Mongolia

I was heading to Taiwan for the Rotary Convention, rooming with my friend Marty Peak Helman. Marty called me up. “I’m going to Mongolia,” she said, “Are you interested?” Um, I replied. I trotted upstairs to Yosi. “Do you want to go to Mongolia with Marty?” I asked. “I’ve always wanted to go to Mongolia,” he replied. “I never wanted to go to Mongolia,” I noted. But, what the heck, why not?

Most of these photos are mine, with a couple of additional ones from fellow travelers that I liked (obviously, I didn’t take the ones that I am in). AI was used lightly for object removal and a bit of cleanup.

The Trekkers

The Group L-R: Marty, Yosi, Peggy, Ann, Lupe, Laura, and Karen at the Chinggis Khaan National Museum, where we started our experience.

While we were in the National Museum we experienced a classical music concert that was transcendently beautiful

We were a group of seven like-minded, experienced travelers under the Blue Silk Travel leadership of Sara, whose warmth and knowledge made a special trip even greater.

Sara, our fearless leader, with two of our drivers

Apparently we were at the Sukhbaatar Square on a holiday, with many of the celebrants dressed in traditional garb

Temples and Monasteries

Following the ouster of Communism, Mongolia quickly recovered its Buddhist heritage. The Ariyabal Monastery set the stage for us.

These are prayer wheels. You walk the perimeter of the temple while chanting your prayer.

The Gers

Vast open space for as far as the eye can see, spotted with round white yurts that the Mongolians call gers. Virtually all Mongolians are, or were, nomads. Even those who have moved into the city keep a ger, generally as part of their family group. Each family has vast herds of horses, goats, sheep, cattle, camels and yaks. They move to the mountains in the summer and down to the plains during the winter. Although not usually inundated with snow, it gets fiercely cold, sometimes to the point that most of the animals die. The gers, they told us, can be packed up and moved in forty minutes or less.

We stayed in deluxe gers. Hardly roughing it – ensuite bathrooms with bidets.

We were honored to be able to visit a nomad family and were welcomed into their ger with special treats.

Golden Eagles

One of the highlights of the trip was unexpected: Sara found an opportunity for us to play eagle handler.

Horses

Mongolian horses are at the center of the nomadic life, with more genetic diversity than any other breed on the planet. Their images are everywhere, most notably in the world’s largest equestrian statue. They are used for riding, transportation, and occasionally lunch. Huge herds run free, surviving on their wits and instincts. When needed, they are pulled from the herds, ridden, and then released. They are tough, no nonsense animals with little interest in being your new best friend – their whole attitude is “let’s get on with it, and now.” They have two speeds: fast trot and hell bent for leather. Not for the fainthearted, but they are surefooted.

We crossed a river to start the horse trek. The horses seemed unfazed by the deep, swift water.

The scarf around the horse’s neck designates him as an honored animal who has excelled in some area such as winning a competition

We rode through a herd of yaks. Do you know how big those things are?!

In order to get us back across the river they literally threw us into the back of an old Russian truck

The men love to race and rear their horses. The women treat them more gently and the horses respond in kind.

Chingiss Khaan Monument

In the Tsonjin Boldog area, just east of Ulambaatar, looms the world’s largest equestrian statue, completed in 2008. You can’t miss it. Five floors beneath the statue house the Chingiss Khan Museum, a well curated collection of objects, exhibits, and gift shops.

Sara set up a special treat: an archery lesson near the monument by the third-place winner of the national competition.

Yosi played dress-up as a Mongolian warrier.

The Gobi Desert

After a few days in the Terelj National Park and surrounding areas, we jetted south to Dalanzadgad (known as DZ) and the Gobi Desert. Although there were sand dunes, the terrain also included gravel plains, grassy hills, and the cliffs where the first dinosaur eggs were found. It rarely rains in the Gobi, but it rained for us. Just briefly, but enough to remind us how unpredictable the weather patterns are in Mongolia.

I was lost in the desert for fifteen minutes. Fifteen looong minutes.

The first nest of dinosaur eggs was discovered in the Flaming Cliffs in 1929. The area is one of the great sources in the world for dinosaur fossils.

Each stone in the tower represents a deceased military member.

Bactrian Camels

We LOVED the camels, with their homely, goofy faces. Bactrians are supposedly better natured than their dromedary cousins. The space between their two humps is decidely comfy once you figure out the pacing rhythm of their gait.