The Best Kept Secret

Hi there - we have finally found an internet cafe that as affordable rates. By the way - in case you are worrying about us becoming illerate - we don't have spell checker and don't take time to proof read - being the cheapskates that we are. So, endure!

Leaving China, we headed North to Mongolia - our 9th country since leaving the US. We are 1/2 way home in terms of number of countries we will visit.

'The Land of Blue Sky', Mongolia is stuningly beautiful. It is about twice the size of Texas with green grasslands that go on forever, a little sesert (mostly in the southern part) and mountain forests (more in the north), with all variation of steppe in between. Vast herds of horses, sheep, goats, and camels moving with nomads.

Our firts impression after landing un UlaanBaatar was that the air was so clean and clear. Turely a real breath of fresh air after China! We had the same clean air impression when land ing in Bhutan from Nepal. As we drove into town from the airport we passed several coal-fired plants. We suspect air quality takes a real hit during the winter.

Ulaan Baatar, the capital and largest city in Mongolia can only be described as a tired, worn-out city of mostly Russian-built buildings. Mongolia has been under the heavy influence of Russia since around the 1920s - and usually not always to their benefit. Needless to say, it has been greatly affected by the break-up of the Soviet Union. It is struggling to get on its feel economically. Many nomads are coming into the city in search of work, especially in the last two yeaars. The winters were very harsh with a drought during the summer in between. Many nomads lost most of their herds. Unfortunately, unemployment in UB is very high - like around 40+%. In spite of its many problems, the city is fairly clean - not much litter and garbage in the streets. Such things as public urination is rare.

We checked into our 3-star hotel (Mongolia has no 4 or 5 star ones). It is a remodeled Russian building - actually quite nice and comfortable. We went through the Natural History Museum - renovated in 1998. It has some interesting pictographs, many old moth-eaten stuffed birds and animals, and some great reconstructed dinosaurs. They get an 'E' for effort. Sukhbaatar Square has a statue of him on a horse. He is the dude who is considered the 'Hero of the Revolution - 1911-21 declaring Mongolia's final independence from the Chinese.

Dinner was a traditional Mongolian meal. It started with dried milk curds (aaruul) and mutton noodle soup. There was also fermented milk, milk tea (with salt), and vodka. Most of these, we decided, have acquired tastes. The main course had potato, two types of cabbage, and some sor of pot roast - maybe mutton, maybe beef. Before the main course arrived, the waitress handed each of us a rock wrapped in a napkin. It took a minute for us to realize that the rock was very hot. Traditionally, they take a goat or sheep, clean out the insides, skin it, place hot rocks inside, seal it, and place it on the fire to cook from inside as well as outside. Then then take the rock out, hand them around and everyone warms their hands! Cleaver idea for the winter time.

The next day we headed west, first stopping at the Ganden Monastery - the largest and most important one in Mongolia. LIke most monasteries in Mongolia, it fell victim to the communist purges of the '30s. There are 2 smaller temples to the right as you enter, with a much large on at the end of the main path. It contains the Migjid Jansaisig (God of Peace) statue. Unfortunately the original one was destroyed in 1937 and the metal from the peace god was taken to St. Petersburg and melted down to make bullets. It took 5 years, but the statue was rebuilt, and consecrated by the Dali Lama in 1996. It is 25 meters tall, weights 20 ton, and is made from bornze, copper, gilded with gold, covered with gold brocade and over 500 meters of silk. It is huge and beautiful - perhaps the most beautiful of all that we have seen in Asia. More trivia: besides its many precious stones, it contains 27 tons of medicinal herbs, 334 sutras, 2 million bundles of mantras, and at the base, an entire ger (yurt), plus furniture!!

We then set off to Bayangobi about 175 miles to the south west. As we drove through the high plateau grasslands, very green, there were occasional gers, herds of horses, sheep, goats, cows, and even a few camels. There were very big eagles, hawks and cranes. We stopped to watch a nomad family milk their horses to make the fermented mare's milk (an acquired taste!). We stayed in a tourist camp. All the buildings (resturant and individual cabins) were gers. We know them as Yurts. There are like 5-star hotels without the terrycloth robes! They are clean and spacious (except for the low doorway getting in) with a wood stove in the middle. This area of Mongolia is populated by nomads who tend to live in groups of 3-5 gers (usually family members). They will move their gers and animals 2-10 times a year depending upon pasture conditions.

