I took a Russian jeep from Khatgal at the end of the Khuvsgul lake 12 hours drive to the most Northerly town in Mongolia - Tsaagan Nuur. Tsaagan Nuur is the starting off point for all trips into the Northern Mongolian border areas close to Siberia(taiga). Before the border with Mongolia was properly established many of the herders who lived with their reindeer around the border area moved back and forth between the two countries. During the war many fled to live in Northern Mongolia - the only area that has the food and climate the reindeer need to survive.
In November I met a Mongolian girl who had studied in the US before and she was dating a reindeer herder and would be returning to the Taigai to live with him. She invited me to visit them at any time and I decided to take her up on that.
The herders move 6-8 times a year between different camp sites where they set up their tepees at varying distances from the town, and in mid summer they are at the furthest point meaning it was an 8 hour horse ride up to the camp site. It is also one of the wettest parts of Mongolia so it is 8 hours of horse riding through marshy wet swamps, what fun! And there was no nice cushion on my saddle and it was horribly uncomfortable!! However the scenery was beautiful, mountains, lakes and lots of greenery. There were even still blocks of snow and ice on the hills in mid August!
The camp was set up with 11 families all living in tepees! It was a magical view. Zaya and her boyfriend invited me to stay with them in their teepee which was fantastic and they fed me really well as well!!
Unfortunately for the first day and a half it rained constantly which meant that the reindeers were out grazing and many of the visitors missed seeing any reindeers at all! So that meant we spent the day doing indoor "womens tasks"!! This meant cooking bread on a stove, lunch, cleaning and then watching Zaya's boyfriend doing his carving. There are very few ways for the herders to earn money so selling their carvings to visitors is one of the few ways they can earn, so they work hard at this.
Amazingly they also have TVs and satellites so we did some TV watching and card playing too. To be honest it was nice to have a good break after such a long few weeks of travelling.
Luckily the weather improved and I got a day and a half of beautiful weather and the reindeer spent the time down around the camp. There was one day where I was the only tourist there, and as a friend of Zaya I wasn't seen as a tourist and so I was able to get hands on involved in the running of the camp. We caught the reindeer, milked the Mum's, ate lots of bread and milk tea and walked up the surrounding hills. It was a fun 2 days of playing house, but not something I would want to have to do every day!
Unfotunately I did have to leave eventually and we managed to do the ride down in 6 hours - the fastest time ever apparently with a tourist! I then had to get from the drop off point to the town. The only transport available was a motorbike which was held together with masking tape!! With only one topple we made it to the crazy ferry, which we boarded along with 4 other motorbike and 6 horses and which was pulled across the river!
I was supposed to get back to the town and head out the next day, unfortunately I had to wait around for 3 days for a lift to the big town. Tsaagan Nuur was a small town and there was not even an internet cafe to hang out in. It was a very long 3 days! But I eventually got a lift on a poragon (russian minivan) which left at 6pm and took 15 hours to get there, with 2 flat tires, the second of which we tried to fix by gluing the two flat tires together - this was of course not a success!!
I made it into town just in time for the bus back to Ulaanbaatar with about an hour to spare. Of course this meant I was too late to get a seat on the bus, the only seat left was in the aisle. I really didn;t want to have to wait another day so I took the seat on top of a box in the middle of the aisle. It was a very long, very bumpy 20 hour journey back to UB and by the time I got back I was ready to never leave again! Except I was locked out of my apartment. Needless to say it was not a great return!
Tuesday, 3 August 2010
Sunday, 25 July 2010
Khuvsgul horse riding adventure
After a wonderful night in the hotel which I didn't want to leave, I met up with the 3 French girls who would make up the horse riding group I was riding around Khuvsgul with for 9 days.
Unfortunately our first day was pretty much driving to Khatgal and 40 km along the lake - 140km took 5 hours!I am looking forward to tarmacked roads!!
We did get a quick test ride of the horses. Again I was driven crazy by the Mongolian belief that no foreigner can ride a horse. I was able to avoid being led and eventually convinced them to let me canter, but I had to be helped on and off the horse. This was one of the more frustrating parts of the trip - the other riders were not experienced either which didn't help. But it was over all a good trip.
We set off on Day 2 after some fun and games getting the pack horses sorted out. Because it was still mid July there weren't too many other tourists around and we were the first trip out of the season for some of these horses. So as we tried to load the horses with 100kg of bags, food and camping gear they jumped around, reared etc. It took about 2 hours to load them up. It was very entertaining for the paying guests (i.e. me!) to watch the guides doing all this.
We rode alongside the lake this morning and got a feel for our horses. There were a few good flat bits for me to get a bit of speed up. One of the other girls had ridden before a couple of times so by the end of the day she was happy to have a bit of a canter along with me. It was nice to have some company and someone to race with!
The scenery around the lake was beautiful. There were so many white tree trunks that had been weathered into crazy shapes! THe lake was frozen until Mid June so we decided it was too cold to swim at lunch time but at least we had a decent day of weather.
We camped on a flat spot of grass beside the lake and we eventually braved a swim in the lake before we had to set up our tents. It was pretty freezing in the water but really refreshing.
On day 3 we continued our ride along the side of the lake. We had progressed beyond all the tourist camps at this stage and it was just pure unspoilt lake with beautiful mountains in the background. THere was a lot of riding up and down through forests and trails. We also had to stop to dig a van out of the mud! It was up to its axles in thick sticky Mud and we had to help along with 5 other Mongolians. They had to dig rocks and sticks under the wheels. This was of course one of the reasons we had selected to do the trip on horse back and why we had pack horses with us. We also saw some fabulous storms blow right past us out across the lake which was stunning.
Our camp spot for that evening was at the side of a river running into the lake. The river was lovely (although again very cold!) and it had a fresh spring running into it and they had set up a sort of back massager box there - you sat on this seat and it funnelled the water down your back and shoulders! It was a bit too chilly for us to try that one out!!
On Day 4 we spent half the day riding along the lake where we were plagued by flies and then we headed up the pass and into the Darkhad Depression in behind the mountains. It was a long tough ride up the hill through extremely deep sucky mud. It was tough riding. When we got up to the top of the hill we got a lovely view back over the lake.
The Darkhad depression was beautiful high mountains, trees and lovely stony rivers. We had some beautiful gallops along the flat stretches with beautiful scenery. We camped right in the middle of this area. It was one of the most beautiful spots.
We continued through the depression on Day 5. It was not fun riding as we had to tide along the stony river beds and it was very slow riding. It was beautiful scenic riding again. After lunch the thunder started up and the lightning and we saw this cloud coming up the valley. about 30 seconds later we were soaked to the skin by a horrific hail and sleet storm. We were soaked to the skin as were the horses and all our gear because no one had put the plastic sheets over our gear. Luckily the sun came out and we were able to lay everything out to dry but it meant we couldn't ride any futher that day. So we spent the afternoon relaxing and playing cards. We did go out for another 30 minute ride but everything was so wet we had to go back in.
Day 6 was wet again but we were riding along the stones again so we were able to keep going. But it was slow riding again. We eventually got up away from the stones and got some really great gallops across the flat ground and trails as we went through the valley. There was some really great riding and now all the group had caught up and we were able to canter together.
Unfortunately as we headed up the hill we got hit by another massive rain storm. Today I had insisted on them covering all the packs with plastic so we were able to shelter under the plastic and we didn't get quite so wet this time round. But again we had to set up camp as it was getting late and we weren't sure how much further we could go.
