Author Topic: Our trip to Neimenggu........  (Read 6922 times)

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Offline Martin

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #15 on: August 05, 2010, 08:56:46 am »
Great story Paul.  I am really enjoying your trip.  I can totally relate to the dinner/drinking thing.  I had it happen to me in Hunan as well.  Keep enjoying yourself, and thanks for the updates.

Scottish_Rob

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #16 on: August 05, 2010, 09:03:31 am »
Paul, are you trying to say that we American are used to feeling "real small?"   :o ;D You cracked me up with that one.   I used to get the feeling of smallness when I was in my later teens and early twenties when I smoked...  Oh that is another story.

Really Paul and excellent read.  Can't wait for the next installment.  Yes I did know what you meant by feeling small but I couldn't resist poking a little.

Ok what is it with this site..everyone is becoming heightist...lol ;D ;D I hope you two are not having a go at me?.... :o ;D ;D ;D

Offline maxx

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #17 on: August 05, 2010, 10:17:54 am »
Paul great read as always.I'm enjoying reading the story of your adventure

ttwjr32

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #18 on: August 05, 2010, 05:41:53 pm »
dont think they were doing that and as usual the read was good Paul

Arnold

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #19 on: August 05, 2010, 07:14:17 pm »
Paul , glad you snuck out of that second drinking series of the W. Spirt . Because you are not over the first one yet completely . 1400 rmd for a Sheep ? hahaha
Or is the laugh on me and their money is indeed rmd's in Mongolia ?

From you great Post's , I can see .. you English ladd's are not far behind the German's whenit comes to drinking .
If I was to drink like that , Qing would kick my A** home to Shanghai for sure .

Paul Todd

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #20 on: August 07, 2010, 05:07:27 am »
We had planned to go and see Ming zhi's brother in Wula Gai today but it turns out that the one and only road in now impassable due to ongoing road "improvements" and as its a 8 hour drive into the mountains we decided to give it a miss.
So we accepted the offer of going on a two day tip out onto the grasslands from my wife's cousin. After another great breakfast we rounded up everyone who was coming with us only about 10 this time loaded up the 4 wheel drives and set of East.We soon turned of the main road onto a gravel track that gave way to two ruts and then disappeared altogether. We crossed the flatland and headed up into small rolling hills, sometimes skirting around the base of larger ones and sometimes climbing to the top for some breath taking views. We arrived at another yurt encampment for lunch, I'm beginning to think these "lunch stop yurts" are a regular thing here either that or my wife's cousin knows everybody! There was no chief of police around so I had an alcohol free lunch well apart from the two cold bottles of Heineken that was produced from some where.
Then we set off again, the white spirit consumption was moderate so I didn't get the car keys but you can't win them all. About an hour latter we found ourselves in a beautiful isolated valley with a scattering of yurts and herds of sheep and cows as well as some horses. We stopped at one to buy fresh cheese apparently from another friend of the family I joked that I would love to live here and have my own yurt [no I hadn't asked my wife] but the ever present Mr Fixit that is my wife's cousin disappeared and came back with the headman. It was all sorted he said for 2000 pounds I could buy a state of the art yurt have it placed on a wooden base and live there for 5 months of the year with all my food provided. What a temping offer............The wife was not impressed so I told them I would think about it.
The locals where a very happy bunch of brown as a berry Chinese people and they offered us milk tea with slices of cheese in, not half as bad as it sounds. Some guy came by on horseback and asked if we wanted to go for a ride but unfortunately we had to get moving to get to our hotel for the night. The more time I spend amongst these Naimen people and the amazing landscapes they live in the move I'm total smitten by the whole thing.
Surprisingly enough we arrive at the Hexonlet Unesco Geo Park for the night. I don't know why I said surprisingly because I didn't know where we were going from the outset. Still the park has yurts for rent with on-suit bathrooms so both myself and my wife were happy. We gathered for dinner which of course consisted mainly of lamb and spicy veggies again and I took a lot of pressure to start on the white spirit road but manfully refused well maybe not manfully so I was fairly together for what followed which may not have been the right move. We left after dinner and went for a wander about the site. There must have been the best part of 100 yurts as well as small shops to buy provisions and the like. Then there it was the "Disco Yurt" in all it's finery. Dangling multi colour lights and a big sound system, unfortunately all they played was sugary lyrics over a euro disco beat a poor excuse for music. What the hell, everyone was up for having a good time so we hit the dance floor and strutted our stuff. Me being the only white guy soon attracted attention from the best and prettiest dancers. Oh to have been knocking back the white spirit in advance and be 20 years younger, but maybe not and of course the prettiest woman in the Disco Yurt was my wife! Even when I was not dancing people where coming over to ask if they could have there picture taken with me, all very nice but a bit over whelming to be honest so I grabbed my wife and headed back to our own private yurt!
This morning it was a 6am call for breakfast and then on to the wonders of the "Asihatu Granite Stone Forest" First you take a bus for about 15 minuets up this beautiful wooded valley [silver Birch trees] to a car part and the transfer to electric buggies to be ferried about. The main point of the park is large granite stone formations which over time have been eroded into various shapes. The landscape was indeed beautiful but the company of Chinese people was even better. They really are great fun to be with and are always looking to have some fun. After a few hours we headed back to the cars and set off to a nearby town for lunch. Again a fantastic meal and great company, I'm finally getting used to being called Bao lua and not needing to be prodded when someone wants my attention!. During the meal the two girls that worked there ask if they could sing for us, just beautiful voices and haunting Neimen folk songs.I was of course totally blown away by them and their performance and made more new friends into the bargin.
Then it was a fast 2 hour drive over the plains and then back to Xilinghot. We are all meeting up again in an hour or so for dinner and the usuall round of giving me abuse for not drinking is bound to happen but it pails into insignificance when you place it next to the hangover that will inevitably follow. I think tomorrow involves the use of automatic weapons.....we shall see.

