Scott and I spent a leisurely morning at the hotel, ate lunch there and then sadly, parted ways; Scott was headed back to Auckland, New Zealand via Tokyo while I was flying directly back to Seattle. I was appreciative that he was able to join me on our not often enough father-son trips. Hopefully there will be some more in the future.
My flight on Korean Air was so-so. The plane and seating were outdated and the movie selection was not all that good. Food and drink were acceptable; the staff was good. It just did not match the Delta flight I was on at the beginning of the trip. I spent most of the trip trying to finish a book I had brought along- a story of a person who visited all of the world’s countries over a 50 year period. I hope to add more countries to my list (this was #105) but do not have illusions that I will get anywhere near visiting all 196 countries .
Epilogue:
– Mongolia is not for everyone. I do not think my wife, Yvonne, would have enjoyed all the driving on dirt roads and the lack of amenities in the ger camps. However, if you like visual beauty, vast expanses that seem to go on forever, and a fondness for learning about new cultures and experiences Mongolia is a good choice for a visit. The country was clean and the people are friendly.
– The Naadam Festival was awesome! The sports, the competition, the pageantry, the entertainment was outstanding. If you choice to go to Mongolia try to include it as part of your visit as it is truly unique.
-Mongolia is often referred to as “the land of the blue skies”. I can see why Genghis Khan revered the skies of Mongolia. The crystal clear, vibrant blue skies and the clouds presented to me each day were fascinating.
-I did not apppreciate the influence Genghis Khan had on our modern day world. Some of things he gave us:
he overthrew the feudal world by promoting on the basis of merit and achievement, rather than on aristocratic birth
he allowed religious freedom and tolerance for all
he treated conquered peoples fairly
he implemented the first inter-nation postal service
he sought a universal alphabet
he created diplomatic immunity
he increased trade between nations, reduced tariffs and established a rule of law for all, including rulers
Thought for the day:
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”
July 21, 2024: Retracing Our Steps and a Fun Food Tour!
Our Mongolian tour was over. We had traveled almost 1,100 miles and yet only saw a small portion of this beautiful country.
We were on an 8 AM flight to Seoul, South Korea so we had to leave the hotel by 6 AM as it is usually a one hour drive. But in the back of my mind I worried a bit about whether there would be the normal heavy Ulaanbaatar traffic. As it turned out there was no problem but the airport was busy at that time of the morning. Also the “big” 787 aircraft was back on the route so we had not have the issue we had coming over at the beginning of the trip.
After arriving in Seoul we checked into the same airport Grand Hyatt hotel we used before going to Mongolia. We had planned to do a bit of sightseeing in Seoul before going on an evening walking food tour, but it was raining when we arrived so we stayed at the hotel until late afternoon, when the weather cleared.
As it turned out Scott had never been on a food tour, whereas Yvonne and I regularly take them when we are in a new country. We find them to be an excellent way of experiencing local food (safely) as we learn more about the culture and food within the country. This tour turned out to be great and Scott, who had not initially shown much interest when I suggested it, readily agreed. We spent two delightful hours with a small group of fellow travelers as we wandered through the famous Gwangjang “night” Market in Seoul, sampling different types of popular Korean “street food”. Anthony Bourdain ate at some of the same places we visited. If interested I was told there is a good documentary on Netflix called “Street Food: Asia”.
It was then back to the hotel for a good night sleep before we go our separate ways as Scott will be returning to New Zealand and I am flying back home to Seattle.
July 20, 2024: Back in the Big City of Ulaanbaatar.
Our sleeping in gers is at an end as we will be back in our hotel in Ulaanbaatar tonight. I do not think the gers were bad at all. They were clean, as were the restrooms and showers, the food was decent (especially if you loved beef) and the availability of electricity and internet was not all that bad. It was much better than I anticipated.
It will be another 240 km driving day, but mostly on a real highway! We were back in Ulaanbaatar in time for lunch at a nice local restaurant where we had chicken, not beef! It was then back to our original hotel (Hotel Grand Hill) where we had a chance to shower, sleep or simply relax until we left for a short city tour at 4:30 PM.
