CNN: Bush tries mare’s milk but avoids camels’ spit

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (AP) — The scene was straight out of a Genghis Khan movie.

There were Mongol warriors clad in armor and helmets, armed with swords and mounted on the short, stout horses unique to Mongolia. The warriors hoisted colorful battle flags on spears.

Dancers in colorful costumes and elaborate masks that resembled the heads of animals performed traditional routines. Others banged on gongs or played horns….Cows, camels and grunting yaks roamed nearby.

He drank fermented mare’s milk — sometimes likened to a mix of warm beer and buttermilk — sipped tea and nibbled cheese curd, a White House official said.

Walking back to the motorcade for the ride to Air Force One, Bush checked out the camels but stopped short as he approached, saying he did not want to be spit on.

Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar beckoned Bush to see the yaks and their handlers, which he obligingly did.