Day 7 was our last full day riding. We headed up and out of the Darkhad depression which was tough riding again due to the masses of mud but it was beautiful scenery again as we went up through the valley. As we reached the top of the valley we were looking down over the lake. It was a beautiful sight. The lake was covered completely with clouds. We sat up there taking pictures and having lunch and it was a beautiful view over the lake.
Our afternoon was spent getting back down the mountain and back to the lake. It was an amazing difference in just one week. There were so many Mongolians and foreigners camped along the edge of the lake and tehre were so many groups riding out. I was very glad we had gone out the week that we did.
That night we stayed with one of our guides families and got to spend some time in the Ger and eating their snacks. We were able to get a great bit of fish for dinner whcih was such a treat for me!
We had one more morning of riding out and we rode up to the top of the hill behind us. It was a lovely ride up through the forest to a beautiful view point where we got another look out over the lake. We did a lot of fast galloping which was great fun and what I had been looking forward to.
The other girls headed off that afternoon to catch their plane. I kept the horse for the afternoon and rode around a little bit longer but we were both very tired at this stage. It was lovely to just relax and read and spend time at the lake.
Unfortunately our first day was pretty much driving to Khatgal and 40 km along the lake - 140km took 5 hours!I am looking forward to tarmacked roads!!
We did get a quick test ride of the horses. Again I was driven crazy by the Mongolian belief that no foreigner can ride a horse. I was able to avoid being led and eventually convinced them to let me canter, but I had to be helped on and off the horse. This was one of the more frustrating parts of the trip - the other riders were not experienced either which didn't help. But it was over all a good trip.
We set off on Day 2 after some fun and games getting the pack horses sorted out. Because it was still mid July there weren't too many other tourists around and we were the first trip out of the season for some of these horses. So as we tried to load the horses with 100kg of bags, food and camping gear they jumped around, reared etc. It took about 2 hours to load them up. It was very entertaining for the paying guests (i.e. me!) to watch the guides doing all this.
We rode alongside the lake this morning and got a feel for our horses. There were a few good flat bits for me to get a bit of speed up. One of the other girls had ridden before a couple of times so by the end of the day she was happy to have a bit of a canter along with me. It was nice to have some company and someone to race with!
The scenery around the lake was beautiful. There were so many white tree trunks that had been weathered into crazy shapes! THe lake was frozen until Mid June so we decided it was too cold to swim at lunch time but at least we had a decent day of weather.
We camped on a flat spot of grass beside the lake and we eventually braved a swim in the lake before we had to set up our tents. It was pretty freezing in the water but really refreshing.
On day 3 we continued our ride along the side of the lake. We had progressed beyond all the tourist camps at this stage and it was just pure unspoilt lake with beautiful mountains in the background. THere was a lot of riding up and down through forests and trails. We also had to stop to dig a van out of the mud! It was up to its axles in thick sticky Mud and we had to help along with 5 other Mongolians. They had to dig rocks and sticks under the wheels. This was of course one of the reasons we had selected to do the trip on horse back and why we had pack horses with us. We also saw some fabulous storms blow right past us out across the lake which was stunning.
Our camp spot for that evening was at the side of a river running into the lake. The river was lovely (although again very cold!) and it had a fresh spring running into it and they had set up a sort of back massager box there - you sat on this seat and it funnelled the water down your back and shoulders! It was a bit too chilly for us to try that one out!!
On Day 4 we spent half the day riding along the lake where we were plagued by flies and then we headed up the pass and into the Darkhad Depression in behind the mountains. It was a long tough ride up the hill through extremely deep sucky mud. It was tough riding. When we got up to the top of the hill we got a lovely view back over the lake.
The Darkhad depression was beautiful high mountains, trees and lovely stony rivers. We had some beautiful gallops along the flat stretches with beautiful scenery. We camped right in the middle of this area. It was one of the most beautiful spots.
We continued through the depression on Day 5. It was not fun riding as we had to tide along the stony river beds and it was very slow riding. It was beautiful scenic riding again. After lunch the thunder started up and the lightning and we saw this cloud coming up the valley. about 30 seconds later we were soaked to the skin by a horrific hail and sleet storm. We were soaked to the skin as were the horses and all our gear because no one had put the plastic sheets over our gear. Luckily the sun came out and we were able to lay everything out to dry but it meant we couldn't ride any futher that day. So we spent the afternoon relaxing and playing cards. We did go out for another 30 minute ride but everything was so wet we had to go back in.
Day 6 was wet again but we were riding along the stones again so we were able to keep going. But it was slow riding again. We eventually got up away from the stones and got some really great gallops across the flat ground and trails as we went through the valley. There was some really great riding and now all the group had caught up and we were able to canter together.
Unfortunately as we headed up the hill we got hit by another massive rain storm. Today I had insisted on them covering all the packs with plastic so we were able to shelter under the plastic and we didn't get quite so wet this time round. But again we had to set up camp as it was getting late and we weren't sure how much further we could go.
Day 7 was our last full day riding. We headed up and out of the Darkhad depression which was tough riding again due to the masses of mud but it was beautiful scenery again as we went up through the valley. As we reached the top of the valley we were looking down over the lake. It was a beautiful sight. The lake was covered completely with clouds. We sat up there taking pictures and having lunch and it was a beautiful view over the lake.
Our afternoon was spent getting back down the mountain and back to the lake. It was an amazing difference in just one week. There were so many Mongolians and foreigners camped along the edge of the lake and tehre were so many groups riding out. I was very glad we had gone out the week that we did.
That night we stayed with one of our guides families and got to spend some time in the Ger and eating their snacks. We were able to get a great bit of fish for dinner whcih was such a treat for me!
We had one more morning of riding out and we rode up to the top of the hill behind us. It was a lovely ride up through the forest to a beautiful view point where we got another look out over the lake. We did a lot of fast galloping which was great fun and what I had been looking forward to.
The other girls headed off that afternoon to catch their plane. I kept the horse for the afternoon and rode around a little bit longer but we were both very tired at this stage. It was lovely to just relax and read and spend time at the lake.
Saturday, 17 July 2010
Visit to North West Mongolia
The furthest West point of my trip was Uliastai in Zavkhan aimag/province. The family of a tour guide friend of mine live in and around Uliastai town and they invited me to visit for one week.
I chose to fly from UB to Uliastai as the alternative was a 3 day drive - I knew I would have enough time bouncing around on Mongolian roads! I was picked up by the family I was staying with and taken to lunch at their mothers house. I had arrived on the final day of Naadam although unfortunately I missed the horse racing, I did manage to spend the afternoon watching the wrestling along with the prize giving for the other events. Countryside Naadam is a really intriguing experience as all the locals turn out in their best clothes and have a great party. It is very similar to a country fair at home, but with better dressed locals!!
In the evening I was asked yet again to entertain the family with my Buuz making abilities. My skills have not improved much during the year and I fear my family at home may have to give up any hope of a Mongolian feast when I get home!
In the morning I walked up to the top of the hill beside the families house where there was a row of stupa's, a couple of Ovoo's and some crazy animal statues! We met the only other foreigner in the town - it is always amazing the kinds of people you meet - this Polish guy was cycling around Mongolia for 45 days!!
We then headed out to visit some more family in the countryside. It was a couple of hours drive away through some beautiful countryside, over hills and through valleys until we arrived at the gers beside the river in one of the valleys. The great grand father had just turned 90 so there were 5 branches of the family there celebrating.
I was given a horse for the 3 days we stayed there and one of the cousins who spoke a little English showed me around. Yet again Mongolians didn't believe a foreigner could ride and so they had pulled the fattest horse from the herd but we soon came to an understanding that we both wanted to go fast.
