Categotry Archives: Travel
A Hike Around the Lake
As long as we were camped along Khovsgol Lake, we thought we’d take a little day hike. Those of us on the tour who were in the mood walked along the shore of the lake until we got to a nice little promontory. Then we cut up along a ridge and came out at a spot with a great view, and the makings of a bonfire.
T13: Music Factory
1. Folk music in Mongolia is unlike anything I’ve heard anywhere else. They use duo tone singing like a rougher, less esthetic version of the Tibetan’s as well as horns, and a variety of stringed instruments like the Chinese. Probably the one that most typifies the country is the horse headed fiddle. They come in a variety of sizes with commiserate differences in register. What typifies all of them is the square box, long necks, and of course the horse […]
Oasis
We were driving around in a place that tends to look like the above picture when we ran across something that looked like the picture below. Yep. In the middle of the desert we found an oasis. Most of the water we found in the Gobi Desert was pumped up from various aquifers. Some were close enough to the surface that you could scoop it out with a bag on a long stick. Others were deep enough to require a […]
13 Points About the Reindeer People of Mongolia
1. The race of Mongolians who live off of herds of reindeer on the border with Siberia are called Dukha. There are less than 300 of them left, and they are steadily decreasing.
A Shaman in Ulaanbaatar
We went to see a shaman in Ulaanbaatar. I was surprised when the place turned out to be in the city itself, and the shaman to be female. Yeah, dumb on both counts, but there it is. In the picture above you can see the city in the background behind the ovo. We could see it from the street like a flag. I tried to get a picture from the street, but it came out blurred.
13 Mountains
You knew I was going to do this at some point. These particular mountains are all from the area just north of Ulaanbaatar where the beginning of my book is set. 1.
Tire Change
In the Gobi Desert we had a flat tire. Considering the condition of the roads, it’s amazing we didn’t have a break down of one sort or another much sooner. I can only think that the constant care and attention given to the vehicles by the drivers had something to do with it.
13 Places to Pee
I meant to do this weeks ago when someone first asked me. Sorry for the delay. As I mentioned before, it can be a little hard to find a place to go in Mongolia. Here are a few of the ones I spotted. 1. This was at the back of a yard connected to a shop along a highway. It’s as close to a rest area as I saw.
T13 – Dinosaurs
1. Mongolia has some rich deposits of dinosaur bones, especially in the Gobi Desert. 2. Flaming Cliffs in the Gobi Desert has a bunch. This is where the first dinosaur eggs were found.
The Black Market of Ulaanbaatar
We went to the Black Market. The tour guide was very careful to let us know that Black Market is the name. It’s not an illegal market. It’s the largest, best known market place in Mongolia.
13 Steps to the Aryabal Meditation Temple
Early in the trip we went for a hike up to a Buddhist Temple. We were supposed to do some meditation there, but the monk was on vacation, so all we did was walk up and back. 1. We started at the gift shop. 2. I don’t remember how many miles we went, but it was a good long hike.
The Kazhak’s Mosque
We went from the Kazhak family to a mosque that they attend. It was the first time I’d ever been in one. They had scarves at the entrance that we could put on our heads and a wall full of cubbies for our shoes. We all filed up to the second floor prayer room and wandered around. There is a domed ceiling/roof that really impressed me. If you stand under it, you can hear every voice in the room as […]
Chinggis Kahn
Notice the name on the monument and the airport building? I first became aware that I’d been spelling and saying the name wrong my whole life as I left the airport in Ulaanbaatar and looked back. Ok, It’s no surprise I’d spell it wrong, but really, have you been spelling it right?
