Selenge Aimag by truck
Trip Start
Mar 04, 2006
1
16
32
Trip End
Nov 04, 2006
Ulan Baator (again),
Mongolia
Tuesday, July 4, 2006
Must say again I am running out of time to do a proper story. UB is the main place where everyone comes back to after a trip into Mongolia. So the days are filled with meeting op people, whom you meet again, washing cloths, buying things, arranging the next trip into the countryside and chilling out a bit as well in between. So getting into an internetcafe for half a day is hard sometimes....sorry for that! I will improve again in China, promise!
It has been a while but the week I spend with Jeroen up north of Mongolia has been great and very divers in every aspect! The second weekend in Mongolia I managed to get hold of Jeroen (email and country tel.nr can be very helpful) and we met up in UB as he had to sort out his visa extension as well
01_At sacret Ovoo in Hotol
. He is in the country this time to set up a little farming project, but is not going to plant these seeds till a week later, so we decide to go for a little truck-tour in Selenge Aimag, north of UB.We decide to take the train on Monday (12th of june), from UB to Darkhan and try to catch a lift to Hotol. However during the day I run into this guy who tells us about a retreat walk he will organize with other people. He joins me and Jeroen for lunch and we talk so long that I have to rush to the guesthouse, pay the lady and give her my contact details in the process, pay the taxi driver double the price to bring me with maximum speed to the train station, where Jeroen would be waiting for me with the traintickets and his bicycle! As a get to the trainstation....the train had left 5 min. before.....Oops
Luckily Jeroen had no time to buy the train tickets because he was in a verbal fight about his bicycle not being allowed on board of the train at the platform (a train we do not want to take anyway as it goes to Beijing, but the guy does not seem to understand that!)
So we take the evening train directly to Hotol. It will arrive at 04.30 though, little bit early to knock on someone's door. After a rough night in the train with a mongolian couple in our coupe fighting (literally!) and a flatscreen tv (!!!!!) with a horrible russian dubbed film playing on it till late, we finally arrive
02_Batajaw and his daughters
. To kill time we climb this little hill and enjoy a great view of Hotol near this Ovoo (a sacret pile of rocks with offerings!).We spend 2 days at Batajoo's place, a mongol friend of Jeroen. Cleaning and clearing out the truck before driving off into the countryside.
As I told you before the truck runs only on vegetable oil, so we (or more Jeroen) has to tell over and over to the mongolians how it works. Each time they are very impressed and always curious. Must say, the truck looks really amazing with this rebuild van as sleeping area and the veranda to chill out on.
We visit the beautiful monestary west of Hotol, norht of Baruunbuuren, called Amarbyasgalant. Not very actively used anymore, but very beautiful buildings in big valley. We camp out every night, making campfires and cooking on it as well. This i real camping life to me. Loving every minute of it. One night this mongol 'police' man pays us a visit, we have to pay national park fee! We are also camping on a holy spot, so have to move. Even bribing him with cigarets, tea and a small meal does not help
Travelling with the truck goes relatively slow, but good for really enjoying the views
03_Landscape 1
. Jeroen is an excellent driver as well. This is tested on the 5th day when we decide to take a detour towards Zuunburen. This road is blocked by a row of small stones, but we want to travel there anyway, so of we go. The road has some very steep decreasing passages, and very deep road parts, where the truck almost falls over. I even get out several times to coordinate for him. Although it is mostly mental support as he is doing very well driving it through.Several night we camp near river, which means washing ourselves and/or keeping the beer cold in the water! I suprises me as well that every time, even in the most remote places, local horsemen pay us a visit! Unfortunately the mosquitos know how to find us as well....
When we arrive in Zuunburen, we meet a french friend of Jeroen, named Olivier. He works in Mongolia for an NGO. He tells us we are invited to join him and his mongolian friends for a meal. So we drive all together to Shaamar, where we will meet them. We go to the home of Altan and her family. There we are told that we will have a meal by the river. Olivier explains us this is a very special meal, with goat and lots of alcohol, yes Vodka (and beer) again! Never drank so much Vodka in my life!!!
It takes forever to get to the river spot, as we stop at several families on the way. All invited to join the meal. We finally arrive at this ger, where the goat-dish will be prepared. Everyone has brought food (sweets, chocolate etc.) and drinks (mostly alcoholic!). The goat-dish is made in a very special way. In a huge wok a small lager of water with salt, then very hot stones (especially selected), then the goat in pieces and more hot stones in between
04_Amarbayasgalant monestary
. The wok is then closed off with the lit and left simmering for 1,5 hours. In the meantime the shots of vodka are passed by very frequently...The goat tastes very nice! After finishing the meal, the hot stones are passed around. You really have to throw them from one hand to the other as they are REALLY HOT! It is also very unpolite to put a hot stone on the floor or on the table as this stone can still be used. Mongolians uses these stones to put on their joints as it helps to prevent arthrytis (however spelled?).
The people are all very nice and I learn more about mongolian cultures (do's and dont's) as Olivier speaks very good mongol language. After the meal we go to the river to chill a bit. The mongolians love singing, so they also do it there, accompanied by gitar. Really beautiful language.
Late that night (meal started at 16.00) after visiting the house of one of the friends present, downloading all the photos I took on the computer!!!!) and yet more vodka and beer, we sleep at Altan's place. From where I will take the train back to UB in the morning (06.30)....again a short night to sleep but a great day spend in Shaamar
05_monestary detail
.In the morning I walk to the 'trainstation'...it is not more than a concrete strip beside the tracks, where the train will stop for literally 2 minutes. I choose Platskart by accident. At the beginning of the 10-hour journey I have ' my' bed to myself, even manage to sleep for 1 hour after playing the mongolian cardgame with this grandmother and her grandson...The last 5 hours I am however sqeezed against the window as 5 more mongolians have pilled on 'my' bed as well. No wonder it was so cheap!
Back in UB again, were I will be sorting out my next trip: 9 days to the East...
