Friday, July 17, 2015

Mongolian Journey - A Land Like No Other



The landscape is what draws people to Mongolia  – mile after mile of stunning plains and mountains, where a traveler might journey hours without seeing a passing car, only a handful of Mongolians, but hundreds of animals.

Alexandra and I this morning met a nomadic family that's been wandering central Mongolia for generations.




Horses are essential to a nomad's survival, providing both transportation and food. Children learn to ride almost as soon as they learn to walk. The mares must be milked five to six times a day, allowing visitors to sample either fresh milk or fermented milk, both of which don't taste much different from cow's milk.



My stomach is still adjusting to the dairy products from multiple animal sources but guests not accepting at least a small amount is considered to be extremely rude.




In the evening, we toured the ruins of the 16th-century Ongi Monastery.













Tonight, we're staying at the luxurious Secret of Ongi tourist camp, named Mongolia's top tourist camp for four years. It's not the Rosewood, but the service is excellent and the shared bathrooms immaculate.


After dinner, performers modeled some of Mongolia's traditional clothing.



The setting of the gers nestled in the Delger Khangai Mountains is hard to beat. You won't find any malls or amusement parks here, but you will find extreme beauty and the melodious sound of silence.




We've now reached the Gobi province, a two-day, rugged journey taking more than 14 hours. Travel is slow in Mongolia due to the terrain and absence of paved roads in the countryside, but it's well worth the jolts to get here.

Next up, a search for dinosaur bones.

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