Nic can't post right now because of the Great Firewall

Nic can't post right now because of the Great Firewall

This is Ian posting to Nic's blog because he's in China and can't post right now - For more information on the Great Firewall - visit Wikipedia - Article Here Once he leaves China controlled internet, I'm sure we'll hear from him sooner or later...

So, my nine-day tour of Central Mongolia, including Kharkhorin, the ancient capital of the Mongolian Empire and a three-day horse-tour of the 8-lakes region is complete. Within two hours of arriving back in Ulan-Bator I began gearing up for a 9-day trip to the South Gobi... I leave at 8AM tomorrow morning and will be back in UB late on the 22nd, just in time to get a good nights sleep in a "real" (i.e. Hostel dorm) bed and hop on a two-day-long train/sleeper-bus connection to Beijing that leaves in the evening of the 23rd. It's 12:30 right now and I still need to finish packing... I'll do what I can to fill everyone in on what I've been doing for the last 2 weeks...

My "tour group" which included myself, Miquel, a Spaniard, Dan, an American, Carlo and Liat respectively Italian and Israeli, on their honeymoon, and our driver, Sagi, a local Mongolian from Ulan-Bator (UB) whose wife was in hospital about to deliver their first child on the day we left UB. (*NOTE* I still can't figure out how to spell Sagi's name. It's pronounced "Sahg-ee")

(Below: (Left to Right) Myself, Dan, Miquel, Carlo, Sagi and Liat. Out-of-focus photo taken by some poor soul at the hostel who was awake for our 5AM departure.)

A few of our adventures along the road included climbing a Mongolian "Mountain" to take a look at some wild horses in Hustai National Park, hanging out with a young boy on the side of the road who had "caught" an eagle, spending three days on horse in the 8-lakes area (Note: Mongolian horses are very, very small. I walked a lot.), having my tent attecked (read: trampled on and eaten) by a herd of Yaks at 5AM, and having our van break down more times than I can count.

(Below: Miquel looking very much like Indiana Jones. The Tilley hat is mine and I'm quite upset that it looks better on Miquel then on me.)

(Below: A boy and his eagle. Touching really. Shortly after this was taken a two van-loads of Chinese (perhaps Korean?) tourists showed up and swamped the pair with cameras and flashes.)
(Below: Miquel's comment: "They are Yaks." Do I need to say more? (Miquel is the one on the right.))

(Below: A view from the same campsite as the Yak attack. It's not all bad.)

(Below: You don't want your van to break down here. Ours did.)

(Below: A taxi-stand in Tsetserleg, a regional capital several hundred km due WEST of Ulan-Bator.)

This is posted, again, with apologies for such a short update, but I figured a short update was better than none at all.

This... This could be interesting...

This is just a brief note to let everyone know that I won't be posting for a couple of weeks. I've arrived safe and sound in UB (though managed to nearly get myself deported from Mongolia before I even got off the train... All's well that ends well though... )... Anyway... a few friensd and I are renting a van and heading deep into the Western Mongolian wilderness. We'll be gone for at least 9 days. Following that I may, or may not, be heading South into the Gobi... The short version is that I won't have 'net access for quite a while, but I *WILL* have some interesting updates for you guys when I get back.

For those interested in doing more research, I'll be heading into the 8-lakes and White Lake regions, almost due East of Ulan-Bator.

[2007-08-13:CORRECTION: The 8-lakes and White Lake areas are due WEST of Ulan-Bator, not due East, as stated. This is what I get for rattling off a blog post at 6AM on only two hours of sleep...]