The second part of my nomadic adventure was spent in Central Mongolia. I flew back from my Gobi adventure to UB and met my new guide (also called Zaya, who was only 20 years old, but treated me like she was my mother) and driver, Gana, who was late 20s, and is a cop in his day job. Zaya #2 had just graduated from University, studying translation (English and Russian), so she was much better at speaking to me than Zaya #1. We stopped at a market before heading off to get some supplies, and I couldn't resist the beautiful, round, plump, red apples, staring at me in the face. I needed some fresh fruit (or fresh anything besides sheep) after eating ZERO fruits and less than a half of a vegetable over the previous four days. They were the best $1 apples I ever had. And soon after we needed to stop to use the toilet.
After the apples passed, our first goal was to find the wild horses in Hustai National Park. People talk about these horses as if they are unicorns...not everyone can see them, and they are supposedly very beautiful, and can possibly grant wishes, and give you pots of gold. The scenery was gorgeous, so we parked and admired the landscape, waiting to see if the horses would come out. A guide from the park came with us with a pair of binoculars, constantly surveying the area for the majestic creatures. Unfortunately they don't usually show themselves in the afternoon (which it was), and that day was no different. So no unicorns for us, at least this time. I found a video of them, just to make it seem like I saw them.
While waiting, Gana made me eat a weird meat sandwich, as a snack before lunch. I don't know what kind of meat it was, but it tasted like 90% fat and 10% salt, and I felt gross afterwards. I tried not to complain about food being too fatty, because for them it's very important to eat all of the parts of the animal (and maybe also to build up their fat storage for winter). Instead of having a second sandwich (Gana ate three), I ate another apple.
The road in Central Mongolia was a little more developed than in Gobi, at least while the roads lasted. There were a few small villages along the way, with what could almost be considered strip malls; a sequence of small shops and restaurants lined up along the main road. The only difference is that there were lots of pigs roaming around like dogs, and no toilets inside any of the restaurants (you still had to use the outhouses, which were on the opposite side of the street, or pee anywhere you felt like it). Along the roads there were also lots of horses, cows, sheep and goats, so that was also different than a strip mall. There were also mine fields of pot holes on the "paved" streets, where we'd have to slow down to about 5 mph to avoid them, and no other development anywhere around. OK, so basically it wasn't anything like a strip mall.
After a few hours, we arrived at our ger camp near some sand dunes. It was more rustic than the camps in Gobi (and older), in that there were no toilets or showers, and it felt even more like we were in the middle of nowhere. We had to drive for miles over rocky terrain, super slow, just to find it. Even though there were "outhouses" in the middle of a field, at least the toilets had wooden seats (very luxurious!). But I still didn't understand the signs that ask you to throw the used TP in the trash bin (or recycle bin!!), even when there is a big hole in the ground for it. Ok, so I understand the signs (they were in English), but not the concept. In my mind, that's even grosser than using a squatter toilet. There's literally a garbage can full of poopy paper sitting next to the toilet. I don't like poopy paper anywhere around me. My tent had a big bed in it (Zaya and Gana stayed in another tent), but we had no lights, electricity or running water. I think I was the only tourist in the whole camp, so it felt like VIP service when they came with hot wet towels for me to clean myself.
Out of all the nights of the trip (besides the vodka/intestine night in Gobi, which I'll write about separately), the first night with Zaya and Gana was the worst. I had some major food poisoning from the night before, and couldn't eat anything, nor sleep. I must have worn out a path from my tent to the luxury outhouse in the middle of the night. And for the rest of the trip, I couldn't eat any sheep meat, or else I'd throw up, and gagged just from smelling it. For breakfast I asked for boiled rice in tea (aka chazuke), as a meal easy on my stomach. The staff was confused so I thought I could make it easier by asking for just rice and hot water. They seemed eager to please, but of course the "rice soup" came out filled with chunks of sheep meat. Dammit.
