Day 1 brought us to the ancient capital of the Mongolian empire. Before I came to Mongolia, I didn’t realize that at one point Chengis Khan’s rule extended to every corner of continental Asia and even a bit beyond to form what was the largest empire in history. What was probably an impressive sight during the 13th and 14th centuries is now not much to write home about. A complex of crumbling temples and a (still active) monastery enclosed within 4 long walls is all that remains after the Russians demolished most everything else. We spent the night in a ger (traditional Mongolian home) and walked the grounds in the morning before continuing to the White Lakes.