travel
Chinggis Khaan Square with the Blue Sky Tower in the background.
Youngsters horse racing as part of Naadam
A winning horse trainer with his horses
blue skies The land of
Perhaps not the most obvious of destinations, Tegan Chapman says why Mongolia is a place that should be on every travellers’ wish list
Traditional Mongolia gers, round felt homes
Terelj National Park The new Blue Sky Tower behind the ancient Choijin Lama Temple
Terelj National Park
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magazine - October 2013
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travel
E
ndless grasslands, perpetual blue skies, and a nomadic way of life that has changed little over the years awaits you in one of the world’s most remote countries. Home to the coldest capital on earth, Mongolia – nestled between Russia and China – may not be at the top of your must-see destinations, but with its stunning countryside and extraordinary nomadic culture, it’s worth more than a brief stop off on the Trans-Siberian Express. Mongolia is where modern Korea, Soviet Russia, and nomadic central Asia clash and coalesce in unique, contrived harmony. Ulaanbaatar may look grey, but the capital’s vibrant spirit and colourful people make this a city to remember. Old and new crash into each other in this city, as the popular and imposing Blue Sky Tower stands symbolically overlooking the capital’s main square. The square itself is the epicentre of the capital, renamed from Sukhbaatar Square to the Grand Chinggis Khaan Square while I was there, after the terrifying founder of the Mongol Empire, Chinggis Khaan, known to Westerners as Genghis. The square is home to the government palace and the statue of Damdin Sükhbaatar, one of the leaders of Mongolia’s 1921 revolution, as well as the Lincoln-style Chinggis statue at the top of the stairs to the palace. It is also home to a temporary dinosaur museum that is of particular interest to tourists who can discover that a fifth of the world’s dinosaurs were found in Mongolia. The museum houses a rare and full Tyrannosaurus Bataar skeleton found in the Gobi desert, that was smuggled to America via Britain and was returned to the Mongolians earlier this year. For the best view of the square and the rest of the city, the place to go is the Blue Sky Tower, which is not only a five-star hotel that offers stunning views, but also boasts both a terrace and roof-top bar – if you can stomach level 23 to see right across the city. Even the glass toilets allow you to see across the countryside to the imposing face of Chinggis Khaan etched into the mountainside. Next to the grand building is the Choijin Lama Temple. The Buddhist monastery is an awe-inspiring maze of temples that offer an incredible juxtaposition between old and new. Nestled nearby is an absolute must-visit in the form of Millie’s Cafe. Run by an American ex-pat, it serves its famous lemon pie – which really has to be tasted to be believed – as well as all manner of traditional Western dishes, Mediterranean, Cuban and South African cuisines. Mongolia’s cuisine is never going to win itself any fans, with a diet consisting almost exclusively of boiled mutton, carrots, potatoes and cabbage, but thankfully there
Tegan at the Chinggis Khaan statue complex
From rugged mountains to the wilderness of the Gobi desert, there is something to offer every type of traveller is a rising number of eateries to offer more palatable food when you tire of the national delicacies. But it’s outside of the boom town capital that you get a real taste of Mongolian life and get the confirmation that this really is the least densely populated country in the world. Poorly-paved roads and high-rise flats give way to rolling hills threaded with lakes, and endless grasslands dotted with gers – circular canvas structures insulated with felt – which the majority of the population of Mongolia live in. Tourists can get the chance live in a ger camp in the forested hills of Terelj National Park, just a short journey from the capital. It is this that people come to see and is one of the most rewarding travel experiences. Offering rolling meadows and imposing rock formations, including the famous Turtle Rock, Terelj is the perfect place to take in Mongolia’s natural beauty, ride a horse, a camel, and enjoy the nomadic way of life. A night or two’s stay in a ger will give you
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an experience like no other. Living with a nomadic family, you can live their laid-back way of life, and try a variety of unique milkbased products, including fermented mare’s milk called Airag, which is a sour alcoholic drink that should come with a warning and really ought to only be tasted by those with an iron constitution. It is safe to say vegetarians will struggle in Mongolia, and more so in the countryside where some families will treat you as a VIP and cook a very special delicacy called Boodog, where hot stones are filled into the stomach of the dead animal, usually a goat, which gets cooked in its own skin. The main reason tourists visit Mongolia is for Naadam – a traditional festival known as the ‘three games of men’. The games are Mongolian wrestling, horse racing and archery and are held throughout the country during July. I was lucky enough to travel to the countryside to watch the horse racing, as well as catching the archery and wrestling back in the capital. Every July, Mongolians across the country come together to celebrate the traditional games, and the fast-paced, dare-devil horse racing often drums up spectators, as young boys go head-to-head – largely without saddles or helmets – to run a 20km route over uneven ground seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It is like nothing I have ever experienced before, the adrenaline and excitement coupled with the fear and anxiety over the safety of the young jockeys and their horses is an experience that should be on every travellers’ wish list. Mongolia is a country like no other. With the Soviet-style high-rise blocks alongside the traditional gers in the capital, it makes it impossible to ignore the economic surge that mining has brought to the city. Thanks to the vast deposits of natural resources the Gobi desert’s mines have to offer, Mongolia’s economy is rapidly becoming one of the best performing in the world, and there has never been a better time to visit this fascinating country. A traditional and slow-moving place that allows modern businesses to thrive, while still staying true to its ancient heritage, this is a country you should see now. Mongolia is a land crammed with ancient history and culture, beautiful monasteries and stunning archaeological finds. From rugged and bio-diverse mountains to the wilderness of the Gobi desert, there is something to offer every type of traveller.
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Tegan travelled to Beijing then Ulaanbaatar with www.airchina.co.uk For details on ger camps in the picturesque valley of Terelj National Park, visit www.tereljlodge.com
magazine - October 2013
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