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Mongolia - Land of the Warriors

While your father is alive make as many friends as you can,

While your horse is alive see as many lands as you can.

Ancient Mongolian Proverb

By Katie Cooney

Mongolia, once home to the most fierce and feared warriors is today a country whose strong spirit continues to grace the land. The legendary Chingis Khaan’s whose empire stretched across the Asian continent continues to be a sense of national pride for the Mongolians. As Mongolia continues to change and modernize, the people still know and remember the fierce warriors in which they are descended from.

I waited and waited in the Beijing airport as my plane to Ulaan Baatar was once again delayed due to high winds. Five hours had passed waiting and cruising the Beijing airport gift shops, I concluded after you’ve seen one dead snake in a liquor bottle you’ve seen enough for a lifetime. I tried to fill my head with the anticipated desert landscapes with of images of Chingis Khan’s warriors as they rode across the Gobi. Today the country has rebounded after they reached independence from Russia and has begun their own struggles to create a united government and people.

Finally after six hours of waiting the MIAT flight taxied the runway and we were off to Ulaan Baatar. As the sun was setting out the window the drinks were flowing to a cabin mate who was quickly becoming intoxicated. Soon our paths would cross while I was stretched out on a few seats he in his drunken stupor plopped down on my bare feet and crunched my little toes! Later I heard that Mongolians do not like to fly and thus get totally smashed to endure the fear at 30,000 feet. Passengers beware!

Collected at the airport and driving into the city, lights here and there made out the outline of the small sprawling community. Staying in the Ulaan Baatar Hotel with its Russian cement architecture on the outside and the grand rooms with crystal chandeliers on the inside transcended time and place. The staff was very friendly and helpful; they even had an Internet connection. I was impressed.

Ulaan Baatar hosts’ huge buildings in the grand Russian style of architecture such as one would find in St. Petersburg.  The buildings today are a bit shabby, the paint peeling and the walls cracked here and there, but the beautiful spirit of the city is truly alive. One can find delicious drip coffee and French pastries in Café Bernard, buy incredible stamps featuring Jerry Garcia or Princess Dianna at the post office, or roam the State Department store for cashmere sweaters and camel hair blankets. Art students walk the streets with their watercolors and oil paintings to sell to tourists, and they are the best deal in town.

The museums and temples in UB are rich and priceless. The Natural History Museum boasts the dinosaur halls featuring the fossils found in the Gobi Desert. On display are dinosaur eggs, large Hadrosaur fossils (duck-billed dinosaurs), the Tarbosaurous fossils (close relative of the Tyrannosaurus Rex) and a wide array of other important and rich paleontological discoveries from the Gobi.

The Zanabazar Fine Arts Museum, named after the first Buddhist leader in Mongolia and himself an honored artist, is not to be missed. The Buddhist tankas and sculptures are a treasure for the country and a true gift for those who witness and admire their timeless beauty.

The Winter Palace of Bogd Khaan has six temples on the grounds and in each a treasure beyond belief. The each temple looks like it is on its last leg until the Mongolian woman unlocks the door and one may enter and see the incredible display of golden sculpture and artwork.

The Ganden Monastery is still today the seat of Buddhism in Mongolia. It towers on the highest point of UB and where pilgrims and towns people come to spin the prayer wheels and pray. In 1838 Bogd Khaan commissioned the monastery to be built, but was not completed until after his death. Luckily, both the Winter Palace of Bogd Khaan and the Ganden Monastery were spared destruction by the communists in 1937 because of their use as tourist attractions.

Transportation in Mongolia is difficult at best treacherous at worst, the roads are paths of uncompromising potholes, the jeeps are held together with tape and the planes are little better than contact paper on metal. If you can survive a trip overland in Mongolia, you are one tough traveler. Leaving the city on a hired bus the roads seemed good as all roads leading out of most Asian cities due. It was the next six hours that were bones jostling and head thumping that was tough. Somehow all the bad roads did not bother me, I was overwhelmed by the landscape and decided I would not have one complaint because I was in Mongolia at last.  

Karakhorum, the heart of the 13^th-century Mongol Empire, stands proud upon the barren landscape in central Mongolia. Chingis Khaan began construction on the capital city in 1200 and finished after his death by his son Ogedei Khaan. Karakhorum stood as the capital city for only 40 years, until Kublai Khaan moved the empire to what is now Beijing. Manchurian soldiers later destroyed the former capital city.  From the rubble of Karakhorum Erdene Zuu Monastery was rebuild in the 16^th century. The Buddhist monastery had been active for over 1,000 years until the Stalinist purges of the 1930’s. The monastery was reopened as a museum in the 1960’s and hosts many saved statues and Buddhist relics and artwork. The monastery has been revived and today one can hear the chanting and ceremonies taking place in the courtyard of the old city. The walled compound is framed by 108 stupas, the auspicious Buddhist number. Before the ransacking of Kharakorum four Turtle Rocks guarded each side of the city, today two remain standing to protect the ancient capital city.

We flew to Muron, the capital of Hovsgol Province, and then continued in old Russian jeeps overland for 4 hours to Lake Hovsgal. The lake is sacred to the Mongolians and referred to as “mother”. The lake is the second largest in Mongolia, the deepest in Central Asia and is 125 km in length and 30km in width. Lake Hovsgal is a paradise; the “deep blue pearl” filled with frigid alpine water surrounded by its forested shores and wild birds, it is the perfect destination for quiet and relaxation.  I spent my days fishing by the shore (no luck!), listening to the thin cracked ice move across the lake’s surface like a melody of wind chimes and took time to see the world around me. The lake must be part of one’s Mongolian adventure.