ttwjr32

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #21 on: August 07, 2010, 06:23:50 pm »
hope your getting some great pics to share with us Paul  sounds like a great visit

shaun

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #22 on: August 07, 2010, 06:40:38 pm »
Again, another great story.

Offline Martin

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #23 on: August 08, 2010, 10:31:24 pm »
Paul, you are a great story teller.  I totally enjoy reading your updates!

Paul Todd

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #24 on: August 09, 2010, 02:59:12 am »
It's not everyday you see your wife with a Kalashnikov in her hand but yesterday, I did !
I was told that we were going shooting after breakfast so as normal we headed off in a convoy to where? as usual ,I wasn't too sure. As we approached the Chinese military base I though to myself that this is just not going to happen. Me a westerner with automatic weapons inside a Chinese army base highly unlikely to say the least. When we stopped at the gate and watchtower the guards where visibly nervous once they had worked out that I was in one of the cars. Everyone got out to stretch there legs while the guards made a few phone calls, I felt it wise to stay in the car! The gate opened and everyone was issued inside apart from me who was put in the back of the Chinese version of a hummer. While our party where given AK 47's to play with I had to stay firmly on the back seat and watch out the window. It was still an experience but when I produced a camera it was most defiantly a no no.
Then it was off to lunch. This time in a farmhouse out on the grasslands. In all there was 15 off us and I was led into a small stone enclosure and shown a very fat sheep that was to be killed for our lunch. The time was at hand for said sheep and I was ushered to the front to watch the beast being dispatched. Now I'm the sort of guy who goes to the shop and buys nice fresh joints of meat and not the type who likes to see his next meal breathing it's last. The deed done I was given an expert class in how to skin and butcher a sheep. I was thoroughly impressed by the skill theses guys showed, obviously not the first time they had done this. Made me think that if civilisation were to collapse for whatever reason these peoples way of life would still go on much as it is now. Nothing went to waste everything had a use. Then I hung out in the kitchen to see how the meal was prepared. The farmers wife was maybe in her 30's and was one of those very capable women incredibly fit and with a very infectious smile. She had bowls of hot sweet milk tea for everyone and cooked the entire meal on a stove powered by dried dung.
Then it was sit down and start eating time and I tried not to thing about the poor animal from a few hours ago. As normal out came the white spirit and before long the first singer got to their feet. As the afternoon progressed it became a mix of feasting drinking and singing even the farmer's wife sat down with us and boy could she drink,no way I could hope to keep up! Then she had to check on the flocks of sheep out on the plain so she fired up an old motorcycle and disappeared, to say I was impressed by her would be an understatement. Her husband arrived not long after and joined us in the laughter and songs, it was a really good afternoon and when it came time to go there was lots of hugging and a few tears where shed. Once back at the hotel I fell asleep watching the TV while the rest of them carried on drinking until the early hours.
