MONGOLIA

Later the Mongolian custom agents came with more papers to sign. By this time everyone was awake. They stamped our visas and then we went back to sleep. After a few more hours there was a knock on the door. We were informed that the custom agents were back. We were given more papers to fill out and sign. Then finally we were left alone to sleep to the sound of the workmen changing the guage of the wheels outside the window.

The next thing I remember was the dry arid desert air blowing in my face from the overhead fan and the open window. My mouth was dry as cotton. I got down from the top bunk and shut the window and turned the fan off and pulled the curtain shut. Everyone else was still asleep. I went back to bed and slept for a few more hours.

The next time I woke up it was starting to get light. I got up and went out of the cabin and looked out the window.

Mongolian Train



Outside was the barren open plains of the Gobi Desert. We had been traveling through it most of the night. About twenty feet from the tracks there was a cattle fence to keep animals off the tracks.

Open Plains



The train stopped briefly at a little deserted town made up of Russian buildings, then we continued on. We went to breakfast and to our surprise there was a whole different dining car. New cooks, new dishes, new everything.

Dining Car



As we got closer to Ulaanbaatar the scenery didn't change much. The praire gave way to an occasional village of the Mongolian tent dwellings.

Mongolia



We made it to the capital of Mongolia called Ulaanbaatar, which is located in northeast, central Mongolia. It is surrounded by pine covered mountains. It is the largest city in the country. While we were entering the city I noticed on the outskirts of town there were clusters of the felt tents and little wooden cottages, some with fences around them. There were also children practicing with their horses for an up-coming festival which would take place in the next few days. It is the most anticipated festival of the year. It is called the Naadaam Festival.

Outskirts of Town



When we arrived at the train station there were many people waiting. I did not notice any platform or building at the station. It seemed to be the edge of town. Porters helped get our luggage off the train where we met our guide, Baskar. He was in his early twenties and was an English teacher in a local college. He led us to a van that was waiting not far away. For the last hour or so dark clouds began to gather and there was thunder rumbling in the distance along with flashes of lightning. Right when we were on our way to the van the rain started coming in a sprinkle but soon turned into a downpour. We scurried as quickly as we could into the van. After we were in the driver tried to get out of the parking lot and get away from the conjestion of cars but suddenly we were in gridlock. All cars came to a sudden stop. Every vehicle was blocking every other vehicle as everyone tried to go in opposite directions all at once. Finally a policeman arrived and straightened this mess out and we were able to leave. I came to this conclusion on this first impression that the people in Ulaanbaatar are wild drivers.

UB Hotel



We arrived at the Hotel Ulaanbaatar, a Soviet style luxury hotel and got a room on the second floor. The inside was massive. The hallways upstairs were dark and long. The ceilings were high. We just had time to put our bags in the room when it was announced that it was lunch time, so we immediately went down to the dinning hall on the first floor and sat down at a long table. We were the only ones there. The first course was a salad of shredded mutton and lettuce. The next course was fish soup. It was made up of; cut up fish with the skin on, carrots, turnups, onions, potatos, chicken stock and pickles. Then the main course came. It was penne noodles with chopped hot dogs with red sauce.

Traffic in Ulaanbaatar

National History Museum

The first one was the National History Museum of Mongolia where we learned about the history of the country. It has a collection of traditional costumes representing most of the minor ethnic groups living in the country.

Male Mongolian Traditional Clothes



They had a couple gers on display that showed how they are furnished with domestic tools, implements and religious objects. It showed the musical instruments they use as well as fishing and hunting equipment. In all there are ten galleries that show Mongolian history and culture from the dawn of civilization to the present.

Female Mongolian Traditional Clothes



There were exhibits that showed evidence of human existence in Mongolia from as far back as the stone age and bronze age. In all this museum shows all the aspects of life in the country, even how they bury their dead.

Museum of Natural History

The next museum was not far from the National History Museum. It houses dinosaur bones that were unearthed in Mongolia in and around the Gobi Desert. The museum covers five areas; geology, zoology, Botany, anthropology and paleontology. There is a large collection of stuffed and embalmed animals, birds, fish and all kinds of fossils.

Dinosaur



Later in the evening we went out to a resturant called, Restaurant de France. I was surprised that we didn't go to a Mongolian resturant. I was extremely curious about Mongolian food and culture. The resturant was very nice though, but very uppity. I had beef burgundy and rice with chocolate musse for desert. By the time we got back to the hotel it was dark. I went to bed early.

