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