On the way to see the biggest waterfall in Mongolia, we stopped to ride a camel, as you should always do on your way to see a waterfall. Zaya led my camel while riding a horse in front of me. She was a little reckless pulling us all over some hills and drops and ditches. I thought the camel would fall down the hill, me tumbling to my demise, or sprain his skinny ankle on some rocks, but everyone came out in one piece. I guess it wasn't his first rodeo. I felt sorry for the camel because the leash (or whatever you call it) is connected to a pin in it's nose. So when you pull on it, it's like pulling on the camel's nose ring! Yikes. I skipped lunch since I still didn't feel well, but Zaya found a shop for me to get a popsicle, which was great. Somehow popsicles are always OK no matter how your stomach feels. It was difficult trying to find a place to eat lunch anyway, since many restaurants in the middle of nowhere might not serve you if you don't have a reservation. Not because they don't have a place for you to sit, but because they might not have enough available food.
At the restaurant we met a guy, who looked obviously foreign, with dirty clothes and a full beard. He looked like a bum, to be honest. But he was studying a map and came over to ask us a question, in English. Turns out he is from France, and was riding his bike from France to China. He decided to stop in Mongolia for a few weeks, since it's on the way (I mean, why not?). I thought I was "roughing it", using squatters and not taking a shower, but he was sleeping in his tent, purifying his own water, and taking free hand outs from locals and tourists, rarely taking any transportation other than his mountain bike. He had been on the road for TWO YEARS and didn't know when he'd finish. A couple days later we passed him riding on a dirt road. We waved and honked, and scared the crap out of him. I don't know if he recognized us, but I could almost see him mouthing swear words in our direction.
To get to the waterfall, we had to follow the trail along the river. However, there wasn't much of a smooth route. After hours of very slow driving, over the bumpy rocks, up and down small hills, dodging sheep, and watching every single Pitbull music video 100 times on Gana's GPS screen (GPS wasn't working but at least he downloaded some music videos), I was really sick of sitting in the car. We needed to cross the river, but we couldn't find any path where the water was low enough, but also the bank was shallow enough for us to get down to the water without getting stuck on some huge jagged rocks. A simple bridge would have been helpful! We were following another car, because they looked like locals who knew where they were going. But when they actually got stuck trying to cross at a certain point, we reversed and looked for a different path. I wondered out loud if we should help them (since they were stuck in a river in the middle of nowhere), but both Zaya and Gana said "no", matter of factly, and that was the end of that conversation. So if you are somewhere near the river in the middle of a field in the Mongolian countryside, please go save them.
Finally we found the camp and the waterfall. We were in Orkhon Valley National Park, and it was quite beautiful, and especially nice to be around fresh water. We walked from the camp to the waterfall, on a very pleasant evening, but I was freezing from feeling sick (I guess this happens when you get food poisoning). Zaya and Gana warmed my hands by each taking one and rubbing and blowing on them. Gana also gave me his jacket. I felt like I was their small son, even though they are both younger than me. It was a bit awkward (actually VERY awkward), but it helped a lot. This camp wasn't so great, because the toilets and showers were shared between guys/girls, and they were dirty and old, the toilet seats were falling off and generally everything was uncomfortable and cold. But I guess it was better than not having any toilets or showers at all. Since I was so cold, I had to sleep with 3 blankets, my sleeping bag, and wearing ALL of my clothes. Zaya and the camp attendants even took turns coming into my tent while I slept, to add wood to the fireplace throughout the night. That was unnecessary, but I was very grateful.
The next day added a little bit of culture in addition to the nature we had been enjoying. Kharkhorin is home to the Erdene Zuu monastery, built in the 16th century, to demonstrate Mongolia's commitment to Tibetan Buddhism. Both Zaya and the provided guide from the monastery were very helpful in explaining the art and history located there. We toured the temples and met some monks who were chanting inside. It was pretty fascinating (and confusing) to hear about the history, all the Buddhas, the stories and beliefs. I am interested to learn more about this, but there is so much information on the internet, it's hard to know where to start (I'm lazy).