The next morning I got up and went down to breakfast. It was the ususal American fare. Scrambled eggs, hot dogs, bacon, orange juice and coffee. An ordinary Mongolian family would be having boiled mutton with fat and flour with some kind of dairy product or rice, and they would be drinking tea with salt in it.

After breakfast we piled into the three waiting Russian made jeeps. Our final destination would be the Erdene Zuu Monestary which was about 360 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar. We would be making a few stops along the way. I was in the jeep with the tour manager and our guide Baskar. The driver fought his way through the treacherous traffic in the city of Ulaanbaatar going in a southeast direction.

The Tour Begins

We finally made it out of town and onto the road that leads out to the wilderness. About ten miles down the road we stopped at a kiosk which was off to the side of the road. Behind it about a thousand meters away were two gers. Mostlikely where the store owners lived. There were three little wooden sheds built side by side. There were windows in front where the merchandize was on display. This included various kinds of soft drinks including Japanese Pepsi. There was also a Mongolian brand of alcohol, cup o noodles and things like that. I ended up getting a soda.

Nearby there was a pile rocks by the side of the road. There were coins, bones and other things thrown on it. One of the drivers had us start walking around it in a clockwise direction. He picked up rocks as he went and threw them on the pile and encouraged us to do the same. He said it was so we would have good luck on our journey and that we would be safe and come back in good health. Our guide Baskar told us this little ritual had something to do with shamanism. In all we went around the pile of rocks three times throwing small stones as we went, and then got back in the jeeps.

Ovoo



We were on our way to a national park for wild horses. After that we were going to go to a ger camp where we would stay the night and then go to a famous monestary the next day.

The roads in Mongolia are bad. At one time they were paved but now there were many pot holes in them. Consequently the drivers spent all of their time dodging those pot holes. There were other vehicles doing the same thing. Our driver felt that he had to do this while driving as fast as he could. Sometimes other vehicles would be coming straight toward us and it looked like we were going to have a head on collision, but at the last minute he would swerve out of the way. We were told that he had twenty years of experience driving on these roads. There were no seatbelts and Paul and I were tossed around in the back seat like a couple of rag-dolls at times.

The scenery was spectactular. The grade of the land would go up in places and then down. And then there was the endless sky. The clouds were puffy cotton balls. Sometimes we would come upon a herd of goats or other animals in the middle of the road. When this happend the driver would stop and patiently let the animals pass by. Sometimes you could see a herin or two standing at the edge of a lake or a river. That was a common sight.

Przewalski National Park

This park is a place where the wild horses of Mongolia are studied and monitored. The place where they house the horses is situated in the hilly grasslands a few kilometers down a dirt road off the main road. The horses are unique to horse lovers because they have a different number of chromosomes then all other horses. They are kind of like down syndrome horses. I have heard that the reason why they went extinct was because the Mongolian people eat them. Besides their regular name of Przewalski horses, they are also called Asian Wild Horses. They are the last remaining species of wild horses in the world.

When we arrived at the site where the horses were I was surprised to see a colonial style house sitting in a field. It must have been the office for the park or a place where back packers could stay the night. Nearby there was a ger that served as a museum. We were met by a slight woman in her early 30's. She led us over to the museum and started to give us a lesson on the horses. We looked at the pictures of horses on the walls. There were also graphs and maps and other material relating to the horses. I'm glad she didn't give us a test while we were there because most of this information went in one ear and out the other.

These horse became extinct in Mongolia about twenty five years ago. Over the years they were bred in captivity in various zoos throughout the world. There were sixteen of them in the Netherlands. When the zookeepers in the Netherland found out they were extinct in Mongolia they immediately sent them back to be re-introduced into the wild of their native country.

She gave a talk on the horses and answered questions and then we went out to the place where they were penned up. It was not far away. When we got to the large corral the lady instructed the jeep drivers not to park where the horses could see them otherwise they would start running up to the fense. The horses were a little distance away in a little shelter keeping their head out of the direct sunlight. After a few minutes the horses came out and we were able to see them through binoculars.

Wild Horse of Mongolia



After this we went back to the museum, then had lunch nearby sitting on the grass. The drivers had prepared everything. This time it was Mexican cuisine. The lunch was so big I couldn't eat it all. It was very good though. These guys were the best cooks. We had enchalates, Spanish rice, tacos and things like that.

