#enhe

[picturesofchina]

Sunset by the river behind Enhe, Inner Mongolia

[picturesofchina]

A wooden orthodox church (now a museum) in the ethnically Russian town of Enhe, Inner Mongolia

[worldpackingcanuck]

Finding Intense Calm At Enhe Russian Village

Finding Intense Calm At Enhe Russian Village

I never would have imagined that a place like this could exist in China. And yet, here I was walking in the middle of the road, breathing the fresh air blowing from the grasslands and the small mountains and plains surrounding this little township where less than 2000 people live, many of them being of Russian descent.

This was the Enhe Russian Village in Inner Mongolia, China.

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[theworldunderground]

Waiting for the bus, chatting with the neighbors. These two were certainly vibrant. The small one sitting on the bench mostly just giggled, while the woman standing gabbed on with details about me I'll never really know. This was certainly one of those times being fluent in the language would have surely proved to be super entertaining, and yet, I left smiling widely regardless. #Enhe, Inner #Mongolia, September 2017. #china (at Inner Mongolia)

[theworldunderground]

Our final night in Inner Mongolia, and our final sunset. Could not have dreamt up a better view. We grabbed a cold beer, and sat in the silence. A few cows slowly walked past, a side glance. A gurgle. Low season was a great time to visit. I've learned in the last few years to commit to leaving some time, unplanned, in the middle. Lock down your beginning, and your end, if you have to. The what if's and uncertainty, time and time again, bring some of the best moments for me. We slept well that night. I didn't know five days could feel like weeks. The hours felt long, but days didn't drag. It was simply good. Morning brought an easy trek back to Harbin, and some wide smiles. I hope you enjoyed these. Cheers. #innermongolia #enhe

[theworldunderground]

It had been a long time since I'd rode a horse. Over five years, back in Montana. Even though it was largely just a glorified loop around a set dirt track, the landscape was beautiful, and we didn't plan this at all. The owners were insanely nice to us. It cost a third of what we would have been charged in a more tourist drenched area. Over all, it was just one of those unplanned things that had me grinning from the moment I saw that woman. We walked back still smiling, bought ice cream from the little carts. Couples on tandem bicycles slowly crept by. The sun was about to set, so we rushed to our hostel and got in position. Thank You, #Enhe. It was just what we needed. #innermongolia (at Inner Mongolia)

[theworldunderground]

The dog led us to a bridge that overlooked the mountains and streams. A perfect backdrop for such a serene moment. It was exactly what we sought to find here. We listened to the water bubble in the undisturbed quiet, and reflected on what we did. Such a short, but potent and refreshing trip. We heard the clop of horse hooves, and this woman appeared out of nowhere. It felt like we were stuck in time, or in an old movie. Enhe just seemed so old-school. The woman asked if we wanted to go ride her horses. With sunset coming soon, of course, the answer was yes. #innermongolia #enhe (at Inner Mongolia)

[theworldunderground]

I was excited for Enhe. Of all the places in Inner Mongolia, this was the smallest, and the one with the least information. We rolled in, smiled as the sun came out, and got to our hostel. I got tipped off to not only the village, but the YHA spot itself, by the wonderful Mark Camplin. It was the only room bookable online that we could find on any platform, a feat in this day & age, and the photos looked too good to be true. We figured, hell, let's roll the dice. There it was, smack dab next to the main river. The best location I've ever seen for a good night's sleep. We dropped our stuff, gawked at what was on our doorstep a few times, and began walking. This little pupper, one of many stray dogs, trotted ahead of us, as if to say, "follow me", stopping regularly as if to show off his town. Lead the way, friend... #innermongolia #enhe (at Inner Mongolia)