I thought the roads in Mongolia were horrific, until I dared take the MIAT (Mongolian International Airlines) flights. Having flown on some dodgy airlines in the past, I realized I was in a whole new class of frightening air travel! Being that the winds in Mongolia have little in their way to reduce their power, air travel can be a real roller coaster. In addition to the winds and less than stellar aircrafts the Mongolians have a tendency to overbook and overcrowd the planes. This is due to the fact that several of the aircrafts have crashed (due to overcrowding) and they are trying to accommodate all passengers.

Flying back to UB from the Gobi we made one stop to let off passengers and pick up a few more. As I saw three people deplaning, thirty people were running toward the small twin-engine plane to board. Eeek! People were standing in the isles, bathroom, the small cargo compartment and between the cockpit and the cabin. I counted the number of passengers I could see in the cabin and the plane was at 40% over capacity. The situation quickly turned into a comic tragedy. We were asked to deplane and those with valid tickets reboarded as well as those with no tickets. The crew determined the flight capacity and weight was safe. I strongly disagreed deplaned and began my argument with the flight crew. As three pilots crouched on the haunches and smoked cheap cigarettes I explained the safety issues in regard to flying an overbooked twin-engine plane. I stayed calm with a firm and unrelenting tone, and finally said, “I for one did not come to Mongolia to die in this plane and you don’t want a group of visitors dead in a desert crash. Get the people off the plane! I refuse to fly and will stand here until you make the plane safe!” The crew continued to smoke, as I don’t think they knew what to do with me. The steward listened attentively nodding his head in all the right places with his scared timid smile.

Finally, the pilots began to literally pull and drag resistant passengers off the plane until more than 25 people were ejected. The doors were closed and the plane began its taxi and we were off to UB once again.

Now, back to the beauty of Mongolia! We flew to Dalanzadgad at the edge of the Gobi Desert. The Gobi thrilled, delighted and memorized me. From the sliding down the singing sand dunes, to the Flaming Cliffs where Roy Chapman Andrew first discovered dinosaur eggs, the Gobi is alive and welcoming to those who touch her soil.

After visiting the Natural History Museum in UB, the Flaming Cliffs come alive with the thoughts of dinosaurs roaming the land 70 million years ago. A local guide lead us through the ravines pointing out remains of dinosaur fossils in the soil visible to the trained eye. I could imagine the excitement Andrew and his team felt having accidentally “fallen” upon the remains of dinosaurs. His expeditions were long and many, but not until one of his staff slipped from a cliff and landed on a hard spot in the soil did they finally uncover the first dinosaur fossils. Sometimes accidents lead to great discoveries!

The main staple of Mongolian food is mutton. In fact I finally coined the term at dinner one night when the salad was mutton and the main course was mutton, I joked “if it ain’t mutton it ain’t nothin’”. Unfortunately, being a vegetarian raised some dietary issues. I succumbed to peanut butter sandwiches, tomatoes when available and a lot of eggs during my stay. I recommend lots of power bars and a jar of peanut butter for the journey. Understandably, the Mongolian landscape does not provide the soil conditions for fruit and vegetables, so it is mutton and goat’s milk that is the main diet. I did try mare’s milk, horse milk for the first time. I didn’t even know you could milk a horse! It was bitter, with a tinge of yogurt taste and definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

Shopping in Mongolia is limited to a couple of shops but the quality is excellent. Lots of cashmere sweaters and blankets, camel hair blankets (very warm), anything and everything with Chingis Khaan emblazoned upon it and beautiful artwork. The prices do not reflect the bargains that can be had in other Asian countries. One can bargain, but as I always say, buy and bargain with respect so that each person, seller and buyer feels good and honored. The State Department Store is the best source of souvenirs and apparel. Also the gift shops in hotels, museums and temples offer unusual and quality handicrafts. Vendors will pop up at the major tourist attractions such as; Karakorum and Lake Hovsgal with make shift blankets of items. I like supporting the locals and usually by a little something to say thank you to the people, a gesture of goodwill to the community.

Many United States based travel companies offer trips to Mongolia. With an office to book the trips in the States with offices and tour guides in UB. It is very difficult to get around in Mongolia unless you are on a tour, know the language and have strong contacts. Most travelers such as myself chose a travel company, I chose Nomadic Expeditions. There were positive aspects of Nomadic Expeditions, they take care of everything, booking flights, arranging ground transportation, food, lodging and providing guides. The one disappointment was the lack of contact with the local and nomadic people. I had hoped to be in contact with more families on the trip. The food was mediocre at best and could have been subsided by bringing canned food from UB. No trip is perfect, but do your homework and look for the trip that best suits your needs and wishes.

Mongolia was a dream come true. Yes the air and road travel and food were challenging, but I’d do it all again tomorrow. Mongolia has a mystic that only few countries have. Maybe it is the barren land, and the strength of the people, or perhaps the history of Chingis Khaan that makes it so fascinating. Mongolia is an adventure for the courageous and curious! Happy Travels!

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