When lunch ended we got in the jeeps and after avoiding a flock of sheep in our path we made it to the main road and continued over the barren and rolling steppes to Khgna Kahn, the place where we were going to spend the night.

Once we got started it was more of the usual: going at top speed, being bounced around in the back seat, sharp swerving to avoid pot holes, bearly missing other vehicles and looking out the window watchng the scenery go by. Every once in awhile the skeleton of an animal was seen in a field. It's bones bleaching in the mid-day sun.

Inbetween the barren landscape we would pass little towns that had Russian style buildings made of wood scattered among the gers. Some buildings had fences around them. I keep mentioning fenses because it seemed very unusual to see them in Mongolia where nothing usually is penned up. I even saw two gas stations on the way.

While driving along we came upon a bunch of little kids racing their horses along the side of the road. They were practicing for the real race that would take place during the upcoming Naadam Festival that would take place all over the country. It was quite an amazing sight seeing about fifty boys and a few girls between the ages of eight and twelve on horses galloping at top speed. Their horses kicking dust up beneath their feet and the children waving their whips wildly in the air and then slashing them down on the horses side trying to get it to go faster. Some of the lads were dressed in the full traditional Mongolian costume. Some had on only the Mongolian hat. Others wore sports t-shirts with a number enblazened on the front and back.

Late in the twelveth century a twenty year old Mongol named Temujiin emerged from the ranks of the common people and with a unique combination of skill, leadership and national pride managed to unite most of the Mongol tribes and take them on conquering campaigns that led them all the way into Europe. Shortly afterwards he was given the honorary title of Chinggis Kahn, which means Universal King. No other Mongolian leader before or since has been able to bring together the Mongolian tribes under one cause as effectively as he did. To all the nations that he conquered his name brought to mind merciless killing, savage looting, pillaging and war mongering, but to the Mongolian people he embodied strength, unity and law and order. Now twenty centuries from the time he walked the earth the Mongolian people still hold him as the idol of their hearts.

Chinggis Kahn



After driving for many hours and resting once for about a half an hour at the base of a mountain, our driver left the road and took a shortcut through the parched desert. By now we could see the camp in the distance. Twenty minutes later we arrived. The camp was located close to some twisted red rock formations that almost surrounded it. We got all our stuff out of the jeep and brought it to a ger that my room mate and I picked out. After we settled a bit it was time for dinner.

Mongolian Home



The food there was great. The beef was so tender you could cut it with a spoon. We also had potatoes, rice and a very small salad of shredded cabbage and carrots. Desert was a wafer stacked inbetween frosting. At sun-down the most beautiful purple clouds appeared in the western sky. By the time it was dark I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

The next morning I got up and went down to the resturant where they were serving fried dough and coffee for breakfast. This is almost like a donut but with no hole and is eaten with butter and jelly. It was not a bad concept. Paul said the Russians eat this with sour cream.

After breakfast we got all our stuff into jeeps and headed west. We were going to see the ruins of Kara Korum which were made into the Erdene Zuu Monestary. This has been a center for Buddhist activity for more then a thousand years. The city of Kara Korum was the launching pad for Chinggis Kahn's Campaigns in the thirteenth century. The palace where the great Kahn lived had silver fountains with jeweled lion and snake heads where wine, beer and mead poured out of. His empire stretched as far as Moscow and Turkey in its day. His empire was the largest continuous land empire in recorded history and its scope has never been matched. Kara Korum was later destroyed by invading Manchurian armies after the capitol was removed to Beijing in the days of Kubla Kahn, one of the grandchildren of Chinggis Kahn.

Years after Kara Korum was destroyed one of Chinggis Kahn's sons, with the help of some monks, used the rocks and rubble that was left of the city and built the Erdene Zuu Monastery. When they were finished there were seventy temples and shrines in closed within its walls. It was the first and also the largest Buddhist monestary in Mongolia. Each side of the monestary measures about a quarter of a mile.

We got to the fortress like structure after a several hour drive drive. I was amazed by it's massive front gate and the walls that surrounded it with a hundred and eight stupas strung around it. A stupa is the place where an esteemed monk's ashes are put after cremation.

