190 Days Already?

So, my postings have been fewer and further between these past few days because the Chinese government has a problem with my blog and keeps me from getting my words out there for all the world to see. But on my last morning in China I won't be kept down!
I spent the last week in Xian seeing the Terracotta Warriors and the pandas and just generally enjoying the city, with its bell tower and drum tower and city walls that just ask to be run.
After the worst train ride ever sitting in hard seats overnight for twelve hours with a third of the Chinese population in my compartment - I returned to Beijing for a little more Chinese KTV (karaoke) and I'm off for the airport at noon.
Six months have flown past and I'm amazed to be done. Some friends I've been traveling with for the past month are headed to Hanoi and I really wish I was starting over with them.
However, I will return to Aspen to teach 5th grade at Aspen Middle School - and that should be an exciting new adventure. Teaching that doesn't involve gansta rap and the ghetto!

Beijing

Highlights of China thus far:
Tianamen Square and the 4:57 am flag raising
Having my photo taken by LOTS of Asian people
Peering over Mao's picture at a sea of black heads
Touring gorgeous temple architecture being spruced up for the Olympics
Climbing the steps of the Forbidden City
Being driven around the park pond on a motor boat
Eating dumplings at the night market...
While others ate skewered testicles and starfish
Cheering on the 309 day 21 hour and 59 minute countdown marker for the Olympics
Loving the Chinese hospitality and friendly faces!

The Ger Camp

Driving down the bumpiest paved road in the world, with dust flying up behind the van we headed up the Mongolian "tourist" valley to our Ger Camp. Upon arrival we found three yurts and the most beautiful landscape. Craggy jagged peaks sticking through smooth green valley floors, with hawks circling the sky.
We immediately got on our horses and took off for a ride to Turtle Rock. It had been a while, but my short-legged Mongolian horse and I got along well. I named him Gladiator because his mane had been shaved off straight so he looked like a Roman Soldier with that brush on his hat. He only had a third gear, so we trotted most of the way, but on horseback is a great way to see the Mongolian steppe.
Beautiful stars, meat dumplings, and a gorgeous sunrise and now I'm back in UB headed to the train for China!

First Impressions on Mongolia

I arrived in Mongolia this morning after another two days on the train. We left Irkutsk, Russia at 9 pm, and arrived at the border at 1 pm the next day. We left the border at 8 pm that night. Yes, thats seven hours at the border!
I'm not sure what we were doing all that time, except getting a good look at the "vast lumbering Russian bureacracy" as Tad put it. Luckily, we all made it out of the country safely and had a pretty amazing time while there.
Mongolia so far is definitely in Asia. The people are an interesting mix of Inuit and Chinese in appearance and very warm and friendly. Our Honcho, Elmira, met us at the train. She is a cute little bundle of energy at 18 years of age. She already speaks Khazak, Mongolian, and English - that last two she has picked up in the past two years. With her as an example the Mongolian future looks very bright!
We are headed to the ger camp tomorrow to ride horses and sleep in a yurt. I'm excited to try the yurt Mongolian style!

Beaten with Sticks

Four days on a train, and you get pretty comfortable. I settled in nicely to that life. We filled our days with reading and eating and drinking and talking. One of our group members brought his laptop and we would have movie night every evening at eight. Not a bad plan! But, then again I wasn't sharing my compartment with a Russian Secret Forces Army Man, like our groupmates!
The Siberian countryside was beautiful, with rolling green hills and wide rivers - but it all starts to look the same from the window of a train.
So I was happy to arrive in Irkutsk, where we transfered to Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater lake in the world. It was beautiful - and freezing (5 degrees C) which we found out a few minutes after arrival, in our first and last lake swim!
We hiked up to some gorgeous overlooks and took a boat ride around the water. All exciting, but the highlight of Siberia was the Russian Banya!
The Homestead where we were staying just built their sauna, and we were only too eager to participate. There are three rooms in the banya, one with the coals and benches which is burning hot. The next with the freezing cold water buckets, to pour over yourself of course. And the last, which has a picnic table where you can sit and snack between steamings!
We started in the coal room for five minutes, then out to the cold water, then to the table. Again, coals, water, table. The last time you enter the coal room - someone is to come with you and beat you first with birch branches, leaves intact, and then pine branches! After six months of traveling with people, there is nothing more rewarding than beating them with sticks!
We all survived, and thoroughly enjoyed our third cultural "bath" experience.
Today we are headed back to the train and onto Mongolia, bring on that smooth train rock and roll.

Headed to Siberia

Moscow has been wonderful - great borscht, Soviet concrete buildings, well decorated metro stops, Lenin mosaics, even very "charming" women selling tickets to the Kremlin.
We head out tonight on the train and don't arrive until July 5th at 10:00am! In Irkutsk, Russia at Lake Baikal. That's three days and four nights on one train, in one compartment! We are well prepared with anything that can be cooked with hot water (as hot water is the only thing readily available on board), chocolate, toilet paper and vodka. All the necessities!


So, mom if you don't hear from me for a while - I'm okay. Just in Siberia or then Mongolia!