Lost in Mongolia
There is probably no other country on earth that is so easy on your eye.

Endless steppe with the distant rolling hills, with no roads or fences,
and occasional white dots of gers makes your mind wonder careless
and free.

The first encounter with this amazing country for most people happens to
be in Ulaan Baatar (red hero), the modern capital of Mongolia.

While circling above the airport, the pilot's announced that the temperature
on the ground was over 30C. That sounded a bit unusual for the Mongolian
summer.

The plane landed with a loud thud. 'Welcome to Mongolia!' I said to myself.

As I stepped outside, a hot and dusty wind hit me in the face reminding
me that after all, this country's substantial territory is a part of
the Gobi desert. The winds carry sand and dust for thousands of
kilometers, even reaching as far as South Korea to the east.

Even though it was getting dark, I could make out the unattractive
shapes of Soviet era buildings on both sides of the road.
And here's our hotel to the right as an example.


The sun rises early during summer in Mongolia. At 6am it is very bright outside.
And even if the light won't wake you up, the sounds of car horns and loud voices
on the street sure will.

The breakfast was simple but tasty and the hotel’s restaurant was clean and tidy.

Chatting with the fellow tourists provided some insights into what brought them
to Mongolia and provided a lot of inspiration. Some of them were well over 70 years
old.

As our hotel was located in close proximity to the city centre I proceeded to explore
on foot. The first destination, Suchbaatar Square, was easy to find. The streets got
wider and the buildings more prominent.

I had no plan in particular and circled around the city hall and then the Government
House (Saaral Ordon) that faced onto Suchbaatar Square.

To my surprise the large square was almost empty; a small group of tourists and few
locals were dwarfed by the stature of Suchbaatar, the local hero.


Slowly proceeding to the centre of the square, I was approached by
a semi-sober Mongol, well in his sixties, with his hands outstretched
showing me a variety of cheap souvenirs and some stamps from the
days long gone.

He did not speak much English but got quite chatty when I spoke
to him in Russian.

He's explained to me that vodka cost a lot of money and he had to
sell quite a few souvenirs to get his daily intake - 'opohmelitsya'.
  
 Ulaan Baatar Black Market
  
Forewarned is forearmed. Markets are more than just a place to buy things.
They give one a sense of culture, a vision of how people live and what
they use in their daily lives, and often what they eat as well.

Being warned about pickpockets at the infamous Ulaan Baatar’s Black Market,
I have still decided to visit it and be on guard. Going alone is not
necessarily a bad thing. The advantages are that you are not being distracted
by your companion and that you can move quickly in any direction without
worrying about someone else being left behind.

Some parts of the market were wide open spaces where one could find a full
ger building kit or a row of bicycles.

The rest of the market consisted of narrow covered passages, where you
would need squeeze yourself between other shoppers.

Only a very small section of the market is dedicated to what tourists might
consider souvenirs, underlining the fact that this market is primarily aimed
at locals.

I was amazed at that market, and later on in the rest Mongolia, by the way
the sellers behaved towards me. Nobody tries to seek your attention or
advertise their goods to you. Only if you start looking at objects closely
do they then offer to help. I find it very unusual for an Asian market.
Maybe it relates to a national pride or some Mongolian custom?
  
Arburd Sands
  
The first destination, Arburd Sands, has been a dreamy experience.

For the first time, since leaving Ulaan Baatar, you start to take in
Mongolia.

Whether it is a fresh unpolluted air, the smell of grasses and wild
flowers, the breathtaking scenery of open plains and its crispy blue
that seems to be infinite sky.

The Arburd Sands lie right on the edge of the Mongolian steppe where
it meets the Goby desert.

The first camping stop was at a ger camp that has been setup
semi-permanently by a local family to cater for visitors.

Interestingly, the life of this family has been depicted in Mattias
Klum’s book the “Horse People”.
  
For those who feel adventurous, a choice of either a horse or a camel ride
was available.

Do I hear being asked about safety? What safety? You might be lucky to get
a helmet that actually fits and if it does fit, it might not have a strap for
your chin.

  
The scenery around the camp was typical for Mongolia, wide endless
steppe with occasional treeless hills.

The lack of tree is mainly due to the harshness of the local climate
where only the toughest, the most cold and heat resistant plants
survive.

While walking around, it pays to watch where you step as the earth
is often pocked with burrows dug by small rodents amongst the grass.

The holes of various sizes are often spread over a large area.

  
It is also quite common to find on the ground a skeleton or a skull of
a horse or some other unfortunate animal.

The white bones stand out clearly against the dark soil and grass.

  
The presence of the desert was obvious. Just over a hill the sand started
taking over the grasslands and typical desert spiky plants started to crop up
everywhere.

Gradually, the landscape changed even more to occassional rocks and
picturesque sand dunes.
  
Anywhere you go, there was a constant presence of birds of prey, like
falcons, kites, vultures and occasionally eagles. They would circle around our
campsite and hover over; sometimes getting so close that you could clearly see
the delicate features and colourful feathers of these gracious birds.

