Ulaanbaatar - east countryside
laanbaatar - east countryside
(Warning: this is going to be a very long but interesting post)
Snowy mountaintops and a cold breeze were the first things we noticed when we got off the plane. Yes, it was clear that this would be a whole different climate and we were ready for it, or almost ready. The only two things we needed to arrange were paying the tour operator and buying warm jackets. The first one wasn’t as easy as we expected and took a few visits to some banks. Lesson learned: pay online beforehand or you’ll lose some time. Finding jackets, on the other hand, went smoothly, thanks to our lovely guide.
Gerlee, our guide for the next few days, picked us up on the second day and guided us through Ulaanbaatar. Our first stop was the indoor black market to buy some jackets and hats. It can be a bit overwhelming, especially on your first day in the country and two days before the Lunar New Year. As a local, she knew exactly where to go. One hour later, we each had a very thick, warm jacket and a comfortable hat—not a traditional or typical Mongolian one, but warm and practical.
Our shopping time was over and we were ready to see a bit more of the city. Getting around in the city by car is not that easy because of all the traffic jams, but we managed to visit the national museum and a monastery with a massive Buddha statue. Because it was the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve, the monks held a prayer ceremony inside the monastery. Our first sign of how important the Lunar New Year is in Mongolia.
The next day, we left Ulaanbaatar behind and drove east into the countryside. And there it was, the stunning, untouched nature of Mongolia. The fact that we were driving around and couldn’t see a house or anything for kilometres is crazy. Just nature everywhere. Unfortunately, not as much snow as we expected, but there was still some snow and ice. Something we needed for our next activity: dog sledging! Along with four other tourists, we arrived at the lake where the ride would take place. Since we were the youngest of the group, we got the youngest driver. A very talented one! It was the 10-year-old son of the owner with his own dogs. And yes, we arrived first at the finish!
This wasn’t the only ride we had that day. In the late afternoon, we arrived at the first traditional house where we were going to stay the night. A small tourist camp run by a local family with a few gers and horses. After unloading the car and getting comfortable in the ger, we went outside and rode a short distance on little fluffy horses to a nearby monastery. One horse was a bit more excited than the other. Does it show in the photo which one was lazy?
In the evening, we were invited to have dinner at the family’s house to celebrate Lunar New Year’s Eve. After a crash course in etiquette from Gerlee, we were ready to slide our feet under the table. Not really possible with the small tables but boy, they had a lot of food on there! One big plate of cheese, a big piece of meat and a smaller plate with sweets, dried fruits or fresh fruit. That wasn’t all, they also gave us dumplings, milk tea, fermented milk, yoghurt vodka, vodka and other alcoholic drinks. Apparently, this was going to be the new normal for the next five days. So, a little more about the Lunar New Year in Mongolia: they celebrate for five days. Enough time to visit every important older person in their lives. Yes, you read that right. Not just family but also neighbours, teachers, friends of their parents… Every visitor is treated with the food and drinks mentioned earlier. On top of that, each guest receives a small gift, which could be anything. Some elderly people welcome around 200 guests during those days. That’s approximately 1600 handmade dumplings. Crazy!
Our New Year’s Eve ended with a pleasant surprise, something Arnaud loves- snow! The next morning, we woke up to a thick white carpet of snow and -20 degrees Celsius. Pretty cold and after standing outside a few minutes and trying to get some photos before driving away, our feet were frozen. One of the traditions in Mongolia is to see the sunrise at the Genghis Khan Equestrian statue. The sun was already up when we arrived at the statue, but that didn’t make it less impressive. It makes you feel small to stand before the statue, but also next to the enormous shoe inside the museum. The emperor left a serious impression even nowadays. The largest shoe in the world is made from real leather and a lot of cows (52, if we remember correctly).
Our drive through Mongolia continued and took some unexpected turns. Just like on New Year’s Day, after a failed attempt to find an open restaurant, our driver and guide switched to plan B: asking a local shepherd if we could eat lunch at his ger. As polite and hospitable as Mongolians are, he welcomed us. We didn’t even have time to settle in before the whole family arrived back home from their visits. They didn’t expect strangers in their home and were very surprised to see a Belgian couple. As surprised as they were, they were also curious about Belgium. We enjoyed our lunch and after holding a lamb, which they offered us as a present, and taking a group photo with the family, we got back on our way to the White Stupa.
The White Stupa is not what you might think. Remember, you’re in Mongolia so almost everything here is about nature. The White Stupa is a cliff where, thousands of years ago, the sea would have reached. Nowadays, you can have a beautiful stroll on the ancient seabed and admire the colourful cliffs. At the next family, we had our first encounter with Mongolian camels and how they’re milked. As you can imagine, there are no big machines here. They milk every camel using a bucket around their waist and their bare hands.
To reach our next destination, we needed to drive through the mountains. The cold temperatures and large mountains create an almost permanently frozen river. Even though our driver wanted to take us all the way to this phenomenal, or at least as close as possible, we convinced him to drop us off and join us on the walk. Apparently, it was his first time walking this route after years of dropping tourists off. He seemed to enjoy the walk very much and we hope he’ll walk it more often in the future. The ice was unpredictable. Some parts were slippery, others sounded hollow when you knocked on them, and some were a mix of snow and ice. Which meant our feet would sink through the top layer of ice into the snow just when you think it wouldn’t. It gave us a little scare the first time. The further we walked, the thinner the ice became. Some parts were already melting. To avoid ending up in ice-cold water, we decided to turn around, back to the car. As we continued driving through the mountains and over the steppe, we had a small accident. One of the rocks punctured our tyre, but not only once. The whole tyre had holes in it and was completely flat. Thankfully, it wasn’t our first flat tyre, and there was a spare in the back. Otherwise, we joked, we could have traded the car for some camels from the family we’ve met. It would go a lot slower, and it is a lot colder, but a lot sweeter.