We had come to see the three temples that weren't destroyed by the communists, built in a mixture of Chinese, Manchurian and Tibetan style of architecture. We were met by a middle aged woman with graying hair who would give us a tour of the holy site. She did not speak English so Baskar had to interpret. We walked over to the first temple and the guide got out her ring of keys and unlocked the padlock on the front door. It was emphisized that we were to enter the temple with our right foot and then once inside proceed around in a clockwise direction. Once this was established she began to tell us about the temple, it's meaning and everything about it.

One of Three Temples



The first temple represented the childhood of Buddha. Inside there was a large gilded and painted Buddha made of clay. It was about eight feet tall. She explained that only the head and hands were exposed. Clothing covered the rest of the statue's body.

The second temple dipicted Buddha's middle years. In the temples there were pictures painted by monks that represented daily life in Mongolia. They were painted with horse hair brushes. A single horse hair was used for very fine detail.

Buddhist Dieties



In all we went into almost a dozen of these temples. There were quite a few newer temples built in recent times besides the three old ones. Each had a padlock on the door and in each we had to enter with our right foot and go in the clockwise direction around to the front of the altar. Each had a Buddha or several Buddhas in them. Some Buddhas were on the side of the room and some were in the center.

After all these temples we went to the heart of the monestary to observe the monks preform their prayers and rituals. This is done in a Tibetan style building which is square in shape and not as elaborate as other Oriental buildings that have fancy wings and other fine features. Inside the semi-dark altar room the monks were mere boys, all of them were wearing orange robes. The younger monks sat furthest from the altar. The older and more experienced ones sat closest to the altar. Our presence was a distraction to some of the younger monks because when we arrived they stopped what they were doing and started looking at us. We were led clockwise around to the front of the altar where I believe we were supposed to leave an offering. Then we passed an older gentleman who I took for the presiding monk.

Tibetan Style Building



He was tending a large bowl of milk on a stove. Dipping a vessel into the milk he filled it, and raised it over his head and poured it back into the large bowl. Some of the monks were chanting, and some of them looked bored but had their prayer books open. After a few minutes the presiding monk started to ladle the fermented milk into bowls and then served it to the older monks first and then to the younger monks in the back.

Later I asked Baskar why they were serving alcoholic beverages to the monks while they were supposed to be chanting and praying. He said it was for refreshment and to clear their throats.

Later in the day we arrived at a new ger park a few kilometers away from the monestary high on a ridge. This place was much more modern then the one we stayed in the night before. There was electricity and lanoleum on the floors. Once we got all our stuff settled we had lunch. This consisted of the very same thing we had the night before for dinner; beef, rice, potatoes and salad.

After that we went over to a statue of a turtle made of soap stone weighing several tons. It was erected at the entrance to Kara Korum in the days of Chinggis Kahn and left behind when Kubla Kahn took the government to Beijing. Now it sits outside the walls of the Erdene Zuu Monastery.

Stone Turtle



From there we were invited by a family near the monestary to have tea. Upon entering the ger we had to walk clockwise around the inside to reach the place where we were going to sit. Here we begin to get a lesson on some of the traditions regarding these dwelling places of the Mongolian people.

The door of the ger always faces south. This is because the winter winds come from the north and also the Chinese live to the south. If they were going to be attacked by the Chineses they would be able to see them coming. Inside the ger toward the back and on the west side is where guests sit. In the back of the ger is where elders sit and the families treasures are kept. On the back wall is the family altar where family photographs and statues or pictures of Buddha are kept.

An old woman was sitting on a bed fingering religious beads. She was probably the mother of the lady of the house. We sat down on wooden chairs that were orange in color with ornate designs painted on them. There was a stove in the middle of the ger and a table with drawers next to it.

When we came in one of the younger girls who was present started taking bowls out of the drawers at the table next to the stove. Then other girls produced tea in thermoses from somewhere. Then they started pouring the tea into the bowls and handing them to us. When recieving tea it is customary to accept it with both hands or with the right hand. Never with the left hand. The tea was milk tea. The taste of it was strange to my pallet. It had the smell of animal. I drank all of it with no complaint. Then we had a little conversation with the lady of the house with Baskar interpreting. I was asked if I had seen the monestary and they wanted to know my opinion of it. I told them that it was very beautiful. A great place.

Before we left I gave them a postcard of my hometown.

The Ger



Inside the Ger



Since our camp was not far away we decided to walk back rather then take the jeeps. On the way I asked Baskar why the people didn't plant gardens since there was plenty of land. He told me that it was inconvienant for these people to have gardens because they were nomads and were constantly moving around. They stay in one place only long enough for their animals to eat all the grass in the area. Then they leave to greener pastures. They never stay long enough in one place to to reap the benefits of growing things.