Our first stop was at the Gandan monastery, the largest functioning Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. Its formal name is Gandantegchinlen Monastery, which means Great Place of Complete Joy. It is one of the few monasteries that was not destroyed by the Communists. It is thought to have originated in 1809. It is the site of several active Buddhist temples, at least 4 universities and has about 150 active monks. While there we observed monks praying with a local family, young men training to be a monk, a local wedding party and the 26 m high gilded, 20 ton statue of Migjid Janraisig, the Buddhist deity who represents compassion. The statue was built in the 1990s to replace the one destroyed during the communist purges of the 1930s.
From the monastery we went to the huge Genghis Khan square where the Mongolian parliament building is located. It is a popular gathering spot for people and we saw many of them walking around. There were also a lot of children riding around in little battery powered cars. While there we had an opportunity to spend about 30 minutes shopping at one of the largest cashmere companies in the country. I was amazed at how many different mens and womens products were being offered at very competitive prices compared to what they would cost in the USA. As we waited for a few people to complete their purchases the entire store lost electrical power. Luckily it was still light outside so we did not have a problem leaving the store with our packages.
We were driven a short distance to a local auditorium where we were scheduled to see a show featuring Mongolian singers, dancers and musicians. But as we arrived we learned that the building had also lost power. Not to be denied, the staff at the auditorium said they would move the show out to the large lobby where we waited. As they prepared bringing chairs into the lobby, the lights went back on and we were back into the auditorium with only a 15 minute delay to the start of an excellent folkloric performance highlighting Mongolian song and dance. It was top notch. I even bought a DVD of the show.
We then drove back a short distance to a restaurant where we had our “farewell dinner”. Hugs, goodbyes and wishes for safe travel was extended to all, as we each went our separate ways back to our homes or onward to more travels,
Tomorrow morning Scott and I will be retracing our steps to Seoul, South Korea where we will do some sightseeing and then spend the night before each going our separate ways to our respective homes.
For those of us who do not speak Mongolian the area we will be visiting today means “Stones of small land”. We would have to arrive before we found out what that meant. It would be another long day as we expect to cover 240 km, taking about 5 hours of driving. All this shows is how big this country really is.
The day started early for those interested in returning to the White Stupa at dawn, as we left the ger camp at 6:15 AM. Unfortunately the day did not start with a spectacular sunrise but those of us who got up still wanted to see the cliffs in the early morning sun. This morning we traveled to the base of the cliffs to get another prospective of the rocky area. It was just as spectacular from this viewpoint.
After breakfast back at the ger camp we left at 8:15AM for the Baga Gazriin Chuluu area.By 1 PM we arrived at the Erdene Ukhaa ger camp where will be staying for the night for lunch before seeking the “stones of small land.
We all left the ger camp at 3:30 and were at the kick-off spot for our walk before 4PM. The area is covered with large slabs of granite, covering most of the ground in the area. The granite covers an area of about 15km long by 10km wide. It made for easy walking as Maggie led us on a walking tour of the area. There was even the ruins of a small Buddhist temple in the area and we quickly learned how to recognize (and hopefully avoid) the Mongolian version of poison ivy, which was present in the area. Although not as spectacular as the White Stupa or Flaming Cliffs this area did have its allure and projected a peaceful atmosphere. I can see why the Buddhist monk(s) chose this area way back when.
By 6PM we were back at the ger camp where Maggie taught us several popular games using knuckle bones from sheep and goats! The bone (from real animals) has 4 distinct sides and each side has a specific name: fast horse, lazy camel, fat sheep and skinny goat. I had trouble discerning what was a fast horse versus a lazy camel!
Tomorrow we will be back in Ulaanbaatar for our final day of touring.
July 18, 2024: Heading Back North to See the White Stupa
It was going to be a long driving day as we expect to cover 280 km, estimated to take 5 hours. Our destination today is to visit Tsagaan Suvarga (the White Stupa). Now my understanding is that a stupa is a form of Buddhist architecture so was I surprised when we finally arrived at the “White Stupa”.
