extends many kilometers into the distance and like any tourist stop, people were there ready to take your money. It was admittedly pretty country. Entrepeneurial nomads offered pictures atop camels, horses and even rides out on the dunes for your own "Lawrence of Arabia" in Mongolia experience. Unfortunately we encountered a two-tiered pricing system that charged "x" for Mongolians and 2x for foreigners. Stinginess or principle kept me from playing this game. I am a river to my people but not to overchargers in the countryside. We did spring for a ger as our accomodation for the night after a long day. My first night in a ger! Others in our party went with tents. The nomad family lives in the gray one and ours is the white one. Some of the family'...