We ended up at our last camp, at Ugii Lake. It was a very nice setting, and perfect weather to enjoy a swim. But before that happened, I locked myself in the toilet stall, and had to wait several minutes until a girl walked by outside so I could yell to ask her to come and open the door. For some reason there was a latch on the OUTSIDE of the stall door, and it locked itself when I went in. I'm not sure who was more embarrassed - me for being locked in the toilet, or the young girl whom I made come into the men's bathroom to let me out. But I did feel 100 times better than the day before, and thoroughly enjoyed sitting by the lake, taking a short swim, and watching the horses bathe. Then we watched some guys pump water from where the horses were playing into a big tank on a truck. Then they put that water into the water tanks attached to the camp showers and kitchen. What?! Wait a minute, what just happened? So that's the water we bathe in, and even worse, drink? I guess I wasn't having any tea that evening. It was a relaxing last day, and even though I was excited to head back to UB, and for my coming trip to Chicago, Seattle, and San Francisco, it was sad to leave. However, I was really looking forward to civilization for a hot shower (not with water horses bathe in) and a comfortable toilet seat.
My last night was not without some excitement. I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of something creeping around my tent. I could hear it pacing around, coming close to the tent, then moving away, circling me. I thought it was some monster, or night stalker, or Mongolian Blair Witch, but I didn't want to go outside to look. I ran to the door to make sure it was locked, tried to ignore the sounds by putting on my ipod, and tried to go back to sleep. In the morning, I could still hear it, even louder than before. The noises were coming from two places now. I checked the door to listen for something outside, but nothing was there. I gathered all my courage to crack the door open and peered outside, in both directions. I didn't see anything, so I slowly made a small loop to see if I could spot what was out there, but not getting too far away from the door in case I needed to jump back inside to save my life. Then I saw it. The creature that was creeping around while I was trying to sleep, giving me nightmares, and making me want my mommy: A stupid cow.
After the apples passed, our first goal was to find the wild horses in Hustai National Park. People talk about these horses as if they are unicorns...not everyone can see them, and they are supposedly very beautiful, and can possibly grant wishes, and give you pots of gold. The scenery was gorgeous, so we parked and admired the landscape, waiting to see if the horses would come out. A guide from the park came with us with a pair of binoculars, constantly surveying the area for the majestic creatures. Unfortunately they don't usually show themselves in the afternoon (which it was), and that day was no different. So no unicorns for us, at least this time. I found a video of them, just to make it seem like I saw them.
That guy is an expert at waiting for the horses
While waiting, Gana made me eat a weird meat sandwich, as a snack before lunch. I don't know what kind of meat it was, but it tasted like 90% fat and 10% salt, and I felt gross afterwards. I tried not to complain about food being too fatty, because for them it's very important to eat all of the parts of the animal (and maybe also to build up their fat storage for winter). Instead of having a second sandwich (Gana ate three), I ate another apple.
The road in Central Mongolia was a little more developed than in Gobi, at least while the roads lasted. There were a few small villages along the way, with what could almost be considered strip malls; a sequence of small shops and restaurants lined up along the main road. The only difference is that there were lots of pigs roaming around like dogs, and no toilets inside any of the restaurants (you still had to use the outhouses, which were on the opposite side of the street, or pee anywhere you felt like it). Along the roads there were also lots of horses, cows, sheep and goats, so that was also different than a strip mall. There were also mine fields of pot holes on the "paved" streets, where we'd have to slow down to about 5 mph to avoid them, and no other development anywhere around. OK, so basically it wasn't anything like a strip mall.