Our first stop was a surprise as we entered the city of Dalanzadgad, the capital of Ömnögovi province. It was a real city with some high rise buildings and even an airport. It lies at an elevation of 1470 meters and boasts a population of almost 25,000. It is 540 km from Ulaanbaatar. We were here to visit the new, modern GOBI Museum of Natural History, opened in 2022. It is a beautiful museum. Unfortunately it also has the no photograph policy so I cannot share what I saw while there. We had a guided tour led by a museum employee so we got to see the real highlights of the museum. The museum’s collection includes traces of human habitation in the South Gobi Province dating back 4,500-5,000 years, ancient relics and fossils from the area. The museum also showcases jewelry, vessels, religious artifacts, Buddha paintings and musical instruments. It is a world class museum in a beautiful building.
After our 90 minute tour we stopped at what appeared to be a small shopping center to access an ATM. However, when we entered the building it became obvious it was Mongolian equivalent of Costco! It was a hoot and we all enjoyed wandering through it seeing all the products they offered.
It was back then to the dirt roads that led to the White Stupa. Seeing a small herd of camels lingering by a water trough we stopped to see how the nomads watered their animals. There was a well where a gas powered pump would be run to fill a small trough. It was not operating when we arrived but that soon changed. Between Maggie and Scott they powered up the pump which filled the trough for the now happy camels! We did our good deed for the day.
Two and a half hours after leaving Dalanzadgad we arrived at our night’s ger camp in time for a late lunch. There was a bit of leisure time thrown in until we left after dinner to see the White Stupa as we neared sunset.
We left the camp at 7:45 PM for the short drive to the White Stupa. Arriving at the parking lot all we saw was a flat plain. As we walked on flat ground I wondered where was the famed stupa. Then we reached the edge of the cliff we were standing on and we saw it! It was not a Buddhist structure, but a jaw dropping landscape before us, enhanced by the setting sun and the multiple colors of the rocks before us. It was beautiful and I also think maybe more impressive than the Flaming Cliffs we saw earlier. We spent the next half hour walking along the cliff edge, taking way too many pictures and simply absorbing what we were seeing. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me.
Not sure how it got its name, but the internet says it was once the floor of an ocean and its face looks like a stupa. Another article says because it resembles the ruins of an ancient city when seen from a distance.. You pick whichever explanation you like. The formation is over 60m tall at its highest point and continues for an impressive length of 400m.
Tomorrow we continue our journey northward, back towards Ulaanbaatar.
Our destination today is a visit to the the largest national park in Mongolia and do a bit of of hiking.
Yolyn Am is a deep and narrow gorge in the Gurvan Saikhan Mountains of southern Mongolia. It is located in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, the largest national park in Mongolia, covering 27,000 sq km. The valley we will be visiting lies between high cliffs and we may be lucky to see some remaining snow/ice which can achieve depths of several meters during winters, a bit of irony since we are deep in the middle of a desert.
On the way to our hike we stopped to visit the local nature museum that featured dioramas of stuffed animals that live in Mongolia. I was surprised at the variety which included snow leopards and even the rare Gobi bear.
On our hike, led by Maggie, we learned a bit more about what “Mongolian time” was. Maggie said our hike was going to only be about 45 minutes. Well, that was a bit of an exaggeration as it was about two hours before we returned to our vehicles and I had recorded 15,041 steps for the day! I was suspicious of Maggie’s estimate of time and/or distances from that day forward! Having said that I can say it was worth it as the scenery was spectacular and we did manage to see a bit of remaining ice deep in the canyon and see several cute pikas (small mammal that looks like an overgrown mouse) that live in the area.
Needless to say after all that walking I slept very well that night!
July 16, 2024: Overcoming Our Flash Flood Experience
A local dog woke us around 5AM. Surprisingly we had a decent night’s sleep in the Lexus.
