Day 3 in Mongolia

Well yesterday was a very productive day. We managed to book a driver and guide to take us out into the Gobi desert in a week. If they find another person to come and join us that would be great as it helps keep the costs down. We also booked some flights up to the northern part of Mongolia. The capital city of that province is called Moron. Not pronounced that way though. We will hopefully hop on a bus to take us to Lake Khovsgol. It is a very deep and large lake that feeds Lake Baikal in Russia. It is supposed to be crystal clear and beautiful. Hopefully we can do some paddling and horseback riding there. Not sure about this leg of the trip we are kinda winging it.

Let me tell you about the capital city of Ulan Bator or U.B. as everyone calls it. It is a large city of 1.5 million people and the total population of mongolia is 2.5 million. so alot of the population lives here. It is a not a beautiful city. Lots of soviet style cement housing blocks for living. And then in the surrounding areas are dirt lots with a ger on them. When you walk around the city people are very busy and always going somewhere. Alot of foriegners live here so you see a mix of people everywhere. Mining is huge here. And canada plays a big part in the mining industry here so they are quite used to us. Enlgish is very spotty at best. we have run into maybe 3 people who could speak good english. there is a language institute here that they can go to for 4 years to learn english. People over all are very friendly and will try to help if they can understand what you want.

The mongolian people say they are born Asian but follow a western culture. They have no rules for fashion. So long hair or short on both men and women. Where whatever you like and drive like a madman and it is all good.

We also met the director of the orphanage that we brought supplies for. wow this woman in busy. But she made time to come and pick us up and bring us to the center where the little kids live. There were probably 20 or so. Wouldn't all sit still for me to count. All ages smallest being 2 or 3. She has 2 babies right now but they live with her at another children center where the big kids live. The Mongolian government made her split up the kids for some reason so it is harder for her to take care of them. The house was huge but not pretty. No furniture other than 4 bunk beds per room. and a couple of bench seats from an old car in the living room.
Di Di the director is from Austraila and came here 17 years ago to teach yoga and ended up taking in one street child to help. Well it turn into 240 children in 3 centers. So she has staff to help her and some volunteer. But when we were there, there was only one adult to take care of all the kids. She says it is hard to monitor the staff when she dosen;t live on site. The kids were all happy to see us and wanted hugs and to hold our hands. I would say 10 or so are special needs. Di Di says it is hard for her to accept special needs kids because she dosen't have the help or training it takes to take care of them. She said there is a mental hospital that the more severely challenged kids go to or else they live on the streets. She also said that there was a state run orphanage that used to take the special needs kids and they got shut down because a 100 kids a year were dying. BRUTAL>>>>> I don't know how these kids were dying but that's crazy. So she manage to take a few in so they didn't have to live on the street.

All her funding comes from private donations and most of it is international. The kids do go to school and they have a kindergarten for the little kids. She never seems to kick a kid out even when they are grown up. she said she has some in their 20's because of their rough childhoods they struggle on their own.

She was very grateful for all vitamins and shoes. She has to sort through it to dole them out to the kids that need them. Di DI has also just bought 10 acres of land out of town so that she can build a full center that all the kids can live on together. She is trying to build a green house run by solar power and wind.

Well my fingers are tired and my coffee ( thanks mom for the starbucks via) in getting cold. So I will sign off now and maybe they will have internet up north. who knows.

We are both well and eating a ton of meat. gross. And still trying to find the perfect beer. Chingis so far is my fav.

ttfn miss you all