Every morning the sun would rise early, around 5:30am, and even if it was raining
the night before, the sky was usually azure blue and often complemented by
shaggy white clouds of various shapes and sizes.

This same morning, I have chosen to go for a horse ride. I have to say it was the
best horse ride ever. The Mongolian horses, despite their small statue, are quite
strong and fast. Some have a bit of a temper. When tied up they are kept apart
to avoid injuring each other.

Riding on a horse in open steppe gives you a sense of freedom. The open plains of
Mongolia without any fences and hardly any trees is a perfect setting for making
you feel as though you are flying. A feeling of wind on your face and a smell of
wild flowers completes this extraordinary experience.

  
Visit to Local Family
  
A couple of kilometers away from our camp a nomadic Mongol family had
setup their camp.

We have paid them a visit to observe their daily life, say hello and get
a sense of what it really means to be a nomad. Amazingly, they had a satellite
dish outside their ger along with some solar panels.

We’ve been invited to come inside their ger. Everyone was offered a salty tea
with milk and a bit of aruul (dried goat's cheese curd). I liked both. But not
everyone in our group agreed with me.

The ger had traditional settings, with the large chests positioned opposite to
the entry, and a small stove in the middle with its metal pipe stretched up
through the opening in the ceiling. In the absence of wood, dried horse dung
is used to feed the fire and cook food.

Traditionally after the visit, we have left some presents in the ger for the
family.

  
 Baga Gazriin Chuluu
  
The next stop was in a picturesque location of Baga Gazriin Chuluu. The rocky
cliffs formed ridges that sliced the valley into two almost identical canyons.

The camp site has been set up in one of these canyons to provide shelter from
the wind.

This mountainous region is supposed to be a home to the Siberian Ibex. We only
saw a silhouette of one far in a distance while driving towards this area.

On a way to Karakorum

The itinerary has been amended slightly and our next stop was in a beautiful
valley surrounded by mountains.

We camped there overnight. The high cliffs provided good vantage points for
various birds. A large vulture nest with its occupants was seen from the bottom
of the cliff.

A couple of colourful ovoos were also spotted around giving the valley a bit of
a mystical feel. A pack of horses grazed in the open and constantly moved up and
down the valley during our stay.
Karakorum and Ergen Zu monastery
  
The ancient capital of Mongolia was called Karakorum and was created by the
descendants of Ghengis Khan.

The city no longer exists but the nearby buddhist monastery of Ergen Zu was
build from its remains.

The monastery is beautiful and now it serves as an open air museum.

Outside of the monastery, if you are brave, you can hold a hunting eagle
wearing a protective glove.
  
After a long drive from the monastery we arrived at a very windy location near
a fast flowing river. The grass was full of bones, rocks and manure.

A large warm bonfire and traditional Mongolian singing provided the night's
entertainment.

  
The following day we camped next to another small river. Being able to wash
yourself felt like a luxury. Who cares that the water was cold?

There were quite a few Mongol families living in the area in gers.

The horses and yaks always grazed nearby.

From time to time a Mongol shepherd could be seen riding on a horse
through our camp to herd the yaks.

  
 Chuluut Canyon
  
This rugged and deep canyon is located on the Chuluut river which we
travelled along to reach our next camping site. The fast rapids made a
rumbling noise familiar to anyone who has ever experienced mountain rivers.

The sides of the canyon were covered in bush and rather tall spruce trees.

Our next camping site was at a scenic location on a slope half way between
the main road and the river.

The spoon shaped area looked like it had a major geological event occur.

Perhaps a glacier moved through here carving its way through the rocks and
eventually melting away.

In the next couple of days we have passed a couple of salt lakes. The amazing
thing is that those lakes look quite ordinary and on some occasions you can
spot some water birds there. But the water, however, is not drinkable and
animals tend to avoid this sort of lakes.

There is an abundance and a variety of insects in meadows surrounding lakes
and rivers. They crawl, jump and fly, and make all kinds of noises.
  
Horgo Volcano
  
The first extinct volcano we've climbed was in the Horgo national park.

Here is the view on the volcano's caldera with a lake in a distance.
  
 Great White Lake (Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur)
  
This beautiful wide freshwater lake attracts a lot water birds. While driving
past we saw majestic swans, wild ducks, cormorants and some others, the
names of which now escape me.

The water was crystal clear and some daredevils had a bit of a splash and
swim.

Fishing in the lake proved to be fruitless, however.

The scenery was so splendid, it was an enjoyable experience just to be
around. The distant treeless hills contrasted against the blue sky and an
occasional white cloud.

When the sun was setting, some of the hills on the opposite side of the lake
started to glow in a warm orangy-pink colour.
  
Lake Khovsgol
  
After a long drive we have finally arrived to this magnificent lake in
northern Mongolia. The closeness of Siberia makes itself known by the presence
of patchy forests and more rugged terrain. The forests are primarily of spruce
and silver birch.

