Central Asia - Mongolia - Ninth Week

Central Asia - Mongolia - Ninth Week

Day 62/4 3.4 Sunday  to the Eagle Hunters Spring festival 

-25c/-14F.  Up at 8 to exercise and pack all our clothes for being outside  all day and for an overnight outside the city near the  festival. 10 am pickup for the festival, arrived at 11. We shopped at the merchants who had their wares lying on the ground at the festival as we waited for the start of the program. The program started when all the Kazak with eagles rode over the hillside in a line on small horses. We bought a stitching table pad.  Then we met Chris (Scottish- Christopher David McTaggart) and Oko (Mongolian) Smith, our tour designer and the boss of Mongolian Secret History (MSH), and Purevdorj Odka (our guide) with whom we eventually went to lunch after the bare-handed  bone breaking contest...nice lunch together of dumplings  with meat therein. The hillside above the ger guest village was covered by rental sledders. All this action and motion confused the eagles during the competition and some went off course to the sledders rather than the Kazak on the horse down the hill. We looked around for opportunities for pictures of the MSH banner in unique situations..with Bactrian camels, Kazak horses, Golden eagles, the Kazak lady from the west from whom we bought goods. Mx. Purevdorj Odka is our guide .... We bought 1 item from our favorite lady (who rode the bus 2 days from the far west with goods) and when we paid  double what she asked, she loaded us down with 3 more items and helped with a picture. We were freezing so came back to our cold ger and got the fire guy to lite us up for heat (wood burning stove in the middle of our ger). When our ger cools off cuz the wood fire burns out we call the fire guy to restoke us...pre set for 10pm and 6am. We leave the door unlocked for him. Dinner was at 6pm with set course dinner of bbq beef with Odka in the “largest” ger in the world. Our hands got very cold trying to take pictures in the below 0 weather and our feet eventually froze up from the drop in ambient temp of our boots and clothes. Finally the ger started to warm but our feet didn’t follow quickly. By the way the toilet is 1/2 block away from our front door across the frozen tundra like conditions. 8pm -21F. Sleeping in long underwear and socks incase the fire stops heating before our firemen times. We shall pee outside. 

Day 63/5 3.5 Monday festival to a trial (if)...

Oh what a nite. Yellow snow! The 10:00 fire builder restarted our stove as the ger   was freezing... then the heat built to sweltering. I woke up to the weather and Marnie was stripped bare reading news of the destruction of America-madison.com and the WP. We actually opened our ger door wide open and let the cold in (-20) and the heat out for 30 minutes. Thereafter, we adjusted the  opening of the door with our favorite piece of wood to moderate or build the heat- the door was our thermostat. Another nite of 100 for the cpap. Added  a little wood for Heat at 6. Walked up to take a pic of the Ghangis (Chinggis) Khan statue. -13F...Breakfast at 9 then a short nap til the eagle program started. First up was hawk flying where a hawk was released and the owner spun a live bird on a 4’ string, enticing  the hawk to dive and catch the bird after serial misses and finally taking it down range to eat. Next was a presentation by Didi (the orphanage mom) to the Eagle Huntress who could not go to Hollywood for the  award for her film by the same name. Then there was bow shooting and horse riding competition for which we did not stay as we were rushing to court. As we were leaving we were asked to allow an interview for TV on the Eagle News. We had a muddled interview in 2 languages. We came to our hostel and redressed and were off to a court house and sat in on a civil case related to a death and insurance payments. It was a 3 judge panel and one citizen juror. The plaintiff lost so the guy did not pay for the companies debt. Marnie has a bad cold and just hung in. We went to dinner at a Mongolian BBQ and came home early. I’m having elevation sickness problems. Mx. Purevdorj Odka (like Vodka without the V) is our guide. 

Day 64/6 3.6 Tuesday Around Ulaan Baatar 

We ride around in a right side drive Toyota Land Cruiser. Up at 8 to sew my new jacket, eat breakfast, and prepare for tomorrow’s  countryside trip. Our guest house owner said he had seen us on TV the eve before. 10:30 we left with Odka for city tour, starting with the Gandan Monastery in the center of the city where the chanting Service was taking place.  I stood in a place where I could get eye contact with a 20+ something years old monk-we smiled and winked as he chanted. I moved to his side and noticed he was huffing tobacco on his thumb joint from a vial/jar out of a special sewn pouch like we did at our first meal at the ger. I subtly signal him and as the chanting ended he gave me a huff (my goal was to  see if I could nonverbally communicate and get tobacco) - no bowing or genuflecting. As we shook hands as he was leaving he gave me a huge dusting on my thumb and when I huffed it I sneezed and eyes watered - all had a laugh. BUT SUCCESS!  This monastery was closed 1938 to 1990 during the  socialist period- destroyed the temple to stop worship of religion/Buddhism in communism.Then we went to another temple building to a huge standing Buddha about 30 meters high. Odka snuck a not allowed pic. She showed her families prayer wheel with a dedication to her father who died when she was 17. Then off to the National Museum in a restored monastery where we encountered many groups of elementary school children as Tuesday there is no charge for nationals- there were a lot of high fives and punches with the kids and teachers. We then went for coffee to warm up and get a snack, before going to the top floor of the department stare to buy crafts, slippers, flanges, gifts, a huge writing book for 4$, and food/face cream. To finish the day early so Marnie could rest we ate chicken and big salads and got home in a huge traffic jam by 5. **** I discovered something amazing— the traffic drives like America on the RIGHT side of the road...but most of the cars (particularly Prius) are imported used from japan with RIGHT hand drive controls..so most cars are wrong sided for the traffic laws. Car purchased in Mongolia as new are LEFT hand drive cars like the US. ***

