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Mongolia - In The Footsteps of Genghis Khan July, 2008 |
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Arriving at the border, we disembarked and patiently waited around for 6 hours while the Chinese train exchanged it’s wheelbase with the Mongolian standard (width of the tracks is different). Travelers milled about the border town on a hot balmy evening and spent the last of their Chinese currency at a surprisingly well stocked grocery store, before reboarding sometime after midnight and promptly falling asleep. Steadily snaking across the stark Gobi desert the next morning, we passed by lonely outposts of civilization disbursed across miles of barren landscape, and by mid afternoon arrived in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia and home to half of its population. Here we met our driver, who transferred us to our accommodations at Steppe Nomads Resort, located 2.5 hours outside of town in Gun Gulaat, a Mongolian National Park. Driving along an absurdly pot
holed road in a brand new Toyota with inevitable worn out shocks, we
quickly escaped the capital of Ulaanbaatar Warmly greeted by both the local Mongolian staff and the pungent and sweet sage brush smell flavoring the air, we checked into our Ger, a traditional round Mongolian dwelling designed for the indigenous nomadic tribes - easily dismantled and repositioned when migrating throughout the territory. With vistas stretching to the furthest horizons, the all encompassing grassy plains were dotted with free range animals lazily munching on the spring vegetation while wildflower patches blossomed everywhere, a welcome contrast to the frenzy and density of China we had just left.
One day we embarked on a looping hike to a couple of lakes, lazily walking past local herdsmen tending their animals, when we were unexpectedly caught in a fierce thunderstorm and windstorm. Hunkering down on the side of a mountain under the protection of a rocky crag, we were fascinated and awed by the dazzling lightening storm that lit up the valley under the dark grey skies. As quickly as it appeared, it now soon departed, as the darkness was quickly replaced with brilliant blue skies. Another day we rented kayaks
and were driven 6 miles upstream to float back to camp, a distance
covered in about 3 hours. Placidly drifting by My wife was determined to go on a yak back ride and so we arranged it with our host for one of the evenings. That evening, as I watched from our Ger, I was disappointed to see a yak cart rather than two individual yak animals, and rather than disappoint the two local herdsmen, we went for a quick one hour bumpy ride through the field on a patched together wooden cart pulled by a grunting and obviously disinterested yak. My heart was set on a camel ride, but, unfortunately, the camels had mysteriously disappeared a few days before - stolen is what the local herdsmen were saying. Strangely, for the next couple of days I kept humming that old Dylan tune where one of the lines goes – ‘the pump don’t work cause the vandals stole the handle’. Everywhere you look there are herds of animals that work their way across the endless fields, with an occasional person on horseback watching over them or a lonely shepard guarding a flock of sheep (there are wolves that frequent the area).
Well, it started with a cup of fermented milk tea (whose milk we’re not sure – horse, yak, sheep, cow, goat), warm and freshly poured from a worn out dented old blue thermos, obviously left sitting around to ferment. Next was a cheese plate of dubious origin - rock hard and tart - followed by what can only be described by a yoghurt type substance, of which I was to sample first. Spooning out a bit unto my palate, I almost choked on the extreme undesirable sourness of the creamy liquid, much to the amusement of the local cowboys who just laughed and laughed. Noting my distaste for the
homemade yoghurt, the host then proceeded to dump a cup of sugar into
it, which I dutifully stirred around, then All in all, we loved Mongolia, with the fresh air and openness of the country and the warmness, freedom and self reliance of its people. After five days of wonderful companionship and totally relaxing days, we were very reluctant to leave, but needed to get back to Ulaanbaatar for the next leg of our journey to Lake Baikal in Siberia. As we piled into the car for the return trip into town, the entire staff of the resort came out to wish us well, and we waved a final goodbye as we crested the hill leading out of this little heavenly valley. Along the way, we’ve visited destinations that stir the soul and awaken the imagination, places where the people and spirit of the place reverberate inside you and make the whole trip worthwhile. Mongolia is one of those special places. Ambling across the vast grasslands, you sense the ancient spirit of the fearless warrior Genghis Khan, and standing on a hill with your eyes closed, you can imagine his conquering armies of expert horsemen swarming under the gathering clouds and sweeping across the infinite plains, so feared and so relentless.
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Our
journey to Mongolia began early on a Saturday morning when we arrived at
the Beijing train station at 6:30 AM and boarded the modern Chinese
train for the day and a half, overnight adventure to Ulaanbaatar.
Sharing our four person compact compartment with two young ladies, we
steadily rolled through the Chinese countryside, through an eroded
section of the Great Wall, and past fertile farmlands, our last glimpses
of this unique country passing steadily beyond our cabin window. Onwards
we pressed towards Mongolia, another distinctive country on our trip
around the world, crossing from a country of 1.5 billion people to one
of 2.8 million, from concrete jungles and skyscrapers to open space and
endless grasslands, from hot muggy climates to a cooler temperate
environment. 
and stopped briefly for pictures at the newly commissioned and gigantic
gleaming statue of Genghis Khan, the feared noble warrior of the 15
century who conquered much of Asia during his reign. Powering our way to
the end of the asphalt highway, we bravely turned into grasslands
ribboned with rutted tracks and red painted rocks which marked the way
to the resort. Weaving through herds of wild horses, yaks, cattle, sheep
and goats, we finally crested a hill and dropped into a memorable
valley, a meandering river on one flank and a band of hills on the
other, both casting a protective arm around the resort, restfully tucked
in the shadow of a hummock. 
Because
of its remote location all meals were included, and we were constantly
surprised and entertained by the choices offered. Hearty portions of
home cooked traditional Mongolian fare, things such as meat dumplings,
imaginative salads and seasonal vegetables graced our plates, while the
staff was very accommodating in providing vegetarian dishes for my wife.
At night we rested on the deck overlooking the magical countryside,
sharing stories with other guests and savoring the moon as it rose over
the distant hills and the silent stars popped from the blackened skies.
herds of animals, we thoroughly enjoyed the peacefulness and tranquility
of being on the river, as we relaxed and let the current set the pace,
leaning back and inhaling the fresh air and stillness as we meandered
downstream. Frequently we came upon startled herons, sending them alight
as we continued downstream, and bemused livestock wallowing in the
shallow water. 
Another
evening we went on a late afternoon horse back ride with two of our
Swedish friends. As a couple local cowboys led us across the fields just
prior to sunset, we unexpectedly stopped at a local homestead about
halfway through our trip. Amidst barking dogs, we tentatively entered a
local ger, where a freshly skinned ram hung unceremoniously from the
walls and the head lay grotesquely on the ground next to a bowl of blood
and a pile of fur. As the four of us sat nervously on a bench inside the
tent, we wondered what ritual or food we would have to endure, knowing
that to decline any hospitality or offering of food would be considered
an insult to the host. 
sampled again out of politeness, hardly noticing the effect of the cup
of sugar. Lastly, we sampled a kind of tapioca buttery cheese curd,
although out of consideration for my stomach, I passed on. Honestly, it
was quite entertaining and the four of us talked and laughed about it
for hours afterwards. 
