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| Travel |
Text and photos by Jennifer Baljko
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Mongolia
Gallop through the countryside of Central Asia
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With the midmorning sun dancing on the crystal-clear water, I nervously fling my leg over my horse. Settling into the cushioned saddle, I’m thankful that it’s not the wooden type normally used in these parts. I admire my horse’s crew-cut mane and stroke his soft brown neck, hoping if we establish a friendly relationship, he won’t throw me off his back.
A quick tug on the reins and a sharp “chu!” sets us off on a slow trot along Terhiyn Tsagann Nuur (Great White Lake) and through the central Mongolian countryside.
I’m a city girl, accustomed to buses, trains, planes, cars and my own two feet to get me almost everywhere. But here I am in the middle of a country known for its horsemanship, not to mention the notorious Genghis Khan and his descendents, who in the 13th century built a vast and powerful empire on horseback.
Comforted by the fact that horse-riding dexterity runs through the veins of locals, I take a deep breath and listen to our guide as he gives instructions to our translator, Oko, who is joining me and my three companions on a 15-day, 3,100-kilometer tour. We started in the capital of Ulan Bator and looped south to the Gobi Desert and north to Hovsgol Nuur, a massive lake near the Russian border.
“We’ll walk along the lake and stop to see some caves. We’ll tie up the horses for a while and climb to the top of an extinct volcano. Then we’ll ride over the hills. There are great views of the lake from the top,” says the guide, who is dressed in a long gray robe, leather riding boots and a white American-style baseball hat. “Remember, when you mount the horse, always approach from the left side. They don’t like it when you come from the right,” she reminds us. Point taken.
The sound of hooves squishing the slightly muddy, grassy terrain and the horses’ relaxed rhythm put me in a trance. It’s hard not to see the reverence Mongolians have for their four-legged companions. Horses are everywhere, as are goats, cows, sheep, camels and yaks. By many estimates, animals far outnumber people. My guidebook says the horse-to-human ratio is 13-to-1.
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Images of statues I saw around Ulan Bator filled my head: helmeted warriors on sturdy steeds stood in the main Sükhbaatar Square, and ponies were playfully displayed in a small garden fronting the city’s National Academic Drama Theatre. I also recall the Naadam Festival horse races, where hundreds if not thousands of people flock to the city’s outskirts to watch 5- to 12-year-old kids race 15- to 30km courses. Spectators whoop when the riders crest a distant hill, and the cheers get louder as the exhausted, dust-covered jockeys approach the finish line.
Further out in the countryside, women milk mares in much the same way they do cows and yaks. While the milk of cows, yaks and even camels are used to make yogurt, butter, cream and cheese, mare’s milk serves a different purpose: it’s fermented into a much-loved alcoholic beverage called airag, which is often stored in one corner of the portable ger tent dwellings, and readily offered to visitors.
I couldn’t help but think, too, of the family near the Guchin-Us district, north of the Gobi Desert, who raised and domesticated horses. With mouths gaping, we admired the men’s wrangling skills, and watched one spirited stallion try to break away from the lasso swung around his neck. While horses here are tough, Mongolians are tougher. The head of the family dug his boots into the ground, and, despite being dragged water-skiing style for several meters, managed to tire the wild beast.
A tranquil camel ride near the Gobi’s sand dunes also came to mind, and I drew parallels to horseback riding. Both camels and horses are generally used to people, and both are much more surefooted than humans. Once I became acclimated to sitting on a saddle for an extended amount of time, I came to realize they’re not such a bad way of getting around, I tell myself. Maybe it’s even something I should do more often.
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Of course, that didn’t mean I was ready for galloping. Suddenly my daydreaming was interrupted with another “chu!” and a sudden burst from my otherwise mild-mannered horse. Our guide wanted to show us what his horses can do, with a sprint down the homestretch.
I didn’t remember being told the Mongolian word for “stop” (and
I wouldn’t be surprised if there wasn’t one). The horses have it in their blood to travel far at a fast pace. I pull the reins tight and, for a lack of
a better braking mechanism, yell “Whoa,” just like they do in the cowboy movies. It worked. We came almost to a halt. My guide smiles. I shake my head. We don’t need words to convey what we both know.
I’m still a city girl, learning the ropes in a place steeped with history, culture and nomadic hospitality. Slowly, though, one step at a time, the Mongolian way life is getting into my blood.
| Though Mongolia has several microclimates, the main tourist season runs from May to October. It peaks from the end of June through early September, with the weeks around the Naadam Festival (July 11-12) drawing more visitors. MIAT Mongolian Airlines (www.miat.com/web) has direct flights and an occasional connecting service through Seoul to Ulan Bator. Inquire at www.mongolia-foreign-policy.net for visa requirements. Given the country’s terrain and a lack of extensive public transportation, hiring a tour company is the preferred way to travel. Trips can usually be tailored to match interests, budgets and time requirements. Try Ger to Ger (www.gertoger.org), Khongor Guest House (www.mandarinmedia.com/projects/khongor), Nomadic Journeys (www.nomadicjourneys.com) and Tseren Tours (www.tserentours.com). |
Got children on summer holiday with time to occupy and energy to burn? Consider sending them to Nanbo Discovery Camp, with weeklong programs from June to August. Activities include snorkeling, nature walks, sports, camping and more. The facility is located at Nanbo Kokusai Mura, located 200m from the beach on Chiba’s Boso Peninsula. Discover Japan (www.discoverjapan.co.jp) operates the camps, and also hosts marine science weekends, school outings, tennis or sports training weekends, hikes, ski trips and bicycle excursions. For more information email info@discoverjapan.co.jp or call David Green at 090-7716-0102.
Lonely Planet has launched a travel channel on YouTube (www.youtube.com/lonelyplanet). The site will feature a selection of the best travel videos from the guidebook publisher’s own online video-sharing website, LonelyPlanet.tv, as well as exclusive content such as previews and behind-the-scenes footage. The site allows travelers to watch, rate and share videos as well. Would-be auteurs take note: the production team scouts for new filmmaking talent and pays US$500 for the best videos uploaded to the site. So on your next vacation, keep those cameras rolling. CB |
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