"Herding by Motorcycle"

The Therons and I left this morning around eight to drive to their home in Darhan. On the drive from UB to Darhan, we saw a lot of animals [goats, horses, yaks, cows, etc]. One man was herding his horses on his motorcycle! I didnt get a picture because my camera isnt that good and he was far off.... but here are some other pictures of the animals and scenery that we saw on the way.

The picture on the right: the white thing is called a "ger". A felt tent made with wooden lattice work. The herders are nomadic and they move, according to the season. During the winter times, the herders move up into the hills. In the summer, they move to the valleys. They have winter camps that have wooden structures to keep the animals warm in the intense cold winter.

On the left is a herd crossing the road. The middle is of three large yaks within the herd of cows, sheep, and horses...

Mister Carson Schmeck this is for you! I saw this when we were getting gas. It's farther away from the big city where people can actually ride bikes. Its much too crowded and bumpy in UB for bikes. The sidewalks are far too narrow/crowded, and the cars go by super fast and probably wouldnt stop for a cyclist.. : ] I saw this and immediately thought of your obsession with your bike! This is for you!

The picture below, is a close up of the pile of rocks that are shown in the upper right photo... The Mongolians tie blue scarves around the tree limbs on top, and give offerings of tea, money, and different foods to honor the gods. They are called "onoos" and are mostly found on top of hills because they believe that that it is the highest "in between" point between Heaven and Earth. It is a combination of both shamanism and buddhism [the respecting of spirits- shaman, and the offerings of blue scarves and other stuff- buddhism]. Below, is a picture of some tea. [And then, I have no clue what that says next to it... :]

After we arrived in Darhan, we all took naps and ate lunch. Then Aunt Haniki and I went to the grocery store and market. At the grocery store, six is the magic number! In order to get a discount, you buy six of the items. I also got some Mongolian and Russian candy to chow down on for these next few weeks... I mean, realistically speaking, they'll be gone by tomorrow.. Just kidding! We actually got alot so I'll be good for a while :]