Things are picking up now. We have only had a handful of days in class, and we are already getting ready for our midterm at the end of the week. It’s a crazy life these days. But some fellow pacrimmers and I agree that none of us have ever learned as much in two weeks as we have on this trip. Experiential learning at its best. I really appreciate it now.
As some of you know, from September 1st-4th we were lucky enough to go on a bus excursion through the beautiful Mongolian countryside. It was INCREDIBLE. The most beautiful natural scenery I have ever seen in my life. I really wish the pictures could translate it.
The connections we have through our program directors are unbelievable. First of all, the abbot of the monastery in Ulaanbaatar in which we meet for daily class accompanied us on our weekend trip, and was able to connect us with some otherwise untouchable characters. Our first night away from the city was spent at a breathtaking retreat called Old Man’s Monastery, which is the site of some pretty cool 17th century temple ruins thanks to the Chinese.
The property now includes a small ger (yurt) camp and a ranch with some nice communal buildings for eating. And bathrooms! With toilet paper! And functioning flushers! This has become quite a luxury for us.
This place was amazing. I just can’t even describe how lucky I felt to be seeing everything. It was like a tiny pocket of heaven, tucked away inside an elbow of mountains. The only other structures for hundreds of miles were the occasional ger or wooden stable popping up on the flat land.
But with the remoteness comes some difficulties, especially for a 35-person tour bus. No paved roads out there. No speed limits. No gas stations. No rest stops. Hence the bathroom challenges. Finding a bush big enough to squat behind was like winning the lottery. And our toilet paper had to be packed out with us. Needless to say, we have all gotten a lot more comfortable talking about our potty patterns in the past month.
Anyway, back to the beauty. On our way to Old Man’s Monastery, we were able to stop by the Mini Gobi, which was a field of sand dunes where a few camel owners hang out. And we all had a chance to take a ride. It felt like riding a big, slow-moving carpet. But it was a great feeling to be in this wide-open space with the sun shining down, hanging out on the back of a camel. I loved it.
I also decided on a pretty cool photo montage that I’m gonna work on throughout the trip. I’ve started collecting photos of myself in cool yoga poses at every beautiful site we visit. I’ll try to turn it into something cool when I get home.
Here is the beginning:
Nighttime in the wilderness resulted in the most incredible star-gazing experience of my life. I realized that the Mongolian countryside is probably one of the most vast and sparsely populated places on earth, which alone lends itself to amazing sky views. The weather was also perfect, not a cloud in the sky.
The next day we woke up cold (the temperature changes in the desert are unreal) but eventually got way too hot by the afternoon. We followed the abbot on an impromptu tour of the ancient temple ruins and the active temples that have taken their place. Next, we took a hike/climb up the mountain to explore another set of ruins located at the top. That was a…challenge. A few of us were straggling and got separated from the group…and subsequently lost. We were hot. And tired. And starving. I failed to follow my cardinal rule – always bring snacks! But it was worth it. We trudged on. Group leaders and navigators emerged from our small group. And I’m starting to realize the gift of a good attitude and a good-quality conversation to any situation, no matter how grim. I don’t need food, just friends J Had I known the amazing lunch that awaited me, I would have been more than happy to make the trek.
After the climb, we reboarded the bus and drove a few miles to a private home/ranch where a group of local farmers had gathered to greet us! I’m starting to realize how warm and welcoming the Mongolian people are. The vibe out here is a stark contrast to that of the city. The pastoral people have a much more delightful spirit to them. They were more than happy to let us into their 2-room home and let our cooking crew use their kitchen. All 35 of us squeezed into their living room to eat. That was a pretty surreal moment. They performed an entire horsemanship demonstration for us, where a long herding stick was placed in the grass and the young guys would ride by, bend down on their saddles and attempt to pick it up. It was pretty fun to watch. But my favorite part was hanging out with the little kids. No verbal communication necessary. They made machine gun noises just like little Elliott! The universal language of childhood. They were delightful.
Lastly, we were invited into an old man’s ger for endless bowls of airag (fermented mare’s milk), various cheese-like sweets and unidentified boiled animal parts! My favorite! It was quite generous. We were able to speak to the man through the translator that accompanied us, and I was surprised to learn that he preferred life during the socialist time. Mongolia gained independence from the former Soviet Union and created a democratic government only ten years ago. He appreciated the order and equality between all citizens during the socialist time. I guess it makes sense because from his perspective, people in the city are getting richer and richer today, while his lifestyle remains the same, or perhaps gets harder. With socialism, there must have been a much more balanced division of labor.
After we said our goodbyes, we were off to another inn-style ger camp in Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia. Not as exciting as our first night in the wilderness, but still an experience. The next day we visited Erden Zuu Monastery, which was once the most prominent monastery in Mongolia, but now has only one active temple. The rest are only open for tourism. Again, amazingly beautiful. I’m running out of words to describe this place.
I’m getting better at bargaining after my experience with the souvenir shops outside the monastery. I picked up some awesome jewelry and trinkets for the fam. Get excited you guys.
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