Our ger was a typical one. It was spacious inside with a hole in the ceiling to let in a lot of light and vent the wood stove. The round walls are made of a lattice-like wood frame - sort of like a huge baby gate, with the door facing south. Rumor has it - to keep an eye on Manchuria incase they might invade again! Above the latticed walls were many roof poles going from the walls to a circular wooden ring. This right has 2 vertical wooden column holding it up. The ger is covered with a layer of felt (maybe 2-3 layers in the winter), then a cotton layer, with a canvas layer (originally animal hides) on the outside. Our driver and guide ate with us - the 1st time this has happened since Africa. Our driver is the most sane of all we have had. Our guide's English was good and talking with him is both interesting and enjoyable. It is obvious that he truely loves and cares about his country.

The next morning we drove to a sand dune area, stopping to look at a winter animal shelter on the way. You have to love wind to live here! We also stopped at an 'Ovoo'. It is a pyramid-shaped pile of rocks, wood, various offerings, and many silk scarves (usually blue). Ovoos tend to be located at the top of hills, mountains, or passes and represent a shamanistic traditional offering to the Gods. The one we stopped at was on a hill next to the road. - sort of a 'safe journey' one. Wanting to insure our safe travels, we tossed some rocks on it and walked around it clockwise 3 times. Anything to help with a safe journey!!

About 50 miles further was Karkorum, the 13th century Mongolian capital. Outside of town is the 1st buddist monastery in Mongolia (Erdene Auu Khiid). It has been vandalized and destroyed over the centures, the latest was the Stalinisht purges of the '30s. Many relics, paintings and statues were saved by locals hiding them. What has been restored is very nice. Encircling the monastery area is a square wall of 108 stupas. Just outside the walls are 2 turtle rocks. We walked over to one - sure enough - a carved stone turtle on a rock. Turtles are considered symbols of eternity.

Our ger camp was near by. Were were very cosy inside during an evening rainstory, and the fire in our stove was really nice. The next morning we drove up a hill on the oppposite side of town to the 2nd turtlew. There used to be 4 (n,w,s,w) marking the ancient town. Now only 3 remain. At the bottom of the hiss is Phallic Rock (representing God of Fertility). Legend has it that the rock was placed there to stop frisky monks from fraternizing with local women!!

As we drove to Khustai (Birch Mountain Range) National Park, we passed many prarrie dogs and siberian iris. Oh, how I wish I could take some of these iris home. The park was established in 1993 to protectg the 'Takhi' = Mongolian wild horse. These horses became extinct in Mongolia in 1969. There were about a dozen in zoos in Russia and Europe. With the help of a Dutch fellow and international environmental agencies, 15 were reintroduced into this areaa in the early 199-s. Today there are aboaut 120 with 10 more births expected this year. The philosophy of the park is to let nature take it course, so wolves tend to get several horses each year. These horses are not domestic horses gone wild, but genetically different with 2 extra chromosomes. They are sandy colored with a dark strip down the back. The tail is more fan-shaped, the tail and legs have zebra stripes, the skull and jaw is heavier, the legs shorter than a domestic horse. There is no forelock and the mane is short and erect. With the local park guide, we were aboe to walk within about 50feet of a small group. There were about 20 horses in this area - all very healthy and impressive looking.

The next morning we took an early flight south ot the Gobi Desert in an AH24 - a Russian-built military plane converted to civilian use (My brother will think this is interesting). The plane has 50 seats and is very basic - no air vents or reading light, only a 'fasten seat belt' sign and a woman handing out candy and cotton balls before take-off! The flight was smooth enough. We landed on a dirt runway and taxied at a jaunty angle. Perhaps they need a little more air in that left wheel!

Dalanzadgal, where we landed is a small, windy, flat city at about 6000 feet elevation. It is well located for trips into the desert. Our ger camp was about 35 km west. The Gobi Besert is in the southern part of Mongolia and is actually stony, scrubby wasteland with minimal vegetation. Sand dunes cover only about 3% of the Gobi. Our guide said that the population density here is about 0.5 people/km. In 1999 and 2000 Mongolia experienced the worst and longest 'Zud' in memory. 'Zud' is a Mongolian word describing any condition that keeps livestock from gettin grass. In this case, it was heavy snow and impenetrable ice cover. The situation was made worse because there was a drought during the summer in between (I think I have already mentioned this). Many animals died. As we drove around, we passed the carcass and skeletons of many animals.

