"I can see Russia from my house"

It was National Day week holiday and the end of summer and the beginning of fall in far north China (or far southern Russia depending on your perspective).  Onions and I took a trip to see the trees and grass of the Hulunbuir region.

We had four days in the region....and flew into Hailaer and went to the bus station and took a bus to the town of Labudalin (aka Ereguna) and saw "Asia's first wetland."  Not sure why it's the first...but ok.

We didn't have much time, so we simply went to the lookout point.  Who says China is packed with people?

The town of Ladudalin just stops and the grasslands start!

The birch tree leaves were in their glory.

This part of the world is the crossroads of Russian, Mongolian and Chinese, with English translation for the tourists.

Russian Chocolate....actually, not so good.

At Labudalin, Onions and I went to the bus station and simply picked the destination furthest away...it turned out to be the town of Shi Wei right on the Russian border.  It literally was the end of the road.  This is the guest house we stayed in.

Russia (on the other side of the river) as seen from our room.

This little building next to the guest house.......

...was our sauna/washroom!!!!!! 

We ate wolf meat.

On the other side of the river.....the Russian counterpart of Shi Wei

The lonely Russian lookout.

The Chinese counterpart,

The bridge between Russia and China

As you can see, perfect weather and golden sunlight and scenery!

One of the themes of the day was all these statues everywhere....

A Mongolian yurt, the skeleton covered in animal skins.

And a "teepee" covered in birch bark.

A HUGE statue to most famous Mongolian of them all, Genghis Khan

I thought this was great....in the internet age, here in Shi Wei, how you make a bus ticket reservation!