Mongolia: The End of the Road

Train #2: Irkutsk to Ulan Bator (~30 hours)

Train 2 was useful for 2 things: 1) getting us to Mongolia, and 2) making me appreciate Train 1. With the local route, we got the local crowd on Train 1. On this train, the cars appeared to be segregated by nationality, and ours was the tourist car. It was like a European hostel on wheels....

The border crossing was simply insane. Not chaotic, but absurdly inefficient. All said and done, it took 7 hours. Our tourist car sat detached on the Russian side for 5 hours, and then we got to enjoy another 2 hours on the Mongolian side. If you're wondering what difference 7 hours makes out of 110 - let me tell you that sitting on a moving train vs. a stationary one makes a big difference. That's when I started to finally go stir-crazy.

Wait, it's Cold in Mongolia?

We arrived in Ulan Bator at dawn, unprepared for the sight of snow on the ground. I'd been in a t-shirt the day before, and now I couldn't get enough clothes on. It was a bit of challenge to pack adequately for a bike race in China, and train travel through Russia & Mongolia in a large backpack and small duffel bag. So I quickly had to pick up a local artisan made fox (not faux) fur hat to keep my head warm. Perhaps not the most practical piece for Laguna Beach, but I wasn't without it for a second in Mongolia.

Lonnie had arranged for a tour through the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park (don't even ask me about pronunciation - I'd given up by this stage of the trip), along with a stay in a traditional ger, a portable hut used by the nomads. It was situated amid the steppes, and there were stunning views of bright blue skies, sprawling mountains, and of course horses galore. The ger was wonderfully rustic, with a little oven stove in the center for heating. I hadn't tended a fire for years, and it was very cozy to be doing it again. But thank the maker, they had hot water for a shower, which was simply divine after a week of train sponge baths.

Our time in Mongolia wouldn't be complete without a horseback ride. Not long after we set off, a snow storm suddenly came blowing through, and the landscape was instantly covered with snow. Luckily, we had just come upon our first stop, the somewhat bizarre, very gargantuan statue of Genghis Khan, so we quickly ducked into the museum at the base. By the time we came out, the storm had passed, leaving a beautiful blanket of snow across the steppe.

Our guide then took us to his family's ger to taste some local foods his wife had prepared. I had just seen Andrew Zimmern's "Bizarre Foods" showcase of Mongolia, so I was somewhat prepared for the milk curd solids. Certainly an acquired taste, some varieties were tolerable, but I must admit, I had to tuck the remains of one type into my pocket. We watched the mother milk the pregnant mares, and then headed back to camp for a sorely needed feast of mutton prepared in traditional style. After dinner, our guide taught us a few games played with the ankle bones of sheep. And finally, we couldn't put it off any longer, and gave in to the traditional clothing photo shoot, which ended up being such a funny experience as our guide took his role as creative director and photographer very seriously.

The next day we made the rounds to several renowned sites in the park, including caves where lamas hid from Soviet persecution, a monastery, prayer rock mountains with flags protruding from the peak, and a large boulder formation in the shape of a turtle.

End of the Road
We had 1 last night in Ulan Bator before all the adventures would come to a close. 1 day was enough to get the sense that there was more to be admired in the nomadic abilities of the Mongolians than in urban development. We saved a buck by staying in another ger, this time in more of a slum-like setting, falling asleep to the sounds of stray dog fights. I think the fact that Lonnie fell in a ditch on the way home from dinner gives a little taste of the conditions. The sidewalks were full of crack and holes, which large pieces missing. And without sufficient street lighting, who's to know there's a ditch in the middle of the sidewalk?

After so much adventure through China, Russia, and Mongolia, I had my fill and was ready to make the journey back home. It would take me a week to adjust my body clock back, and longer to feel like I was back in the swing of things. Sometimes the hardest part of an adventure like this is coming back. This was such a gem of an experience, and I hope I've been able to give you a representative view of what it was like, and what it has meant to me.