Leaving the Eastern European style capital, we have glimpsed some of the vast and open lands of Central Mongolia and the Gobi Desert. The overwhelming impression was of space, scarcity and nomadic life. The latter, I think, being the most unique feature of the country.
Over 10 days, driving mostly on bumpy dirt roads with a Russian minivan (but without the usually unevitable break down) and averaging 30-50 km/h, good progress given the road conditions, we were driving about 1,900 km. We went from green landscapes towards browner and dustier lands.
Life is rough outside the capital and especially in the desert. It requires experience to manage around so much land, livestock and sky and so few people, water and infrastructure.
Each day, our routine was breakfast, driving, lunch, driving, visiting a site, arrive at ger camp and have dinner. On our tour we have visited Nomad families, monasteries, spectacular landscapes and small, soviet-built towns. We also rode a horse, a camel and climbed the highest sand dune in Mongolia (200 m).
Staying with Nomad families in their gers, we have had the chance to experience a little of their life:
- Watching the nomadic life around us
- Drinking fermented horse or camel milk (airag) and salty milk tea
- Tasting dried yoghurt and soft or dried cheese
- Baking fresh bread in a pot
- Passing around the sniff box in the welcome ritual and drinking vodka
- Milking the goats
- Dividing a slaughtered goat and family dinner
- Building a ger
- Calling the owner of the petrol station to have him open it up
And then, we drove and drove, bounced around the van's back, until we arrived back in UB.
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