The Diary

Friday 1 September 2006 , Ulan Bataar

It was great getting up in the morning and not having to drive. We spent a day just sitting in Dave’s Place eating and drinking cups of tea and mulling over the past few weeks.

On our second day in UB, we decided to go horse trekking. We were driven 50km outside the city and spent the night in a traditional Mongolian ger (yurt). We ate meat stew huddled round the stove in the centre of the ger looked after by an accommodating English girl, Jennie, who runs the tours.

Mongolians have lived in this way for hundreds of years, and it was interesting to find out some of the rituals and rules of living in a ger. There are strict rules as to how you enter, the layout of the furniture and where you sit. Rubbish cannot be put on the fire – it is sacred in Mongolia. However, the rules are waived for visitors unfamiliar with their practices.

The next day we set off into the Mongolian steppe with our trusty steeds and a camel called ‘Princess’. Woody showed a natural ability on horseback and Barnaby fell off his – an all round success. Later we were treated to an exhibition of horsemanship skills by one of the riders at the camp.

We organised a visit to the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation. The work that they do in Mongolia is inspiring. They operate a number of different projects providing accommodation, education and healthcare for street children and poverty stricken families. The morning we were there they had moved a group of seven street children who had been living down a manhole for the past six months into their own ger.

We were shown round the ger village by the general manager, Edward Thornton. They have a school and kindergarten with some very sweet (and well behaved) children. It was great to see the positive work they are doing and it really put the rally into perspective for us. The rally is a charity event and will raise close to £250,000 for charity providing the means to make a significant difference to these people’s lives.,/p>

If you have enjoyed following our progress on Expedia.co.uk then please donate to one of our chosen charities, Send a Cow or the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation. You can find the link under the Drivers tab. Any contribution, however small, will be greatly appreciated and after all, it is what the whole rally is about.