Mongolia is a completely fascinating and amazing place. I don't have nearly enough time to do it justice here, since I have about 20 minutes before I have to head for the train.
Much of Mongolia is vast and largely barren steppe. Ulaanbaatar, the capital, is a notable exception. It is a very cosmopolitan city and the people who live here are extremely stylish and pulled together. One of the most impressive things we saw here was the Gandan Hiid monastery, where monks keep up their ancient prayers and rituals. The temples were decorated in a gorgeous array of colors and the whole place had an air of peace and calm about it.
Taking a break from the city, we spent two days in the Mongolian countryside, staying in a traditional Mongolian felt ger (yurt). This was probably the highlight of the trip. I don't think I've ever been so far away from the frenzy of every day life. The countryside was beautiful and made for some fantastic hiking. We also got to go horse back riding across the steppe, which was unbelievably cool.
The ger was much more comfortable than I expected. I can actually see how people live in them year round. Our final night was capped off with amazingly clear skies and millions of stars, including the Milky Way stretching in a band straight over our heads.
I will miss Mongolia. I've enjoyed it even more than I ever anticipated I would. But now I am off to start the real train journey. We will be traveling on the train for 5 days and 4 nights across Siberia to Moscow. I will be completely off the grid with virtually no access to the outside world, which sounds pretty appealing right now.
I'm looking forward to amazing scenery and relaxation. I do, however, realize that 5 days is a long time. I'm sure I'll have some interesting stories after this trip...
Much of Mongolia is vast and largely barren steppe. Ulaanbaatar, the capital, is a notable exception. It is a very cosmopolitan city and the people who live here are extremely stylish and pulled together. One of the most impressive things we saw here was the Gandan Hiid monastery, where monks keep up their ancient prayers and rituals. The temples were decorated in a gorgeous array of colors and the whole place had an air of peace and calm about it.
Taking a break from the city, we spent two days in the Mongolian countryside, staying in a traditional Mongolian felt ger (yurt). This was probably the highlight of the trip. I don't think I've ever been so far away from the frenzy of every day life. The countryside was beautiful and made for some fantastic hiking. We also got to go horse back riding across the steppe, which was unbelievably cool.
The ger was much more comfortable than I expected. I can actually see how people live in them year round. Our final night was capped off with amazingly clear skies and millions of stars, including the Milky Way stretching in a band straight over our heads.
I will miss Mongolia. I've enjoyed it even more than I ever anticipated I would. But now I am off to start the real train journey. We will be traveling on the train for 5 days and 4 nights across Siberia to Moscow. I will be completely off the grid with virtually no access to the outside world, which sounds pretty appealing right now.
I'm looking forward to amazing scenery and relaxation. I do, however, realize that 5 days is a long time. I'm sure I'll have some interesting stories after this trip...
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