Halloween in Mongolia!

October, 7-day tour of northern Mongolia with Morene, 3rd grade teacher from ASU.

We stopped at this ger to stretch our legs.  The Mongolians are very friendly and always invite you in to have milk tea and biscuits.  You can see the biscuits "baking" in the sun.  For most of our trip we stayed in similar gers.  There's no running water and only the wide open spaces! 

We climbed all types of terrain in this vehicle!

Our tour guide, Oogii preparing lunch out of the back and our driver.  The two of them were so amazing!!!

We had pasta for lunch with a view of the rolling hills.  How did she do it?!

On our way to Lake Khuvsgul, but first a stop at Amarbayasgalant Monastery.

A view from the monastery of a Buddha statue.

As you walk up the stairs to the statue you pass three drums that you turn and circle three times in meditation.

A view from the top.  Much of the monastery was destroyed by the Russians, but around 1990 with the help of various organizations a lot has been restored.  Our ger is on the right. 

The monks are preparing for their ceremony.  Today 30 monks live here compared to 2000 in 1936.

We stopped at another ger for refreshments.  On the ground next to me was a slaughtered goat or sheep. 

Sometimes on our drive we were on a road like this and other times we were bumping along in the dirt.  Our driver was amazing!!!

Lake Khuvsgul in northern Mongolia, the "Switzerland of Mongolia."

Our ger is on the right and has a spectacular view of the lake as well as the beautiful mountains.

 

This is the deepest lake in Mongolia and sister lake to Lake Baikal in Russia.  We were not far from the border.  We were here for two nights and three days and I took lots of walks!

Sunrise!

The yak was not cooperating.

Yes, that's me and Morene ready to ride the famous Mongolian horses.  We were told they are not pets, have no names, semi-wild and don't make any sudden moves because they could just take off.  They are truly of Chinggis Khan!!!

We rode around part of the lake.

Our last view of the lake from the top.