The time is near (our itenerary)

Well, we leave tomorrow at 5:30 AM for the airport. We still have alot to do but everything is coming along nicely. However, it may be a couple days before I publish on the blog again. You are warned. Tugsu is in the process of repacking our belongings. We will be subletting our place so everything must be put away and cleaned. One extra headache. We are all very excited. We had nice send-offs from our friends and family and a particularly memorable concert put on by Tugsu.

As we prepare to leave we would like to thank all of you for your thoughts and kindness. We also would like you to all have our itenerary. It is difficult for us to receive mail so please use e-mail to get in touch with us. Here is what our schedule looks like:

May 11 Flight #: UA0365 Airline: United Airlines Inc Depart: 07:55 AM Airport: Detroit Wayne County Arpt Terminal LS Detroit, MI USA Arrive: 08:07 AM Airport: Chicago O'Hare Int'l Arpt Terminal 1 Chicago, IL

May 11 Flight #: UA0851 Airline: United Airlines Inc Depart: 12:02 PM Airport: Chicago O'Hare Int'l Arpt Terminal 1 Chicago, IL USA Arrive: 12 May 2006 Airport: Beijing Capital Arpt 02:25 PM Beijing China

May 12 Flight #: OM0224 Airline: Miat Mongolia Depart: 07:30 PM Airport: Beijing Capital Arpt Beijing China Arrive: 10:45 PM Airport: Ulaanbaatar Buyant Uhaa Arpt Ulan Bator Mongolia

Then we will spend 8 days in the capitol, Ulaanbaatar, before heading out as a family to the Darhad Valley in northern Mongolia's aimag (state) of Khuvsgul. Here is a link to an introduction on the place. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Khuvsgul

We will fly from Ulaanbaatar to Murun on May 20th and hopefully be driven 8 hours by jeep to the town of Renchinhlumbe the same day and set up our camp there. Tugsu and I will share a tent and Amina and her niece (nanny) Bandruush will share one. We will stay there till around June 18th and then head back the same way we came to Ulaanbaatar. After we return Tugsu will meet up with her internship coordinater with the Wildlife Conservation Society in Mongolia and head out to Dornod aimag in the eastern steppe for probably a couple weeks.

http://www.legendtour.ru/eng/mongolia/r0600.shtml

I expect her back around July 12th or so. Meanwhile I will take up my post at the National Center for Health Development, an organization managed by the Ministry of Health to provide research and oversight of the public health in Mongolia. I may head back to visit my friend Bill Honeychurch the archaeologist during this time in either the Egiin Gol river valley (my old stomping grounds) or at his new site in Baga Gazryyn Chuluu.

http://www.csen.org/BGC%20All%20Files/BGC_Survey_2006/2006_BGC_Index.html

Then after Tugsu returns we will spend the rest of our time in the capitol enjoying ourselves in a country we love with friends and family we have not seen for almost 6 years. Our return trip looks like this:

August 11 Flight #: OM0223 Airline: Miat Mongolia Depart: 07:25 AM Airport: Ulaanbaatar Buyant Uhaa Arpt Ulan Bator Mongolia Arrive: 08:30 AM Airport: Beijing Capital Arpt Beijing China

August 11 Flight #: UA0888 Airline: United Airlines Inc Depart: 12:05 PM Airport: Beijing Capital Arpt Beijing China Arrive: 08:48 AM Airport: San Francisco Int'l Arpt Terminal I San Francisco, CA USA

August 11 Flight #: UA0720 Airline: United Airlines Inc Depart: 02:00 PM Airport: San Francisco Int'l Arpt Terminal 3 San Francisco, CA USA Arrive: 05:25 PM Airport: Denver Int'l Arpt Denver, CO USA

August 11 Flight #: UA0452 Airline: United Airlines Inc Depart: 06:35 PM Airport: Denver Int'l Arpt Denver, CO USA Arrive: 11:22 PM Airport: Detroit Wayne County Arpt Terminal LS Detroit, MI USA

A long day to be sure, I believe 41 hours. We will see you all then and wish you a wonderful summer. Keep checking back occassionally for updates. Bye!