Mongolia, Redux

Our next stop on the train was Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia. 

I'm not sure why it came as such a surprise to me that this was a Buddhist past of Russia, but it did...

...they didn't let us take pictures inside the temple - there was a service going on - but I have to tell you that all the young, saffron-clad monks were on their cell phones...

.....this wonderful, modern building seemed out of place, at first, but in truth it is a big, modern city, traffic jams and all...

...our local Mongolian guide...

.....we gawked at a wedding taking place on the central square....

.......and finished the day with a Mongolian bar-b-que....

....the next day saw us visiting a monastery...

.....and broadened our cultural engagement by visiting a grocery store, in a corner of which I saw this reminder of home....

.......we saw this immense statue of Ghengis Khan.....

......tucked away in a national park full of whatever the plural of ibis is, and black bear and deer...

......you can see we finally found the rain....

... one third of the country's occupants are still nomadic, and move their gurs (those round, white tent like structures) about four times a year....

........we are lunch in a permanent round house in the park...

....and participated in a show of native costumes, which we all got to try.  (Below, right, is our guide in traditional dress...)

.......the nomads run cattle, ponies, and sometimes yaks and camels..

.....above were members of the family whose gur we visited.  Although it was a cold day, it was quite cozy, and through an interpreter, managed quite an interesting conversation...

Back to the city, and more Buddhist sites.....

Next stop, Ulan Ude.  I will leave that for another day....

Erlian, and the Russian train

Okay.  This really frustrating.  I just lost everything I posted in the last hour. So, starting again.  Erlian was the first stop on the train.....

I guess they really wanted to make sure we knew where we were....

...I could have sworn these were rice crispy squares (they weren't)

...China's idea of fast food (There was McDonald's too, of course, although not in Erlian)

...and a concert at the train station when we crossed into Mongolia..

...I loved the Mongolian instruments...

It was here that we changed trains to the Russian train, called Tsars Gold.  I took lots of pictures on the train over the next 8 days, but have put them all together here so you can get an idea of life on the train. 

....our fearless leader, Tamara...

....our compartments, not luxurious but comfortable, and big enough for visiting (drinks and chat...you didn't think I meant anything else, did you?)

There were several groups on the train, two English speaking, one French, one Spanish and one German.  Each group had an assigned spot in one of three dining cars, but it was catch as catch can after that...

.....I think I already mentioned that the food was yummy, and beautifully presented, as you can see...

....Here is Merina, our other Russian guide.  Our lectures were all given in the dining room; this one was on Ghengis Khan and the Secret History of Mongolia...

......here is our very good looking waiter (and boy, did he know it!)

......Here is Hans, the train "guide" who also provided lots of informative lectures...

.....this violinist joined us at one stop, and walking through the dining cars playing Russian folk songs...

Well, I was going to get us into Mongolia, but I am not going to push my luck.  I am pushing the publish button, before this goes off into cyberspace - again...