I'm busy today, packing for our trip to China and Mongolia. We leave
Friday for an 11:45 hour trip to Beijing. This trip is the reason we
cancelled Swanton Pacific, but we'll be back next year on August 16th. We
return home from our trip on Sunday, August 26th.
First, in China, we will go to the Great Wall, the Chinese attempt at
keeping the Mongol warriors at bay in the 13th century. It didn't work, of
course. The Mongol warriors were so successful because, among other
reasons, they could shoot six arrows a minute from the backs of their
galloping ponies. They once had conquered more land in the world than any
other army in history....from the Pacific Ocean to central Europe. Pretty
amazing.
There will be opportunities to ride Mongolian ponies, see the Mongolian
celebration called the Naadam, where very young children race the ponies across
the steppes. We will be sleeping in Mongolian
gers, which most people call yurts. Yurt, being
a Russian word, is a no-no in Mongolia now, after the Russians occupied the
country for so many years. We will also have the opportunity to ride
camels. We will be going to the breeding station of the Przewalski horses,
a Mongolian native wild horse which came very close to extinction. I think
they were killed to offset starvation of the people. Some were discovered
in a zoo in the Netherlands and breeding stock was brought back to Mongolia
where the population is being increased. These are very primitive
horses. I've never seen one. We will be eating native food, whatever
that may turn out to be. Lots of sheep, I understand. We will hike,
we may fish or swim in a very large lake, should we chose. We are told
this lake has some of the world's largest salmon.
I, for one, am going to go wild with my digital camera and savor the
experience of being in a very unique land on the other side of the world.
My father told me once that there was a very good chance that he (and
therefore, I) have some Mongolian blood....way back somewhere from the 13th
century.
I'm really excited! Can you tell?
You can reach me after August 26th. Meanwhile, everyone have a
continuing wonderful riding season.
Barbara
P.S. My new horse Jess and I finished the Fireworks 25. Jess
could have done 50....I couldn't. I was so out of condition! Jess
was great in all ways. And thanks to Nick Warhol who rode with me
and mentored me and Jess with his very kind and steady horse,
Wabi.
