The Gobi Desert (Part 2)

On the second day of our Gobi tour, we started the morning early with a short camel ride to a point where the dunes started. Camel riding is something that I have had the opportunity to do a couple of times in Mongolia, and each time I come away convinced that ancient riders of the Silk Road were a bow legged group of eunuchs; maybe they road side saddle for comfort. I certainly couldn’t have led a life atop a camel.

I nicknamed my camel Groovy Joe

Camel Pose in the Gobi

The high for the day was set to be in upper nineties, but the morning was still pleasant and cool. After the ride we returned to our camp and enjoyed a pleasant breakfast before setting off on a mid-morning hike in a river basin at the base of the dunes.  

Somehow, as is common in multilingual settings, we experienced a major miscommunication on this hike. Our guide had informed our group that the hike in the river basin was a short 20 minutes in which we would follow that sandy gorge to a nearby bridge where our driver would pick us up. Thinking that this would be a pleasant quick trip, we piled into the Delico woefully unprepared.

Our driver dropped us off at a location near the river bed and pointed out which way the bridge was. 

We set off cheerfully and excited. After 45 minutes of trudging through small dunes and sandy river banks, we began to realize that the bridge was not around the next bend. The temperature rose quickly, and the sun was unbearable. A number of our group began to get overheated, and it was necessary to take rough precautions. I caked sandy mud on my calves to avoid sun burns and others dipped articles of clothing in the muddy river which was more of a stream. Armed against the heat, we set off again. After another 45 minutes when we had drank most of our water and realized that our situation was perhaps leaning in the direction of dire, we left the river for a ger camp about a kilometer across a plain of small head high mounds of sand. Once at the ger camp, it was easy to take advantage of Mongolian hospitality. The Mongolians at the camp sent someone on a motorbike off into the distance to locate our driver who was waiting at the bridge that was still 3 or 4 kilometers away.

Trudging by the River

While none of our group suffered too badly, it was awe inspiring to see how uninhabitable the desert can be even when you are walking along an oasis. We made the right choice by leaving the hike for shelter. It is important in these natural settings to respect nature and to quit while you still can. No doubt if we had not been led to believe the hike was only 20 minutes and had been prepared for a 3 hour trudge to the bridge, we would have prepared for it with water and appropriate clothing and probably been fine.

Once back in the comfort of our vehicle, we drove to a nearby spring that fed the oasis and relished the cool water and convenient cloud cover.  

The afternoon of this day was spent out of the heat in the comfort of our ger camp. A ger is a versatile dwelling that can stand all temperatures of Mongolia. In the hot summer, the lower sections of the felt wall can be lifted to allow a breeze to travel through the wooden framework. Some of our group spent the time napping and recovering for the heat, others including Sally, learned how to make rope the traditional way using camel hair.

In the evening, we piled into the Delico and drove to a location about 20 kilometers away where a wall of sand rose from the floor of the plains to a towering 600 ft and in some places may have reached 800 ft. We climbed up the steep side of the dune to catch the sun setting on the sands. It was absolutely beautiful. At the top we were on a narrow ridge only a foot or two wide that stretched seemingly endlessly in either direction. Climbing the dune was incredibly challenging; it was easiest to make the climb barefoot, but with each step you took your foot slipped a half step. Going down the dune was really fun. It was possible to  jump and run down the steep slope with little fear of injury, because the sand cushioned your fall. Climbing the Khongoryn Elys was a one of the kind adventure, and we may never see another mountain of sand that is comparable.

Attempted to do a little sand sledding

The third and final day of our tour took us to the Flaming Cliffs which are valued by Mongolians as one of the most beautiful sites in the country. It was a really neat view, but was a little

underwhelming if you have traveled in the American Southwest. I have been to many other places in Mongolia that I valued as more beautiful and unique. The Flaming Cliffs are also the site of a number of dinosaur finds which is a huge source of pride for the country and instrumental in the field of paleontology.  

