TRAVEL: A glimpse of life on the Inner Mongolian steppes
Agile dancers
To my discredit, I opted for Inner Mongolia over Mongolia because I’m afraid of the cold. While pondering my next move in Beijing, I met a steady stream of travellers who had passed through Mongolia on the Trans-Siberian Railway. They spoke of a freakishly premature winter that had hit the nation long before electricity – and consequently heating - was scheduled to be switched on by the government.