After yet another shower (I'm sure we all had at least 2 since returning to the hotel from our camping trip) we visited the Gandantegchinlen Monastery. This was the only Buddhist monastery that was allowed to remain open during communist rule. One of the three largest Buddha statutes in the world (and perhaps the largest indoor statute in the world) is here.
We also had the opportunity to listen to the monks at their chanting lessons. There were all ages of monks in the school practicing. Outside in the courtyard, visitors, people cutting through on their way to work and monks all mingled. In one large pot holding incense, several young women waved their wallets in search of good fortune. There were large prayer wheels that a person could walk around and turn for prayer offerings. While not as opulent as the temples we visited in Myanmar, this one felt very real and symbolizes a nation rediscovering its Buddhist roots.
We had a couple of hours before our final critique session. One person in our group thought it would be great to stage our own photo shoot to show Ira we heard his instructions to pick a great background and wait for something to happen. Here's some of the shots we sprung on him at our final session:
We also took a few minutes to buy those last minute cashmere gifts we couldn't live without. We unfortunately found that the sales they were having last time we visited we 'real' sales, not ones that are always on for the tourists. It was still a great deal compared to home.
Tonight we gathered to watch our final slide show. Liza does a great job to feature everyone's work while presenting a show that really captures our experiences during the trip. Mongolia was an incredible backdrop to teach us how to take better photos. We also got to make some great new friends, many we'll see on future trips.
We had our final dinner at a delicious Indian restaurant. Dinner was served family style and none of us left hungry. Most of us were leaving in the morning, so we said our goodbyes and headed to bed.
We also had the opportunity to listen to the monks at their chanting lessons. There were all ages of monks in the school practicing. Outside in the courtyard, visitors, people cutting through on their way to work and monks all mingled. In one large pot holding incense, several young women waved their wallets in search of good fortune. There were large prayer wheels that a person could walk around and turn for prayer offerings. While not as opulent as the temples we visited in Myanmar, this one felt very real and symbolizes a nation rediscovering its Buddhist roots.
We had a couple of hours before our final critique session. One person in our group thought it would be great to stage our own photo shoot to show Ira we heard his instructions to pick a great background and wait for something to happen. Here's some of the shots we sprung on him at our final session:
We also took a few minutes to buy those last minute cashmere gifts we couldn't live without. We unfortunately found that the sales they were having last time we visited we 'real' sales, not ones that are always on for the tourists. It was still a great deal compared to home.
Tonight we gathered to watch our final slide show. Liza does a great job to feature everyone's work while presenting a show that really captures our experiences during the trip. Mongolia was an incredible backdrop to teach us how to take better photos. We also got to make some great new friends, many we'll see on future trips.
We had our final dinner at a delicious Indian restaurant. Dinner was served family style and none of us left hungry. Most of us were leaving in the morning, so we said our goodbyes and headed to bed.
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