Day 65/7 3.7 Wednesday to Mongolian Secret History & Herders

Up early to organize for our move to another facility and pack for our trip,   exercise, and eat. A floor mop pic- a wooden frame that the loose scrubber cloth goes over during use. 9am pickup and northwest out of UB. 25k for Monnaran Farms where they have solar electric for 6500 houses and  heated/solar greenhouses for raising strawberries financed  and owned by Japan. Half tires planted to designate people’s property already allocated but not built on or fenced. When a place is built upon it is fenced, like fencing out animals rather than in.  Cattle and horses free to roam in seeking of grazing grass, as there are few  fences. 2 miles off the main road we arrived at Mongolian Secret History Tourist Camp in a beautiful austere valley at noon and had lunch. The building is lite wood  with heavy log beams and rugged planking. There was a mentally ill traveling Portuguese lady being escorted by a different tour co -  boy was she wacked. After lunch we went to the herder’s ger and proceeded to get stuck twice in the snow. The driver and herder on his horse shoved the LC out. I rode the mogul horse to the ger and we visited with beautiful couple in their 60s. After dumplings with horse meat we began on vodka and fruit alcohol getting stoned shot after shot. They had a cat which reminded us of Lloyd and he was on Marnie’s or my lap nearly the whole time. We went to feed the yearling calves and the new calves with mixed grains. Thereafter and beyond reason  we drank more and were dressed  as traditional mongols for pictures. The woman of the House was a vet and he had worked in construction before becoming herders. During our conversation we had her sing a song and what a voice. They generally moved 4 times a year for pasture. Then I was given a traditional shirt made by the mistress of the ger. We left in alcoholic trouble as Marnie laid down and I wrote. Dinner at 6 of chicken and RICE. Just withdrawing from an afternoon of shots as dinner finished. Off to bed as a party is starting in the dining room. 60% of Mongolians smoke.

Day 66/8 3.8 Thursday back to Ulaan Baatar 

UP at 7 for exercises and reading/breakfast at 9 and leaving at 10 to take vodka  to herder couple and get a ger and valley pic. The thaw line in the valleys is 2 meters. Then we drove back to Ulaan  Baatar, stopping at a pass to take a picture at prayer flags. The austere mountains with little vegetation makes us doubt the frequent herds of cattle, horses, and sheep/goats get any nourishment as they work around the snow for morsels. Once in the city we went to the State   Store for more life supplies and ideas. Then to lunch at the dirty flag restaurant before checking into our new room for an afternoon rest. Our observation is that Buddhism is much more relaxed in Mongolia compared particularly to Cambodia. When we passed thru the booth on the tollway our wheels were sprayed to reduce the spread of mad cow (the problem for which our tour to the camel races and subsequent activities has been modified) outside the quarantine area. As we came into UB we saw soviet-era apartment housing built in the 70-80s, the first we have seen and visited since our first eastern bloc visits after the Wall came down. They are extremely shabby now and have little redeeming quality beside warm/dry/solitude (in Slovakia they are called “sleeping room” because they are so small and uncomfortable). These apartments are owned, not rented, in UB and they are not remediable by remodeling - They need to be replaced.

Day 67/9 3.9 Friday Out east toward the temple

Up at 7 for exercise and breakfast..leaving at 9:30 and into a traffic jam. The  streets of UB are very clean as workers are constantly on the street using brooms and rolling garbage cans (even cigarette butts  are swept up). We went east on A0501 for 235K stopping for lunch in Baganuur. We ordered a big Caesar  salad, however it was like nothing we’ve seen before by that name. The dressing wasn’t Caesar, there  was very little lettuce, some spongy croutons, and cucumbers, tomatoes, and chicken (we think). We stopped at  a pass for a prayer flag photo and stopped for a herd of sheep/goats. There had to be 500 animals in the herd and I slowly worked toward them until I was among a straggling group. We then turned North at Tsenternandam for 65K on frozen dirt but little snow prairie-crossing streams and thru  some snow always trying to find the best track among the many  tracks going our way. There were no homesteads but many large herds of cattle, horses, and sheep - actually, horses out numbered cattle. The terrain reminded us of the Alto Plano in Bolivia. We finally got to the town of Omnodelger with 5820 people with  many fences and all dirt roads- there seemed to be little layout of the place  other than roads and town center where people did not claim land and build. Most homes were buildings with few gers. We went for a walk to the town center in 25 degrees temps (finally warming up) and met 3 girls who were seniors in high school and were all going on for advanced degrees. We are staying in a local-local hotel tonite. You would not believe the outside toilet- boards over a dug hole with the middle board in each stall missing - that’s all. The snow on the prairie and the frozen water have dissipated (from  solid to vapor without passing thru a liquid state) as very little of the ground was wet, except at low spots in creeks. 28 million sheep, 20 million goats, 500 Bactrian camels, and 4 million horses. 92 million people ..... feeling bad - lethargic all day and exhausted at 8pm so to sleep.