We had a short ride into one of the valleys and we climbed one of the hills and all the flowers and plants were pointed out to me, and I was expected to try eating most of them!! It is amazing how the Mongolians use everything available to them. The Gallop back was great fun - there were some great flat bits of ground to pick up some good speed.
Unfortunately on my second day it absolutely poured. We thought it would be ok, but after 2 hours it started to absolutely pour with rain and we headed back. But the riding itself was still really great over rocky outcrops, through rivers, back and forth. Unfortunately when we got back it took over an hour to get the fire going so I huddled under my sleeping bag.
Luckily we were invited to a Khorhog celebration in the next ger over. The khorhog was great, really tasty, until the vodka came out! The ger was packed out but I was still amazed that we managed to get through around 6 bottles of vodka. Of course in true Mongolian tradition the singing then started. I managed to only have to sing once which was a relief, but the rounds kept going for the rest of the group and then it became a singing competition in rounds, to see who could sing the loudest - it was a crazy experience!!
Eventually the singing was over and, after inspecting the baby goats who were very cute, we headed back to the ger, where more food was cooked. I hid outside in my tent for a while to avoid any more food! It was then time for the volleyball tournament. Once all the horses have been turned loose the rope they are tied to, which is above head height, is used as a volleyball net! It got very competitive and they were all very tough on each other, but luckily my word was usually the decider!
Luckily my last day was a beautiful day and that meant we were able to ride up to a view point where we could see the tallest mountain, Otgon Tenger. It was another lovely ride up a hill and over another, through herds of horses, sheep, goat and yak! and the views from the top of each hill were spectacular. We came back down the same valley we went up the day before and it was so beautiful in the sunshine! Unfortunately the day involved over 4 hours of trotting - every muscle in my body was aching by lunch time!
Because it was a beautiful afternoon the women all did the washing in the river (which was icy cold!) and the children played pooh sticks and washed in the river.
After another very competitive volleyball competition it was time to tie up the baby yak - they have to be tied up so that the Mums can be milked. I was asked to help, but noone warned me how wily the babies were! It was a hilarious process as 4 of us tried to herd babies away from their Mums and then tie them up. It took us quite a while!
No-one had mentioned to me that the gers were being moved and so on my last morning in the countryside there was lots of banging and I rolled over back to sleep. When I did get up the gers that had been there the night before were on the back of trucks! I wish I had known as I would have liked to have seen the moving process. We did get to follow the trucks to the new camp site and then back to Uliastai!
We then started the long 2 day drive to Murun where I was joining a horse riding trip. On the way we drove through lots of beautiful countryside which varied from hills, to valleys, to steppe to sand dunes!! As well as 2 beautiful lakes.
We camped beside one lake and just as we were going to bed I heard the most awful screaming sound, as if someone was being murdered. After 10 minutes I stuck my head out of my tent and came face to face with two massive male yaks horns locked having a fight over a woman! It was absolutely terrifying and so we moved the tents behind the car to try and stop them running over us! For 3 hours they ran back and forth in front of the tents. A pretty sleepless night!
Another beautiful days driving along more valleys, over crazy bridges and through herds of camels this time. At one point the roads turned pink!! We eventually arrived in Murun and I treated myself to a night in a hotel, with a fabulous shower and a double bed - such a treat.
I chose to fly from UB to Uliastai as the alternative was a 3 day drive - I knew I would have enough time bouncing around on Mongolian roads! I was picked up by the family I was staying with and taken to lunch at their mothers house. I had arrived on the final day of Naadam although unfortunately I missed the horse racing, I did manage to spend the afternoon watching the wrestling along with the prize giving for the other events. Countryside Naadam is a really intriguing experience as all the locals turn out in their best clothes and have a great party. It is very similar to a country fair at home, but with better dressed locals!!
In the evening I was asked yet again to entertain the family with my Buuz making abilities. My skills have not improved much during the year and I fear my family at home may have to give up any hope of a Mongolian feast when I get home!
In the morning I walked up to the top of the hill beside the families house where there was a row of stupa's, a couple of Ovoo's and some crazy animal statues! We met the only other foreigner in the town - it is always amazing the kinds of people you meet - this Polish guy was cycling around Mongolia for 45 days!!
We then headed out to visit some more family in the countryside. It was a couple of hours drive away through some beautiful countryside, over hills and through valleys until we arrived at the gers beside the river in one of the valleys. The great grand father had just turned 90 so there were 5 branches of the family there celebrating.
I was given a horse for the 3 days we stayed there and one of the cousins who spoke a little English showed me around. Yet again Mongolians didn't believe a foreigner could ride and so they had pulled the fattest horse from the herd but we soon came to an understanding that we both wanted to go fast.
We had a short ride into one of the valleys and we climbed one of the hills and all the flowers and plants were pointed out to me, and I was expected to try eating most of them!! It is amazing how the Mongolians use everything available to them. The Gallop back was great fun - there were some great flat bits of ground to pick up some good speed.
Unfortunately on my second day it absolutely poured. We thought it would be ok, but after 2 hours it started to absolutely pour with rain and we headed back. But the riding itself was still really great over rocky outcrops, through rivers, back and forth. Unfortunately when we got back it took over an hour to get the fire going so I huddled under my sleeping bag.
Luckily we were invited to a Khorhog celebration in the next ger over. The khorhog was great, really tasty, until the vodka came out! The ger was packed out but I was still amazed that we managed to get through around 6 bottles of vodka. Of course in true Mongolian tradition the singing then started. I managed to only have to sing once which was a relief, but the rounds kept going for the rest of the group and then it became a singing competition in rounds, to see who could sing the loudest - it was a crazy experience!!
Eventually the singing was over and, after inspecting the baby goats who were very cute, we headed back to the ger, where more food was cooked. I hid outside in my tent for a while to avoid any more food! It was then time for the volleyball tournament. Once all the horses have been turned loose the rope they are tied to, which is above head height, is used as a volleyball net! It got very competitive and they were all very tough on each other, but luckily my word was usually the decider!
Luckily my last day was a beautiful day and that meant we were able to ride up to a view point where we could see the tallest mountain, Otgon Tenger. It was another lovely ride up a hill and over another, through herds of horses, sheep, goat and yak! and the views from the top of each hill were spectacular. We came back down the same valley we went up the day before and it was so beautiful in the sunshine! Unfortunately the day involved over 4 hours of trotting - every muscle in my body was aching by lunch time!
Because it was a beautiful afternoon the women all did the washing in the river (which was icy cold!) and the children played pooh sticks and washed in the river.
After another very competitive volleyball competition it was time to tie up the baby yak - they have to be tied up so that the Mums can be milked. I was asked to help, but noone warned me how wily the babies were! It was a hilarious process as 4 of us tried to herd babies away from their Mums and then tie them up. It took us quite a while!
No-one had mentioned to me that the gers were being moved and so on my last morning in the countryside there was lots of banging and I rolled over back to sleep. When I did get up the gers that had been there the night before were on the back of trucks! I wish I had known as I would have liked to have seen the moving process. We did get to follow the trucks to the new camp site and then back to Uliastai!
We then started the long 2 day drive to Murun where I was joining a horse riding trip. On the way we drove through lots of beautiful countryside which varied from hills, to valleys, to steppe to sand dunes!! As well as 2 beautiful lakes.
We camped beside one lake and just as we were going to bed I heard the most awful screaming sound, as if someone was being murdered. After 10 minutes I stuck my head out of my tent and came face to face with two massive male yaks horns locked having a fight over a woman! It was absolutely terrifying and so we moved the tents behind the car to try and stop them running over us! For 3 hours they ran back and forth in front of the tents. A pretty sleepless night!
