Happy Naadam!

So we have finished this years most spectacular 800th anniversary Naadam! How utterly underwhelming. We on thre other had did manage to have a wonderful time. Last Sunday evening we headed out to Terelj for our vacation. My friends uncle manages a ger camp out there so we got great treatment. We spent three great days there, here is an interesting link to some info. about it for those of you who have never been:
http://www.globosapiens.net/travel-information/Terelj-2020.html
Here is a picture of Amina and my friends daughter outside one of our gers.

Notice the haircut, yes Amina had her locks chopped off. However, if it was tough to manage her hair in the US imagine all the trouble she had in the Mongolian countryside. Here is another pic., she actually requested to have it done and really has been pleased with her new -do.

We did lots of hiking, exploring and hanging out playing games. We didn't leave until Wednesday evening. And then we only left when we did because a new group of young people had arrived who used the camps karaoke hall at all hours of the night. Here is our camp and us in a ger.

Here we are out hiking:

Meanwhile, Tugsu must have been one of the only people in UB to have to go into work last Friday, which at least made the traffic much improved. Here she is out in front of her office.

This past weekend was one of rest, with all of Mongolia sitting back and chilling out after an exciting (I guess) Naadam. So we have been getting caught up on housework and relaxing in the city a little. However, this week is going to be a little different. Tugsu heads out to the countryside on Wednesday for a 5 day trip in which she will participate in mobilizing the community there for purchasing and managing rangeland in Dornod Aimag. I am going to have her take the camera and she should provide us all with quite a few interesting pictures when she gets back. I will be working with Bilguun, Amina's cousin, to make sure we are all well taken care of. Don't worry, I have it all under control. This monring I felt particularly useful as I assisted in presenting the activities of the National Center for Health Development to the Peace Corps as well as preparing my own short presentation on soum health to the volunteers. I will also be meeting the director of the Asian Development Bank health sector reform program today to discuss my work here. Should be interesting. That is all for now, hope everyone is doing well. See you all soon,