Living in a Ger

What is a "Ger" you might ask?? Well, it is the traditional houses of the nomadic people in Mongolia which is in fact where I am at at the moment. About half the people of Mongolia live in a Ger and is similar to a te-pee or dobi house. Nomadic people pick up and move their Gers about 5 times a year into the vast land of Mongolia. Michelle and I are currently on a 7 night/8 day tour of the Gobi Desert which we haven' t quite arrived to yet. It takes two long driving days in a Snooby Doo type van through dusty, rugged roads which bump you up and down as if you are on a theme park ride. There are 6 of us on the tour. A young couple from Holland, two Malaysian girls, Michelle and I plus our tour guide and driver. The group actually is wonderful and Michelle and I are doing our best to keep everyone entertained for the long journey!!! On the first day we stopped to see the country people milking their mares. They use the horse milk to drink, ferment, and make cheese. We tried all of these and were surprised that the milk ferments in a day turning it to an milk based alcohol content drink...not that great though. Since Mongolia has harsh climates and vegetables and fruits do not grow they are reliant upon dairy products and meat from their horses, sheep, and cows. We have also seen a few camel packs along the grasslands. The land is so sparse with nothing but a few herds of animals and family gers for miles and miles. We are currently in a town that is basically a few dirt roads and some buildings...and I thought southern Missouri was rural!!! Last night we stayed in a family ger with the wide open sky above us and the dirt ground below...just like camping with a much more sterdier tent. Tomorrow we will be in the Gobi and do some hiking...then ride some camels and horses! Looking forward to the adventure. After the Gobi, Michelle and I head back into UlaanBaatar, the capital of Mongolia, and start the Tran-Siberian Train to Russia. This is a 4 day train ride to Moscow! Yikes.....what am i going to do for 4 days on a train! Better get some Russian Vodka and make a few friends! The train from Beijing to UlaanBaatar was actually not bad at all, made a few friends from the states and around the world. However, the train ride was only 28 hours so found enough to keep us content! Think I might need another book for this up-coming ride though. Meeting fasinating people from all over the world...what an inspiration to meet a different mix of individuals who all have different stories to tell! Sorry, didn't get much written about China... Beijing was wonderful and the beer festival was a blast! The most impressive site by far was The Great Wall. Michelle and I did a 4 hour hike from one area to another. It was the most amazing thing to be walking on this rugged wall for miles and ever seeing the end of such a massive structure. The hills were green and the land peaceful. At the end we took a zip line over the lake which was a fun pleasure and a rest from our tired feet! It was a great day and headed back to end the day eating dumplings from the street stalls. Again, sorry no pictures! Never really know when internet will come along so pictures are hard to get on the computer. But will do it soon! Well, got to run and help cook our dinner! Maybe having a few sheep heads or cow brains....just kidding!