Another beautiful days driving along more valleys, over crazy bridges and through herds of camels this time. At one point the roads turned pink!! We eventually arrived in Murun and I treated myself to a night in a hotel, with a fabulous shower and a double bed - such a treat.
Friday, 9 July 2010
Choibalsan and a "spa" visit
Unfortunately my trip to the Gobi got cancelled due to extreme temperatures, so I reorganised and headed to Choibalsan to the volunteers stationed in Dornod. Dornod is a lovely place, typical flat Mongolian steppe, a very different type of scenery to the rest of Mongolia. They have good amenities and a lovely river, but it is 15 hours drive east of UB so not easy to get back in for visits.
I stayed with another vol on her couch which was great. My first day there we got up at the crack of dawn (5.45) to go swimming in the river, which was so lovely and cool! I managed to get a few more hours sleep before I headed off to see some of the work the VSO vols have been doing up here. A young boy who had lost his leg due to cancer when he was 5 had been walking with an adult crutch and was told he couldn't have a prosthesis until he was 20! One of the vols in Dornod raised enough money to pay for him to get a prosthesis. He had just returned to Dornod and was walking around with a proper sized crutch. This is a huge benefit for this kid who is from a very poor family, and due to the discrimination against people with disabilities here in Mongolia he would never have been able to get a job. He will soon be able to walk without a stick and blend in with everyone else, play soccer and walk to school more comfortably.
Then after a visit to the market, we headed to Anna Childrens home, a place set up by a local Mongolian for the kids who were on the street. There are 25 children living in the home between the ages of 6 and 18, and when they turn 18 they move into a transition flat. While they live at the home they grow vegetables in a garden the vols set up, and they learn sewing and computer skills. They have asked me if they could possibly get a book ger. The kids were absolutely adorable and it is a great place.
The next day we had a slower start, thank goodness!! After a relaxed start E and I headed for a walk up to a russian pilots monument across the steppe. It was a beautiful walk out across the flat plains, through long grass, herds of cattle and horses and seeing lots of birds.
I cooked dinner for the vols that evening who took such good care of me. Unfortunately E didn't have a corckscrew so it took us almost 45 minutes to get into the bottle of wine, so we really appreciated it afterwards. We discovered the next morning that we had left another bottle in the freezer and it had frozen and pushed the cork out - so obviously the way to open a bottle without a corkscrew!
On Monday We went for a later swim at a much more reasonable 10am!! The river is the longest river in Mongolia and it was a little muddy and had a really strong current but it was cool and really refreshing!
In the evening I was invited to one of the volunteers leaving do's out in the countryside at one of the communities she has been working with. They are homeless, live in a derelict building and are extremely poor. But they were so welcoming and they had cooked us a wonderful feast of Khorhog (Mongolian barbeque) which was absolutely delicious! It was a wonderful evening and we got to see the work the volunteers have been doing here planting vegetables to give them food to eat, and they are planning to build a kindergarten and to provide 10 gers to the families so they can have somewhere to live come winter time. We drove home in the dark which was absolutely crazy and we got completely lost in the middle of nowhere going along dirt tracks. It was madnesss! But we made it back to UB in one piece!!
On Tuesday we started our trip back to UB via Dalad, a town near the Russian border in a landcruiser with 4 of us squished in the back seat. It took us 8 hours to drive there across the vast steppe where we saw loads of Eagles, white tailed gazzelles, cranes and all the other regular Mongolian animals. We passed a road that was set into the ground about half a foot, which Chingiss had built so he could protect his wife when she was travelling from the Chinese!! We then drove into Khentii where the landscape changed into hills, valleys and meadows full of wild flowers! It was beautiful! Unfortunately it was raining so the roads turned into slippy mud and we did a few 180 degree spins! Luckily the roads are pretty empty so we didn't hit anyone, or anything! We also passed the birthplace of Chinggis, so it was a very interesting drive!
We stayed at a "spa" in Dalad. D and I had thought this would be a nice relaxing end to the trip. Unfortunately it was a Mongolian medical spa! So our first massage experience left us all with bruises!! But the view from the ger camp was absolutely stunning out over a lake surrounded by a pine forest which we walked through with horses all around. It was a beautiful place to relax.
The next day we opted for the herbal bath (more like a puddle) and of course we were told to be there at 9, we arrived at 9.30 (allowing for Mongolian time) and we didn't get in the baths til 11!! Gotta love Mongolia. I then had a mud treatment which was basically an exfoliation, which left my skin very soft which was lovely.
In the afternoon we went to the local Naadam. This is like a county show - they have wrestling, archery and horse racing where the riders are young children riding bareback with no helmets on!! It was a really fun afternoon watching everyone wearing their traditional clothes (these people are buriat so their clothing was differnt from that I have seen in UB) and participating in the games on the small stalls nearby. The female archers wore beautiful high heeled boots with their costume, but it seemed a little incongruous in the middle of a field!! There was such a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, it was a great relaxing afternoon.
In the evening we went strawberry hunting. In the summer small wild strawberries grow in the forest and around our camp we found lots of little plants. They were really tasty and sweet and I am looking forward to finding some more on my next trip.
On Thursday D and I got a ride with some locals back to UB in their little car. It was very kind of them to take us and they were lovely people. Of course the journey started with the obligatory farewells to family and friends, so we were picked up at 7 and didn't leave until 8. We also had to have vodka and milk tea at 7 am. It was not great way to start the journey.
The scenery was stunning again through rolling hills and across the steppe. But I have no idea how we found our way as there are no signs in Mongolia, you just stop every so often at a ger when you lose your way and ask which one of the 4 dirt tracks heads off to where you want to go! We had to cross a big river at one stage and we crossed on the most rickety rope ferry I have ever seen. But we stopped afterwards for a coffee on the rivers edge and D and I decided to go for a swim! It was lovely and refreshing and beautiful clear water. Our driver and his wife then decided to go in as well. A really nice break in our journey.
At one point we ended up in a massive puddle, under a bridge with around 100 horses surrounding us as we tried to drive through them. It was a real adventure!! Unfortunately I couldn't enjoy it that much as I got really really really car sick.
It took us 12 hours to drive 515 km (280 on bad roads took 8 hours, and the last 235 took 4 hours). So travelling in Mongolia isn't easy! But is was a great adventure and I will really miss it when I come home.
I stayed with another vol on her couch which was great. My first day there we got up at the crack of dawn (5.45) to go swimming in the river, which was so lovely and cool! I managed to get a few more hours sleep before I headed off to see some of the work the VSO vols have been doing up here. A young boy who had lost his leg due to cancer when he was 5 had been walking with an adult crutch and was told he couldn't have a prosthesis until he was 20! One of the vols in Dornod raised enough money to pay for him to get a prosthesis. He had just returned to Dornod and was walking around with a proper sized crutch. This is a huge benefit for this kid who is from a very poor family, and due to the discrimination against people with disabilities here in Mongolia he would never have been able to get a job. He will soon be able to walk without a stick and blend in with everyone else, play soccer and walk to school more comfortably.
Then after a visit to the market, we headed to Anna Childrens home, a place set up by a local Mongolian for the kids who were on the street. There are 25 children living in the home between the ages of 6 and 18, and when they turn 18 they move into a transition flat. While they live at the home they grow vegetables in a garden the vols set up, and they learn sewing and computer skills. They have asked me if they could possibly get a book ger. The kids were absolutely adorable and it is a great place.