Day 68/10 3.10 Saturday on to the monastery 

Up at 7 but no one is up so we walked to the town  center. The village is not alive at 7:30 and only steam is rising from the chimneys. The town is laid out by possessed lots and fences there around, so streets end up wide dirt uneven paths. 8 breakfast. There is an open area between the hotel and  school/center which apparently was to be a park, but it is in disarray. Many big furry from winter dogs run free but our dog here is on a 4 foot chain with no house or ground cover. Apparently he sleeps like the rest of the animals with no protection. School starts at 8:30.

AM morning...4 hrs drive on the continuing prairie to Baldan Bereeven Monastery built in 1777 by Tseveendorj and housed 6-8 thousand monks of the  yellow hat sect. Biggest monastery in east...destroyed by communists in 1937 and 5-600 monks were killed. Mongolians were forbidden to worship until 1990. 11 inches of average snow here but the cold is much worse than home. Chinggis Khaan is the Mongolian spelling for Genghis Khan. 

Up at 7 and since breakfast wasn’t open marnie and I walked to the town center is clear but cold —-conditions. Breakfast with out WiFi and of to the monastery by 9. We drove over prairie lands with some snow and small frozen creek crossings. We got to the monastery and toured for two hours. Then back in the car for 100 miles of prairie and melting  snow trying to figure which of the worn paths were the best and did not end up off course. There were few markers or signs to help us select among the many vehicle trails ahead and  crossings. There were amazing long vistas of tan-brown of stubble, winter-dominant grass with backdrops of mountains, some with most, partial and others with no snow (south facing are clear). In the 200 miles of prairie and hard road we were never out of site of some herd of animals- mostly sheep and goat, followed in number by horses, and last was cattle. We did come across one 20 head herd of Bactrian camels. After 100 miles on hard road we got to our ger camp near the home and statue of Genghis Khan. Now waiting for dinner high on a  mountainside  overlooking the park area. This is our 4th major adventure overland in a Land Cruiser.. 1. this adventure for over 100 miles in eastern Mongolia to see the monastery; 2. Two trips thru the Alto Plano in Bolivia above 12000 feet where the back of the vehicle dropped down and a wheel, then the brake drum, sped past the car (we found enough nuts to put the brake/wheel back on (‘97 & ‘03); 3. Our own from Madison to Panama City Panama and back one winter; 4. From Kathmandu, Nepal to Lhasa, Tibet overload near Everest thru China in ‘03 with Kelzie.

 Odka’s facts and fictions about Mongolia

• Currently, Mongolia is one of 35 countries whose citizens have travelled into  earth’s orbit
• Mongolians often say that those who constructed the Great Wall must be great, but those who forced them to construct it must be greater.
• Two humped Bactrian camel - In the world 30% of the camels are one humped, only 10% of camels are two-humped camels. Mongolia takes first place by numbers of two-humped camels in the  world.
• In Mongolia before the Communist purge of 1929-1937 there were more than 700 monasteries, more than 100,000 monks. After the  Communist purge no monks were left and only 6 undestroyed temples remained. Monasteries were destroyed, monks were killed, imprisoned, exiled or forced to join the army or the Party.
• UB has 9 districts and one is 100K away.
• Military service is compulsory but can be pay to avoid.
• The fourth Dali Lama Yondon JAMES (1589-1616) was a Mongolian. He was born as a grandson of the Mongolian king Altan Khaan and was given perfect knowledge and very special care until he died in Monastery Braivan, Central Tibet.
• Chinggis Khan built the largest land under his governance the world has ever had about 1260.

Did you know?

• That territory of Mongolia is three times the size of France but its population is 30 times less that that of France
• That the number of livestock in Mongolia is 20 times more than the country’s population
• 20 million sheep and nearly as many goats, both used for meat and cashmere.
• That Ulaanbaatar is True Nomad? The city changed its location 29 times before   settling in the present-day location.
• that the first dinosaur egg was discovered in Mongolia in 1922.
• that the first National Park in the world was established in Mongolia in 1778. The Bogd Khan mountain range was declared as a National Park.
• That Mongolia is the number one country with the biggest numbers of houses per capita.
• Mongolia was the first to introduce paper money to the world

Gandantegchilen Monastery

• Buddhist University of Mongolia was established in 1920. the University contains  modern education with  traditional teaching methods.
• There are two departments:
• The department of Internal Sciences which include major in Buddhist Philosophy and Chanting.
• the department of common knowledge which includes Tibetan, Sanskrit and English language majors as well as a Traditional Medicine and Astrology major.