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

Nadaam day two. (12-07-09)

Today was an interesting day on many counts not least because we got woken up at about 1/1.30 in the morning by some drunk Mongolians hammering on the door! That didn't put me a good mood as we are off to the horse racing the at 6.30. But it was ok we got there on time and went off to join the madness that is race day out on the Steppe. After being briefed a bit by Jess we went on our way to find food etc. The horse race takes place over a 25KM course and it is to test the strength of the horse...not the jockey. The jockeys in this case were children as they are lighter. It was amazing to see so many Mongolians on horses. Many had come in from the country side to see this and it was clear to me why they are known as The Lords of the Horse. As I posted in my entry about the opening ceremony, there is an incredable synergy between horse and rider which is just such a joy to behold. The horse is considered the spirt of Mongolia and is revered in art amongst many other things. We pottered around the ger encampment, found food, did a little shopping and the went to take our places by the finish lline to see the horses come in. It was great for the first 20 or so minutes and then the crowds started to rush in. I was with Rob, Robert, Belinda and Brian and thank god because the railings we were leaning against had started to cant at an alarming angle. In the end we just had to push our way back through the crowd to escape the mounting pressure at our backs. We all made it out safely but I was serverly shaken. (Hence why I couldn't face the Nadaam closing seremony and watched it on the TV). We also found out that one of our party had been knocked unconscious by a drunk horse manwho realised he was going to miss the start of the race and so cantered down to line and just barreled into him. He's a lovely southern gent called Harry who is 84 and has a quadruple heart bypass two years before. Luckily, after a long saga, they managed to get him to the hospital and he was back with us at six. However we didn't let it ruin our day. After we had regrouped and got our collective breathes back we went to the cultural Nadaam where I got to shoot a Mongolian Recurve. It was hideous!! My arrows veered off to the right and didn't fly very far but I shot a recurve!! Job done! I have a couple of photos, it's awesome to be able to say I shot the bow of the Lords of War!
On a total side not what I was saying about the Mongolians not being very attractive is utter crap both the men and women are amongst some of the most beautiful I've seen. They range from pale skin and hair through to dark sking and hair. I could definately become a Mongolia wife.
Anyway I've tied up the net for far to long and it's been a long day. Off to Khenti tomorrow, not Trelj, so I'll love youa nd leave you. Please let me know how you're all getting on it would be good to get some news.
X X X X X X

Nadaam day one. (11-07-09)

Well what can I say about Nadaam? We went to the opening ceremony today and it is was mind blowing. You can feel the heartbeat of the people running throughout this festival.After the Communist suppression and purges of the last 50 years (where even the name of Chinngis was banned) it was amazing to witness the great out pouring of National pride that is Nadaam. What really touched me is the fact that the Mongolians are take such pride in who they are, it seems to be inate and I think they have a lot to be proud of.
The opening ceremony weas fantastic. There were traditional dancers, a speech from the President (I got shoved, very heavy handedly, out of the way by his body guard!) and my most favourite part...the horses! Now anyone who knows me will tell you that I find horses very frightening but the synergy between man and beast and the AWESOME!!!! formation riding proved why these guys are known as Lords of the Horse. After the state banner was brought in and planted, the horse display started. It involved a rider dressed as Chinngis (Chinngis in Ghengis' Mongolian pronounciation, the other is Persian) who actualy got his horse to bow to the state banner! Then you also had the acrobatics display on the back of the horses.
I have to say Nadaam is a feeling. I could sit here and try for a hundered years, using a billions words, t describe it but it is experiential. The wrestling was quite unlike anything I have ever seen. It is very definately a game of strategy over brute strength. Jess (our tour leader) says that some people find it boring, but the incredable nuances make it fascinating to watch. Apparently last years final bout went on for two hours! The one before, four so they've had to put a cap on the time a final is allowed to go on.
The we moved onto the archery. There are so many things I love about this sport...but the most incredible thing is to look at the bow stock when it's not strung, it's straight! The tension from the string gives it classic, and beautiful, recurve shape.
The anklebone shooting was also something else. It is a sport where sheep, or goat, anklebones are flicked at a target. From what I could see you have three competitors that take it in yurns to "shoot" there bones off a polished wooden palett, who ever hits the target wins the round.
After that we came back to UB geusthouse to sleep, relax, whatever and then Rob, Robert, Brian, Bellinda, Tess and myself went out for dinner. We went back to Cafe Amsterdam and had a great laugh. Then we went on to the Budwiser bar to meet up with Jess and the rest a the crew to have a relax and drink before the fireworkers over Sukhbataar square. The fireworkers were awesome, where they were set off over the hills outside UB the sight lines were perfect, you didn't get a crick in your neck. Then off to be for an early start to day two of Nadaam...the horse racing.

First Impressions.

Well this is going to be a shortish first blog from UB as I meet my organised tour in about half an hour but what a crazy day!
I met up with some lovely people from my tour last night (Theresa from Brum, Roberet from Aus and Brian from the States), who have been absoluetly superb and taken me under their collective wings. We're all sharing a dorm in the UB Guesthouse.
This morning we spent half an hour looking for somewhere to eat breakfast, however everywhere was closed. Finally, after accosting a local taxi driver for info, we managed to find a place called "The Cafe Amsterdam", where we had breakfast and a chat. Then we decided to see if there was anything going on at the Naadam Stadium so took a walk up there...there wasn't so we came back. I had mentioned how I wanted to go and see some traditional Mongolian throat sing while I was here and Theresa spotted a sighn. We walked around a beautiful Budhist temple complex rhat had become a museum and then took our seats for the performance. For thoes of you who have never heard, Mongolian throat singing is indescribable but it is worth trying to find some. The sound is so haunting and bizzare but incredable. Then we went out for luch. It's funny it feels like the four of us have been kicking around together a lot longer than a day...that has to bee a good sighn.