We booked a full day tour for today, so that we could see some sights outside Ulaanbaatar, as well as to get a glimpse of the Mongolian countryside. The day did not disappoint! Although we are not big on organized tours, it proved to be an incredible experience which efficiently enabled us to take in a great deal.
We left the hotel at 7:30AM for the rendezvous point. There were ten of us in the van. It’s always an interesting experiment, bringing together people from all walks of life and numerous countries, packing them in a vehicle together, and having them interact for a full day. There were three older British guys, a recently retired Chinese female lawyer, a German guy, who has travelled to 167 countries, and three Americans, none of whom we interacted with. (None of them so much as said hello as they joined the tour, and two of them dropped an endless string of F-bombs for the first half hour of the tour.)
The sights we saw and experiences we had are outlined in sequential order below, with the exception of a group of animal and landscape photos, clustered at the end.
By the time we made it back to the hotel at 6:30PM, we were exhausted. But it was a good exhaustion, as the day was richer than we could have ever imagined it would be!
Chinggis Khan Statue Complex
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| At the top, standing in the ‘horse’s mane’. |
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| After waiting over 30 minutes inside a very narrow passageway inside the “horse”, we finally made it to the top of the horse’s head! |
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| This is a massive example of the traditional Mongolian boot. It was made with 72 cow skins. It took three years to make! |
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| Changgis Khan, his sons and grandsons, and other successor, who achieved his vision in consolidating the Mongolian empire. |
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| Key components of a Mongul warrior’s equipment. All of these pieces are from the 12th to the 14th centuries. |
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| An incredibly talented group of Mongolian musicians performed in the museum at the base of the horse statue. |
We got to try traditional Mongolian costumes - it was a hoot!
And then, there was the ubiquitous camel ride - another hoot!
We tried our hand at archery - the results aren’t worth sharing, but we enjoyed the experience.
We had a photo opp with golden eagles — such massive birds!
Midday, we had a traditional Mongolian lunch in a ‘ger’ (yurt).
Terelj National Park and its famous ‘Turtle Rock’
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| An alternative view of Turtle Rock. |
Aryadal Temple - it was a 0.8KM uphill hike!
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| Signs with wise sayings lined the trail up to the temple the temple. |
Livestock roaming the countryside
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| Changgis Khan introduced the yak to Mongolia. |
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| The famous Trans-Siberian Railway (which runs from Moscow to Beijingg, crossing Mongolia) is shown in the background, with sheep and goats in the foreground. |
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| Of course, there are horses everywhere you look! |
Scenes of the stunningly beautiful and green Mongolian countryside. Just seeing these sights was a highlight of the day!
Gers (yurts) are as much a part of the Mongolian culture as horses are.
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| There are literally gers everywhere you look. In some places, ger resorts have been established.. |
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| This is a typical Mongolian village. Notice that, among the houses, there are gers interspersed. Some of the main dwellings of residents, while others serve as a shed, man-cave, who knows! |
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| A roadside stall selling mares’ milk, smoked fish, and other local delights. |
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| As we entered Ulaanbaatar at the end of the day, on the slopes of Bogd Khan Mountain, south of Ulaanbaatar, these symbols made of stones represent the country’s independence, with elements symbolizing fire, sun, moon and earth. |
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