Well, it is my second day in Mongolia - the first day was spent exploring the city of Ulaanbaatar which is home to 1.4 million people (half of the country’s population, which is approximately 2.8 million).

It is a very Soviet looking city, with many gray block buildings and no flow at all to where everything is placed. Modern hotels in the middle of what seems very industrial areas. Also a new mall going up with all the designer stores - Dior, Louis Vuitton etc. There are many very nice cars here as well. Many restaurants and pubs!

Today we went to Terelj National Park - it was great to see some countryside! Traffic getting out of the city is very chaotic - there are no rules but everyone smiles and somehow they get where they are going. Once we got out of that mess, the country side - although very brown right now (they tell us it is very green until Sept) was beautiful, along with some interesting rock formations in a rusty color, quite picturesque. There were many yak, cattle, horses and sheep all along the countryside, and many ger camps. Our driver lives in a ger with his wife and 2 boys. They camp where they like and do not pay tax.

We visited with a local nomad and his family in their ger home. They served us tea with milk, dried curds and something that looked like cheese made of buttermilk. I will post some pictures of the inside of the home.

It is an interesting culture and the people are very lovely.

My next posting will be about our chilly nights in the ger. It has a stove and they will come in every few hours to keep the fire burning. The floor is covered with lino and there are 3 beds and a stove and that is it!

Alan (my guide from China), his girlfriend Justice and I arrived at our ger camp for lunch. Mutton and flour soup-that was awful!!! As many of you know I am not too adventurous with food anyway but I am sure it was delicious for people that like it. I had one small mouthful and tasted it all day. However the cabbage and beetroot salad was wonderful!

Now to check out the ger I am to sleep in tonight-very clean, cosy, 2 beds, a little bureau, a stove-this is going to be great for a couple nights...until they tell us because it is Oct the pipes have frozen so no water, no flush toilet, of course NO SHOWER, and it is an outdoor bathroom!!! OH well, what can you do, we are miles from nowhere and the city called Kharahom only has local type accommodations-we really are better off here. It was 18 today so the weather cooperated and they stoked up the stove so we will manage. We have phone service, power but no flush toilets! Isn't that crazy? It really is too late too visit in Oct but we are here and will carry on.

I am loving the Mongolian people-our driver Oka and our guide Octica (not their full names) are delightful. They are so willing to please and show us anything we ask. I am very happy with them. Everywhere we go we are met with smiles-the Mongolian people are a happy and genuine bunch. Here is a picture of Alan with a 5-year old Mongolian child, and a picture inside the local nomad's ger where we were invited for snacks (plus a picture of those snacks). Just look at how great a set-up (notice the TV) and yet still no flush toilet... There is also a picture of Alan, Justice and I warming ourselves in a 13th century ger home.

Headed out to our ger we drove for about 4 hours of big skies, very small villages along the way and endless herds of horses, cows, yak, sheep and goats-hundreds in each herd. Ger homes scattered the landscape, roads were in need of repair but paved and not too bad. Lots of sand dunes along the way and not a tree to be had but still a really beautiful landscape.

In the countryside we has some contact with the little children, so cute in their local dress. I've also included a couple of pictures showing adults in their local dress, and a couple of pictures of the wild horses.

Well, we are back in the city from the countryside. Traffic is crazy and I think most of you would be shocked by the number of high end luxury cars in this city! Traffic is just horrific. We took several routes to get to our hotel and ended up driving through what is called the Ger district of Ulaanbaatar, gers, houses, apartments and quite a mixture of accommodations all together on one lot. Very interesting. One main water well where they all come to buy their water.

We visited the Gandan Khild monastery-it was a wonderful experience to hear the monks chanting, turn the prayer wheel and see wedding after wedding. Apparently, Monday Oct 7, 2013 is a perfect day to get married according to the lunar calendar. The couple get married in the Wedding Palace, then go to the Gandan Khild monastery and while there they feed the pigeons which are a sacred bird to them. From there, they go light their first fire in a ger to bring them good luck and then they have their meal in hotels around the city. As you can see by the pictures the dresses are just like home and the girls are stunning.

We also got to see more of Ulaanbaatar today and more of the major growth taking place with many luxury apartments going up. We went to Zayzan Tolgoy Memorial complex and climbed 300 steps to look over the city.

Then it was off to the Cultural Show-it was so good, they are very gifted musicians and singers and dancers-the hour of entertainment just flew by.

All in all, beautiful country with beautiful scenery and people. Alan, Justice and I really enjoyed our week there.

I've included a picture of us with Odka, our guide for the last week.

In the countryside we has some contact with the little children, so cute in their local dress. I've also included a couple of pictures showing adults in their local dress, and a couple of pictures of the wild horses.