I spent today riding out across the Mongolian Steppe. It was gloriously cold with snow on the higher ground. The Steppe is one of the few places where absolute silence exists. The senses are turned upside down. There is nothing to hear other than your own heartbeat. You can see for a hundred miles. The aroma of mountain herbs fills your nostrils. You can taste the excitment in your horses mind.If a setting in this strange and wonderful country typifies itself then it is surely atop a horse riding across the mountains that fringe the Steppe.
My preferred Mongolian proverbs (part one):
1. a tiger wearing a bell will starve
2. a cat that likes to eat fresh fish will not go into the water
3. the distance between heaven and earth is no greater than one thought
4. it is easier to catch an escaped horse than take back an escaped word
5. if you drink the water, follow the custom
Mongolian of the day:- my name is... :: minii ner...