 After the cliffs we headed west to a site of petroglyphs. Much of this portion of the journey was not on any sort of road. Our driver drove through open grassland occasionally asking directions at a lone ger. Soon we were at the base of a small range of mountains. We climbed up to the top of  a specific peak where people from as far back as the beginning of the bronze age (3000 B.C.) had carved pictures of animals and hunts into the black boulders that littered the mountain. The Petroglyphs experienced little damage from water erosion, so were still quite clear and distinct even though they were just scattered around a mountain side.

After viewing the markings of the ancients, we returned slowly to the capital of Omnigovi province in the early evening. From here our trip was a two day return journey from Dalanzadgad to Ulaanbaatar, and again from UB to Khentii.

I mentioned in the last post that traveling in Mongolia can be challenging. Even for our group of hardened PCVs, people who had spent two years in the country, it was a challenge. In our group several people suffered from heat exhaustion, but we were prepared with rehydration salts. Also, half of our group dealt with digestive issues of various sorts. On our last day as we were approaching DZ, I became aware that the khushur (Mongolian traditional food involving fried meat stuffed dough) from lunch was not agreeing with me. Never in my life since I gained dignity in continence have I been so close to losing it, and only a hazardous dash to a fuel station bathroom saved me.

That being said, our trip to the Gobi was amazing, and we really valued the opportunity to saw it. Sally and I have seen some amazing sites in this vast and beautiful country. We have traveled to the far western provinces, some of the central ones, and have explored a number of renowned sites in our own province. There is still much of Mongolia that we have not seen, but we will leave that for a return journey, someday in the distant future. For us, the Gobi was our last Mongolian expedition Now that we are back at site, much of our time will be spent preparing to leave our home and friends of two years.

~Caleb    

Gobi Desert (Part 1)

Since we plan on taking an extravagant trip at the end of service, Sally and I were initially reluctant to take another trip in Mongolia, but after much debating we decided that we would spend a lifetime kicking ourselves if we didn’t take the opportunity to travel to the Gobi Desert. Our reluctance to travel is really just due to the fact that traveling in Mongolia is challenging and sometimes miserable. In order to see the sights that are hidden in the vast expanse of this country, we have to mentally prepare ourselves for long off-road journeys, the inevitability of getting sick, and the knowledge that the majority of any journey will be going to and returning from a destination.

Once we had made our decision, I contacted a tour company that other PCVs had used based out of Даланзадгад (Dalanzadgad—DZ for short) the provincial center of Omnigovi province which is the southernmost province in Mongolia. I made plans with the tour agency to go on a three day adventure in the countryside of Omnigovi with us and a group of other PCVs. Since we all speak passable Mongolian, we didn’t need a translator, so we just hired a driver/guide and a Delico (a large SUV) for the journey.

Before we could begin the three day tour, it was necessary to make the journey to DZ in two stages. We traveled first to UB from Khentii. After a day in the city, we embarked on an 11 hour bus ride south to DZ. The bus journey took us through southern Tov province, Mandalgovi province, and much of central Omnigovi. Much of this region of Mongolia is flat grassland, and some regions of Mandalgovi can be best described as sandy desolation.

DZ is a provincial center a little larger than Chinggis in Khentii but much more developed. Much of eastern Omnigovi province is used for mining, so the combination of mining money and Gobi tourism has created a rather pleasant little city with paved roads, a small amusement park for children, and a number of other amenities that are not always available in Mongolian provincial capitals.  After a long bus ride, we utilized our PC connections to crash on another PCVs floor for the night before embarking on our off road adventure early the next morning.

The first day of our journey began by exploring a couple of iconic canyons nestled in the mountains about an hour from DZ. At the first canyon, we hiked roughly a half mile until we came to a waterfall that was still a massive mound of ice because it was hidden from direct sun.

Top: Rock Canyon, Bottom: Standing in front of a frozen waterfalls.
The high is in the mid 80s F on this day. 

As we returned to our car, our guide pointed out a number rock formations on the surrounding mountains that looked like various animals native to Mongolia.

Eagle Shaped Rock

Camel Shaped Rock

Our second canyon of the day was the iconic Eagle Canyon nestled in the South Gobi National Park. Our hike one way was 1.5  miles, and it involved following a stream between massive shale cliffs. The stream eventually became an icy bed as we went deeper into the valley.

