The White Lake

The 6am alarm went off, we caught trolley bus number 2 to the bus station and having paid 4,000T to get our luggage on-board (not that the locals seem to pay anything mind) we were on our way to the Tsetserleg. The next 10 hours saw us pass across the grassland steppe, with it stretching as far as the eye could see. The only interruption was the odd ger and their livestock and the band of sand dunes known as Mongol Els. A brief stop for lunch, consuming Huushuur (like fried pasties), broke the journey and as we pulled into town the sun was shining and it appeared quite pretty but also very small for a regional capital. On closer inspection the town appeared a bit rundown with its glory days behind it. This may however be a result of the global recession as in UB we heard a number of times that visitors were down significantly resulting in tour companies and other service providers closing down for the season to try their luck again next year. Our intended hostel being full, we decided to walk a km north of town to pitch the tent in a pretty valley behind some rocks and trees to give us some privacy from prying eyes.
A good nights sleep was had and we went to the British run cafe, The Fairfield, for a bacon sarnie and ended up organising a 4x4 to take us to our intended destination of the White Lake. The total cost was 140,000T (70 pounds with 30 for the driver and the rest for the petrol paying for the drivers return too) for although it is only a 200km journey the fuel economy on the roads (more like rutted, pot-holed, rock strewn dirt tracks) is terrible and petrol is expensive. The average speed is also around 30-35km per hour so an uncomfortable, bone jarring 6 hours later we found ourselves at the beautiful White Lake.
The lake is in a spectacular volcanic landscape of lava flows, pine forests, grassy valleys and mountainous peaks so we felt we were in for a treat. To cap it off, after walking around a small headland we pitched the tent and were treated to a lovely sunset. This improved our mood after a meal of burnt rice in veg stock! Our first morning (23rd) saw us set off to a nearby volcanic crater. There was not a cloud in the sky and the temperature quickly soared and the thought of mad dogs and Englishmen did cross my mind as mid-day approached. the crater itself was more impressive than we had feared after seeing it from a distance, being 80m deep and 250m across. A couple of huushuur revived us on the was back which was followed by a dip in the lake to cool off. We ended up having fried fish in a nearby ger camp having been chased from the tent by a swarm of flying ants. The following day we moved around the lake, walking around 5 miles to camp in a slightly more isolated area away from any ger camps. On the way we passed a small shop to buy some supplies and ended up arranging a lift back to Tsetserleg for 60,000T. The rest of the day was spent wondering around the lake edge before returning for a meal of soup + noodles followed by a drift-wood bonfire. For the final day we set out into the hills covering around 15 miles and spying only 2-3 people from a distance herding their animals, we really did feel in the wilderness. When we got back, rather tired, we found that an animal must have become tangled in a guy rope, bending the peg 90 degrees and ripping the tent along the seam. I had wrapped some duck tape around my tripod before we set off and this proved useful for a temporary repair...so long as the drizzle stopped! Well it did but the clearing clouds meant that we had a cold nights sleep, waking to ground-frost and an icy tent when the 6:30 alarm went. We were this early so we could meet up with our driver for the return trip, the departure time was set for 9am...to be continued!

Testing the system for China

Thought that I should test the system for our impending return for China to see if I can post photos by email too!

