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MONGOLIA
Word of the day: эрхэмсэг - (him-lic): Gracious
Highlight: never-ending, spectacular winter landscape.
Lowlight: Realising we're part of a tour group, and having to push back at every chance when the guide uses every opportunity to spend everyone elses money. Basically coming off looking rather tight fisted.
Weather: - 30°C, balmy.
My first impressions of Mongolia were through a train window. Watching the vast snow covered landscape gradually change, and pepper with small villages of Gers and quaint houses, before the metropolis of its capital Ulaanbaatar pop up with high rises and honking traffic, seemingly out of nowhere.
While I enjoyed being able to read product labels in English, and purchase entire blocks of Cadbury's finest, albeit made in Russia (China has a serious shortage of treats for chocolate lovers)… I was a little disappointed at how westernized it was. 24 hour banks, a kebab and coke caravan on the street corner, an Irish bar, bright moving billboards lighting up streets full of European cars, and young stylish Mongolians sporting the latest top forty hit ring tone.
Still, the shower was amazing (post train).
Clean and rested we ventured into minus 20 degrees celcius, soon to be minus 30 degrees that night. Soo cold your eyelashes ice over, and if you take a deep breath, your nostril hairs freeze and stab the inside of your nose. So trudging through Mongolia looking like ninjas we arrive at the authenticity I'd been seeking. In reality a version made for tourists.
Sleeping in traditional Mongilian Gers with a coal fuelled pot belly stove front and centre - we're protected from the elements. (Nomadic families use goat and cow manure as fuel) Our host comes in every three to four hours throughout the night and puts coal wrapped in a plastic bag (yes the entire package) into the furnace. In direct line of sight it's balmy, apart from her inability to keep it radiating past 5am.
Snow makes everything beautiful.
I am captivated by the surrounding mountains. The Ger camp is situated in the National Park, a gully with rows of skeletons which will in spring transform into conifers. I'm reading this book at the moment by John Steinbeck - "Travels with Charley" which is what this blog is named after - and also a version of Rich's middle name. I've discovered first hand his observation that there is no way to capture or re-lay the beauty of nature, unless it's experienced first hand. Colours seem slightly less bright in our photos, words don't seem to do enough justice.
I'm impressed with Mongolian hospitality and graciousness. I realise we are paying customers, but it seems very genuine and natural. Nothing seems to be a problem, even if our clumsy westerner ways disrespect their traditions. Rich thinks he could get comfy with their tendency towards OCD. When you pass an Ovoo (sacred Sharman pole) always stop and walk three times clockwise around, each time throwing a rock onto the pile and making a wish. Always open the door to the Ger with your left hand and only walk clockwise around the inside of the Ger. Take food with your right hand, and if you bump into someone on the street, remove your glove and shake their hand - irrespective of the thirty below temps.
We took gifts to a nomadic family, who in turn welcomed us into the family Ger and fed us traditional Mongolian donuts and salty milk tea. The lady of the house had spent all morning making the meal in a kitchen at the base of the Ger, complete with a fridge and electricity. We're told this is only the case because they are close to the city, other nomadic families are without. Perched on the edge of one of three beds to the west, north and east of the Ger, we took part as our host passed around a snuff bottle as a traditional welcome and sign of respect.
In true nomadic fashion we leave behind Ulaanbaatar, bound for Irkutsk and Lake Baikal.
- comments
tracey I do love your writing style Ms Moreau. More more more pls. I know what you mean about the disappointment of westernised 'other' countries and cultures. I think my mind sits squarely in the 50's. Hows the daily budget going? Sounds like you're on top of it. love you
littlegeek geek - yaye got to feed the horses, so lucky !!! wat a cool ger looks warm as in there