Just down the street is the "Muslim North Mosque."

And that's all for Inner Mongolia. Sorry it's taken me a few months to get all the pictures up. In fact, I still have our EAP Great Wall/Chende pictures to post, my Three Gorges shots, and my trip to outer Mongolia in addition to daily life around Beijing. Again, I apologize for the delay (around 4 months late from when the pictures were taken), and hope you (readers) keep checking in periodically as there's lots more good stuff to come. And as always, if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, please don't hesitate to drop me a line.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

In many ways I liked this section of the temple best, even if the colors were a bit more faded. Check out the skulls on the entryway.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Construction in progress.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Hey mom!!!
EAP China! Robert Klein.

This pathway leads through to the still largely unrestored section (and therefore off the current tour circuit) of the temple.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Bonnie in Lhasaland.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

I apologize for the colors in this interior shot, but I took it without flash.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

This particular complex had a number of different halls within it.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Don't forget to burn some incense!
EAP China! Robert Klein.

One of the rooms was not yet redone, but it was quite interesting watching the temple rebuilding process. In case you're wondering, the colors are as vivid in real life as they are in the photo.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Can you spot the UCLA student?
EAP China! Robert Klein.

I heard from a classmate most of these temples were in bad disrepair until recently, but they seem to have done a real nice job spiffing it up. These temples in Hohhot ended up being some of my favorite in China.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

This mural tells the story of this temple when it intermingled with imperial politics, about half a millenia ago.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

More masks and icons.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

These skull masks seem almost Mexican to me, though with the exception o the grinning one on the second shelf, without any sort of joy on their faces.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

If you've never been to a Tibetan buddhist temple, you may not realize the extent to which much of it is dedicated to what seem to me pretty frightening images.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Monks chillin'.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Hohhot also has a number of pretty nice and religiously functioning temples, which is quite rare for China. As a result, they've recently installed some monitoring equipment as part of the pre-Olympics remodelling.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Still a work in progress, but pretty impressive. I wouldn't mind coming back this way and exploring a bit, but it wasn't in the itinerary.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Back in Hohhot (in fact, these pictures may actually have been from our earlier visit, but they showed up in this order in my camera). Some more shots of the brand-new Islamic-styled buildings in Hohhot.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

We dropped off our tour guides here, back in Hohhot. This is the Inner Mongolian tourism university.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

The Pacific Ocean bar, conveniently located in the extended Gobi Desert metropolitan area.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

I feel like this guy is not one you'd want to have on your bad side.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

And if you're truly religious, you'll prey to it like the man to our left, or take pictures with our Mongolian tour guide, like I am on the right.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

On our way out of the park we stopped at an uvoo, a Tibetan-Mongolian buddhist structure. You're supposed to throw a rock on top...
EAP China! Robert Klein.

It's free camel time!
EAP China! Robert Klein.

The bandito has returned.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Jessica was really hungry. Either that or she really loves millet. I'm betting on the former.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Chillin' with Genghis.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Mongolian milk tea and millet. It's the breakfast of conquerors!
EAP China! Robert Klein.

This is our destination, the "village," actually a couple of yurts placed under the windmills stocked with provisions for tourists on our horse-riding circuit.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

This is our destination, the "village," actually a couple of yurts placed under the windmills stocked with provisions for tourists on our horse-riding circuit.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

When this guy saw us coming to his ger, he knew it was time to hit the road for awhile.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

All 100+ of us heading straight for the windmills, after our horses take a break to eat, of course.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

21st century Inner Mongolia.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

When I saw this I wondered if I was in Mongolia or the Great Plains around 150 years ago.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Time for the morning hangover!
EAP China! Robert Klein.

And very, very drunk dancing Chinese tourists who decided to join the main performers on stage.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

As is obligatory in China, there was some singing as well.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

After dinner we were treated to a dance show.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Thoroughly welcomed, it was time to eat, and drink! Those glasses full of tea were soon swapped for Baijiu, alcohol made from grain or mare's milk, depending on how authentic it is.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Each of us was presented with a scarf, Hawaiian lei-style.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

It was memorable for the presentation. Now that's fresh!
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Dinner was heaven for meateaters, with lamb galore. The vegetarians didn't starve, but this meal wasn't memorable for its taste.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Our gers at sunset.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Yours truly got beaten badly.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

This is the UFC version of Mongolian wrestling.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Bonnie fights hard, but there's no way she can stop the blue-hatted menace!
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Geng Lao Shi looks intimidating, but he's about to wrestle a girl.
EAP China! Robert Klein.

Now that's a take down!
EAP China! Robert Klein.