When Kenric and I visited Singapore in February, 2018, a couple of my schoolmates from Malaysia invited us to join them on their Mongolia trip. Fast forward a few months, we met Steph and Jessie at the hotel breakfast lounge in Ulaanbaatar. Yuka and Urnaa, our guides, helped bring our many pieces of luggage down to the van. Driver Uncle spoke no English, but he couldn’t hide the “Uh-oh” on his face when he saw us. And so, the seven of us set out for a ten-day Mongolian adventure in a Russian-made UAZ Buhanka.
Our first stop was the bank to get some Mongolian Tugrik ($1 USD = 2670 MNT). There was a long line of senior citizens at the bank. Realizing it was the 1st of September, I suspected they were collecting some kind of government pension. They were. Seeing an old man salivate over the bills his wife was counting which she subsequently put into her purse was sad and funny.
Poor guy was hoping for some spending money but she tucked everything in her purse after she finished counting. LOL
Our next stop was a big store to pick up some gifts for the nomadic family that would be hosting us on our third night. The tour company suggested gifts like stationery for children, fresh produce, or kitchen staples such as flour. Gifting alcohol is not encouraged, or should at least be reserved until we get a clear cue from the host.
Don’t need alcohol until you can’t have alcohol
Securing alcohol wasn’t a high priority until we saw the sign at the alcohol aisle. “WE ARE NOT SELL ANY ALCOHOL DUE TODAY. THANK YOU.” Panic set in. We learned that banning alcohol sales on the day many Mongolians receive their pension is one of the ways the government curbs alcohol abuse. It was around that time that Jessie received a message from her friend saying she must try the legendary Soyombo vodka.
Huge store, we spent too much time here and got too many things.
It’s the first of the month and the government doesn’t want people spending the pension they just received on alcohol.
Knowing we wouldn’t encounter any stores for the next few days, Yuka made Uncle stop at different stores along the highway. Each time, she and Jessie would come back defeated. Finally, either with the blessings of Bacchus or Genghis Khan, they returned victorious. We ooh’d and aah’d at the sleek bottle and learned from Urnaa the significance of the Soyombo symbol. Uncle was glad he could finally go full speed but it was time to stop for lunch.
Jessie was so happy when Mission accomplished! Soyombo vodka is indeed very excellent vodka.
Mongolians and Koreans have the same ancestors
The food really reminded us of Korean food. Actually, many of the locals including Uncle and Yuka reminded us of Koreans. I learned that many Mongolians and Koreans have the same ancestors. Since walls don’t work (not even The Great Wall), the Mongols would conquer China and Korea to the east; to the west, the Mongol Empire stretched to modern-day Hungary and Poland.
The noodle dish is called Tsuivan. Super delicious. These are some of the local dishes that reminded us of Korean cuisine.
After many years of trying, Genghis Khan’s grandson, Kublai Khan, finally conquered China, establishing The Yuan Dynasty (1279 – 1368). To be fair, The Great Wall was already 1,400 years old by then with some parts being much older. Trade along The Silk Road had brought many traders and adventurers east (and west), and one of the guests at Kublai Khan’s court in Dadu (Beijing) is none other than the Venetian Marco Polo.
Urnaa has all the answers
I realized people had dozed off, so I looked out the window and marveled at the green mountains, yellow fields and sheep and goats in silence. I liked sitting next to Urnaa because I had so many questions and she had all the answers. When Uncle let us out to use the nature toilet, we spent way too much time taking photos. After a few more photo-op stops, he finally put the brakes on it and told Yuka no more stops because a storm was coming and we were still very far from camp. But the horses were so beautiful…..
There’s really no road or trail once you get off the highway, but Uncle knows his way. Here, it’s flooded too.
Uncle said we couldn’t stop because a storm was coming and we were still very far from camp, so this is all I got of the beautiful horses.
Leaving the pavement behind
Uncle turned off the highway onto the vast steppe. The “trail” was extremely bumpy and parts of it flooded. All seven of us bounced off our seats in synchrony but only four laughed like idiots.
“It’s a wild boar!” “Where?!” “Over there!” “It’s a wild boar!”
Yuka told Uncle to drive towards the approaching beast. Everyone tried to snap a photo but it was just too bumpy.
“It’s a dog!” “It’s a dog?” “It’s a dog carrying the skull of a cow.”
The dog was carrying the skull of a cow and prancing like it was a damn masquerade. Our disappointment turned into hysterical laughter, and I wished I had used the nature toilet earlier. Uncle who knew all along that it was a dog with a cow skull told Yuka he was surprised by how excited we were to see a dog, but he was happy to drive us closer for a good view. More hysterical laughter. Uncle’s bar for us was really low.
Sweet Gobi
We finally made it to the Sweet Gobi Geolodge, 173 miles (279 km) west of Ulaanbaatar. I loved everything about the surroundings and especially our ger (aka yurt). The absence of indoor plumbing didn’t even bother me. The eco-toilet was not yucky at all – there were plenty of antibacterial wipes, and when you’re done, just dump a scoop of saw dust in to make a clean slate for the next person.
It was quite surreal to be there. Sweet Gobi Geolodge.
Eco-toilet. Antibacterial wipes, toilet paper and a bucket of saw dust. Be sure to close the lid.
Ger #33.
Dinner was great, red wine from a duty-free shop, white wine from the camp restaurant and sneakily poured vodka in water glasses. Uncle, Yuka and Urnaa opted for red, I stayed with white and the rest had all three. The Soyombo vodka was exceptionally smooth. We were surprised that the three crew members had met for the first time that morning, because Yuka and Uncle chatted like they were long-time friends in the front of the van.
Uncle had a long day with the city slickers. It was getting cold so he went to put on his long coat called a Deel. The bright orange contrasted with the blue is so beautiful.
I’m sure real Mongol warriors were a lot scarier than this.
An opportunity to enjoy the beautiful night sky
Back in our gers, we had our steam baths, i.e., rolled-up hot towels delivered in dim sum-type bamboo steamers. Jessie shared more vodka with Kenric while Steph showed them the different constellations identified by the app on her phone. I tried my best to not shudder while I tried to capture the Milky Way.
We loved the ger, but it was very cold at night. There’s a wood stove but there wasn’t extra wood in the ger for overnight fire.
Pull the string t open the window/chimney/skylight. The vibrant colors are just amazing.
When I woke Kenric up around two am to accompany me to the eco-toilet, I realized I really liked indoor plumbing. The silhouettes of the gers were especially beautiful. And I swear by the moon and stars in the sky Mongolia is the most beautiful place on Earth. I wondered if the girls were staying warm.
And I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky Mongolia is the most beautiful place on Earth.
The table above is listing 10 out of 19 markers (sorted by ID ascending)
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