Who knew?

I was completely fascinated by all the of the communist paraphernalia in China.  Honestly, I have no idea why I was surprised at the volume, but it was fascinating.  Here is a taste..

This little guy was in front of a fabulous shop - where I probably spent a few too many RMB.

 In a somewhat bizzare turn of events, we found ourselves on a tour of the hutongs. It was definitely a good turn of events.  I have no idea if our "guide" actually knew anything or not - but it was entertaining.  He claims that Mao lived behind this door for a year. 

This is one of four statues that surround Mao's Mausoleum.  Oh - and we did file through to see him lying in state.  You had to check your bags and cameras, go through several screenings, remain silent while viewing - and no stopping - it was just filing through.  Bizarre and completely worth doing.

It did seem like security was high, we suspected it at the time, but confirmed later that we were there on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.  It also helped to explain the giant screens that seemed to have been brought in to show soft images and calming music.  I believe it was best referred to as "soothing the masses."

 Here we are - and here he is. 













Had to have a picture to prove I was actually there.












Trust me, a seriously large photo.

And, I'll leave you with my favorite purchase.  There was definitely a lot of kitsch, but this one took the cake for me.

Not always sunny....

Turns out it's not always sunny in Mongolia - particularly during the rainy season.

It changes you....

This last weekend I was able to spend a long weekend in Beijing. (Thanks to Amy who came up from Shanghai to meet me) It was fabulous and I'll bore with a thousand photos soon - but the one thing I've learned is how to adapt.  It was the subject of several conversations.  Here are some examples:

• I've learned you must always carry tissues with you - not just for blowing noses.
• I'd recommend that everyone buy stock in wet ones.  An absolute necessity (thank you, Laura, for pointing out the value before I left).  I use many of these every single day.
• Speaking of wet ones, you also pay attention to what handles you are grabbing, buttons you are pushing, etc. - there is a reason that bird flu spread quickly in these parts.
• I'm no longer flinch at people using the sidewalk (or surrounding areas as a toilet).  I don't approve, but I've seen it too much to be terribly shocked.
• While we might carry tissues for noses - the "farmer blow" is alive and well - and potentially is on your shoe. This plus the toilet issue means taking your shoes off at the door.
• Traffic lights seem to be a mere suggestion and should not be counted on to stop traffic.  Cross at your own risk.
• Getting into any line - for anything - is much like making a mad dash to the opening of Space Mountain at Disneyland.  Go for it full speed - and take no prisoners.
• And, finally - I no longer flinch when faced with a squatting toilet. Not my favorite, but sometimes you just have to make it work.  Besides....  what could go wrong?

Great Khan of the Mongol Empire

When Mongolians do things - they like to do them big.   The monument to Chinggis Khan is certainly no exception.  I thought this was a good picture to give a sense of just how big.  It's a bit hard to see, but the tiny dots on the horse's mane are people looking out.

It's impressive.

Once you climb the stairs outside you climb up the hind quarters of the horse (or there is an elevator, but it is small and only goes up 3 flights of stairs) - then another couple of flights of stairs and you emerge onto the horse's head where you can get a fairly spectacular view of the area.

I promised tidbits - and here they are:

1 - it's the largest equestrian statue in the world
2 - it's the 11th largest statue in the world (statue is 40 meters or 131 feet)
3 - it's the second heaviest statue in the world - second only to the sphinx. 
4 - it's built in what seems like the middle of nowhere because legend has it, it's on this spot that Chinggis found the golden whip that allowed him to unite the Mongol tribes.
5 - oddly, this thing is fairly new - it was errected in 2008
6 - around the bottom are 36 columns to represent the kahns from Chinggis to Lingdan (the end of the reign of kahns)

Perhaps not surprisingly, I've never seen a portrait or statue of this guy smiling.  He seems pretty imposing. 

 The statue is part of an entire complex they are building.  You can see the ger camp in the distance - and I liked the bird on the sword. 

 I know, I know - you are thinking enough already - but there it is - the golden whip.  Plus his thumb nail is the size of my head.

Definitely my favorite thing.  After all the pomp and circumstance, you'd think it would be a bit more dignified. 

Recycling program needed

So these aren't the prettiest pictures you'll ever see - but unfortunately not an unfamiliar site here.

This is the street (it's probably technically more of an alley than a street) on the backside of my apartment.  A particularly bad spot, but it constantly amazes me how much garabage just gets dumped on the side of the road.

Anyone want to start a recycling program? 

Have I mentioned?

That I really love the new coffee shop in our office building?
I'm an official regular - coffee was ready before I even had to ask for it.  Love it!

If I could talk to the animals....

 Walk with the animals...  Even with the cold, there were quite a few animals out.





The main attraction at the park - the animals.  Hustai is home to Takhi wild horse.  It was on the verge of extinction, but has been successfully reintroduced in the park. 

More horses.  We never did quite see them galloping over the land.  We always happened upon them when they were lazily grazing.

Marmot.  It's hard to see, but this thing is weird looking and oddly fast. It's about the size medium-sized dog.  Our guide was trying to tell us it was just a mouse - I'd say it's more like an R.O.U.S (rodent of unusual size for those who haven't read the Princess Bride).  Now what you might not expect is that this is a delicacy in Mongolia.  Not only are you essentially eating a rodent, it's known to carry the bubonic plague. Couldn't possibly be tasty enough (assuming I could actually choke it down knowing what I know) to risk it.  These were everywhere - but this is still the best photo I've got.  

This guy was brand new when we came around (the mama was still cleaning off the after birth).  The little guy was having a bit of a time staying upright in the wind.  He got blown over a few times, but he finally managed to get his bearings.

Herding in the park.

And another herder. 

I wouldn't call this a gallop, but at least we got to see them at a trot.  Thanks, Hustai.  It was lovely.