Finished!!

FINISHED! And still alive to post this blog! :) Whew! Gobi Marathon...check! Now where in the world will we travel to next...

Here's my #1 CHEERLEADER...hanging out on the sand dunes!

And the real reason...

Disclosed here is the real reason why we traveled 14-hours on a short bus, over unpaved roads to the Gobi Desert...I ran the GOBI MARATHON! 26.2 miles across the most desolate place I've ever been! Sounds like fun, right?!

This was the closest thing we found to a dinosaur...

The Flaming Cliffs!

Behind us stand the Flaming Cliffs, otherwise known as Bayanzag. Named by American paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews, this area is most famous for yielding the first discovery of dinosaur eggs. Ryan searched long and hard...but none were to be found! :)

Look out Gobi! Here we come!

WE FINALLY DID IT! We conquered the Gobi! After a 14-hour drive...on a short bus, over unpaved roads...we arrived in Dalanzadgad, the main city in the South Gobi Province. This is Ryan just PRIOR to that 14-hour bus ride! Although I don't remember him looking so 'upbeat' AFTER the long trip!

Darkhan Beauty Queens

With the extra time we have in Mongolia, we decided to make Darkhan sashes! They were originally intended for the new volunteers...but we (Maggie, Claire, and Stephanie) modeled them instead!

Puppies!

The orphanage dog, named Johnny, just had puppies! Any takers?!