Nearly three years have past since thoughs summer days.

That's quite a thought huh? i'm sat on my bed looking at the Mongol Flag trying to imagine what my life was like before.

I'm still obsessed by this country and her people...I entertain the notion of marring a hairy horseman a becoming a herders wife.

It looks like I might have a work related opertunity over there at some point next year and I really hope I can go back even if for only a couple of weeks.

But that's blue sky thinking for now. But I know I will get back and I will feel the sacred earth beneath my feet again.

Have Passport, will travel.

Ao I feel a bit more relaxed now, I have passport, monwey and have met some amazing new friends just from chatting with people at the guesthouse. So where was I? Ah, the Gobi.
As you can tell from my last post the Gobi is the most amazing place. (By the way, beautiful and amazing are words I'll be using a lot to describe this country...the English lexicon doesn't have enough wods really to describe this place.)
The two local Nadaams were both in Gobi and after National Nadaam it was interesting to see the smaller ones. Sat in the stadium you never got see things close up but ant the locals you could really walk around and watch the wrestling. For me it was good to have seen both, although the local ones seemed slightly comic. I should laugh, the wrestling has a real skill of it own and the egal dance has a cultural significance but it is funny to watch up close. But it was also wonderful.
The towns, however, were not. They were built during the Communist period when they were trying out c0ollectivisation and are, therefore, functional, squat and ugly. I found the towns really depressing. If you imagine a western frontier town, you know the type that have seen better days and have tumble weed blowing through them that's pretty much what the Aimag (provincial capital) towns were like. I always felt very depressed entering a town and I think it is because they were designed for function rather than beauty. There is nothing ediffying about these places. However we did stop in one (Dungov I think) and had the most fabulous meal of Horshaw (Mongolian mutton pancakes) provided for us by a local family. I have loved the food here and mutton has proved to be a suprisingly delicious meat. Goat cooked with hot rocks was too fatty and rich for my pallette but it was delicious.
So the next thing I rember is Tsetsleg and White Lake. Hmm, that proved to be an interesting experience for many reasons, not all of them great (But I'll get to than in a minute!)
Again Tsetsleg was not a beautiful place but Fairfields was. After walking around the town and visiting the container market we went to Fairfeilds which sold English food and drink!!! :D by this time I was just gasping for a cup of proper coffee and some trad home cooking so Fairfields was a jewel in a barren desert. I had my flat white coffee, which I always drink at home, which was a lovely reminder of home and had a burger. Then we picked up Ganzo.
Ganzo was a lovely Mongolian guy who had been in America and spoke very good English. There qwere some people who were on a shorter tour and he had been hired (blind I might add) to escort them back to UB. However it soon became apparent that he had a drinking problem! It's not uncommon to find alcoholics in Mongolia, it is a legacy of the Comunist period. Mongolian Vodka is made from distiling mares milk and is not as strong as Russian Vodka, however when the Russians came they brought their vodka and things got a tad out of control. The Mongolian government is now trying to promote beer instead of Vodka as it has a lower alcohol content but it is a newish program and the results have yet to been seen (or felt).
Anyway, back to Ganzo. Not only was he a drinker he decided he didn't like the staff and they weren't overly kean on him! SO it became a word of words. Sadly he decided to bad mouth the drivers to me almost all the way to White lake, down the Horg volcano (More of which I will write later) and late into the evening. I felt ver conflicted but I stuck up for my friends (Because after 2 weeks they were more that drivers they were friends).
It was decided that Ganzo could share my tent that night which I had no problem with. We sat by the fire, drank, had a laugh and retired to bed. Anyonewho knows me will tell you however that I am a bear with a sore head when it comes to sleep. I need a clear 8 hours uninterupted to function. I was very cleart to Ganzo on this point...if he waas to share my tent he must come to bed quietly and not wake me up.
So I was woken to the sound of raised Mongolian voices and the sound of a body hitting the floor twice,. I opened the tent and told Ganzo in no uncertain terms to get in there. He literally fell into the tent pissed out of his skull alledging that one of the drivers has assulted him. His story kept changing depending on what I said. I had, what seemed llike, a long talk with him and then fell asleep.
The next morning it transpired that what had happened was that Jess had taken Ganzo to the tent, one of the drivers had had a verbal go (the shouting that I heard) and then it seems that Ganzo might have fallen twice. Jess was stood outside the tent the whole time and heard everything! She thanked me for what I had done to contain the situation and asked me if I was alright. I siad yes.
The outcome of all however is that it brought the drivers and I closer, so it was a good thing.
so I am now tierd and will fill you all in on the nest instalment later. I'm also going out with some guys from the Guest House so I'll have to get myself all spruce moose.
Love you all and will write again soon.
X X X

After 18 days, a post. (All out of order, it's being writen just as it comes to mind)