By 6:45AM we were back at the river that kept us from crossing last night. The two cars that were stuck in the river were gone and we later learned that the Russian vehicle did show up after we left last night and pulled them to safety.We had hoped that the water would be gone by now, but it was still flowing at a fair rate. Our drivers again took off their shoes and spent about an hour walking through the water and mud, trying to find an area that did not have deep holes that could prevent our crossing. Their focus was upstream of the normal roadway but the issue there was that the exit bank was elevated several feet after the level of the stream. There was no level exit lane in the immediate area. Oh, I should mention that our vehicle that we had to abandon yesterday somehow managed to extract himself sometime during the night and had joined us here at the river’s edge this morning
Finally at 7:50 AM our #3 driver (the car Scott and I were in) felt he could successfully make the crossing and off we went first. I had a moment of panic as we approached the high bank on the other side of the river as we seemed to slow down and wobble a bit, but our trusty Lexus simply rose to the challenge and we bounced our way onto firm ground. After our vehicle made it across the river, our other two vehicles also successfully made the crossing and we were together again, safely on the other side of the river. Below is the video taken by some girls from Indonesia who were watching us from the other side of the river. They were kind enough to share it with us.
We were supposed to have visited the Flaming Cliffs last night but our river experience obviously changed those plans. Maggie did a great job changing our trip plans on the fly. We immediately went to the ger camp we were supposed to have stayed last night and luckily managed to find we could spend tonight there instead. We arrived at the Mongol Gobi ger camp at 8:30 where we were able to get breakfast, with the rest of the morning available for us to shower and rest. You could tell we were in a pretty isolated area as electricity and hot water availability was limited here. Internet was unavailable and the beer and water was only mildly cold. We are roughing it here!
The original tour plan was to continue further south the see Khongoryn Els, the tallest (300 meters) sand dune in the Gobi Desert. The problem was the roads leading there were likely to be worse than the ones we just traveled on. Maggie wanted to wait until she heard from drivers coming back from that area what the road conditions were like before we committed going there. She even called all the local ger camps to see if any tour groups had arrived from that area. So far, none had. She said a decision would be made by our 1:30 lunch. By that time there was no information about road conditions in that direction so we moved on the plan B or was it Plan C or D by now. No one was upset as most had seen big dunes in the past and we did not want to repeat yesterday’s experiences! We would go to see the flaming cliffs at 3PM and then visit a local nomadic family who had camels where we would get to ride on the Bactrian camels that are common in this area.
We first visited the Flaming Cliffs which were made famous in the 1920s when an American paleontologist, Roy Chapman Andrew’s expedition, accidentally discovered a nest of dinosaur eggs, proving that the species laid eggs. The expedition also discovered for the first time the bones of the now famous (because of Jurassic Park movies) velociraptor dinosaur. The area got its name because of its brilliant color at sunset. It is a pretty spectacular area that reminded me a bit of what our Badlands look like. We plan to return to the site after dinner to see that sunset spectacle and have a “sundowner” cocktail party in an area below the cliffs where Maggie was given special permission to take our vehicles.
We drove to visit a nearby nomad family for our ride on the two humped Bactrian camel. We got to see the family milk a camel and learned more about these unique animals before climbing on board for a short ride near some local dunes. Camels are pretty valuable- worth $400-500 each. The fur is used to make woven mats that are used as insulation on the gers. Camels are milked like the horses and the meat is often eaten. Other fun facts: only 6% of the world’s camels are Bactrian and they are mostly in Mongolia. The humps do not hold water; they hold fat. A camel with a “floppy hump” is undernourished. They live 40-50 years and can run up to 40mph for short bursts and maintain a sustained rate of 25mph. They are larger and heavier than their dromedary cousins.
This particular nomad family owned 100 camels and had a herd of 600 sheep and goats located about 20 miles away. Oh, by the way we learned a bit about nomadic medicine- a mother’s urine is often drunk as a cure for fevers, headaches and sore throats.
One thing that caught me by surprise was that the Gobi Desert is not all sand like the Sahara Desert. Most of it strongly resembles our desert southwest, minus the cactus. There are only small areas that have sand dunes.
Back to the ger camp for dinner and then hastened back to the base of the cliffs where Maggie and team set up a small table and stools and broke out snacks, beer, vodka, wine and soft drinks as we took in the beauty of a magnificent sunset! It was stunning and again, my pictures do not do it justice.
No one complained about our tour changes. It was a marvelous, memorable day in the Gobi Desert!