Lake Khovsgol seems to be a popular location as there are permanent tourists
camps setup on the lake's shores. Some areas around the lake are protected
and have limited access.

According to Wikipedia Khovsgol lake is "the second-most voluminous freshwater
lake in Asia, and holds almost 70% of Mongolia's fresh water."

The water in the lake was so clear, one could see through the water to a great
depth.
The campsite we stayed in was a permanently setup fenced area with stationary
gers, a wooden building with showers, laundry and toilets.
The gers had small iron heaters. Once you get the fire going it gets very hot
inside the ger probably due to its rounded construction where some of the heat
gets reflected back.

We stayed at the campsite for two days. That gave us an opportunity to explore
the local hills on horseback. The little Mongolian horses carried us up the
steep hills with ease, carefully navigating among fallen trees and loose rocks.
Once we have reached a top of one of the hills, a magnificent panorama opened
up before our eyes. Right in the middle of the lake there was either a large
island, or a peninsula, with heavily overgrown forest. Its narrow banks were
covered with grey rocks.

Earlier on, a few from our group have chosen to row an old dinghy across the
lake to the other shore.
The dinghy has seen better days and its oars' ends were made of spades.
While rowing, the boat was never going straight but always curved to one side.
Nevertheless everybody enjoyed the experience.
  
 Naadam Festival
  
One of the highlights of our trip was visiting Naadam festival. It is celebrated
across the country in the middle of July. We were lucky to attend a celebration
in one of the smaller towns we have visited.
It was an opportunity to get closer to the locals, to see their traditional
dresses, horse races and a wrestling competition.

The day was nice and bright and the temperature quite warm. The festival took
place in a wide area where large tents were put up by the organisers.
The wrestling arena was about 50m long and 20m wide has been set up in the centre
with the stretched rope marking the area to form a stadium. Spectators could
either stand or sit on small thin benches outside the marked area.

The wrestling has been going on for hours. It started with wrestlers being
introduced to the crowds. All of them performing some kind of a slow dance with
arms stretched out and knees slightly bent. Most of the them were wearing
Jodag (a light blue or red jacket) and Shuudag (small tight-fitting briefs).

Not far from the arena were two rows of sellers having placed their goods on the
ground on thick rugs. They were selling various objects made from wool, souvenirs,
jewellery and decorative bits and pieces made of wood, bone and horn.

The festival's atmosphere was a celebration of national culture and pride.
One had to watch out for the horse riders, mostly young kids, that moved around in
the crowds like that was the most natural thing to do.

At some point in time there was an excitement in the air and people started moving
towards another area. That appeared to be the finishing line for the horse races.
Kids, some as young as 6, galloped in on the horses with lots of yelling and
screaming.
  
Selenge River
  
Due to time constraints we made only a brief stop near this famous river.

It is a main river in Mongolia, crossing the the border with Russia it flows into
lake Baikal.

Where we stopped the river was quite fast flowing and perhaps only a 100
meters across. As with many rivers in Mongolia the river bed was rocky and
the shores free of trees and bushes.

Following our group's established tradition some brave people took their shoes
off and entered the river, carefully balancing on slippery rocks.
  
 Amarbayasgalant Monastery
  
I have seen a lot of Buddhist temples and monasteries, but this was certainly
different. Probably more real. The buildings looked quite old and neglected.
There was grass growing on the roof tops. The thing that striked me the most
was an abundance of birds; pigeons, crows, magpies. They were circling above,
making loud noises assuring visitors that they were the main inhabitants of
this ancient place, not people.

On entrance of any of the temples one is greeted with a strong incense smell.
And no wonder. Everywhere along the buildings there was drying wood in
stockpiles. This sort of wood is used to make incense sticks.

While carefully walking amongst the building taking in the unforgettable
atmoshpere of this monastery, you see bands of ground squirrels occasionally
popping up from cavities in the walls and holes in the ground. They are
totally unafraid of humans and come as close as a couple of meters from you.

Unlike many religious places around the world and especially in Europe
Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia seem to be left to the forces of nature and
show a state of neglect. Or maybe it is just a part of the Buddhism teaching
to leave things to integrate into their environment?

  
Conclusion
  
Coming back to Ulaan Baatar was as exciting as it was sad. The excitement was
about coming to a finishing line and looking forward to a hot shower.

But feelings of sadness were prevalent among the group. After almost 3 weeks
in the wild there was a strong bond between everyone in the group. Despite
the harsh conditions everyone was trying to help other who were in need or
simply to cheer them up or offer a snack.

Coming back to civilisation with all its complexities was quite hard for me.
I kind of liked the simplicity of life we had, worrying only about putting the
tents up, having something to eat and not getting lost.

Complements to our cook and her assistants the food was always excellent and
plentiful.

Bayartai Mongolia!
  
Miscellanous photos 
  
  
What's cooking?Decision time
  
  
Village supermarketTypical village houses
  
  
Empty bus crosses wooden bridgePuzzle for the reader... Guess what this is on the photo below?