So I'm back to civilisation and hating it. I've been back in UB since yesterday afternoon and I'm finding it very hard to adjust. I've met some amazing poeple and had experiences beyond my wildest imagination and now I havae to face the fact that it's all over. This country has been an amazing find, all the people (both western and Mongolian) who have traveled this road with me have made this trip. But before I go completely off on a tangent I'll write some more aabout what I've done and where I've been.
First it has to be the mini Nadaam and singing to the mountains. Our first camp site was incredable. It was the Gobi but we were situated in these rocky out croppings that were just beautiful. National Nadaam is takes place the 11-13 of July but many other Nadaams take place around the country in the weeks afterwards. I was very privilidged to see two local Nadaams and to sing to honour the mountains. FOr people who don't know singing is a great part of the Moongolian culture. When the kids are sent out with the herds they sing to keep themselves ocupied, the Mongolians sing when they are happy...if I had to give them a title it would be the people of song, so for me to sing to the group and to honour the mountains was a big thing. The Gobi is a semi desert with only three percent of it as sand dunes. I will always remember the coulores, pastle greens roling away into soft pinks, purples and oranges as far as the eye could see. Beautiful massifs with verigated red and brown folds on the horizon, tempratures of 35 plus. Our first stop in the Gobi (which is the Mongolian word for desert) was the Yolyn Am Valley in the Three Beauties National park. The Three Beauties was created at the same time as the Himilares and are the result of the aftershocks of the conlilsion of the Indian and Eurasian subcontinants. They could be called the baby foothills of the Himilares. I have found several explinations for the name Yolyn Am but the one I like most is the Vultures Mouth. It is the most amazing valley which has ice in it almost year round. Most of the ice had melted by the time we got there but it was still incredable to see pack ice in the desert and be out of the searing heat! The Valley/gorge itself was also beautiful and the on walk down we saw the Mongolian Horse and Yak ( a frequent sight later on in the trip). I was wearing my sandals which are not good climbing shoes so I took them off and climbed the Yolyn Am in bare feet. From the start I got a reputation as an excentric! Just as I remeber it said in the itinarery that we would be going down to Yolyn Am all in the one day but Jess decided it was to much so we camped in the desert, got rained on and had a lightening show! I got dehydrated at Yolyn Am (not a good experience) so when we got to camp Jess made me drink two cups of water and a cup of tea...It felt good to be finally rehydrated and I didn't have a repeat attack.
While on the way to Yolyn Am, the drivers decided they were going to have a mini Mongol Rally. We were going up to 100 KPH on some of the worst roads you've ever seen, flying over humps and bumps in Russian trucks with no seatbelts but boy was it good!! After a week in UB the open road was amazing, the freedom and thrills to be found with no speed limits and no other traffic as far as the eye could see, Bliss. Sophie and dad, you would love the off roading in this country...it's mad!!!!!!!!!
So After Yolyn Am, we camped in the Three Beauties. What I love about this country is that you can pull up virtualy anywhere and pitch camp. There are no designated camp site, you just go where ever the wind takes you. There I saw lots of wild Gobi Hampster. I don't know why but these incredably cute wee besties just made me squeal with delight. I suppose having kept hampster as a child it reminded me of all the fun times that these little things can bring. We were camped along a stream and the hampster came to the water to drink, fab!
After two nights in various locations in the Three Beauties we moved onto Hongren Ells (The singing dunes) and Bayanzag (The flaming cliffs.) Both were incredable for different reasons. At Bayanzag it was the water fight (insitgated by Dowaa and the Drivers!) and at Hongren Ells it was the camel ride to the base of the dunes, Basenhor's singing and the Ger home stay. Unfortunately I had managed to get grit and suncream in my eye so I retired to bed early but there is a hilarious photo of me with tea running down my face taking the tea bag cure to the nth degree!
Sorry to interupt this narative but I am so aware I have to go and pick up my passport so I will continue when I get back. I still have so much to tell you all, I can't wait!
X X X

The new guard is in town.

So, so....Trying to think of what to write. Nothing mush has happened in thee last couple of days really....I've just kicked my heels in UB trying to figure out if I'm coming or going. The old guard is gone and the new has come....it's a huge group! 15 for two weeks that spit off into 9 for the rest of the trip. I really wish all of you were her just so I could share the awesomeness of this incredible country with you. I would say that Mongolia is an experience, the power of Spirit and history that I have felt in this country can't be described....you have to to be here to know what makes Mongolia so amazing. I thought Egypt was indescribable but truly this place is something else. Only 2.7 million people in a country the size of western Europe, 45% of whom still live in the traditional nomadic/semi nomadic style...heaven. Also when you look at a map of the Mongolian Empire at the time Kubilai Khan it blows you away. With the exception of western Europe, India and some Middle Eastern states...the map belongs to the Mongols. Also the resurgent nationalism, and I don't mean that in the negative way, after the crushing Communist years is a joy to behold. The Mongols have great pride in being Mongolian and , even though there are as many as 20 different elasticities with in Mongolia, they see themselves as Mongols first, the Kazakh etc. I'll have one chance to use the net on the road so I'll try to put in as much as I can but I'll be keeping a paper based journal of my time on the road so you won't miss out. I hope that my blog may have inspired you to come and visit this awesom country...it's well worth the trip.
X