July 15, 2024: An Unexpected Surprise and a Very Big Problem!
We left the ger camp at 8:30AM, heading to see the ruins of the Ongi Monastery (formally known as Ongun Khud) where 1000 monks once lived and worshiped. Originally started in 1760 eventually 28 temples were built on two site, facing each other across a local river. There are even four Buddhist universities on the site. The temples were completely destroyed in 1939 when the Communists controlled the area. Two hundred monks were also killed and many others sent to prisons. A new temple was built on the site in 2004. There is also a museum of Buddhist artifacts at the site. We spent about an hour visiting the existing temple and museum before moving on, with an expected 80km trip to our next stop, the Flaming Cliffs, the famous location where dinosaur eggs were found and changed our view about dinosaurs.
We made a short stop when we encountered a herd of camels near the road. It was the first encounter we had with camels and everyone was curious. A stop in the small local town was also made for a rest stop and a chance to pick up some snacks in the local market. After Leaving the town our lead driver surprisingly made a wrong turn and we had to double back a short distance to find the correct road.
Then the unexpected happened! We ran into a stretch of mud and water, the result of the rain we recently had. Stopping to assess the passage we found a passenger van stuck in the mud. It was about noon. As is the custom we immediately offered to help, taking out a tow strap and pulling the van out of the water-logged mud. Since we had 4 wheel drive vehicles we felt we could traverse the watery passage. Over the next three hours we alternately helped each other maneuver our way through the muck, stopping periodically to free one of our vehicles which became stuck. This included helping another mired two wheel drive van with Polish visitors who should not have even attempted traveling through the watery mess, but they did and got stuck.
Well, two of our vehicles ultimately made it through the area. I have a ten minute video documenting our successful travel through the watery mess but l have not figured out how to upload it to this blog. Unfortunately our third vehicle got stuck again. We managed to free him but he got stuck once more. It was now 4PM. After considerable effort to free the car we realized we were going to be unable to free it and at 7:30 PM we decided the vehicle (and driver) would have to be abandoned for the night. We transferred the people and luggage from the stuck vehicle to the other two vehicles and headed to the ger camp.
Then we had a “from the frying pan into the fire” moment. As we approached a normally dry wash near the ger camp we instead found a rapidly flowing river! Maggie got out of the lead vehicle and stood there saying “there should not be a river here”! Normally it would not had deterred our experienced drivers except that there were two vehicles half submerged in the middle of the river! It was now 8PM. Our drivers took off their shoes and starting walking through the river, looking for a safe passageway. Much of the river depth was only a foot or so; however there were often holes where the water depth was close to 4 feet. It was not safe enough to try a crossing. No problem, Maggie says. She puts in a call to secure the ” Russian tow truck” from a village some km away, to tow us safely across. So we wait. We missed lunch and it was now past dinner time at the ger so Maggie put in a call to the camp and asked them to pack up dinner for us and bring it to their side of the river. Our drivers will wade across and carry the dinners back to us. By 10 PM we were drinking the left over vodka and eating our dinners on the tailgate of one of the vehicles. The Russian vehicle had not yet come.
About 10:30PM Maggie ordered us to load up. We thought that perhaps they learned of an alternative nearby location to safely cross the river. After driving about 10 minutes we pull up to a ger and what appeared to be a “tiny house” on wheels (a modern ger alternative?). Why did we stop? Maggie negotiated renting the tiny house for us to sleep in for the night. What did you say? All nine of us sleeping on the floor of this unit? Is there enough room? What about the snoring? Pandy, our English lady, said emphatically that she would rather sleep in the car. I had slept on a hard floor in a monastery in Korea on my trip there and knew I did not want to experience that again. I also voted for the car, as did my son, Scott. So by 11:30 PM the three of us settled in the comfy seats of the Lexus and had a decent night’s sleep! The rest of our group did sleep on the floor of the tiny house and the poor drivers slept under blankets on the ground outside the tiny house. I am not sure where Maggie slept.
What a day! What an experience! What will tomorrow bring? Will we be able to cross the river?
