Mongolia
Why Mongolia? Someone asked. Why not? I replied.
A country sealed off from the outside for most of the 20th century.
Unspoiled wilderness with vast steppes, tumbling mountains, sparkling lakes and abundant wildlife and livestock.
Mongolian nomads leading self-sufficient lifestyle in often inhospitable regions.
Brimming with both culture and adventure, how can one not wish to visit Mongolia?
​
​
We hope we are able to inspire you and eventually grab that air ticket to visit this amazing country.
​
​
Sukhbaatar Square
Also commonly referred to as the Chinggis Square.
It is the central square of Ulaanbaatar, where a giant monument of Genghis Khan and a giant statue of Damdin Sukhbaatar riding a horse can be found.
Popular with tourists and locals alike, the square is occasionally used for ceremonies, events and exhibitions.
​
As you can see, everyone seems to be fighting for that opportunity for that photo with Genghis Khan as the backdrop. So when the opportunity presents, grab your camera and run for it!
The center of Ulaanbaatar
This circular symbol on the ground is literally the center of Ulaanbaatar.
​
I don't read Mongolian but i was told they are the past names of Ulaanbaatar. I hope i am right about that!
Do you know:?!​?
Genghis Khan actually created the first international postal system.
Check out this link for many other things people don't know!
​
Karakorum
The ancient capital of the Mongol and Yuan Empire and one of the most important cities in the history of the Silk Road, it is now part of the World Heritage site Orkhon Valley cultural landscape.
There are however not much to see now. Most of the archaeological remains are stored in the museums and the monastery, Erdene Zuu.
Traditional Mongolia costume
The picture on the right shows this lady with her kid wearing their Mongolian costume at the entrance of the Karaokorum.
Do you know that there is a high chance that no mongolian will be wearing the same costume at the same time?
The costume consists of the head wear, deel and boots.
​
The head wear has close to 400 different styles. There are hats for young, old, summer, winter, men and women, for different purpose and different status.
​
The deel is a calf length tunic made of a one piece material. Each Mongolia ethnic group has its own individual deel, distinguished by its cut, color and trimming yet most of these are usually unnoticeable by foreigners.
​
The boots has their toes upturned with several explanations for this. The most common one is that the upturn tip prevents riders’ feet from slipping out of the stirrups.
​
While different country have their own traditional costume, Mongolia’s by far has the most varying designs and colors.
Ger tents
Gers can be regarded as an icon of the Mongolian nomadic life style, with half of the population still choosing to live in such traditional tents.
A trip to Mongolia is not considered complete if one did not get to stay in such a tent.
​
Most of the ger camps have a central much larger ger which is used for meals and entertainment. The camps are also equipped with simple modernized toilets and showers. Limited hot showers are available but as it is limited. Chances of hot water suddenly turning freezing cold mid shower are very real.
​
We had incidents of mates getting stuck mid shower as the water turn freezing cold. With all the shampoo and shower foam all still on, they can't get out of the shower nor can they finish their shower.
Talking about dilemmas. But if that really happen to you, try screaming for help and buy some hot water from the staffs to finish the shower.
Inside of a Ger tent
Roomy for 2 and with simple facilities, it offers a surprisingly comfortable rest for the traveller before starting the next day exploring Mongolia's beautiful landscape.
In the middle of the ger is a stove, excellent for keeping out the cold but be careful about placing anything on top of it or near it. Chances of burnt shoes and socks are really high. Airing the ger from the smoke in the middle of the night is no joke, especially when the temperature at night drops to sub 10 degs.
Do you know:?!​?
A ger tent like the one above can be taken down and assembled again in less than 1 hour.
​
Bactrian Camels
Camels have been an important part of the Mongolian nomads’ lives since ancient times, helping the Mongolians adapt and settle to lives in the unforgiving Gobi desert. So what is so special about these camels?
​
For one, the camels found in Mongolia are the two humped Bactrian camels and not the common one hump camels. These Bactrian camels do not just serve as a form of transportation, their hair are used as rope for Mongolian Ger tents, wool as garment while also providing milk and meat. The amazing thing about these camels is that they are able to survive the extreme cold of the Gobi desert.
​
We got the opportunity to ride the camels and experience how the nomads moved around the Gobi desert. The ride definitely didn’t feel very comfortable for me. As the camels lumber along with the camel caretakers leading the way, the humps are constantly rubbing against my butt which sadly led to abrasions. Without much cushion between the humps of the camels, the ride wasn’t exactly plushy but it was still a memorable ride
Do you know:?!​?
Only 6 percent of the camel populations in the world are Bactrian camels and wild Bactrian camels are even lesser with numbers at just hundreds.
​
Horse riding
Mongolia horse riding, a tradition that has been passed down for centuries.
​
It is traditionally said that “a Mongol without a horse is like a bird without wings.” Riding a horse is 2nd nature for a Mongolian which is why Mongolian nomads have long been considered some of the best horsemen in the world.
​
Kids barely the age of 6 are seen galloping horses at high speed. Nothing can be more amazing when they go full flight, the strength, the poise and the elegance even surpasses that of a ballet dancer.
​
And how can we miss getting this shot of the pose made famous by Ferrari.
​
One isn’t a Mongolian horse rider if you can't even do something like that.
Do you know:?!​?
Airag, the drink that most symbolizes Mongolia, are actually fermented mare's milk.
A "refreshing" drink with a small percent of alcohol content. It is widely drank during the Naadam festival.
​
Mongolian wrestling
Mongolian wrestling, also known as Bokh, has an important place in Mongolian culture. It is one of the 3 manly skills, which also include horsemanship and archery. Used in the past as a way for the Mongolian army to keep their physical shape and combat ready, it is now a national sport while also used as a way to past time.
