Jul 15, 2017 - 15th July - last day in Mongolia

We started the day by hiring the guesthouse driver to take us to the Museum for Intelligence. When we arrived, it was closed - 3000 tugriks for nothing! So we walked along Chinggis Avenue, and over Peace Bridge, to the Winter Palace. This was definitely a highlight of my time in Mongolia. It used to be a monastery, and now is a museum - very controversial for the locals. Fascinating buildings, intricate art works, a museum of weapons, one building (that was the home) set up with period furniture and thrones, carriages, and clothes. Also a...

Jul 14, 2017 - Bus back to Ulaan Baator

Today was an 8 hour bus trip from Tsetserleg back to Ulan Baator This is our shiny red bus that took us today. This is a town that we passed (view from my window) Another view of the countryside from my window

Jul 13, 2017 - Mountain bike riding

Today we hired mountain bikes and set out to explore the district on our own. We rode to a river 5km away. The area was really beautiful. The ride was not our favourite time of our holiday. In Mongolia, a man makes his own road - literally. It was so bumpy!! The actually riding was very easy as the district is fairly flat. I had not ridden a mountain bike before, and although very different to my bike at home, th large wheels were great. The bikes also had 21 gears - a step up from my 3 gears at home. We were also fortunate to have...

Jul 12, 2017 - Hiking

Today was basically filled with a hike up a valley that started near town. There was a stream that we crossed many times. A visit to a stuffed animal museum before the climbing started. It was a good walk, with great views. We discovered some small waterfalls. In the afternoon we met 2 interesting couples. The first was a German couple who live in London. They are pushbike riding from from Sydney to London. They left Sydney two years ago. They have seen so many interesting things, that they spent one year in Australia, and another year...

Jul 11, 2017 - Naadam second and final day

Gordon has given me permission to post this email he wrote yesterday - I thought it described our day very well: Went to national festival today (Naadam). Weird wrestling, weird dancing, weird singing, various games and archery - where the judges stood next to the targets(!) and, in some cases, actually tried to snatch the flying arrows out of the air! The big event is the finish of a long horse-ride - kids ride a very long way bareback(!) with no protective gear, and thunder over the finish line. A very tough and unforgiving path to...

Jul 10, 2017 - Naadam

Today was the first day of Naadam - the national festival celebrating manly sports - although women can now compete also (not in the wrestling). There are 4 venues for the activities, with a 50 minute walk from the horse racing to the other activities. We walked there and back twice today. We were basically out from 9.30am (we missed the 6am horse race) till 8.30pm. Then we went out at 9pm for the city party in the central square. A lot of people have come to town for Naadam, and there are more horses (with riders) on the streets than...

Jul 9, 2017 - Ger Photos

Today was a fairly quiet day. Church from 11am - 2.30pm. We didn't understand a word. Then a quiet afternoon. Followed by an evening walk from 8.30-9.30pm, to see the local children playing in the parks. I have had a request from Elias and Callum for more ger photos, so here goes: Ger number 1 in the Terelj National Park: Inside our ger - the material on the ground at the left is our couch. The doors are very short in gers Ger 2 - we stayed here for 3 days Inside ger 2: Inside ger 2 - -the single light bulb is not actually connected...

Jul 8, 2017 - Orkhon Waterfall

Today started with a visit to the beatutiful Orkhon Waterfall. I climbed down through a crevice in the rock cliff, to the valley at the base of the waterfall. It was very peaceful. Next stop was a pop-up Naadam Festival, where we saw this family on a motorbike - the father was in traditional clothing. We continued the 5 hour 4WD trip back to Tsetserleg. This is how the locals refuel when they run out of petrol - no petrol stations out here. Actually - there are not roads to put petrol stations next to. Our 5 hour drive was through...

Jul 7, 2017 - Orkhon Valley

After pancakes and maple syrup for breakfast, we left for the Orkhon Valley. Our driver was called Naira and he had no English - at all. The scenery was quite spectacular on the way. After 4 hours we stopped for lunch in a ger on a hillside. A little further on, and we went to a monastery built on a rock. The way most people go up is by horse. But we decided to walk. It was nearly 2 hours tough walking each way. The walk was definitely worthwhile, and we spent nearly an hour exploring the monastery at the end. The monastery was...

Jul 6, 2017 - Horse riding

I woke up at 5am. Our nomadic host family were already up and about - putting the goats out for the day, milking the yaks, milking the horses. I spent the morning helping with the household chores - keeping the horses in the enclosure using a big stick, then making yak milk yoghurt. Then the highlight of the day - going for a 3 hour horse ride. Up a very steep hill - across the ridge along the top of several hills - down the other end - a visit to our host's brother further along the valley - and home again. This was very jarring to our...

Jul 5, 2017 - Nomadic life

Today was a quiet day. We spent the day with the mum and children - the dad was out taking French tourists for horse rides. We learnt a lot about the nomadic way of life. This was one of the family's yaks. They are milked in the morning and again at night, 6am, 6pm. After the yaks are milked, we heat the milk, then use it for all sorts of products - drinking milk, butter, cream, yoghurt, biscuits, vodka. I went for a walk and found these children playing. The boy in the middle was the son of the family we were living with. Further...

Jul 3, 2017 - 3rd July - first day in Tsetserleg

First day in Tsetserleg We began the day with breakfast in the Fairfield cafe/bakery. Then set out to explore. First we climbed up the “Steps of Enlightenment” to a Buddhist shrine at the top. The we continued behind this and climbed the Bulgan Mountain. This was very scary. Very very steep. Only rocks. Somehow we made it to the top - alive - a 3 hour climb. We were rewarded with brilliant views over the town in one direction, and views of the countryside in all other directions. We were so high that we were looking down on the eagles...