Sainuu from Mongolia ^_^

Roy-G-Biv … I am in Mongolia. It still hasn’t sunk in for me yet. I will be hanging out with my other PCTs, talking about normal “American” things when BAM I look out the window and just see this gorgy landscape. I’m really here.

Where to begin, there is sooooo much to tell but every minute means more Tugriks (Mongolian currency with a conversion ratio of ~ 1600 to 1 Usdollar) that I really don’t have to spare, especially since I need to do a tp run … yes that’s right, public restrooms do not have toilet paper. Its amazing how adept I have become at maximizing as little as a single square of tp. But let’s see, what are the highlights????

We stayed in a ger camp outside of UB our first night, and the next day I awoke to see a herd of goats grazing outside, which I excitedly pointed out to my roomies only to have them inform me that they were horses O_o. Yeah, I didn’t have my glasses on, it was rather embarrassing. I then proceeded to hike up a mountain with another PCT (pictures to come eventually). Then it was on to the training site in Darkhan, which is where I am now for one more day at least until I leave to go join my host family up in Suukbaatar.

I’ve been wicked busy with everything that we need to get done and learn before going to our host families. I’ve had 7 shots already with another 6 to come O_o … that was the worst part of this whole thing, I really hate shots, but I’m sure I would hate getting rabies more. Man, there is so much to say, I feel like we have been here forever. I’ve hiked 2 different mountains and plan on fitting another one in before I leave. All in all its been uneventful, but fun. Oh wait, I almost forgot …. Zoo soup!

So yesterday I went out with some PCTs to a Mongolian restaurant for dinner, which unfortunately had no English or pictures, so we all did the pick something random. Mine ended up being this soup … and it tasted exactly like a petting zoo smells, I kid you not. It was hiliar!!!!!! I ate about a good 10 bites of it, and everyone tried it (none of us are sick, and I’ve eaten worse in college, so it really wasn’t that bad, just unbelievable).

Also, just a bit ago as I was walking to the internet store this little boy ran up to me. “Uus, uus!” Oh wait I know that word … water! And indeed I was carrying my water, which he proceeded to take from my hands and speak Mongolian as he tried to open it. I showed him how and he just helped himself, leaving behind this huge spit trail. It was so surreal and cute and needless to say I will be disinfecting my bottle before I use it again. I love kids, and hope my host family has them.

Well that’s about it, I got to bounce and get back to the hotel. Internet here is mad slow so it takes forever to do anything. Hopefully I will have time when I come back to the city in about 2 weeks to provide another update all about my Mongolian family ^_^.

Bayartai!