​
The goal of a wrestling match is to get your opponent’s upper body or knee onto the ground by any means other than striking, strangling or locking. There are also no weight class nor age limits, so it isn’t surprising to see kids wrestling with an grown up adult.
​
As usual, we decided to give it a try. The match lasted mere minutes and during that short time, I felt like a helpless yak being thrown around by the burly Mongolian herdsman. I got popping veins all over my wrists after the match. That was just from his strong grip and he doesn’t even look like he is serious about it.
Competitive wrestling
The biggest wrestling competition is the national Naadam festival, taking place in July each year in Ulaanbaatar. It has the largest number of wrestlers taking part and even has its own radio and television telecast.
The Naadam is divided into 3 classes with rankings for the wrestlers based on the number of rounds they win. The rank is held for life and winners are always honoured with rewards and prizes.
​
The 5th person from the right in picture above is a winner of a countryside wrestling tournament. The level of the tournament or his rank was unclear but even so, we can see that there is a lot of pride and honour that comes with wining. Those lined up by his sides are horse breeders who are awarding the champion with specially selected horses from their stable as a reward for his achievement.
Check this out!
Watch this beautifully shot video about Mongolian wrestling here! link here!
Nomads and their livestock
Even though the numbers of nomads are decreasing as people start moving to the city, there are still approximately 50% of the Mongolia’s population living traditionally.
​
There are 5 main species of livestock that are reared by the Mongolian nomads. They are the horses, cows/yaks, sheep, goats and camels. These animals provide the nomads with not just meat and milk, skins and wool can be used for clothing while felt for Ger covering. Even hair and dung has its uses.
​
Most of the livestock are free to roam and graze. While some of them are able to wander back on their own, some requires a bit of a nudging.
​
Getting to see thousands of goats and sheep cross your path on their way home is quite an exciting and intimidating experience itself.
The Hike
Picnic by the lake
The 3 vehicle you see on the left are our trusty Russians 4WD that brought us out of the city and to the start of our hike. While the suspension of the vehicle leaves much to be desired, we were amazed by what these sturdy vehicles can do, be it going down a slope while the ground is tilted to one side or going through a knee deep river. Of course, we got to give a lot of credit to the amazing driving skills of our drivers. While there are more comfortable options such as the Toyota land cruisers, the Russians 4WD are definitely the perfect work horse which does not burn a hole in our pockets.
​
This was also where we stopped to have our first outdoor lunch. You can see this very nice lunch set up prepared beforehand by the drivers and chefs. The orange tent on by the tables are where the chefs worked their magic, preparing surprising delicious meals considering the fact we are in the middle of nowhere. We had this very nice outdoor table set up for our lunch. And of course there are times when we felt like there is something missing and when that happens, we have this little trick up our sleeves.
That view.
After lunch, we had some time to explore the area on our own. So i climbed up this little hill by the side and this is the panorama view which greeted me at the end. It was breathtaking! Literally.
You can actually spot the russian 4WDs on the right side of the picture. That is our lunch spot.
The weather that day was awesome, there wasn't a lot of clouds up in the sky but it wasn't exactly very hot either.
​
At the far end on the right hand side of the picture, you can actually see a bunch of gers. These are probably part of a ger camp set up specifically for tourists. We get to stay a few extra nights in ger camps during the trip which we are really grateful for. (hot showers and proper beds!)
Camping.
What is hiking without camping?
​
For us city dwellers, it was a very refreshing experience. Tents were pitched and set up for the nights we were on foot. The tents's wind-proofing were surprising effective. With an inflatable cushion and thick sleeping bags, it felt really cozy at night. Definitely feels better than some of the hostels i have stayed before.
​
The hike brought us to different places and we get to camp at different locations for the different nights, by the forest, on top of a hill and on a wide grassland.
​
And did i mentioned the millions of stars flickering at night right above our tents? What a sight to behold!
​
Definitely an item checked off my to do list.
Campfire
And what is camping with campfire?
​
On our first camping night, the guys decided to set up a camp fire with the help of one of our driver but after checking with the guide on whether it is okay.
​
We got a big campfire on going, a bit of drinking, some form of dancing. It was fun and the fire lasted long into the night.
But it was only in the next morning did we learn about the significance of the fire in Mongolia culture.
Fire are considered sacred and when a campfire is started, the starters need to ensure the fire have died down completely on it's own before turning in for the night.
​
The Mongolians that was with us, unknowingly to all of us, stayed late into the night for that.
The hardy yaks.
While camping and having outdoor picnics was all fun and enjoyable, someone or something have to do the hard work.
​
The amount of equipment we had for our hike were by no means light and when we had a group of 12, it was no easy feat to move all the baggage from one point to another.
​
So in come these hard-workers to make life a lot easier for us. We basically had to carry some water, food and the personal stuffs we need while we leave the heavy stuffs to them. That is really a load off our shoulders!
​
Mongolia Sunrise and sunset
What else is so amazing about camping out in the nature? The gorgeous sunrise and sunset.
No words can describe that moment and feeling.
​
Sitting out in the open, with a cup of hot coffee and watching nature do their thing. You can't help but to be grateful.
Mongolian Ovoo
Throughout the hike, we came across quite a few of these structures. Though looking like random piles of stone and rocks, they are actually sacred stone heaps that are normally used as altars or shrines in Mongolia.
​
Usually made from stones and woods with blue clothes, often seen wrapping around the stone heaps. Those clothes are Khadag, traditional ceremonial scarf which originates from Tibetan Buddhist while the blue color symbolizes the blue sky.
​
Most of these that we came across are normally on cross roads or higher grounds overlooking some really beautiful landscapes.
With that, we will leave you with some of the amazing landscapes that we came across during our hike.
Landscapes
You can check out this blog post for more information on Mongolia! A bit lengthy though. Link