Vacation at Huvsgul National Park

With the work completed in Renchinlhumbe we headed back to Murun. The stay there was pleasant enough, as we had the company of one of the BioRegions volunteers, Loren. However, Murun is not exactly a place where you would want to spend alot of time. The guest we stayed at had only one English language television station, the Korean propaganda channel Arirang. Amina became quite proficient of making fun of their obvious attempts to sell Korean cultural hegemony. We also stayed in quite a bit as their are no real cultural sites in the city, just drunks aplenty. Loren and Tugsu, however, did go out for a couple days of beauty treatment. When I did go out it was primarily for work, meeting with the Health Department directors and the Hospital managers. After 3 days we had had enough and we got a truck for the ride up to Hatgal.
In front of a statue of one famous soldier from WW2 whose home was Murun.

Once in Hatgal we located our new home there, the Guest House of the former National Park Director and current regional representative of a big UN project, the UNDP's Altai Soyon Project. You can find out more about it here: http://www.undp.mn/new/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35
He had a wonderful little place right up against some small hills, that Amina loved to climb. She became a little mountain goat quite early, and of course gave me small little heart attacks on a routine basis. However, we didn't want to discourage her exploration.

Our lovely little Guest House and Amina's favortie teeter totter.

Enjoying breakfast over one of a million games of cards we played.

At the tops of another hill. A beautiful view onto the river that drains Lake Huvsgul.

Though Tugsu was there to work and did quite a bit, explaining the purpose of her workshop and learning what the UNDP people were engaged in, so she could find some opportunities for synergy, we also had some fun. First, we went up to one of the most famous tourist areas in Mongolia, Jankhai. It is a rocky peninsula out onto the lake with amazing views. We had a wonderful time just hanging out in the sun with the smell of the freshest lake in the world! It was very cold, even in July, but it still felt marvelous. Unfortunately, we couldn;t get Tugsu to stay in the lake long enough for a picture.

It was astonishingly clean and clear!

We all skipped rocks!

No trip is complete without getting a picture in front of the horses.

We also had a chance to go out and see the UNDP directors Eco-resort. He has brought in all types of native animals that have long been wiped out from touristy areas, so people can see them in their native habitat. He also has the most marvelous sauna built right next to Lake Huvsgul. So we stripped off our clothes one early morning when the other tourists staying there were off on excursions or lounging around their gers and headed into the sauna. Then, once you are all hot and sweaty you run into the lak and wash off with Lake water. It was amazing! You have never felt so alive. We also took the time to go around and see the beautiful premises, hike up some more hills, and eve one night so several roe deer running around the woods nearby. Incredible! And only a 3 hour ride from Hatgal, to he middle of nowhere.

The one lone boat on the whole lake passing in front of us.

The proporieter in front of his beautiful lodge. How he built it way out in the middle of nowhere I have no idea.

After we returned to hatgal it was Naadam time! Our first soum Naadam. What a cool celebration. I will tell you about that next time. All for now, please write some comments when the mood strikes you, I like this to be more of a conversation. See you all later,