On the way to Gandan Monastry In Ulaan Baatar
Gandan Monastry
View from the monastry --- Ulaan Baatar (UB) is surrounded by the hills
Part of the Bogd Khan's winter palace --- for some unknown reason this was not demolished by the communists while the summer palace and numerous other monastries were destroyed
On our way out of UB
Just outside UB
Several nomadic families live close to UB, their gers dot the beautiful landscape here
The team, well except me!
Our driver, Myga, who's been driving across Mongolia for several years, spends part of the winter in Holland and our guide Bayara, who's a lawyer in the winter!
Couple of deer stones --- probably ancient burial stones, carved with deers and other animals
One of the many vultures that we see in this part of our drive
We meet a herd of gazelles
The lanscape changes as we drive along --- rocks replace grass
The surface is hard and scattered with various sized rocks
A salt lake
The “road”
Where's the road?
Modernity --- no roads, but you can still have satellite dishes!
In our first ger
Our ger
In the middle of nowhere --- it even took the experienced driver and the guide, who had been here last year quite a while to find this
A view from the ger
Sunset, moonrise
Sunrise
Bag Gazrin Chullu
The landscape is now completely barren, we are now in Gobi
The road leads to ......
An “ovoo” --- this particular one is probably a tribute to a horse which died (the skull of the horse is placed on the top of the ovoo)
Suddenly in this barren landscape there are trees!!!
There was a monastry here, demolished durin a war between two rival Mongol kings
Remains of a painting in the demolished monastry
Sum Khokh Burd -- this year has been particularly dry, in other years the lake completely surrounds the ruins
Looking for the elusive shade?
Our first encounter with camels
The bactrian camel looses a layer during summer
That evening we visited a nomadic family --- we are walking towards their gers
The head of the family and probably the youngest member inside their ger
A view of the ger --- the stove at the center serves the purpose of heating the ger as well as cooking
As you enter the ger, on the right are all the utensils --- this is their kitchen area
Time to milk the goats and the sheeps
Everyone at hand is needed to round them up
Even the youngest member
The goats and the sheeps are all lined up and tied together
Milking is a woman's job, kids help too
Solar panel --- probably the only way the nomads can get some electricity as they keep on moving
We also had a stove in our ger --- though it was very hot during the day (about 40C), temperatures fell to 10C or lower during the night
Sattelite receiver and solar panel --- bringing the world to this remote place
and here too.......
Guess what this is?
A store
The shop is a small extension of the house. We ran out of water, we were lucky we were close to a small settlement. After some enquiry we found this store, of course there are no signs anywhere and it opens only on demand!
There was also parallel bar which brought out the gymanst inside Myga
and Bayara
On our way we come across a re-constructed monastry
During the communist regime almost all monastries were destroyed
And the monks killed --- here this is a memorial to all those who were killed here
A large part of the Gobi desert is like this --- it is mostly rocky and only a very small part sandy
The surface is so hard that sometimes even tires do not leave a mark. There are not even a shred of grass here and of course you don't see any grazing animal in this area
A shelter that some nomad will come back to during the fall or the spring
An abandoned mining town
district center
This was the first brick building that we saw after leaving UB
A nomadic family we passed by --- they are in the process of building the second ger. Most nomads now own motorcycles which essentially serve the purpose of horses!
An unfinished ger --- this frame is completely foldable, so easy to move with. They will cover this with felt
It's amazing that these families live in such remote places isolated from everyone else
The “road”!
We stop to fill petrol in a small settlement
There's no electricity, the pump is hand operated
And finally some sand after three days of driving --- the sandy area is much more lively than the rocky areas. In fact driving through the bare and rocky middle Gobi is the most difficult part of crossing the Gobi
Traffic jam! This was probably the first car that crossed us after we left the vicinity of UB. Since there are no roads, almost every driver seems to choose a unique path for their journey!
Bayanzag -- Flaming Cliff
This was where dinosaur and dinosaur egg fossils (and numerous other fossils) were found
The area is still being investigated and often new finds come out. Maybe we found something!
A close-up view of this strange formation --- many fossils visible?
A plant? A vertebra? Teeth? ..... Any paleontologist?