As we were walking we came across a mother yak with her baby and other animals. Then we came upon a ger. There was a pen of goats outside and a woman with her son were milking them. She would hold the goat between her legs and squeeze the utters to get the milk out. When she was finished milking one her son would get another and put it in front of her. Outside of the pen her other son was shearing wool off of sheep. We watched them for awhile. They smiled and we took pictures. Then we continued down the hill. Baskar pointed out a river in the distance where he said people would catch a large type of fish at certain times of the year. He didn't have the English to explain exactly what kind of fish but I believe he was talking about sturgeon. The same kind of fish that the Russians extract caviar out of.

Woman Milking a Goat

The next morning after a breakfast of bread, butter, deep fried dough, jam and tea we got into the jeeps to make the long journey back to the Ulaanbaatar Hotel. We got a little way down the road when we came across a couple camels close to the road. They were the two humped kind found in Mongolia and hardly anywhere else in the world. They are very useful to the people and they adapt well to the harsh winters found in this part of the world. In the summer they shed their coat and this wool is used by the Mongolian women to make things with. An adult male can shed up to 18 kilos of wool a year. A female camel can produce up to 575 liters of milk during her 18 month lactation period. There are about 355,600 of this type of camel in Mongolia.

Camels



Our driver had calmed down a little after a wreck we saw the previous day. It effected every one. The vehicle was upside down in the road. I didn't see any bodies of the people that were in the cab of the truck. I think we arrive a little bit after it happened. The people involved in it were not there. They may have been taken by others out of the area. There were pelts of sheep in the back of the truck. When someone gets in an accident like this it is usually fatal. There are no ambulances, no hospitals, no doctors, and everything is miles away. All they have is shaman who practice an ancient form of magic and spells that borders on witchcraft. We were able to get by the accident and proceed on our way.


We were in a part of Mongolia where there are many hills. Once you pass a hill, pretty soon you would come upon another one. Then after you pass that one another one would appear in the distance. This went for quite awhile. In this part of the country the scenery was very nice.

After a while we stopped near a river and had a light lunch made by our guides. this consisted of hotdogs and bread with some kind of relish that was made in Russia. One of the drivers made sandwiches of butter and raw bacon. None of us Americans would touch the raw bacon. This little trick must have well calculated and well practiced by this guide and probably sprung on every unknowing tour group that came into his clutches. He well knew that Americans on the whole, don't eat raw bacon. So he and the other driver got an extra little snack. This was also in keeping with the tradition of Chinggis Kahn whose career was to plunger and steal from whoever he and his hoards came accrost, feeling it was their right to do.

After lunch we proceeded up the road and in a little while stopped at a couple wooden shacks by the side of the road which they called kiosks and got ice cream from a freezer that sat infront of one of them.

It took about four hours to get back to Ulaanbaatar. Once we got back in the hotel and got a room it was announced that we had to move to a different room. Someone made a mistake and put us in a room that had been rented out to someone else. So we got our stuff and drug it down the hall to the other room which was on a different floor. Lucky for us the new room was bigger and roomier then the previous one. There were actually two rooms to it and it had a regrigerator.

We had a little time so I decided to wash my clothes since I was running out of clean ones. I put my clothes in the bath tub and started running the water. I added soap. When there was a fair amount of water in the tub I turned the shower on and got in and proceeded in giving myself a wash down. Then I started stomping on my clothes with my feet. I did this for a while then emptied the tub and filled it with fresh water and stomped some more and kept doing this til the clothes were clean and rinsed. Then I wrung them out and hung them on a line that I brought with me on the trip and had strung around the room. I also hung some clothes on hangers and placed them around the room to dry.

After a little rest we were on our way to the Gandantegchinlen Monestary which was in town. It is the main Buddhist center in Mongolia, built in 1840. It is one of two monestaries that were not destroyed by the communists. The other was the Erdene Zuu Monestary. Before the Soviet take-over there were 110,000 lamas living in Mongolia in 700 monestaries. Thousands of monks were arrested and sent to Siberian labor camps and were never heard of again. Religious worship and ceremonies were outlawed. Then in 1990 when the Soviet regime collapsed religious freedom was again restored. Since then there has been a revival of the Buddhist religion as well as other religions.

