Last Days of Ulaan Baatar

Sang beno (hello) sportsfans, this is our last day in Mongolia. This afternoon we fly to Beijing, and then on to Tibet tomorrow morning.

The last couple of days have been very eventful. Yesterday we went to a memorial of the Soviet soldiers who fought with the Mongolians against the Germans in WWII. The statue and mosaic are at the top of a steep hill, so naturally Zolzaya wanted to run up all the stairs. David kept up for a while, but eventually the diesel and altitude got them both and we all staggered to the top together. We were rewarded with a view of all of Ulaan Baatar and the surrounding hills.

On the way down, Molly noticed that there were camel rides being offered by the side of the road. Yay! We rode a white camel, and Zolzaya noticed that it was indeed crying. Perhaps it was because he farted. For Raggedy Ann fans, this camel did not have wrinkled knees. The experience was great, and the camel talked to us-- we swear! Call us for imitations when we get back.

Our hosts treated us to a performance of the Mongolian National Theatre Company, which was a variety show that included throat singing, contortionists, dancing, and symphonic music. It was an amazing show, and we filmed a little of it before we got busted.

At the end of the evening we were taken to dinner at--yes, this is not a typo-- an Irish pub called Great Khan (naturally). The only thing Irish about it was the beer. Speaking of drinks, David rebounded and was made to toast last night with REAL Mongolian Vodka, distilled from horse milk. It's only 12% alcohol, and the toast was for safe travel.

Today the drinking got less alcoholic and FAR more adventurous. We had noticed street vendors selling what we thought was water. It's not. They are selling arak, or horsemilk, the original drink of Genghis Khan himself. They pour it out from big jugs into whatever container you have, and you drink. Our hosts realized we hadn't had some and cannibalized a plastic water bottle. Molly and David both sipped and tried not to make faces. The taste is a combination of sour milk and ammonia-based all-purpose cleanser with yeast; cleanse is exactly what it will do to you if you drink more than a little, we're told. We'll never know, we've had our last.

This morning we watched the monks at the monastery chant together, and Zolzay's dad made it possible for the lama to chant a prayer for our safety on our journey. It was very moving. Zolzaya told us that the locals were curious about us because most tourists don't actually pray, and we were following along with the family.

Zolzaya and his brother continue to amuse; we can't understand more than a few words, and every once in a while they break into hysterical laughter, sound effects or one chases the other out of the room. Brothers will be brothers no matter what language they're speaking.

As we prepare for our departure, we realize how much effort the family has made on our behalf. We could not have really seen this place without doing it through their eyes, and we're grateful. They've asked us to meet them in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics, and to bring a kid of our own...
(Zolzaya wants a boy, his mom wants a girl).

Next posting from Tibet!