Alone in Mongolia – Part 4

On my last day in ULN before catching my night flight, I’ve arranged a quick trip to Khustain Nuruu (Birch Mountain Range), 100km away from ULN to see the Takhi. Yes I just couldn’t bring myself to waste that few hours doing nothing & I was dying to get out of ULN. This trip cost USD 70 which includes a driver (car + petrol), an English speaking student guide, national park entrance fee, museum and a national park guide.

We stopped by the roadside & ‘Happy’ was telling me about Ovoo… shhh I pretended I didn’t know what it meant.

My young cute guide on the left named ‘Happy’ (coz his real name was too difficult to pronounce) & my personal driver. 2hrs+ drive….

Miniature Ger

All the different types of ants you can find in this park. Researchers, I salute you!

Nothing spectacular re the scenery, its just a nature reserve home to many wild animals like red deer, steppe gazelle, deer, board, manul, wolf, lynx etc…

One can only enter the park with permission; cars are not allowed to leave the road and make new ones; no hunting / catching of wild animals; no light, fire and weapons; One has to stay 200m away from the Takhi (wild horses) and not to disturb / make loud noise.

My good looking National Park guide searching for traces of Takhi with his bino. The best times to spot the horses are in early morning and evening when they are not hiding from heat. But it was already late morning when I reached the park…

Following my guides, we were tracing the manures of the horses & testing their freshness. At one point my guide turned & gave me a big grin, stepping on the poop to tell me they are fresh, meaning the horses must be nearby.

Viola! We found it. Woohoo. I was lucky. Really lucky. There were only about 200 wild horses around and with the size of the park, what are the chances of you spotting them when they are hiding in shades. I saw many, even foals. Adults are in sandy colors & little ones are kind whitish.

Zoomed in. Dinner on me if you can find them in 3 different locations.

I’m satisfied even though I can only see them from far. Takhi once went into extinction but was later found to exist outside Mongolia. It was reintroduced to the park between 1992 to 2004. Keep breeding, Takhi!

“The Takhi has the figure of a compact, small domestic horse with a strong neck and heavy limbs. The head is characterized by a convex nose line and by a white stain around nose and mouth. The body features a pale yellow to ginger colour. A distinctive dark eel-stripe runs from the mane to the tail.”

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My last meal in ULN. Super oily & salty chinese food and this looks like a meal for 2. Haha

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I was due to fly on 0020hrs, 03/07/09. We board the plane & sat for 2.5hrs before the captain announced that take off was not possible due to bad weather. Then we were being shoved up the bus where we get on & off at different hotels as there weren’t enough rooms for all of us. Anyway, I arrived back at the airport next morning to find our luggage scattered around.

Re-checked in again but only had time to pull out my mobile charger & some monies.

Arrived in Seoul & was being chucked in yet another hotel because my next available connecting flight was on 04/07/09 midday.

Hotel looks good?

Free meals… but I only managed to use it for dinner. I skipped breakfast, happily went to the airport, passed the immigration thinking that I’m gonna have a good korean free lunch. Duh… I didn’t read that the restaurant is located ‘before’ immigration…

At their convenient shop

Proper road side Korean rice cake. I wanted to eat it at the store but my cough will probably scare all the customers away. So… sigh… back to the hotel, curling up on the chair to enjoy this delicacy myself.

Lunch at airport before I depart. Korean Ginseng chicken. THUMBS DOWN! I can’t even taste the ginseng flavor. This is somehow like another (blant) chicken soup. Boo.

By the time I reached London, board the train back to Bristol, hop on the taxi back to my cozy shoebox, its already late night. I was soooooo tired yet I’m still thinking about the unpacking & laundry sessions for tomorrow.

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Alone in Mongolia – Part 3

At the old long-distance bus station (Teeveriin Tovchoo) which is conveniently located just across my guesthouse, waiting for the van that’ll take me to Zuunmod. Felt like a local now. Bus Fare T1500 each way.

Arrived at Zuunmod, a tiny town 43km from Ulaanbaatar. There is nothing interesting about this place but it is from here where you can get to Mandshir Khiid & Bogdkhan Uul National Park. I’ve arranged horse riding from this town to the park & monastery, approx 7km each way. Cost USD50 including lunch, horse riding with guide, national park fee & monastery fee.

Was picked up by an auntie (who looks like mama-san) from the bus station and led to her house to wait for my horse guide. The short walk there was with complete silence as we spoke no common language but she hook around my arms and we walked along side like mother and daughter… Shown above is her humble home shared with her husband and 2 daughters – only 1 single bed.

This is ‘Ba-yal-ta’, my horse guide preparing the horses. He speaks no English too so I guessed its time to bring out my international sign language.

Leaving Zuunmod behind…

I’m on my horse

Riding on the horse

my shadow on my horse back!

Ok this is the best I can get, I’m really on a horse

Along the way… lots of greens & animals

Reached the entrance to Bogdkhan Uul

The kid who looks bored

Into the National Park. Bogd Khan Uul was one of the sacred mountains that was (tentative) added to UNESCO World Heritage in 1996.

Approaching the pine forest.

Riding into the forest, no sight of humans which I reckon it was the trail less taken.

Notice my horse was very close to his? Mine was having his moments & refused to walk so the guide had to pull him real close. BUT, the horses were so close that his horse’s butt was crushing my leg/knee against my horse. Ouch.

Horses didn't fancy crossing the stream even though it wasn't deep at all.

Tranquil is the word. It felt as thou I own the park. It wasn’t dotted with tourist ger camps nor pack with visitors.

Blessed tree?

Lunch time. Picnic under the tree. How romantic... with the wrong man thou.

Simple meal of minced and pickled veggies which I actually find it tasty. too easy to please?

Keep this picture at the back of your mind. This is what Mandshir Khiid used to look like before it was destroyed in 1937 by Stalin’s thugs. The monastery used to house 2000 lamas who guarded the mountain for 150 yrs.

The remains of the ruins. Only the main temple was restored.

He requested for this shot to be taken – possibly after being curious of why this crazy girl kept snapping her camera away…

Soaring birds & lousy zoom

The view from the monastery. WOW.

More ruins.

The main temple, 800m uphill

it wasn't huge...

Left & Right view from the temple

 

Looking through the main entrance from - inside & outside

Uphill, at the back of the temple where I climbed further. My new trekking buddy aka my guide abandoned me coz he was tired. ;( If only time permits, I would have flip over the mountain & see whats on the other side.

All the effort just to see these 18-century Buddhist rock paintings.

Try to imagine… these rocks / ruins, they once were walls of the gorgeous monastery. Sigh.

Such lovely forest setting

He couldn’t stand the heat anymore…

When I haven’t quite figure out how my macro function works on this cam.

stream with a little yellow flower.

Descending…

Hurrah! Yes me & my naughty horse finally. The horse who is grumpy & farts alot. The ride back was rather dull & both of us almost fell asleep on our horses due to the heat. I did manage to make him sing, hum and whistle some tunes though...

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