As we approached the front gate of the monestary we were occosted by some locals who were trying to sell us snuff containers, coins and wooden hats. No one in our group bought any of these things or wanted them. The front entrance was a large oriental style portico.

Gandantegchinlen Monestary



In the distance there was a building that houses a large golden statue of Buddha which is very famous among the Mongolian people, and many go there to pray before it.

Building where large Buddha is housed



All the building in the monestary was closed that day so we were unable to go inside any of them. We were able to look at the architecture of the buildings and learn something about the ties between Tibetian Buddhism and the Mongolian people. These ties go back many centuries.

When we were finished with the monestary we went to dinner at a Japanese resturant. This was a very welcome visit. We hadn't seen fruit or a variety of vegatables in days. The Mongolian people don't eat a steady diet of fruits and vegatables. Their main food is the meat of the animals they herd and the milk products that come from them. They also eat a little grain which they barter for from people passing through the country side or when they can get it in the city. We had a great time in that Japanese resturant. After that we went back to the hotel.

Large Buddhist Statue

TERELJ NATIONAL PARK

Got up in the morning and had breakfast. It was scrambled eggs, bread, tomatoes and other things. Then we were off to a national park which is about eighty kilometers east of Ulaanbaatar. It was quite a long drive. On the way we passed through the rolling hills and the wide open plains of the Mongolian steppe. We passed the occasional village consisting of a cluster of closely built wooden shacks. It was a beautiful day to take a ride in the countryside. The sun was shining and the sky was blue with not a cloud in sight. Most of the roads there were of pretty good quality, but there were a few rough spots.

Life in the country in Mongolia is slow and laid back. It's not surprising to see a red faced man walking through a field at a slow pace with a bag slung over his shoulder with out a care in the world. Everywhere you go you see herds of cattle in the fields and sometimes in the road. The driver rarely honks at an animal in the road. I beleive he does this out of respect for the animals.

Man on Horse



Another sight often seen in Mongolia is of a horeman sittin high in his saddle on his horse prancing at a a fairly fast speed. It is quite a spectacular thing to see if your'e not used to this sort of thing.

We passed a large military compound that looked to be about a five hundred years old. Some of its walls were crumbling away and looked to be in immediate repair. At the entrance was a picture of Chinggis Kahn, the idol of every Mongolian.

Just before we got to the park the driver stopped the bus. We got out and climbed up a small bluff. On top was a beautiful view of the alpine scenery. The reason why we stopped was the ovoo which was a short distance away. It was a large one and had the usual blue cloth attached to a stick and was gently waving in the slight breeze. We walked clock-wise around it as usual and picked up small stones and threw them on it. This ovoo had a ram and a horse skull. There are no trees in most places in Mongolia, but this area there were larch trees, forests of birch, and pine and fir on the tops of the surrounding hills.

Finally we reached the park. There was a ger park there with a resturant ger and other wooden buildings. We were met by the curator.

After a brief introduction it was decided that all of the group except for three people were going to ride horses. I didn't want to ride a horse because I had an injured arm at the time. I pulled a muscle in my upper right arm and experienced some internal bleeding and if I fell off a horse it might start hemorrhaging again and I didn't want to take that chance. Gene and his son Daniel also weren't going to ride so we went on a hike instead. The scenery around us was beautiful but there were alot of flies and grasshoppers around.

We started walking in the direction of a tree line in the distance. To the right of us there were rock formations in unusual shapes. These were mountains. There were trees gowing on the top of them. It was hot but there was a cool breeze hitting our faces. We walked along and talked about all the things we had seen on this journey. On the ground there were some wild flowers that looked interesting. Even the weeds were unusual. They looked like something from the succulent family. Pretty soon we went around a bend and down a hill following the track of a four-by that had been there recently. In the distance there was a wooded area and beyond that there was a large field dotted with a couple gers. I wanted to get close to one of the gers to try to get a good picture. In those days I didn't have a zoom on my camera. I didn't even have a digital camera. They were just coming out then.

When we got down to the foot of the hill where the wooded area was there was a man getting water from the stream that ran through the woods. He was filling two small wooden buckets. He didn't see us at first, but when he finally did he got up and took his buckets and started walking toward the gers. We continued walking until we reached the trees and then stepped over the little brook and then into the open field where cattle grazing. Most of the grazing animals were yaks. We walked a little way farther then decided to go back. The man with the buckets was on his way back to the little stream to get more water.

