Part VII - Holy Mongolia Buddha!!!

Mongolia was everything we thought it would be, and more. From the capital city, UlaanBaatar to the Bayan Gobi, we loved every minute of it. Our only regret was that we couldn't stay longer. We started off our Mongolia stay in the capital, UlaanBaator (fun fact: 1 million of the 2.7 million population live in this city, almost everyone else lives a nomadic lifestyle).

As previously stated in our post about buddhism, we arrived early on a Sunday morning to a mostly empty city. It's a nice way to start off sightseeing, without the hustle and bustle. Our schedule was tight (as we only really had the day to see the capital) so we focused on monasteries and temples. They were a delight to see: vivid colours, fascinating architecture and detail all set amidst overgrown landscape. We were advised that over 94% of all Mongolians practice Tibetan buddhism (interesting fact for a country that is lodged between Russia and China).

One of the striking things about Mongolia's capital city is the sheer amount of homeless children who mostly seemed to be living on the streets. We had heard about this problem before however we weren't really able to get a grasp (despite enquiries) as to the root of this problem. Although always begging for money, they were always polite and friendly. The children appeared to be relying on each other for survival. It was tragic and very difficult to see; we couldn't help but want to give them everything we had.

On day 2 of our trip to Mongolia, we rode off into the Bayan Gobi. To get to our ger camp was a 290 km trip. In Canadian standards, this would take no more than 3 hours. In Mongolian standards, this took over 5 hours. Imagine the worst road you have EVER seen (potholes, erosion, etc) and then multiply this by 10...this is the state of highways outside of the capital city. Add to this, the fact that we were riding in a semi-luxurious sedan as opposed to an SUV or a Jeep (our travel agent will be hearing about this) and a driver who was always frustrated when his car bottomed out (which was very VERY often) and you get the picture of how unpleasant a ride we faced. But despite all of this, we arrived safely and were able to keep focused on the main issue...we were in fucking MONGOLIA!

From our ger camp, we took short trips to a couple of monasteries, some monuments, a nomadic family and the sand dunes. Every single minute of the car ride was worth it. We saw ancient spiritual places of worship, the site of Genghis Khan's ancient capital, we drank fermented mare's milk (it's as bad as it sounds), we tried on traditional clothing and we rode camels in the sand (off which Natalie fell, yes she did).

One of the things that marked us profoundly about Mongolia is the spirit of its people. Most of them live a nomadic lifestyle, moving their gers (round felt tents which are surprisingly comfortable) from one spot to another, at least 10 times a year, in search of grazing grounds for their herd (which include sheep, goats, cattle, horses and yaks). Those Mongolians that live in an urban setting, face rising prices, low wages and slower development than what most people could tolerate. Despite very difficult living conditions (by Western standards), they seem incredibly happy and peaceful. We encountered so many people simply wanting to help, or graciously offering us a taste of Mongolia, it was hard for us to not fall in love with this place.

The day we left, we were quite sad. However in another way we were happy, because as the train pulled away from the station it actually began to snow. Despite our love for the people, I don't think we're quite cut out for snow in September. LOL