Although it was kind of touristy, we had a great time riding a camel. It was a fairly smooth ride, but you definately had to hold on and lean the right direction when it got up or down! Another camel walking with us kept using my shoe to scratch its nose. Glad I could be of help! The camels are the 2-humped Bactrian camel. Here comes the trivia: They are perfect for long distance desert travel, although kind of slow (about 5 km.hr). They can go a week without water and a month without food. THey can carry up to 250 km, provide about 5 kg of wool/year, produce 600 liters of milk/year. They are a good source of meat, produce 250 kg of dung/yr (dried and used as fuel). If the humps are drooping, the camel is sick or needs food or water. A Thirsty camel can drink 200 liters in a single day! We stopped back to see the camel lady - to show here that we could tie the knot she had shown us the day before. We walked over to look at her sheep and goats. One lamb had a deformed foot - Sal agreed that she sould put a leather cover over it for protection. All of her animals looked healthy and well-cared for. She had lost many animals during the Zud.

Driving to the Moltzogels sand dune area about 70 km away was pretty much an overland (vs on a road) route. Around the sand dunes were many camels. A baby had gotten sperated from mom and was most unhappy and quite noisy. Finally, it figured things out and all was again well (and quiet). We stopped at 3 dirrerent wells to ask the nomads directions. 'Just over there' turned out to be about 30 km away. We walked around a forest area. The trees were very scrubby and, I'm sure, slow-growing. The tallest were perhaps 20 feet tall. They had little tube-like needles designed to minimize water loss. We saw a group of gazelles. The driver (not the good one from UlaanBaatar) got the jeep stuck. Why he though driving through soft sand was a good idea was unclear. We suspect it had something to do with the younter guide suggesting a different route! Putting the jeeps into 4-wheel drive involved taking off the wheel hub and using an allen wrench to screw it down. After much fussing he did get it out without us having to push. Next we drove over to the Flaming Cliffs - an area that looks like it belonged in Southern Utah/Arizona. Roy Chapman Andrews, American Paleontologist, when he first excavated some dinasaur eggs and bones in this area in 1922. This area is classic desert - rock, red sand, scrub, sun, and awesome emptiness. Driving back, the driver really put the pedal to the metal - which if you are holding on to the steering wheel, isn't bad. Sal wasn't talking and when I asked her if she could hear me - she said that she was keeping her teeth clenched so she wouldn't bite her tongue or break her teeth (and politely suggested that I shut-up and do the same!) Once again - though we didn;'t feel like our life was in danger, like in Tibet, we were wondering why men are allowed to drive.!

Later that night our driver, who speaks no English, came to our ger. We weren't sure what he wanted, but in keeping with Mongolian tradition, we offered him tea. After he slurped it down - he pointed to Sal's rope. He then showed us how to tightewn the knot the camel lady had shown us. He then showed us a easy slick way to tie a double half hitch.

The morning we dlew back to UB had one last absurb driving event. The plane was a charter for all of the people staying at our tourist camp. So everyone was headed for the same plane and the plane wouldn't leave without everyone. However, that didn't stop all the drivers from racing on the dirt tracks (roads) or cross-country in a mad dash. We really had to hold on - and we were on the road. Why, o why do we give guys the car keys!

Back in UB, we took in the Bogd Khaan Palace Museum. It was originally the winter palace of the last king in pre-revolutinary Mongolia (1869-1924). While he was ruler of government and religion - he died of syphillis! There were many nice relics but they don't quite get the grounds upkeep feature. The next day we drove about an hour and half to the NE. It is a very beautiful area of green hills and valleys, some patches of fir and birch trees. Great rock climbing area. It reminds us of Western Montana and Wyo9ming. We went for a long hike and sat on a hill soaking up the sun, the pleaxant breeze, blue sky, herd of horses and the quiet. Heard and finally saw a cuckoo bird. What a wonderful afternoon!

Back in UB again, we took in the Mongolian Traditional Clutural performance. Using traditional instruments, the orchestra played traditional music as well as a few classical pieces. The sound was wonderful. As good as most western symphonies. Than dancing and singing was also impressive. Two fellows did throat singing - which is singing 2 different notes as the same time. Wow - how do they do that? This was the best performance we've seen.

We had a great time in Mongolia. It is the best kept secret in Asia. It was a wonderful ending to our long Asia experience. So, it's back to Beijing then on to Japan. Here's hoping we get good weather to climb Mt. Fuji!

More later...