Presentation on Mongolia

  This past Wednesday evening, my husband and I enjoyed a presentation on Mongolia by Cynthia Clampitt at the Schaumburg (IL) library.  Cynthia is a world traveler, writer, and author.  She wrote "Waltzing Australia" and also writes for National Geographic.  Her presentation explored Mongolia's geography, culture, food and people along with her personal travel experiences there.  Here's a list of a couple of the many interesting facts that I learned about Mongolia during her presentation:

• Mongolia has both extremely cold and extremely hot temperatures

• During winter, there are only a couple hours of light each day

• Mongols in the rural areas live mainly on meat, milk and cheese

• Mongols in the rural areas do not usually eat fish and rarely eat fruits and vegetables 

• The capital of Mongolia is Ulaanbaatar and it has more modern amenities compared with the rest of the country

• In 1990 Mongolia gained its freedom from the Soviet Union but Russian influences can still be seen

• The major religion in Mongolia is Tibetan Buddhism

• Genghis Khan united the tribes of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire had the most conquered land in history

• The desert in Mongolia is called The Gobi

• A traditional Mongolian dish is called Huushuur and its a fried meat-filled pastry

These are just a few things I learned at this wonderful presentation.  I haven't visited Asia yet but it makes me want to plan a trip even more now.
For more information about Cynthia's book on Australia, please visit her website Waltzing Australia.