Category: Mongolia

  • On to the Steppes of Central Asia

    On to the Steppes of Central Asia

    It seems as if I have always wanted to visit the steppes of Central Asia, and now, after exploring the Gobi, I’m on my way there — to the grasslands of central Mongolia and the Orkhon Valley, the home of Genghis Kahn’s Mongolian Empire (and two other great nomadic empires). On the way, I learn…

  • Exploring the Gobi

    Exploring the Gobi

    The desert is not, as most people imagine, just sand and more sand, or just dirt with scrub brush. It is rich and varied, and my trip to the Gobi was not just hours of driving (we traveled 2000 kilometers in 10 days) with an occasional sight to see, and perhaps explore. Instead it was…

  • On the Trans-Siberian Railway

    On the Trans-Siberian Railway

    Here I am, at the Beijing Railway Station, ready to leave on the Trans-Siberian Railroad for a six week trip from Beijing through Mongolia, Siberia, and Russia, to Moscow. It is an epic journey, 7,621 kilometers (4,735 miles) through five time zones. Even though I have wanted to make this trip since my early 20’s,…