footloose ferrett

The itinerary:

3 days Ulaan-Baatar and 4 day tour of Central Western Mongolia

Highlights: variety of restaurants and bars in Ulaan-Baatar; staying with a nomdic family; horse / camel trekking; hot springs

Lowlights:
Long drives (200-300km) to go anywhere; bumpy, off-road driving;
 
Enjoyable for: hikers/ horse riders; people who enjoy exploring the wilderness and those who fancy themselves as a nomad

Challenging for:
People who get travel sick; vegetarians (you will eat egg, rice and vegetables for every meal!); the steppe is not for people on a tight schedule
 

Ancient warriors, wild horses and expansive, endless steppes: Mongolia carries with it some impressive connotations. Arriving by the Trans-Siberian railway, you notice this added hint of exoticism as you move away from European-focused Russia and into the heart of Central Asia.

Ulaan-Baatar is a city that in some ways seems more modern than it's Russian neighbours. Its few glass skyscrapers glisten in the sun and its supermarkets are stocked with an abundance of local and international produce. We found that the city's variety of good restaurants, bars and cafes were the perfect place to replenish our nutrients and appetites after days of bland Russian food. A big South Korean influence was evident across the city with numerous restaurants and shops where Rhino and I enjoyed Korean samgipsal and galbi barbeques. In contrast to the modernity of the city centre, the majesty of Sukh-Baatar Square and the grand government buildings, the sidewalks remained a mixture of rubble and pot-holes to step carefully across.

We visited the National History Museum, an interesting and well-presented museum with an abundance of English write-ups and viewed a temporary exhibition on Genghis Khan, the great Mongol warrior and national hero. In the 12th century, he impressively ruled land as far west as the Ukraine and as far South as Iran and China. In Mongolia, he is revered and beers are named after him and traditional songs sung of him. It seems he was an impressive character- he had so many wives and children that it is alleged that some 120 million people in Central Asian countries carry a gene of his! What a player!! In the evenings we ate well, drank in micro-brewery bars and met an eclectic mix of foreigners. Among them, some rather morose ex-pats who seemed to be wondering how they ever ended up here and the rather more celebratory Mongol Rally 'finishers' who had exciting stories to tell about driving from the UK to Mongolia in vehicles of various descriptions, including an ex-service London fire engine!

Our goal for Mongolia, however, was not to spend hours gossiping with Westerners in bars but to spend time exploring and experiencing life on the steppes. Through a local tour agency we arranged a short trip into the West of the country in the company of a local guide, driver and a very cheerful Columbian traveller. On our first day, we drove 400km through rugged steppe to Kharakhorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia. A small town built around a large complex of ancient temples. Once home to thousands of monks now it is only home to about fifty - the Communists closed it down in the 20th century after a massacre on the monks. It's an impressive complex with 108 stupors surrounding it though it's in a rather delapidated state. Staying in a local ger camp that night, we were entertained by some local musicians who sang us a variety of traditional songs including some rather bizarre throat singing! We declined his offer of a CD for a tenner but agreed that his rendition of 'Dreams of Gengis' was truly something to behold (if you enjoy the sounds of grunting and strangulation accompanied by some beautiful harp playing).

Rhino's horn

An evening with the Mongols

When your stomach does a somersault from the smell of stale, raw meat hanging from the ceiling, one of the last things you want thrust in your hand is a shot of vodka. And another... And another... But it seems this is Mongolian preparation for camel riding and off we went, with me dressed Gengis Khan style in the warrior coat of the head of the family. An hour and a sore bum later, we returned to be presented with a Mongolian barbeque (delicious) and a large bowl of fermented horse milk (not so delicious - think warm, milky, cheap, white wine with a buttery aftertaste and the knowledge it has come unpastuerised from a horse!). This was the prelude to the night's entertainment, challenging the foreigner to arm-wrestling contests in which I just about managed to save face. After this evening testing my arm and stomach, I retired to another night's back-breaking sleep on the solid, wooden bed of my ger, declinging the option to sleep at the floor of their beds. Great hospitality and a great night!

The following day we drove even further afield (mostly off-road again) in our mini-van to a beautiful forested and mountainous area where natural hot springs had formed. The third day, we drove to a Mongol sand dune, that mysteriously appeared in the middle of the green steppe. We stayed with a Mongolian family for the night in their ger, round tent-like house. Their small one round room home was cosy and home-like with a washing machine, black and white solar powered TV and three beds a central stove and raw meat hanging up everywhere. It was filled with people: the family, visting friends and our tour group. Their cosy little house was quanit and homely but stank!  Read Rhino's horn for more detail.

The young boys in the family then took us on a camel ride to the top of the sand dunes. Reaching the top of the largest dune, the eldest boy rested the camels for a while while he decided that we should all sing a song. He sang a beautiful traditional song and Rhino reciprocated by singing the full Welsh national anthem (dressed as a Mongolian warrior). I've never been prouder...

The Mongolian barbeque that we were served that night differed incredibly from that at the swish restuarant we had been to in Ulaan Baatar, where the city chefs had flung meat and vegetables in the air from a stainless steel grill and put on a show of acrobatic proportions. Instead this was basic meal of mutton, boiled potatoes and cabbage cooked using hot stones on the family's stove. Not as interesting to watch but more authentic and still tasty.

The food on the trip was generally delicious. It is amazing what dishes you can cook with the same few ingredients. Each day, tasty meals of rice, potato, mutton/beef, carrots and cabbage were served as soups, stews, fried dishes and barbeques. It's difficult not to leave Mongolia without having a deep respect for the nomadic people. They live in simple, temporary homes in isolated locations but create comfortable, cosy homes and eat well using basic means and few possessions. Seeing the way that they live really made our journey into Mongolia worthwhile and maybe even opened our eyes... just a little bit!