Day 9 - Thu - Mongolia

Today started early, 4 am.  I left Beijing and flew to Hohhot, and we drove from there to inner Mongolia. Accomodations there were referred to as a 'yurt,' which is chinese for 'tent.'   Imagine camping in the middle of Kansas.  It wasn't quite camping, there was a bed, but no running water and electricity was via an extension cord.

We were really lucky, because there was some festival going on.  It consisted of the local farmers engaged in mongolian farmer competitions.  Bow and arrow, bareback horse racing, and good ol' wrestlin'. It was a hoot.  Apparently, the gov't has banned grazing on the land for 10 years so the grasslands would grow back, and now the farmers rely mainly on tourism.  Which is odd because the grass in my front yard is good to go in about 3 weeks.  Anyway, they built all these yurts and now the tourists come out to see what the farmers would do if they were actually allowed to be farmers.

The highlight of the day was a horseback ride, and dinner was a roasted "mutton" which I think is a sheep. I was starting to think the day was going to be a bust, but our driver is this old Chinese guy who you can just tell has had a life.  He talks to me in Chinese all day long whenever the guides aren't around, and he laughs and tells these long stories and could give a crap less I don't speak Chinese.  The guides are these 2 little Chinese girls, who are very proper.  One is in training, and  the other is kind of her boss so they are both on their best behavior.  So the driver brings a fifth of what is basically grain alcohol to dinner, and starts pouring drinks for everyone.  The translated version is if you don't drink this crap in Mongolia you are a p*ssy, and they do indeed hand it out freely.  So 2 hours later and one empty fifth, I am pretty sideways and I can only imagine the little 90 lb tour guides.  Once it got dark, turns out their was a big bonfire in the front, and a show on the concrete slab.  They did some traditional Mongolian dances and music, and then basically it turned into a dance club under the stars.  The girls were actually dancing and having a good time, and it was pretty cool under the stars with the big bonfire and all.  Unfortunately, eventually you had to go to bed because it got down into the low 40's.  Oh yeah, did i mention, no heat?  And flying grasshoppers in the yurt?