Part 8 of 8 – (September, 2018)

After leaving Mongol Nomadic, we went to Khustai National Park to spot Takhi wild horses and other wildlife. The view was great but most of us were a little hungover and our moods were dampened because we would be returning to Ulaanbaatar (UB) that night and we leave Mongolia after two more days of city tours.

However, I was glad the crew will get to go home. I was sure Urnaa missed her boy very much. The first day of our trip was the orientation/first day of school for her son which she had to miss. We found out that Uncle’s wife had passed away just a few months before our visit from cancer, but he does have at least one daughter and a grandchild.

Perhaps Uncle expected us to turn around

After more than an hour, we saw a small band of Takhi horses very far off in the distance. They were beautiful, but after riding horses and seeing them up close over the past few days, the excitement had worn off. Since we weren’t even halfway to the meeting point we decided to turn around. Perhaps Yuka called Uncle, or perhaps Uncle had always expected us to turn around; the only thing that mattered was he was at the same spot. A park ranger had set up his telescope there and we got to see some deer. We saw more wild horses on our way out and had lunch at the Khustai resort restaurant.

Kenric and I spent one evening in UB when we first landed the previous Friday. Entering UB during Friday rush hour again was just as interesting. Thirty two percent of Mongolia’s population lives in UB; many were waiting at bus stops and many were flagging down private vehicles. It is permissible for drivers to pick up passengers, and the fares to different places are pretty well-established among those who use this “taxi system”.

Back in UB

We had dinner at Veranda, a fancy Mediterranean restaurant. After complaining about too much meat for days, some of us ended up ordering steak. I realized it wasn’t meat in general that we were tired off, it was lamb. The flavor and texture of free-roaming Mongolian steppe lamb is very different from what we were used to. The food was great, and we learned a lot more about life in Mongolia chatting with the crew. Watching the stylish locals there, it was obvious there are two Mongolias.

The next morning, we went to Gandantegchinlen (Gandan) Monastery in an old part of UB. This neighborhood was quite different from other parts of the city that are either blocks and blocks of Soviet-style apartments, or modern commercial buildings. Gandan Monastery, like Erdene Zuu, was spared by Stalin/Choibalsan during the communist Great Terror so that the monasteries could be used in propaganda as signs of religious freedom. Close to 800 monasteries were destroyed. I’m glad this beautiful complex was spared. Since transitioning to a democratic system in 1990, many monastic learning centers have been rebuilt including the one at Gandan Monastery.

Steph’s Executive Decision

After the museum, we were supposed to have lunch at a Californian restaurant, but Steph made a great executive decision and had Yuka take us where she and her friends would go when they want Mongolian food. Zochin Mongol Zoog-4 serves fantastic Mongolian food.

Our last tourist activity was a performance by the Tumen Ekh National Song and Dance Ensemble. It was really high quality compared to some of the other cultural performances we’ve seen. The throat singing, basically a one-man band, was quite unbelievable.

Our final dinner together

Our final dinner together at Mongolian’s Restaurant was really nice. It really felt like all seven of us had just been on a vacation together. I hope we were the right distraction for Uncle as he mourned his wife. It really felt like we met as guides and guests, but we all left as friends; and the three schoolmates from Tarcisian Convent in Ipoh, Malaysia as better friends than before.

P.S. The trip actually happened one year ago in September, 2018. I’ve been putting off writing about it for a whole year because I was afraid I wouldn’t do it justice. I finally started writing on its first anniversary. I couldn’t live with not giving Mongolia, its people and their Mongol spirit, its beauty, its history and this awesome experience their justice anymore. Kenric and I agree it is the best trip of our lives. I am surprised by how vividly I remember everything which is a testament to it.

Thanks again, Steph and Jessie for inviting Kenric and me. Thanks again, Urnaa, Yuka and Uncle for being such gracious hosts. баярлалаа!

Map of Places Visited