Mongolian strip mall
Even when the road is smooth, you face many obstacles
After a few hours, we arrived at our ger camp near some sand dunes. It was more rustic than the camps in Gobi (and older), in that there were no toilets or showers, and it felt even more like we were in the middle of nowhere. We had to drive for miles over rocky terrain, super slow, just to find it. Even though there were "outhouses" in the middle of a field, at least the toilets had wooden seats (very luxurious!). But I still didn't understand the signs that ask you to throw the used TP in the trash bin (or recycle bin!!), even when there is a big hole in the ground for it. Ok, so I understand the signs (they were in English), but not the concept. In my mind, that's even grosser than using a squatter toilet. There's literally a garbage can full of poopy paper sitting next to the toilet. I don't like poopy paper anywhere around me. My tent had a big bed in it (Zaya and Gana stayed in another tent), but we had no lights, electricity or running water. I think I was the only tourist in the whole camp, so it felt like VIP service when they came with hot wet towels for me to clean myself.
That's even worse than using a trash bin...
Luxury outhouse
Pretty nice dining tent
Nice scenic camp
VIP ger
Out of all the nights of the trip (besides the vodka/intestine night in Gobi, which I'll write about separately), the first night with Zaya and Gana was the worst. I had some major food poisoning from the night before, and couldn't eat anything, nor sleep. I must have worn out a path from my tent to the luxury outhouse in the middle of the night. And for the rest of the trip, I couldn't eat any sheep meat, or else I'd throw up, and gagged just from smelling it. For breakfast I asked for boiled rice in tea (aka chazuke), as a meal easy on my stomach. The staff was confused so I thought I could make it easier by asking for just rice and hot water. They seemed eager to please, but of course the "rice soup" came out filled with chunks of sheep meat. Dammit.
On the way to see the biggest waterfall in Mongolia, we stopped to ride a camel, as you should always do on your way to see a waterfall. Zaya led my camel while riding a horse in front of me. She was a little reckless pulling us all over some hills and drops and ditches. I thought the camel would fall down the hill, me tumbling to my demise, or sprain his skinny ankle on some rocks, but everyone came out in one piece. I guess it wasn't his first rodeo. I felt sorry for the camel because the leash (or whatever you call it) is connected to a pin in it's nose. So when you pull on it, it's like pulling on the camel's nose ring! Yikes. I skipped lunch since I still didn't feel well, but Zaya found a shop for me to get a popsicle, which was great. Somehow popsicles are always OK no matter how your stomach feels. It was difficult trying to find a place to eat lunch anyway, since many restaurants in the middle of nowhere might not serve you if you don't have a reservation. Not because they don't have a place for you to sit, but because they might not have enough available food.
Zaya pulling on my camel's nose ring
At the restaurant we met a guy, who looked obviously foreign, with dirty clothes and a full beard. He looked like a bum, to be honest. But he was studying a map and came over to ask us a question, in English. Turns out he is from France, and was riding his bike from France to China. He decided to stop in Mongolia for a few weeks, since it's on the way (I mean, why not?). I thought I was "roughing it", using squatters and not taking a shower, but he was sleeping in his tent, purifying his own water, and taking free hand outs from locals and tourists, rarely taking any transportation other than his mountain bike. He had been on the road for TWO YEARS and didn't know when he'd finish. A couple days later we passed him riding on a dirt road. We waved and honked, and scared the crap out of him. I don't know if he recognized us, but I could almost see him mouthing swear words in our direction.
To get to the waterfall, we had to follow the trail along the river. However, there wasn't much of a smooth route. After hours of very slow driving, over the bumpy rocks, up and down small hills, dodging sheep, and watching every single Pitbull music video 100 times on Gana's GPS screen (GPS wasn't working but at least he downloaded some music videos), I was really sick of sitting in the car. We needed to cross the river, but we couldn't find any path where the water was low enough, but also the bank was shallow enough for us to get down to the water without getting stuck on some huge jagged rocks. A simple bridge would have been helpful! We were following another car, because they looked like locals who knew where they were going. But when they actually got stuck trying to cross at a certain point, we reversed and looked for a different path. I wondered out loud if we should help them (since they were stuck in a river in the middle of nowhere), but both Zaya and Gana said "no", matter of factly, and that was the end of that conversation. So if you are somewhere near the river in the middle of a field in the Mongolian countryside, please go save them.
