This is a little bit longer entry on a country many don’t know about.  Mongolia enjoys maybe two months of warmth (two weeks of 100 degree weather) and then very bitter cold weather.  I found the country (and its’ capital) charming and the culture so interesting and wanted to share this with others.  The Mongols enjoy a history spanning over 5,000 years old.

There is so much about this country, I'm touching just the tip of the iceberg.  From fishing in the Northwest, The Land of The Reindeerers in the North, the Gobi Desert in the South....there's so much about this facsinating country.

What comes to mind when you think of Mongolia?  Somewhere far far away?  Another world?  The middle of nowhere? If that’s what comes to mind, you are very right.  But it’s also a country rich in culture, charismatic people, and unbelievable adventures.

MIAT Mongolian Airlines, note the horse logo.

Getting to Mongolia isn’t easy.   There are only a few options.  Mongolian Airlines (or MIAT) flies a once a week Berlin-Moscow-Ulaan Bataar (“UB” as the natives call their capital) route and nonstop from UB to Irkutsk, Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo.   MIAT isn’t considered a reliable airline although they are working on getting better, having renewed their fleet with an Airbus A-310 and Boeing 737.

Korean Airlines, Air China and Russia’s Aeroflot can be flown non-stop to UB from Seoul, Beijing, and Moscow respectively.  In my case, from Chicago, I flew into Ulaan Bataar (airport code: ULN) via an overnight stay in Beijing.  I had to get a Chinese VISA for the overnight layover in Beijing and then another Chinese VISA for the return, even though I was in transit for two hours.  I could not get a straight answer from anyone about needing a transit visa to connect through Beijing.  To be on the safe side, I bought a VISA for the return.  I did need a Mongolian VISA as well.

(Both pics) Yours truly facing the hotel. (R) To the left the post office (with clock tower) to the right, The Drama Theatre (pink); (L) continuation of the Sukhbataar Square, the statue behind me (far back, right).

My dear friend, Rob, was the "Chief of Party" of the Mongolia Justice Sector Reform Program which was run by the National Center for State Courts and funded by USAID. He worked to help the Mongolians reform the courts, prosecutors and private lawyers thought training and institution building.  In other words, he was helping the Mongolians shed the Soviet-era type court system and start from scratch with a Western system.

I arrived into Beijing non-stop from Chicago on United Airlines late in the evening only to have my luggage still in Chicago.  Since I was going onto Mongolia the next morning, visions of me being reunited with my luggage started to seem grim.  Because it was past midnight, there was only one person assisting with luggage concerns from Air China and spoke very little English.  I called United Airlines in Chicago and was told the luggage was still sitting at O’Hare and they placed the luggage on the day’s flight to Beijing.  Had I not made the phone call, it would have delayed my luggage even more. 

I walked into the lobby of the Great Wall Sheraton at almost 2 am.  This Sheraton is closer to the airport than where I usually stay in the city center.  The flight the next day to Ulaan Baatar was at 10 am.  Keeping in mind the heavy traffic in Beijing, I had to leave very early.

Postcard from Mongolia (sent to myself, "Hugs and Kisses from Mongolia") of the famous Naadam Festival.

With no luggage to check in, I boarded a packed Air China 737 for the two-hour flight to Ulaan Baatar.  Looking out the window, all I could see was mountains and empty land, not even a road carved out.  When we were landing, what I saw was untended, uninhabited land.  It was awesome and humbling. 

Walking down the stairs from the plane and looking around at a desolate airport, I felt very far away.  I was in the land of the Mongols. It was also very hot and humid, my entire stay would be the hottest week of the year.  I breezed through the modern airport and found many taxis waiting.  They were tiny, and next in line was the tiniest taxi I have ever sat in.  It was a four-door and I sat sideways - my body behind the passenger side and my legs behind the driver’s side.  I could hardly move.

The windows open, blowing hot air, the driver had a cigarette in one hand and with the other, alternating between the steering wheel and the clutch.  It didn’t matter, I was excited.

It took about 45 minutes without traffic to get to my destination: the five-star Ullaan Bataar Hotel (also known as the “Central Hotel”).  Who gives out the stars is another topic.  It reminded me of a very old Soviet-era hotel and sits across a huge square, called Sukhbataar Square.  I was given a huge suite on the third floor (301): two bedrooms, living room, sitting room, and two bathrooms for USD$100 a night. 

My room key - who picks the "stars" in the country?!

I also got what I paid for, there was no air conditioning (why would you need it here?), so I asked for four big floor fans, opened a window on the one side of the suite and placed the fans in a way where it created a nice cool breeze throughout all the rooms.  The curtains were drawn my entire stay to keep the sun out during the day, and to keep the massive mosquitoes out during the night.

Being noon, my first day there, and not having my luggage, I went to the only shopping place in town - a four-story building called The State Department Store, a throw back from the Soviet days.  Did I mention it is the only place in town?  Usually anywhere outside of the States I can’t get pants my size since I am tall.  But I had no problems at all!  I managed to buy a pair of pants, socks, undershirt and some odds and ends.

The next morning I went to the lobby to see if I could get a car service back to the airport to get my luggage (fingers crossed).  My goal was to try and get a bigger car - and more legroom, but the gentleman behind the counter spoke very little English and kept saying "taxi...taxi" and pointing outside..  The lobby was filled with a rugged group unloading their Land Rovers with tons of gear and tents.   There was only one place they were coming from:  The Gobi Desert.