One more sunset
We were suddenly stunned to see trees in an area where we haven't even seen grass. It turns out this is some Japenese funded project to arrest sandstorms which travel all the way to Japan and Korea. The area of the Gobi is increasing over the years.
Sometimes electric and telephone poles show the way!
Gurvan Saikhan mountains
No Shooting! Illegal hunting is a problem in Mongolia. Though hunting is banned it is practically impossible to monitor the vast open land with population density of less than 1 person per squre km.
Parking lot at Yolyn Am --- the most crowded place we have been to after we left UB!
On the way to the gorge
If you want you can ride a camel or a horse instead of walking. The gentelman on the camel is more than 90years old!
An amazing site --- you are in the middle of a desert, it's end of June, temperatures are soaring and there it is ICE!
The wind swept gorge is covered by ice for most of the year
At some places the ice is melting ...
Creating small streams
The green in this area soothes the eye, enough for someone to take a nap....
No trash!
Lunch --- while we drove through Gobi lunch was generally packed by the place where we spent our last night.
An approaching storm
A rare sight --- rainbow in Gobi!
And finally the sand dunes.......
Our ger --- this region is very windy and the stone is used to hold the ger down
As you can see, we were pretty amazed by the sight!
And sunrise
We are on are way to climb the sand dunes
Smile have not yet evaporated!
Mongolia is called the “land of the blue skies”
Often we would drive by skeleton of animals. Road kill? I don't think so!
This time it's a camel
Camel ride ...
Thirst quenching -- not surprisingly Gobi is very very dry. There are some rather deep wells from which the nomads draw water for their animals to drink
The sheeps and the goats are the first to get a chance to drink water
The camel waits patiently
So do the horses
Horses get their chance
And finally the camel --- camels can drink upto 60 litres of water in one go
Another district center
A Russian vehicle, we had a choice of Russian vehicle, which are easily fixed in case of a breakdown but quite uncomfortable, or Japanese vehicle, more comfortable, but you would be stuck if it breaks down. Ours was a Toyota!
Our ger at Ongiin Khiid
Ongiin Khiid was on the banks of a river, but the river is now dry, partly because of the changing climate and largely because of the activities of a mining company up north.
This was a large complex, on both sides of the river, completely demolished during the communist purge
This is a holy site -- the center of the Universe
Now a new small monastry has been rebuilt using the materials from the ruins
Inside the monastry
Resilience!
We stopped near a herd of sheeps and the nomad came riding from the horizon to check on the herd ...
... and make acquaintance with us, people from Enetkheg. (India is Enetkheg in Mongolian)
Trying to uproot a deer stone!
Finally we are out of Gobi!
A multilane expressway
In all these days this was the first lunch for which we could sit down, or lie down!
The change of landscape and scenery was pretty dramatic. In one day we saw camels trudging through the sand and now a yak grazing!
A group of vultures feasting on a baby yak, probably killed by the wolves
New roads are being built, so in a few years there may not be that much of off-road driving
Sankh monastry
Though the central temple of the monastry was demolished by the communists these two side temples survived as storehouses
Basketball --- it is a popular sports in Mongolia
We even get on to a paved road on our way to Kharkhorin (Karokarum)
Kharkhorin --- where our ger was located
No road, no bridge, no problem!
Orkhon river valley
Erdene Zuu Monastry
An old stone with the carving of Mongolia's national symbol soyombo
and arabic inscription
On the back many other scripts
The Erdene Zuu monastry also suffered from the communist purge, however, some temples were saved and in the 1960s opened as museums
After 1990, when the communist regime collapsed, it started working as a monastry again. Recently restoration of the monastry has begun.
The walls and the ceilings of the temples are covered with paintings
Mahakala
One of the oldest surviving structures
This is the active monastry inside the complex
Karakorum was completely demolished by the Manchurians. It is believed that these temples were built using the materials from the ancient city. Today there's no trace of that city. Excavations are continuing to unearth that.
Turtle rock --- probably the only relic of the ancient Karakorum. Four such rocks marked the boundary of the ancient city.
