From China to Mongolia

by lippertl

Hi there - we have finally found an internet cafe that as affordable rates. By the way - in case you are worrying about us becoming illiterate - we don't have spell checker and don't take time to proof read - being the cheapskates that we are. So, endure!

Leaving China, we headed North to Mongolia - our 9th country since leaving the US. We are 1/2 way home in terms of number of countries we will visit.

'The Land of Blue Sky', Mongolia is stunningly beautiful. It is about twice the size of Texas with green grasslands that go on forever, a little desert (mostly in the southern part) and mountain forests (more in the north), with all variation of steppe in between. Vast herds of horses, sheep, goats, and camels moving with nomads.

Our first impression after landing in UlaanBaatar was that the air was so clean and clear. Turelj a real breath of fresh air after China! We had the same clean air impression when landing in Bhutan from Nepal. As we drove into town from the airport we passed several coal-fired plants. We suspect air quality takes a real hit during the winter.

Ulaan Baatar, the capital and largest city in Mongolia can only be described as a tired, worn-out city of mostly Russian-built buildings. Mongolia has been under the heavy influence of Russia since around the 1920s - and usually not always to their benefit. Needless to say, it has been greatly affected by the break-up of the Soviet Union. It is struggling to get on its feel economically. Many nomads are coming into the city in search of work, especially in the last two years. The winters were very harsh with a drought during the summer in between. Many nomads lost most of their herds. Unfortunately, unemployment in UB is very high - like around 40+%. In spite of its many problems, the city is fairly clean - not much litter and garbage in the streets. Such things as public urination is rare.

We checked into our 3-star hotel (Mongolia has no 4 or 5 star ones). It is a remodeled Russian building - actually quite nice and comfortable. We went through the Natural History Museum - renovated in 1998. It has some interesting pictographs, many old moth-eaten stuffed birds and animals, and some great reconstructed dinosaurs. They get an 'E' for effort. Sukhbaatar Square has a statue of him on a horse. He is the dude who is considered the 'Hero of the Revolution - 1911-21 declaring Mongolia's final independence from the Chinese.


Dinner was a traditional Mongolian meal. It started with dried milk curds (aaruul) and mutton noodle soup. There was also fermented milk, milk tea (with salt), and vodka. Most of these, we decided, have acquired tastes. The main course had potato, two types of cabbage, and some sor of pot roast - maybe mutton, maybe beef. Before the main course arrived, the waitress handed each of us a rock wrapped in a napkin. It took a minute for us to realize that the rock was very hot. Traditionally, they take a goat or sheep, clean out the insides, skin it, place hot rocks inside, seal it, and place it on the fire to cook from inside as well as outside. Then then take the rock out, hand them around and everyone warms their hands! Cleaver idea for the winter time.

The next day we headed west, first stopping at the Ganden Monastery - the largest and most important one in Mongolia. LIke most monasteries in Mongolia, it fell victim to the communist purges of the '30s. There are 2 smaller temples to the right as you enter, with a much large on at the end of the main path. It contains the Migjid Jansaisig (God of Peace) statue. Unfortunately the original one was destroyed in 1937 and the metal from the peace god was taken to St. Petersburg and melted down to make bullets. It took 5 years, but the statue was rebuilt, and consecrated by the Dali Lama in 1996. It is 25 meters tall, weights 20 ton, and is made from bronze, copper, gilded with gold, covered with gold brocade and over 500 meters of silk. It is huge and beautiful - perhaps the most beautiful of all that we have seen in Asia. More trivia: besides its many precious stones, it contains 27 tons of medicinal herbs, 334 sutras, 2 million bundles of mantras, and at the base, an entire ger (yurt), plus furniture!!