Steppe Ridas!

Once again, at the eleventh hour last weekend I was invited to join a group of westerners sojourning to the outskirts of UB for some fresh air and excitement. This time it was through a group called Steppe Riders. It was such a nice deal. Check this out: for 40 Tuugruugk (about $28 American) we got a ride to and from the location by microbus, we got to stay the night in a geir, we got fed, and we got to ride horses for hours over the wide open steppe. Not a bad deal.

It was nice to get away and meet some other foreigners in the process. I was invited by a Scotsman who had been working for a tour company until recently. There was a Texan working for a Chinese newspaper, a contingent of Aussie lasses engaged in various activities and a Canuck doing god knows what amongst others. I feel very fortunate that the foreigner community is so open here but with all the discrimination we experience on a daily basis it sort of makes sense.

This time around we were working with a company that had our interests in mind. Meaning they took the time to adjust the stirrups for us and whatnot. This certainly saved my knee some trouble. On the first afternoon I was given an eager steed who kept pace with the leaders of our group for which I was thankful. However, on the second day my luck ran out. I was given an old mount who certainly tried but his gallop was totally weak. I spent the whole ride just trying to catch up. Actually my horse spent most of the time with his nose up other horses asses. All that space and he insisted on close contact. It makes no sense.

Nice people, nice fire that lasted the night, a rather nice weekend. Afterwards back to broke ass UB only this time with a sore bum and groin and every other muscle used for sitting. Such is life.