Visiting other reintroduction sites

Okay, I've been camping, I can pee in the woods. The desert is a little different. Nothing to brace oneself against, and no trees to obstruct anyone's view. I understand there's an extremely low population density out here, but my bladder does not(not to mention how unbelievably cold it is outside). Hence the awkward breakfast conversation where my professor gets everyone's opinion, including our driver and the owner of the restaurant we're eating in, on how women "go" outside. Wonderful. Thankfully our driver was somewhat sympathetic and found several rest areas for me along our all-day drive through the desert. Here is a Chinese rest stop restroom(and a pretty nice one at that):

I briefly considered taking a picture of what's through the opening on the floor to show you, then thought better of it.

The view through the window.

A newborn baby goat. Seriously newborn. Don't watch the video if umbilical cords squick you out.

The surrounding area had some beautiful vistas.

If only I had been able to figure out the panorama function on my camera...

You see that band of white just above the landscape? Those are clouds. That's where the Gobi drops down in elevation and the clouds are below us. We went right up to the edge of that and it was breathtaking. Unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to take a photo of it.

Oh, what I could knit with all that yarn.

We had a meal at a winter pasture house, which is just a concrete rectangle with a few rooms inside. I didn't get the chance to see inside one of the yurts, which is a bummer. We sat on a raised floor which also serves as the bed, and which is covered with the brightly colored blankets like the ones on my bed. Our driver played the dombra, a guitar-like instrument which is usually the source of entertainment, very well. There was much joking about my eating habits, with our hosts saying I am like a sheep who eats grass.