July 14, 2024: Finding a Local Nomadic Family and the Middle Gobi
We were warned it would be a “long day” as we expect to travel some 290km (180 miles), mostly “off-road” as we head further south toward the Gobi desert area. Normally in the USA we would say that 180 miles would take about 3 hours. However, when you are on dirt roads most of the way we were told it would take about 6 hours to cover the same distance.
As part of an “unplanned” adventure Maggie May was hoping to find a nomadic friend (a widow) of hers who lived “somewhere” in the area. As we drove she told us how one year she tried to find her friend after receiving general guidelines of where her ger was located -to no avail. She is hoping we have better luck now. And about one hour after leaving the main paved road we did, indeed, come upon two gers located in the middle of a beautiful grassy plain with her herds of sheep and goats feeding nearby. As is the Mongolian tradition we were warmly welcomed into her home and entertained lavishly for the next 1.5 hours with food and stories about nomadic life, their food and customs. It was quite a visit and a real highlight to our Mongolian adventure.
Unfortunately about 45 minutes after leaving her home we stopped for lunch as it was the only available stop in the area. It was unfortunate because the stop was at a Mongolian BBQ and we were not that hungry after the food we consumed earlier. Somehow we managed to still eat more before moving on-you never know when we might get stranded and miss a meal!
The rest of the afternoon was spent traveling on the dirt roads, often as fast as 40mph, as the dirt roads were surprisingly smooth with out much “wash boarding” or potholes. Once the roads become hard to drive on the driver simply moves over and creates a new road. Normally one would say this is bad for the environment, but this region is so vast that it hardly makes a dent in the local terrain. The other amazing thing is there are absolutely no road signs to guide you. It is simply the knowledge of the drivers that gets us to where we want to go.
After a long day “on the road” we arrive at our ger camp for the night around 4 PM where we got to relax before dinner and a fairly early bedtime. It had started to rain lightly about the time we arrived and continued late into the night.
Tomorrow we will visit the nearby Ongi Monastery. We were supposed to visit it today but our detour to visit the nomadic family threw us off schedule. No problem; we are on vacation!
July 13, 2024: Kharkorum, the Ancient Capital of Mongolia
Our main destination today is to visit the ancient capital of Mongolia, Kharkorum, but we stopped along the way to see another smaller Buddhist temple and see our first sand dunes in Mongolia, the Elsen Tasarkha dunes.
In 1220 Genghis Khan established his headquarters at Kharkorum when he invaded China. In 1235 his son, Ögedei, built a wall around the city and used it as the capital of Mongolia. In the 1585 the Buddhist monastery of Erdene Zuu was created there when Tibetan Buddhism was named as the official religion of Mongolia. It is thought to be the oldest monastery in Mongolia. In 1939 the communists destroyed most of the Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia and killed over 10,000 monks. Part of this monastery was not destroyed. In 1990 it became a functioning monastery once again. Today, only some ruins of the original city of Kharakorum remain but the monastery temple complex still exists. We toured both the temple complex and the nearby modern museum of Kharakorum, dedicated to the story of Kharakorum and Genghis Khan. Again photography was not allowed inside the museum unless you paid an exorbitant fee which no one did. It would be cheaper to buy a souvenir book; unfortunately none were in English so you will have to rely on the internet to learn more about the history of the city and area surrounding it.
Before proceeding to our ger camp for the evening we stopped in the local town ( population of 14,745) for an ATM (amazing easy to understand and use) and walk through their local market. Each province in Mongolia has a centrally located small town to provide needed services and schools for the local population. Nomadic children come there to go to school, boarding in town until the weekend.
Our ger camp for the night was called Secret of Silk Road and turned out to be not your typical ger camp. It is only a few years old and offered fancy amenities like a sauna, massages, laundry service and even an en-suite toilet and shower in our ger! When we saw that a 50 minute massage cost 110,000 tugrik (Mongolian currency) which is $32.37 both Scott and I immediately signed up. Had to be the world’s best bargain! Unfortunately we never saw another such opportunity the rest of the trip. And other prices were equally impressive. A 0.5 liter of beer was $3.53 and bar drinks were $5.89.
Tomorrow we continue our trip southward toward the Gobi desert.