Magores has pictures of Inner Mongolia (aka Nie Meng Gu)

During the Mid-Autumn Festival (9/30-10/5) I went 4x4ing thru the Mongolian desert.

Wanna see pictures? You do?

Well... here you go...

• You can click on each picture to see a bigger version. Bigger is better.
• Descriptions are ABOVE the picture.
• These aren't in any particular order, not even chronological.
  

I've got TONS more, but here's a little bit for the first installment...
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Let's start with a traffic jam, rural China style...

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This one needs to be turned sideways, but I don't know how to do that on here, so just turn your head if you want a proper view.

Basically, what is the one thing you are guaranteed to find in the middle of nowhere, no matter where you are? Yep. An old shoe.

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Yep. It's another old shoe.

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This is not an old shoe. It's "Spot" the dog. I bought some cookies as a snack for the drive. I got Spot as an free thing. He became my official mascot. You will see many pictures of Spot in Mongolia. That is... IF you can see him. Part of the idea is to see if you can "spot" Spot. Sometimes he's there, sometimes he isn't.

(The desert makes you think of silly ideas like this. )

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Can you spot Spot?

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This picture is actually from before we reached the desert. We stopped at a "rest area" next to toll booth. This is a bathroom "stall". Nice, huh?

In case you are curious... Yes, it smelled worse than you think. Yes, you could see "things you don't want to see" if you looked in the hole. No, I didn't consider squatting over it for even half a second.

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Heading into the desert. Kind of a cool photo, I think.

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The beginning of the desert.

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Another shot from the beginning of the desert. We had a lot of time to kill here. One of the 14 vehicles blew a rod. Waited in this area for awhile while we figured things out. I climbed that hill on the left while we were hanging out.

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Still figuring things out, so wandering around looking at stuff.

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Another shot from the beginning of the desert.

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Yep. This is a desert.

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A living tree.

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A dead tree.

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Whaddya know? Even in the desert, there is a little bit of color.

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"What the hell are these fools doing?"

(actually, this guy opened his fence so we could drive across his land. Quite cool of him. How he happened to be in the exact place we needed, an the exact time we needed him, I won't try and figure out.)

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Different guy, different time. He actually did ask, "What the hell are you people doing?"

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Action Shot! Heading up a sand dune!

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Ummm.... Sands dunes aren't all fun. Here is the "pathfinder" stuck in the sand.

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And here is the "pathfinder" and the Jeep with the big winch both stuck.

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Random dudes in the middle of the desert with their horses. They were laughing at us. Their horses don't get stuck in the sand.

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Random shots from the desert at random times across the 1st day and a half. In all cases, I suggest viewing the larger versions. Much cooler. But, nothing will match seeing it in real life and in 3-d.

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Nothing much to say about this photo. One of the cooler ones I took, I think.

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I've got lots to say about this guy, and his family. For now, suffice it to say, he was great.

This guy is as pure of a Mongolian desert farmer as it gets. His Dad, Mom, and him live right next to the desert. I mean literally RIGHT NEXT TO the desert. Their fence is right at the line where the sand tapers off (a little) and becomes sorta solid dirt.

His family, and him in particular, were the absolute best part of the trip.

Totally a once in a lifetime situation.

THIS was the kind of thing that makes coming and living in China worthwhile. Anyone can visit the Great Wall, or the Forbidden Palace.

But how many stupid white guys (like me), get a chance to be invited into a Mongolian family's home, eat millet mixed with fresh cream/yogurt, hand made butter, and goat cheese? Just so happened some neighbors had just gotten married. They stopped by to bring gifts (The couple gives gifts). She was dressed in the traditional Mongolian dress.

I can now write my name in Mongolian, say Hello in Mongolian, and count to ten in Monglian.

This was the the kind of thing that doesn't happen on a tourist trip. This was really a chance meeting, and a chance situation, and an amazing experience.

Friggin cool.

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So anyway.... There are some of the photos from my trip thru the desert.

I've got tons more.

Also have some cool pictures from Chengde and the landscape between Inner Mongolia and Beijing. Will share as time permits.

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I know I've been chincy on the photos so far. This help make up for things?

Let me know whatcha think.