The next day we had a slower start, thank goodness!! After a relaxed start E and I headed for a walk up to a russian pilots monument across the steppe. It was a beautiful walk out across the flat plains, through long grass, herds of cattle and horses and seeing lots of birds.
I cooked dinner for the vols that evening who took such good care of me. Unfortunately E didn't have a corckscrew so it took us almost 45 minutes to get into the bottle of wine, so we really appreciated it afterwards. We discovered the next morning that we had left another bottle in the freezer and it had frozen and pushed the cork out - so obviously the way to open a bottle without a corkscrew!
On Monday We went for a later swim at a much more reasonable 10am!! The river is the longest river in Mongolia and it was a little muddy and had a really strong current but it was cool and really refreshing!
In the evening I was invited to one of the volunteers leaving do's out in the countryside at one of the communities she has been working with. They are homeless, live in a derelict building and are extremely poor. But they were so welcoming and they had cooked us a wonderful feast of Khorhog (Mongolian barbeque) which was absolutely delicious! It was a wonderful evening and we got to see the work the volunteers have been doing here planting vegetables to give them food to eat, and they are planning to build a kindergarten and to provide 10 gers to the families so they can have somewhere to live come winter time. We drove home in the dark which was absolutely crazy and we got completely lost in the middle of nowhere going along dirt tracks. It was madnesss! But we made it back to UB in one piece!!
On Tuesday we started our trip back to UB via Dalad, a town near the Russian border in a landcruiser with 4 of us squished in the back seat. It took us 8 hours to drive there across the vast steppe where we saw loads of Eagles, white tailed gazzelles, cranes and all the other regular Mongolian animals. We passed a road that was set into the ground about half a foot, which Chingiss had built so he could protect his wife when she was travelling from the Chinese!! We then drove into Khentii where the landscape changed into hills, valleys and meadows full of wild flowers! It was beautiful! Unfortunately it was raining so the roads turned into slippy mud and we did a few 180 degree spins! Luckily the roads are pretty empty so we didn't hit anyone, or anything! We also passed the birthplace of Chinggis, so it was a very interesting drive!
We stayed at a "spa" in Dalad. D and I had thought this would be a nice relaxing end to the trip. Unfortunately it was a Mongolian medical spa! So our first massage experience left us all with bruises!! But the view from the ger camp was absolutely stunning out over a lake surrounded by a pine forest which we walked through with horses all around. It was a beautiful place to relax.
The next day we opted for the herbal bath (more like a puddle) and of course we were told to be there at 9, we arrived at 9.30 (allowing for Mongolian time) and we didn't get in the baths til 11!! Gotta love Mongolia. I then had a mud treatment which was basically an exfoliation, which left my skin very soft which was lovely.
In the afternoon we went to the local Naadam. This is like a county show - they have wrestling, archery and horse racing where the riders are young children riding bareback with no helmets on!! It was a really fun afternoon watching everyone wearing their traditional clothes (these people are buriat so their clothing was differnt from that I have seen in UB) and participating in the games on the small stalls nearby. The female archers wore beautiful high heeled boots with their costume, but it seemed a little incongruous in the middle of a field!! There was such a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, it was a great relaxing afternoon.
In the evening we went strawberry hunting. In the summer small wild strawberries grow in the forest and around our camp we found lots of little plants. They were really tasty and sweet and I am looking forward to finding some more on my next trip.
On Thursday D and I got a ride with some locals back to UB in their little car. It was very kind of them to take us and they were lovely people. Of course the journey started with the obligatory farewells to family and friends, so we were picked up at 7 and didn't leave until 8. We also had to have vodka and milk tea at 7 am. It was not great way to start the journey.
The scenery was stunning again through rolling hills and across the steppe. But I have no idea how we found our way as there are no signs in Mongolia, you just stop every so often at a ger when you lose your way and ask which one of the 4 dirt tracks heads off to where you want to go! We had to cross a big river at one stage and we crossed on the most rickety rope ferry I have ever seen. But we stopped afterwards for a coffee on the rivers edge and D and I decided to go for a swim! It was lovely and refreshing and beautiful clear water. Our driver and his wife then decided to go in as well. A really nice break in our journey.
At one point we ended up in a massive puddle, under a bridge with around 100 horses surrounding us as we tried to drive through them. It was a real adventure!! Unfortunately I couldn't enjoy it that much as I got really really really car sick.
It took us 12 hours to drive 515 km (280 on bad roads took 8 hours, and the last 235 took 4 hours). So travelling in Mongolia isn't easy! But is was a great adventure and I will really miss it when I come home.
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
I have had a busy week or two here in Mongolia! In the past 2 weeks I have helped my colleagues write two proposals, done some work for the National Aids Foundation and organised and helped facilitate marketing training.
In the last two days I have organised a discussion and debate between students at Methodist College Belfast (my old school) and my debaters at MEA. The discussion covered topics like traditional clothing, what music they listen to, what team they support in the world cup and what is their school day like. It was a fantastic opportunity for my students to learn about Northern Ireland. In the debate the topic was countries should ban the import of goods produced by child labour. It was great for my students to see experienced debaters in action and to practice debating against native English speakers. Apparently the Northern Irish kids really enjoyed it as well, which is a relief! I did this as part of my Global Action project which I have to do as a VSO Youth for Development volunteer.
We also had our work picnic at the weekend. It was an interesting experience to say the least. It all started out fine, with a Mongolian barbecue (Khorkhog) which was very tasty. But from the moment we arrived until the moment we left everyone was drinking heavily. I found it to be a very unpleasant atmosphere, as when I refused to have any more alcohol it was not accepted by my colleagues and they tried to force me to drink more. It seemed a real waste of resources - MEA paid for the alcohol, and there was no point to the event other than to drink. There were no activities, no walking, nothing. We camped overnight and had breakfast the next morning and the drinking just continued. Alcohol abuse is a real issue in Mongolia and the culture of heavy drinking just aids this. It was a real shame that what could have been a great outdoor event was wasted.
However it didn't ruin my weekend. On Saturday I got the bus up to Darkhan where some of the other volunteers are based. Drakhan is the second city of Mongolia, but is isn't really much bigger than a large town. It is in the middle of the countryside about 4 hours north of UB with the road passing through some beautiful scenery. Darkhan has much more greenery and open space than UB has and it was lovely to get some more fresh air. The Darkhan volunteers took good care of me, introducing me to the range of Koika, Peace Corps and other ex pats living there and giving me a great tour of the place. Darkhan has some interesting sights including the standard Ovoo's etc, but also they have the only suspension bridge in Mongolia, a Buddha statue and a childrens park. The childrens park is pretty amazing, it is huge and has a number of play parks, carnival rides and even singing animals along the footpath. Of course there were no kids there when I went but I could imagine it is great for kids. It was really nice to get to spend some time in another new place, and to see the countryside vols.
I am currently preparing for my big summer trip! I get 6 weeks of holidays now because MEA closes for the summer. I have lots of exciting plans including visiting Chinggis Khan's birthplace (and the local spa!), visiting Khuvsgul again (this time in summer), visiting the reindeer herders, experiencing naadam in the countryside, visiting my colleagues family in the countryside and hopefully visiting the Gobi desert! I hope to come back with lots of stories, pictures and not too many insect bites!
In the last two days I have organised a discussion and debate between students at Methodist College Belfast (my old school) and my debaters at MEA. The discussion covered topics like traditional clothing, what music they listen to, what team they support in the world cup and what is their school day like. It was a fantastic opportunity for my students to learn about Northern Ireland. In the debate the topic was countries should ban the import of goods produced by child labour. It was great for my students to see experienced debaters in action and to practice debating against native English speakers. Apparently the Northern Irish kids really enjoyed it as well, which is a relief! I did this as part of my Global Action project which I have to do as a VSO Youth for Development volunteer.
