Exciting CPAs!

Mary Marino, CPA, had the unique opportunity to travel to Mongolia to visit her son who was working with the Peace Corps close to the Siberian border.

“It took us 59 hours of travel to reach his host village,” Marino said. “Except for my son, we were the only Americans they had ever seen. The Mongollian people were wonderful, a very hospitable people.”

As transportation systems and even roads were almost nonexistent, Marino traveled mostly by Forgon, a rugged Russian minivan. “We went across hundreds of miles of open country.”

One of the highlights of her trip was the Nadaam festival, which was a three-day event featuring contests in horseback riding, archery and wrestling.

“Many older people in the country still travel by horse and live in traditional gers,” states Marino. “It is a very poor country, often with indoor plumbing being an option.”

Even so, they were very generous, offering gifts to Marino and her husband wherever they visited.

Marino, who has traveled around the world extensively, says she will never forget the Mongolian trip. “When traveling now, my husband and I often joke and say, ‘at least it’s not like Mongolia!’”

- Patty Gannon