Finally we found the camp and the waterfall. We were in Orkhon Valley National Park, and it was quite beautiful, and especially nice to be around fresh water. We walked from the camp to the waterfall, on a very pleasant evening, but I was freezing from feeling sick (I guess this happens when you get food poisoning). Zaya and Gana warmed my hands by each taking one and rubbing and blowing on them. Gana also gave me his jacket. I felt like I was their small son, even though they are both younger than me. It was a bit awkward (actually VERY awkward), but it helped a lot. This camp wasn't so great, because the toilets and showers were shared between guys/girls, and they were dirty and old, the toilet seats were falling off and generally everything was uncomfortable and cold. But I guess it was better than not having any toilets or showers at all. Since I was so cold, I had to sleep with 3 blankets, my sleeping bag, and wearing ALL of my clothes. Zaya and the camp attendants even took turns coming into my tent while I slept, to add wood to the fireplace throughout the night. That was unnecessary, but I was very grateful.
Nice view of the valley
Orkhon Waterfall
The Orkhon river
The next day added a little bit of culture in addition to the nature we had been enjoying. Kharkhorin is home to the Erdene Zuu monastery, built in the 16th century, to demonstrate Mongolia's commitment to Tibetan Buddhism. Both Zaya and the provided guide from the monastery were very helpful in explaining the art and history located there. We toured the temples and met some monks who were chanting inside. It was pretty fascinating (and confusing) to hear about the history, all the Buddhas, the stories and beliefs. I am interested to learn more about this, but there is so much information on the internet, it's hard to know where to start (I'm lazy).
Walls around the monastery
These monuments have spiritual significance (not sure about the skulls)
We ended up at our last camp, at Ugii Lake. It was a very nice setting, and perfect weather to enjoy a swim. But before that happened, I locked myself in the toilet stall, and had to wait several minutes until a girl walked by outside so I could yell to ask her to come and open the door. For some reason there was a latch on the OUTSIDE of the stall door, and it locked itself when I went in. I'm not sure who was more embarrassed - me for being locked in the toilet, or the young girl whom I made come into the men's bathroom to let me out. But I did feel 100 times better than the day before, and thoroughly enjoyed sitting by the lake, taking a short swim, and watching the horses bathe. Then we watched some guys pump water from where the horses were playing into a big tank on a truck. Then they put that water into the water tanks attached to the camp showers and kitchen. What?! Wait a minute, what just happened? So that's the water we bathe in, and even worse, drink? I guess I wasn't having any tea that evening. It was a relaxing last day, and even though I was excited to head back to UB, and for my coming trip to Chicago, Seattle, and San Francisco, it was sad to leave. However, I was really looking forward to civilization for a hot shower (not with water horses bathe in) and a comfortable toilet seat.
Super peaceful at Ugii Lake
Except they pump lake water to use in the kitchen
My last night was not without some excitement. I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of something creeping around my tent. I could hear it pacing around, coming close to the tent, then moving away, circling me. I thought it was some monster, or night stalker, or Mongolian Blair Witch, but I didn't want to go outside to look. I ran to the door to make sure it was locked, tried to ignore the sounds by putting on my ipod, and tried to go back to sleep. In the morning, I could still hear it, even louder than before. The noises were coming from two places now. I checked the door to listen for something outside, but nothing was there. I gathered all my courage to crack the door open and peered outside, in both directions. I didn't see anything, so I slowly made a small loop to see if I could spot what was out there, but not getting too far away from the door in case I needed to jump back inside to save my life. Then I saw it. The creature that was creeping around while I was trying to sleep, giving me nightmares, and making me want my mommy: A stupid cow.
Dumb cows scare the crap out of me at night
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