Hailar

Hailar is in Inner Mongolia -(pronounced Hi-Lar) we are going on a tour today to the grasslands and then to border of Russia and China "Manchurian" (Manzhouli).  Inner Mongolia was filled with lots of cattle, horses, sheep, goats and not many people. Lots of stories and statues of Genghis Khen. Food was ok just not as spicy as to what Changsha (and Cynthia) has gotten me used to. When we got to Manzhouli (Manchuria) which is on the border of Russia and China - all the sales people talked to me in Russian.  I guess all "us white people" look the same. Sort of strange because I hope I don't  look like any of the Russians that I saw - most of them were dressed rather inappropriately for their age. (I am trying not to use the word "sluttly").  A lot of Russians come over the border to shop in ManZhouLi for shoes, clothes and household products. All the shop signs were in Russian or Chinese and Russian.

At the Russian/China border they had a park FULL of giant Russian Stacking Dolls including NBA stars and presidents. 

 Cynthia had to take the picture of the border below - I wasn't allowed to go that close with an American Passport - wonder if it was a Chinese rule or a Russian rule?