Mongolia: 1st ger stay still!

Don't faint dead away but this is the second post today:  I figure I have to make up for lost time blogging when I can!

• Terelj Nat'l Park, BTW, is at 1600n m so not too far off Denver's 5280 ft, and is about 80 kms n.e. from UB; one of the major "sights" in the park is the aptly named Turtle Rock; see photo below!
• The night skies were beautiful b/c we were so far away from the city's lights; we saw more stars than I can remember seeing in many a year.  Steven pointed out many constellations to me as I can never pick them out!  He was enthralled looking at the night sky but I was chilly and gave up the ghost after a quick peek - my apologies to you budding astrologists.
• Our ger had a wooden stove; luckily our ger hostess had cut a fair amount of kindling for us so we were nice and warm when the four of us went to bed, thanks to the fire and plenty of blankets.  We had to be careful not to sit too close to the very low stove b/c embers would "rain" down through the plastic in the roof and come way to close to burning us.  We did learn quickly after that and moved!  But oh my, were we cold in the morning when we got up and had no warm fire.
• The four of us went on a lovely hike after breakfast of bread, tea and jam from our ger to the Buddhist meditation retreat of Aryapala about an hour plus away straight up the mountain.  I take so many pictures so I am always urging Steven and others, if they're with us, to go on ahead and then I run and catch up with them.
• Will keep my fingers crossed that I can send photos now as we're heading off to see Muay Thai boxing in 30 minutes. More blogging tomorrow with luck.
  
  
  

  

  Cissy, a born traveler; she's been to Greece 39 times inc 6 times in ONE year; she spent 1 month in Mongolia last year and 2 months and counting in '13.

  
  

  

  Yasu from Japan, another inveterate traveler; he's traveled to 21 countries around the world; he and his wife, who didn't come to Mongolia with him (she's vegetarian and thought there'd be precious little food for her to eat), quit their jobs at one point to spend 2 months travelling all over S.A. they also went to Easter Island from there.  Oh, did I drool at some of the photos he shared with us on his ipad.  He talked at length about the official work week in Japan as being from 9-5;30 but in reality, he has to work til 10 at least every night.  His wife, a nurse, works even longer hours; the human toll is high, he said, with 30,000 Japanese committing suicide yearly b/c of the demanding work schedules and low quality of life.

  
  

  

  View from my horseback.

  
  

  

  Steven kept asking me to put away the camera as it wasn't terribly smart of me to try and ride AND take photos.

  
  

  

  Turtle Rock obviously!

  
  

  

  Edelweiss flowers on our hike.