Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Saturday, May 1, 2010
There is something about Mongolian weather that brings to mind the plagues of the Old Testament. After a winter of "-20 and smoke" (according to weather reports on Weather Underground), I tried not to listen to people who said, with a sad shake of the head, "Wait until spring..." How bad could it be? After all, estimates are that approximately 7 million domestic animals (cows, goats, sheep, horses, and yaks) died this winter and spring in Mongolia during one of the worst zuds in memory.
This morning I headed out to teach an extra Saturday lesson at school and walked straight into a dust storm. Within a few steps, I could feel the grit between my teeth and before long, my hair was like straw. "Fiercesome" is one way to describe the wind and blowing dust.
What about that "in like a lion and out like a lamb" thing?
ps: I forgot to mention that about every 5-6 weeks when we turn on the tap, the water runs blood red...
