This morning I woke up bright and early for our 9am departure to the Hustai National Park.I don't know much about it except that it's two and a half hours out of the city, has some horses, is a pretty drive, and doesn't cost much.It turns out that two other people on the tour dropped out but another last minute local Mongolian who I knew from Dave's pub (Moni) joined us.We were ready to go at 9am and were eager to hit the road to make the most of the day.We shouldn't have been so eager because no one showed up to pick us up until 11:30!Through a series of text messages, we were told that a car broke down and they were "on their way".That really means, "I'm late and don't know how long I'll be!"While we were waiting, I checked my email and checked for the fourth time to see if I could figure out where to send in my next year's preference allocations for hospitals.I finally resorted to a plain old Google search instead of navigating the NSW Health web site and was shocked to see that the deadline was actually last night, not next week like we had been previously told. At least that's what I thought.I frantically sent off an explanatory and apologetic email and quickly submitted my preferences for next year and I hope they'll be accepted.If not, I may end up in second round and may not get what I want.However, my top choice is an unpopular hospital (Gosford, where I am now) so I'll probably get it regardless.Independent of this, I am applying to rural hospitals directly, so there are plenty of good opportunities and I'm not too concerned at this point.The web site seemed to accept my submission so all should be ok.

Anyway, when the van finally arrived, I was pleased to see that it was rugged, had comfortable seats, AC, seat belts, and tinted windows (very helpful in the hot desert sun!)

The first part of the ride was slow.Mid-day traffic out of the city was slow and the checkpoints / tollbooths to leave the city didn't help.We stopped at a servo (gas station) to get some fuel and I hopped out to use the dunny out the back.As I walked up, I noticed the door slightly ajar and could tell there was movement inside.I waited for a minute for the person to finish then heard a large quick burst of air rushing out of someone's lungs and smoke billowed out of the dunny.There were actually three 5-year-old kids hiding in the dunny smoking a cigarette, so I decided not to bother them.I walked around the back of the dunny and used the wide open space instead.

Back in the van, the road quickly turned to rough dirt.Dust billowed everywhere and in a matter of seconds visibility was very poor.Our driver was very good at navigating the road and we had a safe, albeit rough ride.Our tour guide was quite interested in Australia so I told her all about it, including all about drop bears and hoop snakes!Though Catriona couldn't keep a straight face (i.e. burst into laughter) when I talked about how the hoop snakes attack by forming a hoop and rolling down hills after you, the story was bought by Meg, the tour guide.I'm sure lots of people will now hear all about these strange creatures.

So after about two and half hours of nothingness, we happened upon Hustai National Park.At the gate we were greeted by a National Park Guide that accompanied us the entire time.She only spoke Mongolian but our own tour guide Meg translated.We walked past the tourist guest ghers at the camp to the central building where we ate a quick lunch brought by our guide.I was still a little hungry since I didn't eat breakfast so I went inside and asked for a Snickers from the locked cabinet at the bar.I was told very politely by the woman behind the bar "bargo nohee".I was totally perplexed, so I asked again and got the same response.After a few seconds (felt like minutes) of running through the permutations of what it is she could have possibly said, I realized it was "bar girl no here."Apparently she's the one who had the key for the locked candy cabinet and so I couldn't buy it.Oh well.We then headed down to the three large ghers where there were some displays and other information about the park, including a 16 minute DVD about the park's history.On one of the walls were photos of some of the famous visitors, the only one of which I recognized was Julia Roberts.The video looked like it was from the early 80's but was actually only about 5 years old.It told about how the park was set up to protect the only location where Takhi, the only truly wild horse in the world, can freely roam.The park is managed by an NGO and is very well run.It includes a large "buffer zone" in which the local inhabitants are economically encouraged to preserve the land and engage in business activities that would be compatible with the expansion of the Takhi within the park.In 2005, there were only 248 of these horses in the wild (all in this park) but since then the numbers have grown.These horses have never been domesticated and have 66 chromosomes instead of a horse's normal 64.They are shorter, wider, and stronger than domestic horses, and have a thick coat for the winter.Later today we'll go out to see them.

After the video, we headed back outside to see a local Mongolian rancher herding some horses and catching them with a long rope attached to a stick. After he caught five horses (domestic ones), he tied them up to what looked like a strong clothesline.We were each given a horse with a basic saddle, not the traditional Mongolian wooden saddle, and off we went.My horse had a bit of an eye infection on the left side but it didn't seem to bother him much.We started at a slow pace, which was good because I was a bit apprehensive.After a short time, the horse and I got to know and respect each other and we had a great time.We trotted, cantered, and galloped across the open Mongolian steppes and saw some amazing vistas.Once my horse got running, he couldn't get enough.He just wanted to keep on going so I let him because he was having a great time.They are such social creatures and as soon as one would run the others really wanted to as well. Towards the end of the hour-long ride, I was glad it was coming to an end because my legs were starting to ache and the stirrup straps were rubbing the inside of my calf.Afterwards I found a few welt marks from the chaffing - ouch!Anyway, it was fantastic and of course now I want to ride some more.

After the ride, we all climbed into the van and headed into the hills with our park guide.We saw some horses way off in the distance, about 2km away, and had to use binoculars to see them.In the park we can't drive off road or get closer than 200m to them, so we set off on foot.We walked about 1 km up the hill and had a much better view from there.As we turned around to come back down the hill, a group of three male bachelors came roaming up to check us out.Though they didn't get that close, we got a great view of the rarest horse in the world and I was able to get some good shots.I also learnt a new trick - taking a picture through binoculars!The one photo I have here with a single horse was taken that way.The rest were ordinary shots just enlarged a bit.

On the drive on the way back we saw two large marmots scurry into their holes. They look EXACTLY like gigantic prairie dogs - reminds me of Furry and Dozey!Soooo cute!

It was a long day and the drive back was equally bumpy, though more dusty.The last 30 minutes into town, including the first part of town, looked like a thick it was enveloped in a thick fog except that it was dust instead of water.We passed a few stupas I hadn't noticed on the way there as well.A stupa is a roadside statue that is placed there very good luck, and there are a total of 108 along this road.You are only supposed to move clockwise around the stupa or it's bad luck, not good luck.I don't quite get it but that's what I'm told.

We got back to town about 9:30 pm and I gave Michelle a call from the Internet café and we got all caught up.She had a very busy day at work, has sore feet, and is getting another cold - poor Michelle!Not what she needs right now.Though it's great here, it'll be so nice to finally be back home to see her.Yeah!

When I arrived back at the guest house for the first time since morning, I was shocked to find the place completely full of strangers.And my bed was now in a store room!Apparently there was some sort of booking confusion from some American group and they caused a big scene earlier in the day, yelling and screaming about how they book two whole rooms for themselves.Apparently having someone else in their room was no good.But since my large backpack with everything in it was locked to my bed, they had to move my whole bed, with backpack attached, to a new room.Actually, the new room isn't bad even though it's a store room and there was another bed in there with a nice thick comfy mattress - how nice will that be!?!Anyway, for the hassle, the guest house offered me a free pizza or a free night accommodation (worth about the same here).I'll take the pizza, thanks!

So I went out to get my free pizza but they were closed.Actually, almost was shut.I did find a Japanese fast food place and I actually had a good Greek Salad and a noodle dish, "makhwee" of course (without meat)!

After dinner, I went straight to bed (after a quick Internet search on Takhi horse chromosomes - apparently if bred with a horse, the resulting animal has 65 chromosomes and is fertile!!).

Another long day.G'night!