Mongolia

How stunning, such a contrast to everywhere iv been.

I was welcomed by Enkhbaatar Tserenbaltav (photo with his son above) who with his friends made my time in Mongolia rewarding and memorable.

I have had a very rich diet of late, normally consisting of dumpling's with some form of meat lots of tea, and obviously Vodka.

I spent five glorious sun filled days absorbing the culture and atmosphere, two of which were spent in the countryside.

Driving out of Ulan Bataar we went past the great statue of Chinggis Khaan on horseback looking out over the landscape across to the hills towards which we were driving. I went to a Mongolian Bar / night club, spent a night in a traditional Mongolian Gur, which was awesome, did a spot of horse riding, went hunting and I meet lots of great people who unfortunately have so little but non the less welcomed me into their homes and lives for a short while, everywhere I went I was welcomed with tea, vodka, or mares milk, which washed down the meat (mutton and horse),

I spent time going around a school and seeing the some of the people and lives that the Children's Development and Protection Foundation (CDPF) are doing their best to change and give a more positive future.

The director and staff at the school provided an insight into rural Mongolian life which i would not otherwise have seen. Im grateful to all the staff and am please to know that because of them many children can have a better future.

I had a great time in Mongolia and am disappointed that i only had five days, it seems so little time to try and see so much. From the traditional Mongolian way of cooking, ( placing heated stones into the pan and then filling it with meet and vegetables) drinking Tea and sitting around a Gur singing songs, travelling through the breathtaking landscape of a country which is struggling to feed and house all its population and at the same time fighting to maintain the traditions and history of it people.