Snow leopard pelt in a museum at the entrance to Eagle Canyon
Snow leopards are native to the Altai Mountains which extend into the Gobi

Ibex in Eagle Canyon, Next three pictures also in Eagle Canyon

 After the canyons, we continued our off road journey for several hundred kilometers  east. In the evening, we arrived at a scenic nomadic camp that was to be our lodging for two nights. This camp was located in a large grassland at the base of a massive region of dunes known as the Khongoryn Elys (also known as the singing sands.) The Khongoryn Elys is a region of sand that is about 4-8 miles wide and around a hundred miles long. The dunes lie on the northern side of a ridge of mountains and in some places a single dune can tower as high as 900ft from base to summit.

Off-roading somewhere in Omnigovi 

Our tour included three days of travel, lodging in a nomadic camp, and all of the meals and water during the journey, so upon arrival at the camp, we were treated to a nice Mongolian style meal and shown to comfortable gers.

View from ger door of Khongoryn Elys

View from the ger camp

When the sun set, Sally and I wandered out onto the steppe to listen to the sound of silence and enjoy the total void of electric lights. The stars quickly filled the sky, and the Milky Way was more clear than I have ever seen it. Thousands upon thousands of twinkling pinpoints filled the sky and illuminated the dark world with a pale light.

~Caleb

P.S. Part two to follow soon!!

(For the name of the tour company or contact info email me.)

Two Years In

All photos will be from the second year of service. This is in Dadal Soum, Khentii

Two years ago yesterday, Sally and I disembarked from a plane in Ulaanbaatar after a 36 hour day. We were extremely stressed out and excited after resigning our jobs and packing our possessions away. Everything was new and unknown. We were adventurers on a journey into a strange land and culture.  Now after two years, it is hard to believe that the time has gone by so fast and that we have spent a solid two years living in a country that is 8,000 miles from what we consider home.

In just a short two months, we will be leaving Mongolia and will have completed our PC service of 26 months. These are some of the things we will miss about Mongolia.

Both of these are also from Dadal, Checkout the Momgolia series from last May/June 

1.       Mongolians—There are many friends and coworkers who we have interacted with on a daily or weekly basis, and these people will be missed dearly, but there are also specific characteristics of Mongolians that we will miss.

·         Mongolian Bluntness/Honesty—I recently climbed into the car of a friend I had not seen in a while and he said after hearing me speak, “Your Mongolian is so bad. You have lived here two years, but your Mongolian is very bad.” It takes some time to get used to this level of directness, but in many ways it is nice. There is no beating around the bush, and people express both positive and negative thoughts.   This directness doesn’t extend to all social interactions, but in the area of personal criticism or compliments, it is nice.

·         Difficult to Offend—another aspect of Mongolians is that they can be quite forgiving of a foreigner, so it is usually difficult to offend people in day-to-day interactions. This is not to say that there are not social graces that should be observed, but in general, people are easy-going.

·         Laid back—when we go to UB, we often take a taxi into some of the worst traffic in central Asia.  I look around and marvel at how relaxed the drivers are even though every imaginable traffic offence is occurring around them or caused by them. Every time we travel through this, I find that I am usually far more stressed out by how slow and difficult the traffic is than the driver, even though I haven’t driven a car in two years.   

·         Mongolian hospitality—I often joke that no one is starving in Mongolia. This probably isn’t true, but it is nonetheless a society that is centered around food and drink hospitality. If I smell something nice in my apartment hallway, then it would be perfectly okay for me to wander into my neighbor’s apartment and sit down at their table to eat.  The understanding would be that I was lucky to have arrived when they were cooking food. I have never done this, because it is hard to set aside a lifetime of American ideals, but there have been many times when I have been fed or, at minimum, given tea to drink. In the countryside where there may be miles between gers, this hospitality is even greater.

Swimming in the Kherlen in Khentii during the Kherlen River Camp

2.       Mongolian Kids—The little ones are cute and generally sweet. It has really been a pleasure to work with them. Teenagers still have all of their angst, but there is a built-in respect for elders that makes it easier to be around them too.