Dude what a country, Mk 2

So after that amazing first day in the cuds we woke up to the most beautiful weather. Jess had seen the hawk the night before and had putt scraps out for it so we watched it wheel and dive....it was awesome. We had breakfast by the banks of the Tuul then the days was our to do with what we wanted. Tess, Rob, Belinda and myself decided we were going to climb a hill. I'll show you the photos when I get home but this hill didn't look to far away so we set off. 3/4 of a hour later we finally reached it's base. The flora in this country is amazing...the stretch of steppe going up to the hill looked like an alpine meadow. The profousion of colours was intense, yellows, pinks, blues, purple not to mention the fact that everytime you took a step a profusion of butterflies scatter before you making it look like something out of a Disney movie. I have to say I was a bit of a flake, there was a gentle incline to the tree line and the really knackered me out just doing that so I climbed to the top of the tree line and let the guys go on the rest of the way. I'm finding that my PVFS is rearing its ugly head again and I don't want to push myself to far because it's not worth being laid up in bed for a week. Anyway the guys left me there and continued their assault on the 'Mountain'. I have some of the most amazing photos of the Tuul and the forest covered hills just from the tree line. When we got back we relaxed for the afternoon. I went and slept and then we had dinner. Jess is the most amazing cook. I don't know if I have a picture of it but the cooker looks like a a blow torch that is aim towards the pan. Apparently it uses a very fine stream of petrol that is ignitied to provided the flame. I'll def get a picture of it on the 18 dayer. (Just working it out I think I'm doing twenty one days, can anyone confirm?). Robert lit the most amazing campfire but everyone fell into bed around 9-10ish most nights.
The next morning it had been decided that we would leave a bit earlier so that people who were flying out could do things in UB instead. So we struck camp and went for breakfast and got under way at ten as arranged the night before. Unfortunately we didn't actualy manage to really leave the campsite until about 11/11.30. Bless him Mordchick, one of the drivers, manged to go through a puddle (baring in mind this is Mongolia a puddle maybe a slight case of understatement!) on completely the wrong side and got himself bogged down in the mud. Sods law Turo, the lead driver, had forgotten to bring the wire tow rope with him! (For the first time and it was the first time that it was needed) so began a dash between gers to find a suitable rope. In the end, thanks to some amazing Mongolian ingenuity, the van was finally freed and we went on our merry way, stopping for lunch in the most amazing location before making it back to UB for about 3.30. In the end Belinda and Rob managed to get to the throat singing, Theresa was very sweet and palled along with me to do some shopping, evening lending me the money to get my Del. (I cant ait to show it to you, it's the most beautiful purple!). After we met up for final drinks Theresa and Greg went to the airport, the next day it was the turn of Belinda and Rob, last night it was Robert and this morning Harry and Brian. So one amazing journey has ended for another one to start. I go on monday and I don't know how often I'll get to write my blog on the road but I'll keep a paper based copy and write up as much as I can when I get back to UB.
X X X

Dude, what a country.

Well as you may have geussed from my last post I have just spent two days in Khenti province, relaxing by the Tuul river, camping and not doing mucj else. This was an awesome first taste of what to expect from the next 18 day.
To start from the very begining we left UB at about half eight to trek into the country. Jess didn't know where we would end up but knew that it would be in Khenti somewhere. The reason she didn't want to take us to Terelj is that it was far too touristy (wether that was Mongolians or Westerners or both I couldn't quiet make out) but I think she made the right descion. We stopped at a forty fioot high, brushed steel statue of Chinggis and climb to the mane of the horse where we had awesome views of Kheti province, I won't try to explain what it looked like now rather I'll let the photos speak for themselves, then we drove on. Later we stopped at a ger to ask for directions to the river and we were all invited in. We were given Airag, fermented mares milk, and were given permission to take photos. Airag is best describe as thin, slightly fizzy natural yoghurt...it's definately an aquired taste but the Mongolian hospitality is beyond reproach. Then we drove on to our campsite. Surficed to say it was the most amazing plce, we camped right on the banks of the Tuul with forest steppe, reaching right up the hills, before and behind us. A hawk circled above our camp and, although it is comman to see them, I took it to be a blessing. We enjoyed a simple meal of curried vegatables, rice and beef stew before sitting round the fire and finally retiring to bed.
It's late here so I'm going to sign off with lots of hugs and kisses and fill you in on the erest tomorrow.
X X X X

Apologies.

Hey Guys,
Sorry nothing new to report (that's a lie!) but the last two days have been manic and I need sometime to get my head around all the beautiful craziness that has been going on. I'm fine so please don't worry...I'm off to Khenti, not Terelj as published, tomorrow for a couple of days so this will be my last post for awhile. I hope you guys are doing great back in UK. I'm loving Moongolia, the people and the spirit of the place are superb...I'll definately be coming back...I wish you all could be feeling and experiencing what I am, it's a very heart filled experience.
Love to all.
X X X