Countryside



When we got back to the ger camp we found Fran and Arlene sitting on the porch of the building ajacent to the resturant ger drinking a beer. I went in the resturant and bought one and went back out to the porch and sat down. We spent a little while talking about Mongolia. After this we had lunch and then went back to the hotel in Ulaanbaatar.

Later in the afternoon we went to a park on the out-skirts of town to a place called Zaisan Hill. It is a monument commemerating the unknown soldiers of Russia and Mongolia. It overlooks the city of Ulaanbaatar. There is a statue of a soldier carrying a flag and a mosaic depicting Russians and Mongolians shaking hands and stepping on a Japanese flag with a horse and a tank in the background. This is one of the many monuments made by the Soviets during the communist days of this country.

Zaisan Hill



On our way back to the hotel we stopped at a large government store to buy a few things since we were leaving for Russia the next evening. I bought a few things for the train trip. Cookies, tea and bottled water.

That evening we went to the largest ger in Mongolia. It is a resturant. For dinner we had more beef, but this time they also served mutton. As we ate we listened to some traditional singers singing traditional songs in traditional costumes. They were playing on their traditional instruments including the horse hair fiddle. They were throat singers. I had looked forward for many years to hear something like this.

Musicians and Throat Singers



After the singing came the contortionist. It was a very young girl contorting her body in all kinds of ways on a table. Even balancing her body while holding something from her teeth. That took consentration, skill and endurance. The art of contortionism goes back a long way in Mongolian history.

Contortionist

NAADAM FESTIVAL 2000

The next morning after breakfast we went to the ancient, medieval games of the Mongolian people that has survived in that part of the world possibly from the time of the Huns. It is called the Naadam Festival. There are three main sporting events in the festival. They are; wrestling, archery and horse racing. Skill in these three sports allowed Chinggis Kahn and his hoards to sweep through Asia and part of Europe and overthrow many kingdoms on the way. After being freed from a seventy year of oppression by the Soviet Union, Mongolia has emerged bringing back their old customs, religions and folkways with new vigor and determination.

Outside of Stadium



We arrived at the huge stadium where the opening ceremony was to take place and where the event of wrestling was to start. We were standing around trying to figure out what we were to do now that we were there. Suddenly I heard the sound of many boots hitting the pavement in unison. I looked up and saw two squads of Mongolian Soldiers in bright red uniforms, marching directly toward us. I quickly got out of the way since I was directly in their path.

Mongolian Soldiers



After they passed we found out that we were to enter the stadium at the foriegn entrance. Once we found out where that was we got in line. While we were standing for a little while, a group of French people tried to butt in front of us. Paul immediately went over and had words with their tour manager. He wasn't making any headway with the Frenchman so he grabbed the entry tickets out of his hands. After this a few sharps words exchanged. Then some Americans from another group told them to go to the end of the line. They did and Paul gave them their tickets back. That was a strange occurance.

The gate opened and we went inside. The area we got to sit in had a roof so we didn't have to sit in the sun. After a little while once everyone was in the festivities began. First the president of the country came to the microphone and welcomed everyone games and officially opened the games. After that an army regiment came goose stepping out into the field. Then nine white horsetail banners were brought out by soldiers on horseback dressed in Chinggis Kahn warrior regalia. They placed the banner in the center of the stadium. Next an orchestra played the national anthem and other songs. All this took place quite a distance from where we were. After this an airplane flew by and a bunch of men jumped out and parachuted to the ground.

Parachute Landing



WRESTLING

After that the wrestlers came out. Like wrestlers all over the world, Mongolian wrestling has it's own unique style and rules in which they practice their sport. The wrestler's costume consisted of; knee high boots, a short jacket with long sleeves. The shirt is tight fitting across the back with the chest open, and they wear short trunks usually made of silk. At the beginning of a bout with an opponent they perform a little dance with resembles the flight of an eagle.

Wrestler



This dance helps them limber up but also gives them a chance to show off their physique. There is no time limit inwhich to pin their opponent so some of these contests can take a little time. There is also no weight category so you may see a large wrestler fighting with someone who is much smaller.

This part of the festivities ended and everyone started to leave the stadium. Our group also left at this time. Everyone went in their own direction. We had a little time before we had to go to the hotel so I went outside to where all the stalls were and started walking around and taking pictures. We had all agreed to meet at the front gate in one hour. I ended up going around the stadium three times.

