Nikki and Toby got up early to watch the sunrise - they seem to be getting along very well...romance? Breakfast while planning our day. Turtle Rock was our first stop...you guessed it - a rock shaped like a turtle! Next stop a (air) temple up in the mountains. As you wind up the path you pass by hundreds of wise Buddhist sayings, then when you reach a wheel you spin it and find the saying that corresponds with the number spun. My spin landed in between 101 and 102 and the first was about people thinking that life is like honey but it is really a sharp blade, so beware (cool that it included honey!) then the other was equally wise..I have a picture of it somewhere. Mike's was something along the lines of "old people can't do a lot so get as much done while you're young"...funny but fitting for him too. The temple was beautiful inside and out and the setting was magical in the surrounding hills. Back for lunch and wrestling on the TV. The Naadaam festival is like the Mongolian olympics including wrestling, horse racing, archery and an opening and closing ceremony. People have a whole week off work so everyone heads to the parks to camp and have picnics. Next, time for dress up. It was Mike and my ultimate fantasy - do archery while dressed as Avatar characters!!! We used a basic bow and arrows and shot at a fabric target about 25 metres away. Dave (the crazy mo fo) stood a foot away from the target chasing our arrows and returning them to us after a round of 3 and Mike was the only successful archer!!!! Couldn't resist a heap of staged photos - avatar fight scenes, me fire nation, Mike water tribe...to heal people (heehee Tim). Then we had to give the outfits back (bummer!) and most of the group went horse riding. I ran along side them being chief photographer, a bloody good work out mind you, and Mike went for a run in the valley. After dinner we sat outside in the gazebo drinking, singing and came inside later to watch the wrestling final. Dave was pretty drunk disappearing and reappearing several times, hanging with the drivers and his friends. Don't quite know how they stomach vodka, fermented milk and beer al in the same night. They lit our ger Fire and it was hot hot hot when we went back in...and smoky...the chimney was new, complete with sticky tape still left on, so the smoke was blue and smelt like burning plastic. Joe and I had to fan the smoke out for about 10mins and we left the door open for half the night. Quote for today, Paul singing "This Ger is on fire!" (Alisha Keys).