Ger to Ger in the Terelj

Having had out introductory session with the tour company the day after we arrived in UB, a bit of a waste of time, we headed to the Terelj national park on the 14th by local bus. Having been told to wait till the very last stop, some kids came onto the bus at the penultimate stop, insisting we should get off for the ger-to-ger program. We did, somewhat reluctantly, and were thankfully then taken to our first family by a river in an attractive, flat, grassland valley. We spent the afternoon swimming in the icy river with the children, playing football and volleyball, before pitching the tent and settling down for the evening in the ger, playing various games including ankle bone flicking (called something like Shangi). The following day involved a 24km ride to a monastery and back after doing the exciting job of dung collecting. It was good to be back in the saddle though I am far from ellegent on horseback! The scenery was good, with the monastery occupying a prime spot at the head of a valley with spectacular views (though as usual the afternoon brought light showers!). We returned early evening, somewhat saddle-sore, and a bit apprehensive about the 26km ride to our second family the following day.
Our departure coincided with the slaughter of a goat. A quick blow to the head stunned it and an incision was made just behind the sternum where an artery is apparently squeezed to kill it without wasting any blood. the innards were removed which were then cleaned and boiled up in one big pot. The small intestines were filled with the blood to make a sort of sausage, and we also had some braised liver wrapped in omentum. It was actually all much more tasty than I expected, not being the greatest fan of offal, though Amy struggled a little more having just enough to be polite.
Our subsequent ride was through the Mongolia that I had imagined, valleys filled with wild flowers, butterflies dancing on the breeze with the sun burning a hole in the perfectly blue sky. If it all sounds a bit too good to be true then fear not...there were quite a few horse flies around which kept both us and the horses on our toes! On arrival, our host fed us the traditional fried buter fat with bread and a lovely cup of salty milk tea, a taste we have now aquired after more than our fair share. We had a further 2 meals during the day and while Mongolian food can not be described as the most exciting, it is certainly not unpleasand and does the job of filling you up. We hAd been expecting much worse. The following morning was spent in the ger to shelter from the weather. We were shown how traditional garments and accessories are made, with one of the daughters knocking off a small bag in little over an hour and a half. An ox cart then took us to the 3rd family and we mercifully stayed dry throughout the 9km journey...
...That did not last long though because almost as soon as we arrived the heavens really did open, developing into heavy hail stones. A trickle through the ger soon turned into a torrent with the floor needing to be bailed out. Despite all this we were not allowed to help with every offer resulting in us being told to take a seat to such an extent that it was hampering their efforts. The scene once the rain stopped and we went outside was of devistation with the river swelling to at least twice the size and a number of smaller rivers which had been dry an hour previously. Our good old tent managed to stay dry though, unlike the other person on the trip with us whose tent had become more of a paddling pool.
Our final host the following day was a young couple with a 4 month old baby. It must be hard work but the sence of community is amazing with everyone chipping in if needed which must ease the load a bit. We had a very pleasant day, walking to the top of the nearest peak and playing UNO with the kids. UNO turned out to be one of the best ice-breakers along with photos from home, being good fun and easy to explain without shared language. We caught a late bus, arriving back at our hostel for a much needed shower around 9pm.
Today we have bought our bus ticket to go to Tsetserleg tomorrow. We were going to do a tour but thought it would be more exciting to head out into the wilderness again on our own. We should be back on the 31st...

Escape to the country

After the Naadam we were desperate to break out of the city and head to the hills. We had read about a monastery nearby which was a short bus trip away and then a days walk back to the city, a perfect length before heading on our pre-arranged trip. We got a local minivan to the Monastery, after avoiding people trying to get us to rent a whole van, in the end they pointed us in the right direction once it became obvious we were not going to play ball. The monastery itself was not so spectacular, having been destroyed during the communist regime like the vast majority in the country. Only 1 building had been re-built and the ruined walls gave some clue as to the original size of the complex.
We then lugged our bags up the hill, a bit harder work than we had imagined. I am not sure our fitness is perhaps what it could be. the rain started in the afternoon (a familiar theme) and so we made camp just short of the summit. The sky cleared a bit for the evening sunset which we saw from the Ovoo, a holy cairn on top of the mountain, before settling down for the night. The morning was much brighter and the going all downhill, though it did take 2 hours of trudging through thick bush and clambering boulder fields before we found the path down. We met some people a few days later who had never found the path and ended up by the fence of the presidents residence with machine gun totting guards!
When we hit the main road we hitched the 6km back to our hostel, the first car which passed stopped, and got ourselves ready for our 6 day trip.