The second turtle rock, somewhere up on the hills
This is a particularly important ovoo. The skulls are those of the horses who have won in Naadam horserace
Riding uphill --- from our ger to the Imperial monument
The local Mongolian from whom we rented the horses
After we are done
he's riding away.....
The imperial monument, a recent addition
A view from the monument
Sunset at Erdene Zuu
Leaving Kharkhorin
Ruins of Hogno Khan monastry, this was destroyed by warring Mongol kings
Now the monastry is again active
The car, well it is a pickup truck, served us well
Back to UB --- Sukhabatar square
Now we are off to Lake Huvsgul. We flew to Murun in the evening, and then drove to the lake. The drive, four hours for probably 40km, was nerve (and backbone) wrecking
When morning broke -- we were greeted by this view
We spent one night in a ger here, by far the most luxurious ger that we have spent the night in
The location of the Nature's Door (the name of the facility) is perfect, set between the mountains and the lake
Yes, the view from the ger!
The dining room (the building on the right) and the lodge where we spent two nights
The water of the lake is crystal clear
Soma's favorite
Soma with the Japanese chef of Nature's door. She is also an investor in Nature's Door and spends her summer here
The stay in Nature's Door was wonderful --- great location, great service, great food and eco-friendly!
Evening
The lodge --- truly a hidden gem of a place to stay
Someone's building a new winter home for themselves
On our way to the mountains
Wild roses
Our guide for this hike and I
Our guide made this wreath
and she's wearing it too. She's a university student and this is her summer job.
From the top of a mountain
On top of the mountain
On our way we discovered a small stream. Our guide was excited and even drank some water
The water was quite cold!
Fresh catch
This was the jeep that transported us from Murun to Nature's Door and back
Shades of blue
The jeep, we were told is 7 years old, Russian made, but seemed much older!
The sitting area inside the lodge
And the view from the sitting area
The road --- here truly there was semblance of a road (from Murun to the Lake)
But that didn't mean much!
A dry river bed --- we cross this at least 7 times!!!!
Postoffice in Hatgal (a town in between Murun and the Lake)
And a grocery store, where people come in bikes or horses!
Once more we go through this harrowing exercise
Back in UB --- Sukhabatar square is ready for Naadam!
The crowds assemble in Sukhabatar Square for the Nadaam festivities to begin
The soldiers carry the banners--- these are attributed to Chingis Khan
Security --- Mongolia is a pretty safe country except for notorious pickpockets in UB; we were targeted once!
Most Mongolians are in their best clothes druing Naadam. However, only the older generation seems to be donning traditional dresses.
While his wife was taking his photograph ...
... so were many others!
Reflection of the Sukhabatar Square
The Banners on their way to the naadam stadium
Taj Mahal in Sukhabatar Square!
This family wanted me to take their photograph --- thanks!
Inside the stadium --- Mongolian flag painted on her face
Archers
Pre-game practise!
Warming up!
The president delivering a speech
Can't wait for the games to start!
Part of the parade --- people were dressed in different costumes
Soyombo --- the national symbol of Mongolia
In various costumes ....
and then came Miss Mongolia!
Dressed as different protector gods
The largest cheer was however reserved for those riding the bikes
Wrestling is one of the three “manly” games in Naadam (the other two are Archery and Horse racing. In archery however women do participate so do young girls in horse racing)
“Eagle Dance” before wrestling
Now in a group
Real action!
She sat beside me in the stadium
The president
Archers lined up
Looks like judges
Bull's eye!
Just missed --- the targets are these low lying cylinders
Folk Dance
Throat singing
Contortionists
The whole troupe
Horse racing
Many have come in their horses to watch horse racing
Our driver and his friend
Preparing the track before the horses arrive
And here they come
The leader
Neck to neck competition
This person is racing two horses, maybe his friend fell off from one
A nomad and his son
The nomad family moves on
The second race of the day
The leader is a horse without the rider
Back in UB -- Choijin Lama Monastry. The communists preserved this as an example of feudal excess and hence it survived
Panels
Mongolian buddhism is heavily influenced by Tibetan Buddhism and through them many gods from Mongolia have their counterparts in India --- not this one though!
Koreans are in town!
Goodbye Mongolia!
