3-18
Sept. 2016
Ger-ing in Mongolia
* ger – mongol teepe (бел. авт.)
** deli – traditional clothing
*** suutei tsai- herbal tea with milk, salt and animal fat
This was the first trip of the “abandoned roads” -traveler’s project. something in which I do believe because the difference between each place and spot around the globe lies not in the all-inclusive hotels but in the unique synergy of people, their way of living and the nature. This mixture and the understanding it brings, makes you respect and cherish the people, the nature and your sense of being even more.
The road along the “Abandoned roads” reaches as far as our inner understanding about the surrounding world gets us.
Thinking about it for me Mongolia is an endless route, and as such a good starting point for a journey.
…
Only by walking or riding the Mongolian routes you can truly “understand” the nomad live. The people and faces passing you by start telling a story about a hospitable folk, a folk survived to see it’s rise and fall in the course of human history, but remained true to their traditions and nature, a story about how the modern world is trying to “catch up” with the ever moving nomad amid the vast emptiness of the steppe, the sand dunes, mountain ranges, crystal clear lakes, reindeer and wild horses grasslands .. and at the end of the day our personal story broken down to pieces and reordered by a new perspective seen trough the eyes of these people and the stillness of the steppe.
…. appreciate taking the time for reading this please do not get depressed and give up please keep on reading
14 days/ 2weeks
+ 6 types of transportation
plane, car, camel, horse, boat, human feet 🙂
+5 dishes you hear for the first time and probably will cause you a severe digestive disorder but nontheless eaten
congratulations you’ve just earned 1 responsible tourist point
+ 10 new words in Mongolian – learned
Generally speaking +1 responsible tourist point earned (RTP)
Note : no points are given for forgetting them after one month and you would most probably do so
+12 nights in a ger – cozy smelly, “dense” and unfamiliar experience earned. Thinking of a ger one would never consider a satellite dish, solar panels and land lines
+ 1 volcano – feels like you are investigating an alien landing site or a meteor crater
Horgo (2100m)
+ 1 water basin – crossing the “Younger sister of the Sister lake” – Khuvsgul Nuur- it is connected with Baikal and is more than 2 million yaers old
nuur – lake in Mongolian
+ 1 Buddhist monastery – everyone has considered converting to buddhism at least once in his/a lifetime – and so do you – so it turns out people are not so different after all
visitng the capital of the Mongol empire – Karakorum and the monastery Erdene zuu
+ 1 waterfall – lazy camping experience near a beautiful waterfall
Camping near Orhon
+ 5 km horse riding – well that’s a truly invigorating experience at least until you get off the saddle… those who once has had a motorbike surly know a lot about it
+ approx. 2857km – Mongolian paths/routes traveled
+ 2 bottles of vodka shared – we will try the airag the next time – currently not presented
*airag – a traditional alcohol beverage made by horse milk in Mongolia
+ (n +1) scenery /terrains crossed
taiga, steppe, lakes, waterfalls, deserts , mountains and the “eternal blue sky” with over 250 sunny days a year – check out the photo archive
+ 1kg candies and multiple photo sessions for the nomad child
Plus 1 TRP earned
+ 1 amulet from the tribe’s shaman acquired
the tribe Tsataan herds/breeds reindeers as a main source of food and transportation in the Taiga. they worship the nature and move from one place to another. They haven’t abandoned their ancestor’s traditions and can be referred to as true nomads – never settling down.
