The Gobi is Mongolia’s southernmost province of semi-arid desert. It lies in the heart of Asia’s remotest area, between Siberia to the north and the Tibetan Plateau to the south.

The morning was spent visitng a nomadic family of herders. The husband, and two sons, were “nomading” around somewhere out in “nowhere.” The family goats thought our vehicle was pretty tasty until the youngest daughter rounded them up, and corraled them. View image

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The little girl was then sent out to find the “family” camels for us to ride. View image Camel humps deflate when they are running low on water, and our camel had humps listing to the side. He needed a fill-up.

Mongolia is home to Bactrian (two-humped) camels. “Ex-Marine’s” camel wasn’t very happy about him getting on, and made those wonderful camel groans and grunts!

 
We spent a lot of time here – our guide translating – learning how they live and survive in this extreme climate. The entire family lives in the one Ger. But I give them credit for managing to save enough to send their oldest daughter to College (probably, some money earned from giving camel rides). Hard-working, hospitable people (dressed in Western clothes). The Mother kept urging Mongolia’s famous Mare’s milk and cheese on us. Sorry…it was going to be 90 degrees below zero in the Gobi before I was going to drink Mare’s milk. Our guide told her we were “lactose intolerant”, and would become deathly ill if we drank it.

 

One more family photo, back in the 4-wheel, and on our way to the “Flaming Cliffs.”

The Flaming Cliffs became a legend when Roy Chapman Adrews (and his exploration team from American Museum of Natural History) found the world’s first nest of Dinosaur Eggs in 1922. He, and his team of scientists, ventured into unexplored parts of the Gobi using the region’s first automobiles while other supplies were carried in by camels. Dr. Andrews is said to be the inspiration for “Indiana Jones.” The red sandstone cliffs are rich with fossils, and Paleontological Expeditions constantly make new discoveries. There were pieces of Dinosaur egg shells littering the ground, not that I even knew what they were until our guide told us.

The sandstone glows a brilliant red at sunrise and sunset…thus the name…”Flaming Cliffs.” It was over 120 degrees (dry heat, as they say in Arizona), but I was determined to sit and “dig” on that site. Our guide waited patiently – “ex-Marine”, not so patiently – “are you done yet?” I kept picking up little pieces of dino egg shells and putting them into Baggies for grandchildren. A rare souvenir from millions of years ago.

Sheila digging in Flaming Cliffs, Mongolia