July 12. We drove about 80 miles east from Ulaan Baatar to the Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve.
Click the photos to enlarge them.
Along the way is this massive equestrian monument to Genghis (Chinggis) Khan - claimed to be the largest free-standing sculpture in the world.
You can climb an interior spiral staircase (or take an elevator partway) to the horse's head, where you come eye-to-eye with the great conquerer.
The gateway to the monument is an imposing structure in its own right.
Five of the ladies on our tour paid a small sum to dress up in period costumes, which were reported to be quite heavy.
Continuing our drive, we passed this unusual ovoo, crowned with horsehair spirit banners.
Nearby was another ovoo, this one strewn with discarded crutches and casts.
Further on, a dramatically situated pile of rocks (probably an ovoo) crowned with a horse skull and a stick whose banner has slipped.
Yet another photo of the endless grasslands of Mongolia, this time in a fairly mountainous region.
After sundown at our Steppe Nomads ger camp, with the waning light shining off the tile-paved path.
