Back In Mongolia!

Finally back to the blog after many months of working for Go Help, dealing with vehicle rules and vehicles and returning from Mongolia.

This entry finds me back in Mongolia to meet the arriving teams and do some other work related to the running of the Mongolia office. It's been quite a difference coming back here as the last time I was here, there was snow, freezing temperatures and a very obvious lack of green anywhere. Flying into Chinggis Khaan International airport, I could see that the landscape has changed dramatically with the rains that came shortly after I left the first time. It was even more dramatic looking out of the Go Help office as the dry brown landscape had been replaced with resplendent green and the trees that had looked like dead sticks were now actual trees.

I had arrived at about 10:30 in the morning and had meant to surprise the staff by just showing up at the office, but the surprise was mostly blown when I had to call up to the office after the taxi driver insisted on being paid an additional 5000 Tugrug after we had agreed to 10000 at the airport. After Miga came down and paid him, I was back at my desk and opening my computer to check my messages.

I had about 45 minutes to myself when Paul and Matt of Team All Weasel, No Beaver walked in the door. I was glad to personally greet them when they walked in and we had a great time talking about their trip. They had all kinds of good advice on how to get through the craziness that is the Mongolia Charity Rally, and I looked forward to more stories over beer and dinner. The next day we took Matt and Paul and Christine from Team I Meant To Do That to the Book Ger, one of the projects that Go Help and the ralliers helped fund.
Christine had brought a self-contained portable printer to take photos of people along the way from London, and we all thought it was a brilliant way to meet people and make friends. She spent some time taking photos of the kids and printing out their portraits.

Christine had another gift for the kids, and I guess the best way to show that is in this short clip I filmed.

We had a great time, the teams had a chance to see where their fundraising efforts go, and afterward I got to treat them all to a well-deserved congratulatory beer.