When you think about a camel, you probably think of deserts. And that is kind of true. We were now near the Gobi Desert, home to one of the longest dunes in the world. 80 km long and the only one where it can snow. Walking in a desert for the first time was extraordinary! We climbed one of the highest dunes all the way to the top and were rewarded with a smooth, grey and white view. We stood there completely alone, it almost felt like a painting. Luckily, the dune was partially frozen and had some snow on it, making it easier to walk and even more surreal. Sometimes you would see the snow appear under the sand after putting your foot down.
Ice, mountains, snow and sand, what other landscapes could Mongolia possibly offer? A forest apparently! Again, not the kind we’re used to. No, this one had dry, sandy ground, low trees and lots of ground squirrels. Cute animals but as fast as lightning! We couldn’t capture one on camera. A bit further, we found the Flaming Cliffs. Reddish-brown soft stone that glows red when the sun hits it. A bit like the name explains. This is one of the places where you would be able to find real dinosaur bones. Oh, we didn’t mention this yet, but Mongolia is the place to be for dinosaur lovers. Sadly, we didn’t find any bones, just beautiful, colourful stones.
And then we got a flashback to New Zealand when our guide told us about our next visit, the Pancake Rocks. Do you remember the big rocks at the beach where we saw the dolphins? It was not the same. The rocks were not as tall and were surrounded by land. Just like the dessert, it was like it magically came out of the ground one day. The higher rocks provide a shield against wind and cold, the perfect place to stay during winter. The many flat pieces of rock that fell off are interesting for building. That is something the monks know as well. Years ago, the monks built a little monastery there to protect themselves. Nowadays, the monastery is abandoned and mostly destroyed. A bit sad but interesting to see and imagine how it must have been back then.
The monks were not the only ones who saw the benefits of this place. Some families put up their gers to stay here during winter. One of the families welcomed us and introduced us to their goats. Cute, fluffy goats that provide the famous cashmere of Mongolia. We can say that cashmere is indeed as soft en smooth as people say! But to buy really cashmere clothing, we needed to go back to the capital city.
Back in the capital, back to the pollution and noise. We explored a bit more and visited some of their landmarks. Including the Zaisan Monument, which honours Russian assistance during conflicts with China. The statue stands atop a small mountain and offers an overview of the city.
We had already experienced a big part of Mongolian culture with the Lunar New Year. An amazing coincidence and not the only one. A few days before we had to leave, they celebrated the Eagle Festival. A moment to honour the eagle hunters of West Mongolia and Kazakhstan. Approximately 26 eagle hunters came to demonstrate their hunting, horse riding, dance moves and singing. The horses may have looked cute and fluffy, but the skills and birds were impressive. We’ve enjoyed watching the hunting competitions with the birds, their impressive riding skills on the horses and the whole atmosphere. By the end of the day, our feet were frozen, but what a day! This is a rare cultural event we’ll never forget.
Speaking of culture, our tour operator had a surprise for us. Two tickets for a theatre performance showcasing Mongolian culture. One hour filled with strong dance moves, beautiful high singing, breathtaking stunts, fascinating stories and colorful costumes. All this inside a cosy theatre with a clear explanation behind all the rituals. A perfect ending to an unreal weekend.
With a few days left, we did some more exploring and hiking. We decided to tackle Bogd Khan Mountain but had to wait a day due to snow and a credit card problem. The conditions still weren’t ideal when we started, but we had to give it a shot. Unsure where the starting point of the hike was, we climbed the first snowy mountain we found. It took us two hours to reach the top due to the slippery snow and the lack of a clear path. Especially for Delphine because her boots had no grip left. Although we didn’t reach the point we hoped for, we still enjoyed the views and the sunshine that finally came through.
To end our trip, we decided to visit a local family and help with some chores. After a lot of effort, we arrived at the ger of Soy and Bee. A couple who hosted us for two nights and gave us a glimpse of authentic Mongolian life. We can say that this was one of the hardest days of our trip. No running water, an outdoor toilet, sleeping on the ground and the toughest part: basic Mongolian food. They don’t have a lot of different ingredients, so we must be thankful for everything they gave us. Even if it wasn’t always to our taste. Like meat from the neighbour’s amazing horse, the healthy sheep tail fat and of course, the dried lung for Covid prevention. Delphine was especially grateful to Arnaud, who ate everything so she didn’t have to. We helped to clean the grounds, rearrange a ger, build a tent with the skin of horses, make braids and toys. There was also time to try a few of the games ourselves and talk with the family and their neighbours. A challenging but interesting end to our stay in Mongolia.
So our final lesson of our big trip: don’t underestimate the beauty of a basic life. You don’t need much to be happy or productive. But damn, you have no idea how happy we were to wake up in the middle of the night and to have a toilet indoors! For the Mongolian people, we wish for more independence for both the people themselves and the country. That people begin building their future without waiting on the government, and that the government finds ways to be less dependent on other countries.