I squeezed into the back of a cab and headed to the airport and waited with the driver.  Since the airport was on the outskirts of the city, the driver just waited for me rather than drive back empty.  I sat in the sun waiting, the flight was running a little late, and I was finally able to see the Air China plane land.  I went back through customs and waited for my bag, I held my breath and there it was!  My baby, forwarded to Mongolia!

I got back to the hotel and immediately took a shower, napped and met with my friend, who was with his friends.  It was great to see him and be around the locals.  In Mongolia, the diet consists of meat and more meat.  Also, very popular is mare’s milk, called airag, and any bi-product made from mare’s milk, even night creams and soaps.  If you don’t know what a mare is, it is a horse (yes, a horse).  

The mare’s milk tastes different from family to family…because of the way the horse is taken care of, from the grass it eats to how it is treated.  A Mongolian family is proud to offer you a glass of their milk because of the tremendous effort it takes to make it.  Ferment it and it becomes a clear spirit (alcohol) called "shimii airag" or "arkhi." And everyone believes they make the best.  Dairy is a huge part of their diet.  Dairy and meat, BUT anything green is for horse, not for human.  They don’t understand why we eat salad.  I did ask how can one be “regular” without eating greens.  “By being active,” I was told.

Sharga: Horse of Mongolia by Betty Ann Hutchens, (above left) a children's Mongolian horse story; (r) Arkhi vodka labels.

Mongolian society is based upon their nomadic past.  The horse is seen as life and a part of their lives. One survived the winters because of the milk the horse produced and one was able to move around because of their horse.  They conquered lands because of the horse.  The horse has always been a part of their history as far back as 3,000 B.C..   

The dairy-heavy Mongol diet makes them unique, physically, than their Asian counterparts.  Most had beautiful teeth. The women were more voluptuous.  This was odd at first because I was not used to seeing Asian women as a people, bustier.  Also, the men were a little bit taller.  It may sound strange to anyone who has not been to Asia, but having spent a lot of time in the region, it stood out to me.

Children’s books told stories of horses, songs were sung about horses, and even an instrument aptly named, the "horse-head fiddle" that sounds like a horse when played.  It is truly amazing what a proud people make the Mongols, especially one will find many references to Chinggis Khan: "World conqueror, Emperor of all men, the Scourge of God."

Millie's, Ulaan Bataar, with the pink facade

That evening, at the French restaurant,  I sat with a group of six and was curious.  The conversation went to what does one call the peoples of Mongolia.  I had actually heard of “Mongoloid” which is the correct word to describe their race, but was unfamiliar of its connotation and asked if that was appropriate.  Mongoloid is actually a derogatory term for a mentally retarded person, and was told not to use the word at all .  I never knew that until I came back to the States and did a Google search.  Mongols is perfect and acceptable.

World-Vision donating 50 gers to homeless Mongolian families.

 The group worked with World Vision and Mongolian orphanages.  It was incredible to hear their stories.  It is difficult (but possible) for non-Mongolians to adopt Mongolian children; the state takes tremendous efforts to take care of them and raise them.  They try to do everything possible to keep their people together to assure future generations.   The government also invites charities from all over the world to help with the orphans, and volunteers come from all over.

    
ABOVE: Traditional ger (l) and ger village.  Even in the city, you will find a ger next to a brick apartment building.

   
Roughing it in the Gobi Desert in a ger (r); the Zanabazar Museum, note the ger in front (center), and Ganden Monestary (r)

State Department Store (Ulsin Ikh Delguur) at Peace Avenue

Also, there were some incredible galleries with very old art works, other vintage Mongolian Buddhist statues, and rare nomadic items.  There was even a spa in town where you could get a massage.

The Opera House, right in the centre of the city.

On my last night, I was invited to a home for a dinner and it was exciting for me to find myself with a group of thirty young people all living in a large apartment, all working for different charities and organizations.  They were mostly from Australia, New Zealand and Israel.   I was the only American there…actually I did not meet any fellow Americans during my entire trip.  They all got together to throw a going away party for me.  This had never happened in my life. 

I did stand out.  People said hello to me when I walked by them (and I would say hello back to them, of course!).  I felt like I was in the 1940s.  On one side, I was able to get a SIM card for my mobile phone but on the other, electricity would sometimes cut off hours at a time. I could also use my regular US mobile phone.

I really loved being in Mongolia and having met new friends made it all the more better.

The new Shangri-La, dwarfing the historic opera building at Sukhbaatar Square

The future:  Ulaan Bataar is one of the last of the hidden gems untouched by many Western influences.  It started with the introduction of the internet, then mobile phones, which is 3G.  Next is a slew of hotel chains coming to Mongolia such as Shangri-La, Sheraton, and others have built or are being built.  Build and they will come.

MONGOLIAN EVENTS

Naadam Festival is the biggest event of the year for Mongolia.  Held in Ulaan Bataar during the summer, between the 11th - 13th of July and the capital's Central Stadium.  Sort of like a Mongolian Olympics, it is a traditional display of Mongolian courage, strength, desterity and marksmanship.  The postcard at the beginning of this blog is from the horseracing game.  There are three major games:  Wrestling, Archery, and Horseracing.