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Mongolia... by Fiona MacLeod Outer Mongolia: it sounds so exotic doesn’t it? I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when we landed at Ulan Baatar Airport, but I’m sure it wasn’t what I found! The city itself is a sprawling mass of ramshackle houses and near-derelict apartments. However, the Tourist Department are working hard to attract foreign visitors, with new buildings such as the Art Gallery and Natural History Museum. The main square in the centre of the city is serenaded with classical music from loudspeakers, the circus was in town and the imposing statue of Genghis Khan is being restored. The buildings and the people are an eclectic mix of European and Asian influences: some are very Chinese in appearance, others much more Western. However, the Mongolian women are without exception beautiful. The streets (and later we discovered the countryside) are littered with garbage. Traditional Mongolian customs and diets meant that every aspect of an animal was used for food or clothing, with the bones being sprinkled to fertilise the ground. As western influences mean more imported foods in the inevitable packaging, the nomadic people are simply unable and ill equipped to dispose of the cans and plastics effectively. Only with education from visitors can they learn the value of garbage disposal and recycling, and preserve the natural beauty of the wilderness that is the Mongolian Steppe. Over the next eight days we travelled from Ulan Baatar, south across the Gobi Desert to Mandalgovi, west over the rolling grasslands to the Khogno Khan Mountains, north to the famous Erdene Zuu monastery at Karakorum and finally south to Kustai National park before ending up back in Ulan Baatar. We covered a considerable amount of land, driving approx 300km per day and saw a remarkable amount in a short period of time. Whilst Mongolia is not top of the countries known worldwide for its great number of tourist attractions, it has to be said that there are a remarkable number of temples and monasteries, in various stages of dereliction. Many are now unoccupied, while some are home to only a few remaining monks. Erdene Zuu is still active, although the monks live elsewhere and travel to the temple every day. It is a rare and special treat to see and hear the young novices chant from the ancient scriptures in the traditional singsong manner. Travel in Mongolia is challenging at best. Roads are basically dirt tracks across the barren wasteland, there are no showers or washrooms, and access to fresh fruit and vegetables is very limited. Menus are simple and vary according to what is available on a daily basis. Days can be long, with huge distances to be covered, but it is well worth the effort. Nowhere else will you witness such dramatic landscape changes: barren dusty desert, rolling sand dunes, rocky mountain tops and flowing streams can all be seen within the space of one day. The highlight of any trip to Mongolia is to stay in a ger. These traditional felt tents are still widely used by the nomadic people who move around the countryside, following any water source. They are padded with wool and tightly bound with string and are incredibly warm. Furnishings are sparse but intricately decorated. The centre of the ger is dominated by a large stove with a central chimney that rises up and through a hole in the roof. All the cooking is done here, and this also provides heat for the home. They burn wood when available and cow/horse dung when it is not. We visited several families in their homes but stayed at a tourist camp. There are many of these around the country and they vary greatly in terms of quality and commodities. Most have western style washrooms and hot showers, and some have dining rooms and leisure facilities. The very fancy ones have television rooms, or even satellite stations. Inside, though, most of the gers are the same. They are fitted with four to six beds around the edge, and a centre table. The walls may be covered in blankets, tapestries or silks but they are always brightly coloured. Some have electric light but most are subject to natural light: bedtime is when the sun goes down. We were also lucky to visit Kustai National park and witness the famous Takhi horses running free over the wild landscape. These horses are very rare: only around 500 exist worldwide. They are similar to a regular horse but with two extra chromosomes. This causes their heads to be enlarged, and their manes and tails to be shorter and more wiry. Their manes in fact stand erect. It is often hard to spot them as they shy away from human contact, and this is encouraged, as they are wild creatures; however we are lucky and spot a small herd in the distance. Mongolia is a fascinating country, with huge potential as a destination. At this time, infrastructure is almost non-existent and this is what gives the country its charm. The thought of paved roads winding across the desert, and busloads of tourists swarming around the ancient monasteries makes the blood run cold. Visit Mongolia, but experience it as it really is! |
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