We also had our work picnic at the weekend. It was an interesting experience to say the least. It all started out fine, with a Mongolian barbecue (Khorkhog) which was very tasty. But from the moment we arrived until the moment we left everyone was drinking heavily. I found it to be a very unpleasant atmosphere, as when I refused to have any more alcohol it was not accepted by my colleagues and they tried to force me to drink more. It seemed a real waste of resources - MEA paid for the alcohol, and there was no point to the event other than to drink. There were no activities, no walking, nothing. We camped overnight and had breakfast the next morning and the drinking just continued. Alcohol abuse is a real issue in Mongolia and the culture of heavy drinking just aids this. It was a real shame that what could have been a great outdoor event was wasted.
However it didn't ruin my weekend. On Saturday I got the bus up to Darkhan where some of the other volunteers are based. Drakhan is the second city of Mongolia, but is isn't really much bigger than a large town. It is in the middle of the countryside about 4 hours north of UB with the road passing through some beautiful scenery. Darkhan has much more greenery and open space than UB has and it was lovely to get some more fresh air. The Darkhan volunteers took good care of me, introducing me to the range of Koika, Peace Corps and other ex pats living there and giving me a great tour of the place. Darkhan has some interesting sights including the standard Ovoo's etc, but also they have the only suspension bridge in Mongolia, a Buddha statue and a childrens park. The childrens park is pretty amazing, it is huge and has a number of play parks, carnival rides and even singing animals along the footpath. Of course there were no kids there when I went but I could imagine it is great for kids. It was really nice to get to spend some time in another new place, and to see the countryside vols.
I am currently preparing for my big summer trip! I get 6 weeks of holidays now because MEA closes for the summer. I have lots of exciting plans including visiting Chinggis Khan's birthplace (and the local spa!), visiting Khuvsgul again (this time in summer), visiting the reindeer herders, experiencing naadam in the countryside, visiting my colleagues family in the countryside and hopefully visiting the Gobi desert! I hope to come back with lots of stories, pictures and not too many insect bites!
Friday, 18 June 2010
Mum's big adventure!
So apologies to all of you who haven't heard from me for a week, but Mum was visiting on her big adventure! Her first Solo trip since her elective in NZ before I was born!!
It was a jam packed week! I gave her Friday morning off after her late night arrival (and because we stayed up late after that talking!) but then we were in full motion. After she had her first Mongolian meal of Mutton (which she didn't find a love for!) with my colleagues we headed out in the sunshine to Choijin Lama temple (which may have given her nightmares) and the Natural history museum where we saw some amazing dinosaur fossils - to see so many fossils that have been found in Mongolia in the last 100 years was amazing. Then it was out to meet some other VSO volunteers for dinner at the Bull hot pot restaurant. We had a lovely dinner and then headed to Ikh Mongol for a drink in the beer garden and Mum got a chance to learn a little about the health system in Mongolia.
On Saturday my colleagues had decided to take us to the countryside and I had no idea what the plan was! It was a fantastic day. We headed to the massive Chinggis Khan statue where we saw another fantastic museum in the base and then we took a lift up the horses tail, walked through his belly and posed on the horses head! Then it was back in the car and we headed back to the time of Chinngis Khan at the 1300 theme park. I was worried it would be very tacky, but in fact it was very well done. We visited a number of different camps - a Shaman camp, a farmers camp, a book camp etc and dressed up in the various costumes, got our names written in traditional Mongolian script and played traditional games. Our day finished at the kings palace where a visiting dignitary had organised a mini Naadam so we got to watch wrestling which was hilarious with the little dances they did in advance. Then we watched children as young as 5 or 6 participating in a horse race which may only have been 2km but was tough. This was followed by an archery competition. These are known as the 3 manly sports and the big Naadam will be held in mid July. After the Naadam we went to the kings ger and had another Mongolian meal so Mum got to try some mutton soup and fried mutton pancakes! This was the only wet day of the whole visit so being in the car driving around the Mongolian countryside between gers was a great way to do things.
On Sunday we started our countryside trip to Khustai and Terelj. Khustai national park is about 100 km outside UB and it took us 2.5 hours to drive there with a short break (not by choice!) at a medical Ovoo which had plaster casts and crutches lying on it - so a good stop for a visiting doctor! I had warned Mum before she came that we would be staying in a very basic ger camp with drop toilets etc. When we arrived we discovered that it was a 5* ger camp with running water, toilets, 3 course meals, cutlery! But it was perfect for Mum and we were staying in a regular ger which was a great experience. In the afternoon we headed out on horse back across the steppe to visit a herder family. Mum got up her courage enough to enjoy galloping across the open Steppe and it was a great ride. The poor herder was asleep when we arrived, but he soon showed us true Mongolian hospitality with milk tea, fermented yoghurt and biscuits.
In the evening (after we convinced the Mongolians Mum was vegetarian to allow her to avoid mutton) we picked up a tour guide (who is studying international relations!) to go and see the Prezwalski horses. These are wild horses which were extinct in Mongolia because they were all transported to Europe for the zoos. In the 1990's the started a reintroduction programme and now there are around 300 living in Mongolia in their natural habitat. Khustai parks is one of the areas of reintroduction and we assumed we might catch a brief glimpse of them during our drive. However as we arrived at the watering hole just before sunset there were 4 herd of horses making their way down. Out of 300 horses we saw over 30!! Including a couple of foals, one who looked like he had just been born today! They were beautiful and made an amazing sight. Definitely worth a visit if you are in Mongolia! Although I got a lot of great pictures of the horses the marmots were a little more elusive - they would pose just long enough for me to get the camera out and focus but before I could take the picture they would disappear! Very frustrating!! But we saw an absolutely beautiful sunset over the surrounding hills.
We had a lovely evening in the ger including lighting the fire which we didn't really need, and listening to the crazy Mongolians playing basketball in the dark!
The next morning Mum and I left the guide behind to take a short hike up the hill surrounding the ger camp. It was amazing to see the grass that looked so green from the ger camp was actually bedded in sand and growing up throughout it are blue, purple, yellow and white flowers. On the top of the hill there were rocks and flowers that were the picture of the flower gardens people pay lots of money for! And we looked down into the valley over the green hills and over to the small sand dunes nearby.
We headed next to Terelj national park which was a long drive, and even longer with the guide questioning why we were not keeping him for the trip. The reason was we were heading to the Terelj hotel, the only5* hotel in Mongolia to relax and enjoy good food and a spa experience! He didn't quite get it. The hotel itself was phenomenal, so different from my usual lifestyle in Mongolia! The pool was refreshing, the sauna and jacuzzi relaxing and the cocktails delicious! The food was great too - the first time I have had fish in 8 months!! All imported of course but a wonderful treat!
The spa was also a wonderful treat and we left the hotel feeling clean, relaxed and refreshed. Unfortunately due to car issues that relaxed (and clean!) feeling didn't last too long in a smelly small car with no suspension. But we did make it back in one piece. We had a quick turn around before heading out to the Moonstone cultural show. We arrived in an unassuming theatre but they put on a great show of traditional dances, music and contortionists, all in colourful traditional costumes. It was a great introduction to Mongolian culture for both me and Mum!
Oe of the big draws of Mongolia is the souvenirs - cashmere, felt and kazakh crafts. So of course we had to go shopping! Our first port of call was the cashmere shops which are a bit off putting as they are out in the factory district - not such a salubrious looking areas. And as Mum and I didn't have a landcruiser to travel between the shops we walked and took taxis - making us stand out a little from the other shoppers. But we had a successful morning of shopping before heading to visit the book ger I have set up. This was a visit to a ger district as well which was a good thing for Mum to see and there were plenty of children using the room so I am pleased it is working so far!
