Mongolia September 2003

Yes we're back from our exotic holiday in Mongolia.

Of course a lot of our friends thought we were mad, while others did'nt dare to say so; but here we are just basking in the glory of a most unusual holiday.

Our journey began on a train from Beijing to Ulaan Baatar. It is a branch of the trans Siberian railway & took us through northern china, inner Mongolia, & then through the Gobi desert & the steppes of mongolia. When it stopped at the border town of Zamyn Uud at  1 am, we were rudely awakened by a stern Mongolian lady immigration officer who's looks and behavior convinced us she was the great  Genghis Khan's granddaughter.  Such was our welcome into Mongolia !!

Mongolia's capital, Ulaan Baatar, is surrounded by picturesque mountains, & has interesting museums & monasteries. Downtown, modern buildings have sprung up alongside neglected soviet style apartment blocks.  The sprawling suburbs that crawl out into the hillsides, consist of traditional ger ( circular felt tents).  Men & women still stroll around in traditional dress alongside youngsters in the latest western fashion, leather boots & hand phones.  Flashy shops & trendy restaurants, karaoke bars & pubs have mushroomed against a backdrop of unkempt buildings & dusty pavements.  Heavily polluted by the coal burning power station in the middle of the city, Ulaan Baatar is a city of incongruity, but it is from here that the traveler journeys into the true heart of Mongolia.

We flew from the modern airport of U.B.  to Murun which is at the southernmost tip of Khovsgol lake. The lake is situated in the north where it borders with Russia. Its cobalt blue waters are surrounded by several peaks almost 3000 m high covered with subarctic coniferous forests, & teeming with elk, reindeer & bears; while the lakes & rivers are brimming with fish.  From here our journey of 1,500km began by road, in a tough russian vehicle which ploughed us over dried & rocky river beds, potholed dirt tracks & crisscrossed the vast mongolian steppes.  There are no highways nor signs, & discovering mongolia means off road exploration, whether by horse, foot or vehicle.  Except for the larger towns, accomodation is only in ger camps in the countryside.

The ones we stayed in were plush with beds & carpets & always with a wood stove in the center to keep us warm during the chilly autumn nights.

Dining rooms, toilets & showers were always separate.

Our camps were located near different scenic spots everyday - twice by a lake, once by some hot springs, another time at the base of the rocky Khogno Khan mountains & once near a volcanic crater

We captured many fiery sunsets & the colourful dawn, not forgetting to watch the show every night above us as the cloudless expanse of night skies showcased a galaxy of stars. Mars was clearly visible every night.

Mongolia conjures images of horsemen galloping with a trail of dust behind them; it was not unusual to see several everyday herding their cattle. Once in a while we would see a modern day horseman on a motorbike!!  Almost half of the population still lives as nomads, & as we traversed the velvet landscape, it was dotted with white ger tents, & herds of sheep, goats, cows, hairy yaks, horses & 2 humped camels.

From their cattle, there was much fresh milk, cheese & cream in our diet, & plenty of meat of course.  When near the lakes, we were lucky to have fresh fish too.

Our journey into Mongolia was like a journey into another century - where  nomads still live by customs & traditions thousands of years old; where most of the country is untouched by civilization; where you could stand almost anywhere in the country & hear only the sound of the wind ; where there are no fences.

Shirin n Moiz
Kuala Lumpur