Savvy Tramp Travels: Mongolia Mischief, Episode 1

Ulan Bataar

This is a long one, so I've divided it. Strap in, because the day was one hell of a ride.

(Because Mongolians ride horses, geddit?)

In the early morning hours that are normally reserved for either very sober or very drunk people, I stepped off the train and said good-bye to the black-market ladies. Meeting me was my mongolian guide Bat, clad in smart jeans, a dark winter coat and a winter hat with flaps. He reminded me somewhat of one of the titular characters of the 2008 Korean film “The Good, The Bad and the Weird.” More specifically, the Weird.

He turned out to be a bit of a bastard. The good kind.

Now, in the heat of things it is easy to forget that one has been living on a diet consisting of noodles and beer for the last few days. Also, one might forget a couple of railway-sausages picked up underways. All of this just might culminate in an outright terrifying alarm of the bowels at the very moment one reached the halfway point to Terelj National Park.

One might also learn, just then, that the nearest toilet is located in this very park.

All these things might converge on a traveler’s mind and make him feel a bit down in the dumps.

No pun intended.

After clenching and sweating the last 45 minutes and then destroying some mongolian porcelain, I was settled into a Ger of my very own.

The traditional mongolian tents were beautifully decorated, with rose-painted… everything and a highly effective oven to fend off the cold. In the more expensive ones the umbrella of poles holding the ceiling up are also carved. The door, however, caught my eye the most. Brightly coloured and made of wood.

After getting all my things in place, I went up to the nearby camp resturant to have a cup of tea with Bat. We talked about everything and nothing while we went over my itinerary for the day:

Visit Turtle Rock
Visit Buddhist Monastery
Visit Nomad Family in their Ger

We were also joined by a fat little fellow who had us pegged as food-dispensing chumps. He was right.

I went back to my Ger and had a nap for a couple of hours. The early start and… pressing journey to the Ger camp had tuckered me out a bit.

When I got up, I decided to explore the camp and get to know the lay of the land. Outside my Ger a new friend was waiting for me, and I quickly sealed our friendship with some belly rubs.

I wonder how these little dudes tackle the cold at night, because Mongolia is pretty freezing even during the day.

The camp is set under a range of beautiful rocky hills on the sunny side of the valley we were in. Clearly built for tourists, it has a play park for kids and several cozy patios with seating and tables for those warm summer evenings on the Great Steppes.

They are called that because when Mongolia is flat, it is flat. In Terelj, however, the wide plains are broken up by rocky hills and mounains that rise steeply from the grass. In a way, it reminded me of the fjord-landscape back home and the mountain-boy in me reared his head.

Nothing to do then, but find the nearest boulder-topped hill and climb that sucker. I spent a good hour exploring the clefts and crevasses of the hills before returning to start the day properly.

I had a very romantic shower-for-one in candlelight.

Then enjoyed a lunch inspired by traditional mongolian recipies. A vinegar-sprinkled salad, Mongolian mutton noodles and mutton stew. I didn’t know what to expect, so I was pleasantly surprised. The food was a tad blander than other asian cuisine, but did wonders at filling the belly. Tough land, tough people, tough food.

Then we set off.

There is not much to say about Turtle Rock in itself. It is a huge rock, it looks like a turtle and it is perfect for silly tourist photos.

At the foot of Turtle rock Bat showed me a flamboyant pile of rocks and sticks. He explained that this is an owoo, a holy place of sorts for buddhists. One is supposed to circle it clockwise and say a prayer, then chuck a rock on the pile. This is meant to invigorate and restore you, so that you can continue your journey.

There was another owoo at the heart of Turtle Rock, and Bat was kind enough to climb into the turtle’s crack with me.

A sense of calm prevailed inside. Bat showed me the owoo stone table and suggested that we perform the rite. Neither of us are religious, but it felt like the most respectful thing to do at an old place like this.

Wind whistled through the cracks in the rock as we made our turn and clapped our hands together in mock prayer. Sometimes it pays to keep up appearances.

Next, our driver (Chuka) took us to the next valley where a Buddhist meditation and englightenment centre was situated on a mountainside.

The hike up there looked a little bit like this:

It was a wonderful experience, and Bat did an amazing job of interpreting and explaining the different statues, signs and customs of the trail. His English was amazing (which would come in handy later) except for one tic. Everything was Faskinating. And I love him for it.

Then, in Mongolia, in Terelj National Park, as we were about to cross the last hanging bridge, I heard someone yell “Trond?”

I spun around and there stood Dira, looking like a question mark. I could sympathise.

Laughing and hugging me, she revealed that she was also staying in Ulan Bataar and had decided to join a danish hostel-mate on a trip to the park.

With two more in our party, Bat lead us up the last steps to the meditation centre. It was beautiful, and since Bat knew the old geezer living and working there I was allowed inside:

Custom dictates that a visitor passes a full clockwise turn inside when entering and then outside when leaving. Luckily both had interesting things to look at in the process.

The last part of our hike was a visit to the tomb and memorial of an ancient wise man that lived on the mountain. He could grant you wishes by checking your fingerprints. I’ve heard that one before, but decided to give it a go.