As it was Mum's last full evening we treated ourselves to cocktails at the top of the MCS tower overlooking UB and then dinner at the French Bistro. The cocktails were amazing and the food was absolutely divine (as was the wine - I will have to bring my expectations down again) It was by far the best food I have had in Mongolia so far! And that I will have I am sure!
Because Mum's plane didn't leave until 11pm we had a whole full day to finish everything up. We started with a visit to one of the health projects a VSO voluneer is running in a family group practice. As Mum is a GP she wanted to visit the equivalent of a GPs surgery while she was here. And we did visit one of the painfully average ones, where Mum got to watch an innoculation morning - and I avoided looking at the needles! There was a complete lack of privacy, training and organisation but it gave her a real exposure to health care in a ger district in Mongolia.
We had time to squeeze in a little bit more shopping (for felt, kazakh products etc) before a visit to one of the working monastrys in UB - Gandan Monastery. It has a massive gold statue inside the main temple but it is also more peaceful and tranquil than the choijin lama temple museum and it was good to let Mum see a working temple.
Unfortunately we ran out of time and Mum had to return home and I had to go back to my regular volunteer life. There were tears at the airport but not too many!!But it was great to share my Mongolian experience with Mum even for a short time and I will miss Mongolia and my wonderful colleagues and friends when I leave. I have only 6 weeks of work left and lots to achieve before I finish, and 5 weeks of holidays, so it won't be too long until I am home again.
It was a jam packed week! I gave her Friday morning off after her late night arrival (and because we stayed up late after that talking!) but then we were in full motion. After she had her first Mongolian meal of Mutton (which she didn't find a love for!) with my colleagues we headed out in the sunshine to Choijin Lama temple (which may have given her nightmares) and the Natural history museum where we saw some amazing dinosaur fossils - to see so many fossils that have been found in Mongolia in the last 100 years was amazing. Then it was out to meet some other VSO volunteers for dinner at the Bull hot pot restaurant. We had a lovely dinner and then headed to Ikh Mongol for a drink in the beer garden and Mum got a chance to learn a little about the health system in Mongolia.
On Saturday my colleagues had decided to take us to the countryside and I had no idea what the plan was! It was a fantastic day. We headed to the massive Chinggis Khan statue where we saw another fantastic museum in the base and then we took a lift up the horses tail, walked through his belly and posed on the horses head! Then it was back in the car and we headed back to the time of Chinngis Khan at the 1300 theme park. I was worried it would be very tacky, but in fact it was very well done. We visited a number of different camps - a Shaman camp, a farmers camp, a book camp etc and dressed up in the various costumes, got our names written in traditional Mongolian script and played traditional games. Our day finished at the kings palace where a visiting dignitary had organised a mini Naadam so we got to watch wrestling which was hilarious with the little dances they did in advance. Then we watched children as young as 5 or 6 participating in a horse race which may only have been 2km but was tough. This was followed by an archery competition. These are known as the 3 manly sports and the big Naadam will be held in mid July. After the Naadam we went to the kings ger and had another Mongolian meal so Mum got to try some mutton soup and fried mutton pancakes! This was the only wet day of the whole visit so being in the car driving around the Mongolian countryside between gers was a great way to do things.
On Sunday we started our countryside trip to Khustai and Terelj. Khustai national park is about 100 km outside UB and it took us 2.5 hours to drive there with a short break (not by choice!) at a medical Ovoo which had plaster casts and crutches lying on it - so a good stop for a visiting doctor! I had warned Mum before she came that we would be staying in a very basic ger camp with drop toilets etc. When we arrived we discovered that it was a 5* ger camp with running water, toilets, 3 course meals, cutlery! But it was perfect for Mum and we were staying in a regular ger which was a great experience. In the afternoon we headed out on horse back across the steppe to visit a herder family. Mum got up her courage enough to enjoy galloping across the open Steppe and it was a great ride. The poor herder was asleep when we arrived, but he soon showed us true Mongolian hospitality with milk tea, fermented yoghurt and biscuits.
In the evening (after we convinced the Mongolians Mum was vegetarian to allow her to avoid mutton) we picked up a tour guide (who is studying international relations!) to go and see the Prezwalski horses. These are wild horses which were extinct in Mongolia because they were all transported to Europe for the zoos. In the 1990's the started a reintroduction programme and now there are around 300 living in Mongolia in their natural habitat. Khustai parks is one of the areas of reintroduction and we assumed we might catch a brief glimpse of them during our drive. However as we arrived at the watering hole just before sunset there were 4 herd of horses making their way down. Out of 300 horses we saw over 30!! Including a couple of foals, one who looked like he had just been born today! They were beautiful and made an amazing sight. Definitely worth a visit if you are in Mongolia! Although I got a lot of great pictures of the horses the marmots were a little more elusive - they would pose just long enough for me to get the camera out and focus but before I could take the picture they would disappear! Very frustrating!! But we saw an absolutely beautiful sunset over the surrounding hills.
We had a lovely evening in the ger including lighting the fire which we didn't really need, and listening to the crazy Mongolians playing basketball in the dark!
The next morning Mum and I left the guide behind to take a short hike up the hill surrounding the ger camp. It was amazing to see the grass that looked so green from the ger camp was actually bedded in sand and growing up throughout it are blue, purple, yellow and white flowers. On the top of the hill there were rocks and flowers that were the picture of the flower gardens people pay lots of money for! And we looked down into the valley over the green hills and over to the small sand dunes nearby.
We headed next to Terelj national park which was a long drive, and even longer with the guide questioning why we were not keeping him for the trip. The reason was we were heading to the Terelj hotel, the only5* hotel in Mongolia to relax and enjoy good food and a spa experience! He didn't quite get it. The hotel itself was phenomenal, so different from my usual lifestyle in Mongolia! The pool was refreshing, the sauna and jacuzzi relaxing and the cocktails delicious! The food was great too - the first time I have had fish in 8 months!! All imported of course but a wonderful treat!
The spa was also a wonderful treat and we left the hotel feeling clean, relaxed and refreshed. Unfortunately due to car issues that relaxed (and clean!) feeling didn't last too long in a smelly small car with no suspension. But we did make it back in one piece. We had a quick turn around before heading out to the Moonstone cultural show. We arrived in an unassuming theatre but they put on a great show of traditional dances, music and contortionists, all in colourful traditional costumes. It was a great introduction to Mongolian culture for both me and Mum!
Oe of the big draws of Mongolia is the souvenirs - cashmere, felt and kazakh crafts. So of course we had to go shopping! Our first port of call was the cashmere shops which are a bit off putting as they are out in the factory district - not such a salubrious looking areas. And as Mum and I didn't have a landcruiser to travel between the shops we walked and took taxis - making us stand out a little from the other shoppers. But we had a successful morning of shopping before heading to visit the book ger I have set up. This was a visit to a ger district as well which was a good thing for Mum to see and there were plenty of children using the room so I am pleased it is working so far!
As it was Mum's last full evening we treated ourselves to cocktails at the top of the MCS tower overlooking UB and then dinner at the French Bistro. The cocktails were amazing and the food was absolutely divine (as was the wine - I will have to bring my expectations down again) It was by far the best food I have had in Mongolia so far! And that I will have I am sure!