Hiking near the Jamboree last Summer in Tov Aimag

3.       Wide Open Lands—I have written much about missing the woods of Alabama, but I will also miss the beautiful countryside of Mongolia. If you Google image Mongolia, you will get hundreds of pictures of amazing scenic open land. This representation of Mongolia on Google is entirely accurate. Everywhere in the Mongolian countryside we have traveled to has been beautiful.  Sometimes the landscapes have a stark, deadly beauty, at other times it is meandering streams and herds of live stalk.  We will miss it.

4.       Mongolian Wind—I personally will miss the wind. I don’t always like the wind and sandstorms, but it is nice to have a regular breeze across the steppe, especially during the summer. Alabama summer is the kind of heat that doesn’t move unless there is a front coming in.

Hawks in Khentii

5.       Mongolian Winter—The winter was something I was most worried about prior to coming to Mongolia, and now having experience the freezing temperatures,  I really enjoyed the season.  I like bundling up in a ton of clothing, navigating -40 degrees, and never sweating. I recognize that part of the reason I like the winter is because I know this is all temporary. In the winter in Mongolia, the air can be so brisk and invigorating. I think the most difficult thing is how abysmally long winter is here. If I could get the power and punch of Mongolian winter in just a 2 month period that would be nice, but it is not realistic.

Mid-Service Training in Terelj, Tov

6.       Easy Transportation—This is a miss-labeled topic, because transportation in Mongolia is not easy, but during our time here, Sally and I have not had to worry about driving or dealing with the stress of navigating traffic.  It is hard to really convey how nice not driving can be. I do miss driving for the sake of enjoyment or long rides on deserted country roads. When we return to America and hit the speeding highways again, where just one mistake from a nearby car could remove us from the face of the earth, I think I will miss the slow stress free life of not driving here.  Another great aspect of life in Mongolia is that everything is within walking distance, so it is easy to live without a car.

Blue Lake in Khentii

7.       Affordable Fresh Food—It’s been really nice to have regular access to fresh produce. The selection is usually limited, but there is something satisfying about being the first person to wash dirt from a carrot.

·         Easy Shopping—This is in no way representative with most PCVs in Mongolia, but in our city, it is usually easy for me to visit about 6 or 7 stores and vegetable stands on my weekly shopping trips. The stores are within a mile of each other, and it is satisfying to know that I am buying items from a number of people and spreading my money around to look for the best commodity. There are small supermarkets here, but it is rare to find everything you need in just one, so it is nice to spread out your shopping. It is also great to know that most stores are family owned, so you are contributing to the local economy rather than a powerful industry like so many stores in America.

Eagle Fest in Uvs and Ulgii Province Last October

8.       Feeling safe—As a foreigner in Mongolia, we are often the blunt of negative attention, but this is usually not dangerous. I have seen a lot of confrontations between people both in Mongolia and America. In America, when you see people yelling in the parking lot of your apartment complex, the thought that always rest in the background is “Will someone pull a gun? Should I have a gun?” In America with the sheer number of guns this is not an unfounded question. In Mongolia there are not many guns and confrontations rarely lead to using one. Just knowing how unlikely it is that a gun will make an appearance in any setting is really comforting and makes someone without a gun feel more confident about handling challenging situations.  (This is not a political statement regarding American gun laws)

Winter in Khentii

9.       Time—We have a lot of it here in Mongolia. Things are generally laid back, and work weeks are not necessarily full time. It has been nice to have time to cook, read, exercise, and pursue a number of other hobbies we are interested in. Having time to do things you want to do and to relax is sometimes a privilege in our high speed American culture. The best way to summarize the passage of time here is that the days are long, but the months are short.

Close of Service Conference, Tov 

10.   PCV family—Sally and I have had the chance to build a lot of great friendships with a lot of great people. We are especially close to our Khentii PCV friends. Going to American means that we will all be scattered across the continent again, and while we do have friendships that will last a lifetime, we will miss how often we have been able to see them.  In PC, we don’t have friends, we got family! (Immortal F&F quote)

~Caleb