President of Mongolia



On the third time around I ran into the president of Mongolia and his entourage. I quickly seized the moment and snapped a picture. After the presedent and the secret service passed I continued to wander around taking pictures until it was time to return to the front gate. I got there at the time we arranged but didn't see anyone there. Suddenly Baska appeared out of nowhere. He explained that everyone else wanted to go back to the hotel so he stayed behind so he and I could take a taxi back. Me paying of course.

We walked out to the main road and hailed a car down. It had no taxi markings. In Mongolia any regular driver can turn his car into a taxi and earn a little extra money any time he feels like it. We piled in and the driver took us back to the hotel.

After resting for a little while at the hotel it was time to go to the archery contest which took place at a location outside of town. Archery is one of the most important sports to the Mongolians. In the time of Chinggis Kahn it was a skill that was used by all his men while they robbed and pillaged their way across the vast Russian steppes. The bows and arrows that they use today are very similar to the ones they used in ancient times. The bow has no sights and the string is made from the tendons of bulls. Arrows are made of thin, straight twigs. Arrow head are made of carved bone and the feathers that guide the arrow in flight are from some species of the vulture family.

Archery



After watching this for awhile we went down the road further out of town to witness the horse races. The sun by now was starting to climb higher in the sky and it was getting hot. Fortunately a couple of us brought our umbrellas with us to shade ourselves from the penetrating rays of the sun. Horse racing is the surpreme sport in Mongolia. Since horses are the number one form of transportation in that country and everyone learns to ride them practically before they can walk, it is natural that they would participate in horse racing. It's something they practice all year round and the final race is performed during the Naadam Festivities so it is a very important race for the people, and the whole country participates.

People Came from Miles Around to Witness the Horse Races



Some people spend three months traveling to Ulaanbaatar to attend the horse races even though there are similar races conducted in all the providences of the country. The Naadam Festival held in the capitol holds more prestige so many people from the outlying areas of the country come to the one held in Ulaanbaatar.

The contenders that participate in the horse races are children between three to eight years old. The race track is about fifteen to thirty kilometers. When we got to the place where we were to view the race it was very crowded and there was alot of tension in the air. Someone from our group was kicked by a horse and became very upset. It was so packed I didn't see the race at all. I was told it was taking place about a half a mile from where we were.

The Winner of the Race



When the race was over the winner, along with some of the other racers came over for everyone to admire. It was a very proud moment for this little boy after he won the race. It is considered good luck to touch the sweat of the horse, so many people went up to the winning horse to touch it. We were the only Americans there that I could see at the race. The Mongolian people don't go around taking pictures like we do so it was kind of a strange experience taking pictures of all these people and capturing it all with some people not knowing what to make of it. I was very aware of the fact that some of these people felt we were stealing their spirit everytime we snapped a picture. Some people didn't want their picture taken and they let us know that in a very obvious way.

Instead of having dinner that night in the hotel resturant with the other travelors I went down to a fruit stand not far down the street and bought some plums. I brought them back and ate a few in the lobby. They were pretty good.

After dinner it was time for us to go to the train station where we were to catch a train that would take us to Russia. We got all our stuff and put it in the van and went to the train station which wasn't far away. After saying goodbye to Baskar we entered the station to wait for the train. After a little while the train came and we got on and soon we were chugging through the now familiar barren landscape of the Mongolian country side. I slept most of the way because I was pretty tired after the days events. The journey took all night and by 0630 the train had stopped at a station in the town of Sukhbaatar near the Russian border. Here we would wait for the custom agents to arrive and check our documents.

By 0800 I was awake and already had a couple glasses of tea to revive my spirits. Outside a few locals had arrived and were waiting around possibly to enter Russia like us. Other then that the station was deserted. The buildings at the station were made of stone.

At one point I went to use the bathroom. There was an attendant at the door collecting the few Chinese coins that they require for you to get in. I paid and was allowed in.


Engineless car



By 0920 the custom people came and stamped some of the passenger's passports and gave them back to them. Then they took mine as well as a few others. They checked under the bottom bed in our cabin to see if there were any stowaways there. Then they left. In about ten minutes they came back and returned our passports. Now we were waiting for an engine so we could get going.

A little after 10 the engine arrived and was hooked up to the car. By 1015 it started raining and we were moving. We entered into a no-mans land which was partly wooded with a river and other nice scenery.