Because Mum's plane didn't leave until 11pm we had a whole full day to finish everything up. We started with a visit to one of the health projects a VSO voluneer is running in a family group practice. As Mum is a GP she wanted to visit the equivalent of a GPs surgery while she was here. And we did visit one of the painfully average ones, where Mum got to watch an innoculation morning - and I avoided looking at the needles! There was a complete lack of privacy, training and organisation but it gave her a real exposure to health care in a ger district in Mongolia.
We had time to squeeze in a little bit more shopping (for felt, kazakh products etc) before a visit to one of the working monastrys in UB - Gandan Monastery. It has a massive gold statue inside the main temple but it is also more peaceful and tranquil than the choijin lama temple museum and it was good to let Mum see a working temple.
Unfortunately we ran out of time and Mum had to return home and I had to go back to my regular volunteer life. There were tears at the airport but not too many!!But it was great to share my Mongolian experience with Mum even for a short time and I will miss Mongolia and my wonderful colleagues and friends when I leave. I have only 6 weeks of work left and lots to achieve before I finish, and 5 weeks of holidays, so it won't be too long until I am home again.
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Book Ger and VSO summer conference
I have had a very busy week with work, VSO stuff and a VSO summer conference, not to mention my Mum arrives in Mongolia this evening!
On Tuesday we finally opened our second Book Ger in a Khoroo of UB called Amarlan (this is not how you spell it!). It was really important to me because it is a project I have worked from the start. I (and Mum!) found the organisation (who of course have a link to Hillsborough). I got in touch with their UK office, who were interested and put me in touch with their Mongolian office. I then built a relationship with the woman in charge there, developed and submitted a proposal and had it accepted! Even better for a fundraiser it was a project able to be implemented quickly so within 2 weeks of the contract being signed we had the open day. For me it is great to see something I have worked so hard for actually being implemented and to see the kids so excited about the books and toys was wonderful. Also the day was beautiful with blue skies and temperatures above 30, so the community members who turned out got to see a beautiful building. And the kids put on some great dancing for us which we really enjoyed!
I spent the rest of the week doing VSO related stuff. There was the annual quality framework review which was a day long review of VSO's activities for the year and I was one of the volunteer representatives. We have had a couple of new volunteers arrive so on Thursday I did a city orientation for one of the new arrivals. Interestingly for 2 of the new volunteers this is their 3rd VSO placement and they are finding VSO Mongolia very different from previous placements. And on Friday I had my leavers workshop which went through all the things to expect in terms of emotional, practical and pastoral when leaving VSO. It was a tough day but it needed to be done.
Of course because of all the VSO happenings lots of vols were in from the countryside and I have had my spare room full for the whole week! I really enjoy it because it means I get some company, new conversation and fresh faces. But I wasn't expecting the couple who stayed with me to get married while they were here!! They had a private ceremony at the embassy here and only told us all afterwards! I am so pleased for them!
On Sunday we all headed off on the train to our summer conference in the countryside of the Selenge Aimag. We stayed at a summer camp run by one of the organisations one of the VSO volunteers works for, and the money we pay to use the camp goes to support their activities working with child labourers, child trafficking and child prostitutes. So it was good to be able to support them.
The camp itself was lovely situated right beside a river in a valley surrounded by beautiful green hills. When we arrived the weather was beautiful so after we dumped out stuff off we headed straight for the river! The water was lovely and we had a great time swimming and sunbathing.
Unfortunately the weather went downhill from there and the rest of the conference was pretty cold and wet. We were staying in wooden cabins with holes in the walls and no heating so it got pretty cold at night. During our sessions we ended up wrapping ourselves in the blankets from the beds to keep warm. I had brought some thermals to wear as pyjamas but ended up wearing them all week!
But even though the weather was horrible it was great to spend time with all the VSO volunteers in one place, share our successes and challenges, and discuss ways to improve VSO. We also had some hilarious performances put on by each geographical area, including a great skit from Arvaikheer about collecting cashmere samples, and some contentious quizzes from the Staff and UB vols.
One of the volunteers brought his horses with him and during a dry spell a few of us went out riding through the valleys and hills around the camp site. These horses are very well looked after and the best looking horses I have seen since I arrived due to their glossy coats and fact they have been fed through the winter. So it was a real pleasure to ride a well trainined, well fed, happy horse!
Unfortunately we did have to return to reality and jobs eventually and so yesterday we boarded the train back to UB. Even the train journey was a great experience as it allowed us to watch the beautiful (rain soaked!) countryside go by!
On Tuesday we finally opened our second Book Ger in a Khoroo of UB called Amarlan (this is not how you spell it!). It was really important to me because it is a project I have worked from the start. I (and Mum!) found the organisation (who of course have a link to Hillsborough). I got in touch with their UK office, who were interested and put me in touch with their Mongolian office. I then built a relationship with the woman in charge there, developed and submitted a proposal and had it accepted! Even better for a fundraiser it was a project able to be implemented quickly so within 2 weeks of the contract being signed we had the open day. For me it is great to see something I have worked so hard for actually being implemented and to see the kids so excited about the books and toys was wonderful. Also the day was beautiful with blue skies and temperatures above 30, so the community members who turned out got to see a beautiful building. And the kids put on some great dancing for us which we really enjoyed!
I spent the rest of the week doing VSO related stuff. There was the annual quality framework review which was a day long review of VSO's activities for the year and I was one of the volunteer representatives. We have had a couple of new volunteers arrive so on Thursday I did a city orientation for one of the new arrivals. Interestingly for 2 of the new volunteers this is their 3rd VSO placement and they are finding VSO Mongolia very different from previous placements. And on Friday I had my leavers workshop which went through all the things to expect in terms of emotional, practical and pastoral when leaving VSO. It was a tough day but it needed to be done.
Of course because of all the VSO happenings lots of vols were in from the countryside and I have had my spare room full for the whole week! I really enjoy it because it means I get some company, new conversation and fresh faces. But I wasn't expecting the couple who stayed with me to get married while they were here!! They had a private ceremony at the embassy here and only told us all afterwards! I am so pleased for them!
On Sunday we all headed off on the train to our summer conference in the countryside of the Selenge Aimag. We stayed at a summer camp run by one of the organisations one of the VSO volunteers works for, and the money we pay to use the camp goes to support their activities working with child labourers, child trafficking and child prostitutes. So it was good to be able to support them.
The camp itself was lovely situated right beside a river in a valley surrounded by beautiful green hills. When we arrived the weather was beautiful so after we dumped out stuff off we headed straight for the river! The water was lovely and we had a great time swimming and sunbathing.
Unfortunately the weather went downhill from there and the rest of the conference was pretty cold and wet. We were staying in wooden cabins with holes in the walls and no heating so it got pretty cold at night. During our sessions we ended up wrapping ourselves in the blankets from the beds to keep warm. I had brought some thermals to wear as pyjamas but ended up wearing them all week!
But even though the weather was horrible it was great to spend time with all the VSO volunteers in one place, share our successes and challenges, and discuss ways to improve VSO. We also had some hilarious performances put on by each geographical area, including a great skit from Arvaikheer about collecting cashmere samples, and some contentious quizzes from the Staff and UB vols.
One of the volunteers brought his horses with him and during a dry spell a few of us went out riding through the valleys and hills around the camp site. These horses are very well looked after and the best looking horses I have seen since I arrived due to their glossy coats and fact they have been fed through the winter. So it was a real pleasure to ride a well trainined, well fed, happy horse!
Unfortunately we did have to return to reality and jobs eventually and so yesterday we boarded the train back to UB. Even the train journey was a great experience as it allowed us to watch the beautiful (rain soaked!) countryside go by!
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