This morning it was off to see.....? all I really new was that horses were involved, possibly the army and the number 100. What's new, why would I want to know the details anyway? We set off across the plains again until we met up with a fleet of military 4x4's and joined up behind them. I was starting to get a bit nervous after yesterdays morning spent peering out of the back of a Chinese military vehicle! Still this time went better and I was introduced to a General no less and he seemed quite pleased to meet me so that was quite a relife. I still had no idea what was going on or why. We waited on this dirt track for maybe 20 minutes and then we moved off. My wife's cousin pointed ahead at two rows of Chinese cavalry caring red flags lining each side of the track, they then proceeded to escort us slowly down the road and into a military parade ground. This was set up with various things for the horses to jump over or go around and straw dummies for what I could only think was going to be target practice. Nobody seemed phased by me being there and I was even allowed to take pictures! the next 90 minutes we where given a spectacular display of horsemanship attacking with both sabers and rifles. Then I had my own chance to ride one of the horses! Ok I didn't stun them with my riding skills, in fact I was led tamely around the ground by a soldier who looked about 14 years old. I was introduced to one of the other guests who I was told was one of the top police guy's in Beijing, looked like a member of some Colombian drug gang to me!
Off for another lunch but this was in a very upmarket restaurant and we had lamb dumplings mmmmm. As none of my wife's cousin's drinking buddies where there I had my first alcohol free lunch and it was fantastic! Tomorrow we are off to another town and no I don't know where it is, why we are going there or what we will do when we get there. From there we are going to drive back to Baoding I think!

Offline Chong

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #25 on: August 09, 2010, 04:47:53 am »
Great stories Paul.

Do you have any pics of the sweet milk tea ? Do they use goat's milk and do they include a slice of cheese / millet grains ? I believe that they use a brick tea, is that a type of black tea ?

Vince G

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #26 on: August 09, 2010, 07:40:51 am »
A camera at a military base? is a no brainer. It does sound like your clearance came after you met the general? I am interested how they ride their horses? Here in the US we have two ways (acually 3 but this 3rd has few riding this way, Indian or bareback (no saddle)) we have western and english. Even though it depends on how you ride it also depends on how the horse was trained? That's what I wonder how the chinese ride? Wonder if they have their own way? In all it sounds like a fun trip to be remembered a long time.

Paul Todd

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #27 on: August 09, 2010, 09:09:16 am »
Yes Chong your right they use black tea "bricks wrapped in muslin bags. They drop them in a pan of boiling water and them simmer until the required strength is achieved. They then add cows milk and serve in bowls. The cows milk is fresh and not heat treated so the flavor is different. You can then add millet seed and slices of cheese. The cheese does not dissolve it  just gets softer and you pick them out with chopsticks. Have you tried this Chong? I will see if I can get any pictures, it does taste a little like western tea but I'm a big green tea drinker my favorite at the moment is from Oulong.
Vince,sorry but I don't know anything about horse riding so I can't answer your questions but I'll post some pictures of the Chinese Cavalry and maybe that will help. As for when or how the clearance came your guess is as good as mine!

Offline daghoi

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #28 on: August 09, 2010, 06:13:16 pm »
vLove the story; it’s an adventure every time. Amazing what a man can experience travelling with your woman.

Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to read more

Offline Irishman

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Re: Our trip to Neimenggu........
« Reply #29 on: August 09, 2010, 08:34:59 pm »
Super updates Paul, experiencing all that is living life to the fullest, i wish it was me experiencing all that. Keep the updates coming , i am quite fixated :)
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