Naadam

Well, much has happened since I last wrote and so I will break the next few posts down into managable chunks. For one reason or another I had to get some new glasses. A quick text home and a prompt reply meant that I had my prescription and after much pointing and gesticulating I returned to the optician to collect my new pair of specks an hour later for the pricely sum of around 40 quid. Better service than in the UK! We were planning on buying tickets for the Naadam at the stadium but at the last minute got the more costly $25 seating tickets which we were pleased with. The day itself was drizzle on and off and we were glad to have seats and be under cover, unlike the majority of the stadium. The opening ceremony was a lively affair of horsemanship, dancing, gymnastics, speeches and a parade which was followed by a spot of wrestling. Being the first rounds most of the contests were between little and large with the smaller fellas not having much of a look in. It was interesting none-the-less, especially seeing the eagle dance at the start and end of each match. We also witnessed some archery and ankle-bone shooting before catching the local bus to the horse racing an hour away (standing room only). We arrived just as the wind and rain picked up, made worse by the fact that the event was on a very open plain. The racing was also not what we were expecting, there was only 1 race of 28km with 400 horses and all the jockeys were between 5 and 10 with the exception of a few teenagers. The most we saw was the race to the finnish which did not last long as they were going and a fair pace. The worse thing was that we saw 3 horses just stop, lie down and then die despite the best efforts of people to keep them going. A concert in the main square and some fireworks ended the day. It was interesting and enjoyable though not quite what we expected with our overall impression being that of a large village fete. Would I come to see the Naadam in UB again? No, but I would imagine a smaller village event would be much more interesting and involved with the action being much closer and that certainly would be worth a return trip

Ulanbaatar

I did say in the first post that additions were likely to be few and far between so here goes with the next update, or what I can remember as I forgot to bring my diary with me and am trying to back up photos at the same time so you will have top forgive me if I lose my train of thought!
We had a good-ish few days in China's capital though the heat did take it's toll, more on that later. We had to collect our onward train tickets to Mongolia which involved being shown to the top of an office block in the commercial district where some bemused staff handed the tickets over. I think people normally get them sent to their hotel but at least they had them as we had had no confirmation after transferring the money to them online.
We saw most of the sights in the centre of town, Tianemen Square with the imposing portrait of Chairman Mao at the northern end, the Forbidden city (very impressive), the Temple of Heaven (over-rated and very busy) and I saw the small Confucian Temple which was not only stunning in its own right but had a very interesting display about the man himself. I saw this myself because Amy had started to feel a bit unwell and so had confined herself to our air-conditioned dorm.
The 32 hour train ride to Mongolia then provided a perfect opportunity for relaxation and recovery, I hate to think how much we slept, though the other people in our cabin also proved to be good and interesting company. The train was late and so we did not arrive until the evening which left the exploring for the following day. We are getting bored of city life at the moment, it is the Naadam festival tomorrow, a highlight of the Mongolian year where the best compete in the supposed 3 manly sports of wrestling, archery and horse racing. It is raining now and forecast to stay so hopefully it will not be a wash-out. We then plan to head out camping for a night before starting our nomadic home-stay tour (www.gertoger.org). Better go now, pictures will have to wait I'm afraid. I need to develop a quick way of backing everything up...

We have landed

Well we made it and I am now typing this from a rather warm Beijing hostel. The last few days spent in London were a good chance to relax, meeting friends for drinks and food along the Thames, and the last few jobs were completed, saying goodbye to most of my hair! The time also allowed us a chance to acclimatise to lugging our heafty bags across the urban environment in the heat. It's heading for the hottest summer since records began (don't they always say that?!). I am also keeping a journal and its difficult to condence the last few days into anything important, all that needs to be said is we were seen off well.
Our initial flight was to Vienna which was said to be running 40 minutes late. This made the 45 minutes between landing and the connecting flight to Beijing suddenly seem a little tight. This was made worse when we then proceded to sit on the tarmac for a further hour having missed our slot well and truely. Arriving 70 minutes after our supposed take-off time we had resined ourselves to at least a night in Vienna but we should not have feared. A red suited airhostes wisked us off to the plane which was waiting for us. The China bussinessmen did not look too happy as we slinked through the upper classes to find our seats but we made it and that was all that mattered.
The train and then underground from the airport to our nearest stop, Quinmen, was remarkably siomple to navigate with signs and announcements in English. I guess this is a hangover from the Olympics but it was a welcome releaf to the 2 bleary eyed travellers that made their way across the city in the clean air-conditioned carriages. Now that we have arrived in China I am not able to access my blog directly and so am composing these messages on email. Hopefully they will appear on the blog, as if by magic, a fact I guess I'll discover in Mongolia (or maybe India...I hope not). I'll have to check my site now to see how access to that goes. Censorship is apparent already and we are not even through day 1!

www.alexavery.co.uk

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