On the Road With Janice: Nomadic Adventures

by

On the Road With Janice

Nomadic Adventures

July 2. --  Hello! I am back to blogging my travel adventures, and probably a few misadventures. Those of you who have read the two previous blogs will know this is not a travel journal but more a sharing of experiences and observations. 

My thanks to all of you who asked for this blog. I am flattered. And thanks at the outset to Kathi Williams & the team at EIL for not only giving me this space,  but doing the magic of proofing and getting this  thing up on the World Wide Web. 

I am in MONGOLIA!!  Yep. That's right. That's me and my favorite Elegant Island Living hat in front of a gigantic Chinggis Khaan (the local spelling) statue in Chinggis Square. 

Why Mongolia? Well, really: Why not?? A new, interesting and different culture, history that goes on forever, natural beauty and outdoor experiences, wildlife. And it's about 25 degrees cooler than SSI!

As I write on Day Two of this journey, I anticipate you will see that this blog is different from the others. First, those of a couple years back were road trips around North America. This is a trip to a strange and faraway land that doesn't speak much English. This trip has an itinerary with 9 strangers, whereas there was more spontaneity in a car with me and my husband. And, of course, my husband, Larry, was my partner for the earlier trips as well as for the blog writing. He was a terrific editor! I do believe he travels with me in my heart, but his humor and my amusement at his view of the world - and me - will be missed. 

But much is the same. It is fitting that after the wanderings of the other two trips, I have chosen to come learn about a people who have been nomadic wanderers for thousands of years. The world is still a small place, even from the opposite side of the globe. There is still silliness in everyday life, still new discoveries to be made, and still much natural beauty to make me pause. 

So to answer the first question everyone wants to know: Outer or Inner Mongolia? Essentially, Outer. But that term lost meaning when Mongolia declared its independence at the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1911. Inner Mongolia exists today as a region in China. 

Second most popular question: How long was the flight? 32 hours door-to-door. Long. 

Readers of past blogs may remember I seemed to keep stumbling on biker gangs. Well, it continues! While changing planes in Seoul, I struck up a typical "Where are you from? Where are you going? Who with?" conversation with an American couple. They are ADVENTURE MOTORCYCLISTS and were going to cross Mongolia on their bikes (shipped ahead). Last year, they spent nearly three months biking from India over to Vietnam and then across the Silk Route ending at the English Channel!  Wow. People do that?! I am assuming that was my one obligatory biker encounter for this trip!

I spent my first day in Ulaanbaatar, the capital, recovering from jet lag and exploring.  A city of roughly one million people, one-third of the country's entire population, I am overwhelmed with contrasts. From my hotel window I can see high rise apartment buildings. But then just a few miles further out, climbing the slopes of the green mountains that surround the city, are clusters of the traditional Mongolia gets (yurts in the rest of the world).

I shopped for souvenirs in a place called The State Department Store (think part Macy's, part Costco, part Walmart). I then had lunch in the Central Tower where you find Versace, Burberry and Hugo Boss. 

Lunch. Stopped for sushi (excellent and this country is landlocked, 400 miles from the ocean!) and thought I'd try a Mongolian beer. The waitress looked at me, said something I didn't understand and then pointed to this sign on the beer fridge:

Needless to say, I couldn't understand the Cyrillic sign either. So she and I tried again. Clearly the answer was no. I couldn't have a beer. No? Not here? And then she waves her arms around pointing out to the city. Huh? So I settled for tea. 

Returning to the hotel, I showed this picture I'd taken to the concierge, asking him what it said. "No alcoholic beverage sold on the first day of the month." And alcohol sales had been prohibited the PRIOR day as it was a national election, so it had really been TWO days! In an attempt to control alcoholism, the country has a rule: 12 days a year...no booze. Maybe ending the 25 degree below zero days in the winter would be more effective! 

Contrasts. The bank where I went to change money had tellers wearing matching ladylike uniforms. And matching pearl earrings. Yet many sidewalks are crumbling and uneven, making for very tough walking. 

Unemployment is 15 percent yet construction companies bring in about 200,000 Chinese each year who are trained in road construction, building, etc. 

In a Buddhist temple, an older monk writing in his notepad sitting next to a younger monk texting. 

Visiting a beautiful ornate temple and looking up to see the decorative roofline silhouetted against the brilliant blue sky. Beyond the roofline, a towering modern office building.

But today, as the tour officially got going, the history of this country and how far it has come in 25 years since communist rule made me see these contrasts as nothing in the perspective of thousands of years.  

At one time, Mongolia controlled all of Eurasia from Hungary and the Ukraine, across Russia, down through Japan, Korea, Vietnam, all of China, and across to Delhi and Baghdad. To manage this vast empire, they created a mail system not unlike our Pony Express. Women had powerful roles in government. The conquering Mongols practiced tolerance, allowing subjects to keep religions and cultures. There was an income tax, with relief for priests. They created a common currency across the empire with paper money. 

Fast forward to the 20th century when this strongly Buddhist nation saw the Soviets destroy nearly all of 800 temples and executed tens of thousands of monks. 

Today after seeing three remaining beautiful temples, my senses were overwhelmed. The smell of juniper incense swirling around me. The sound of the conch shell calling monks to morning prayer. The constant rhythmic chant of monks. Paintings vibrant with colors created from minerals. Shining spinning prayer wheels. The huge 75 foot tall bronze sculpture of the goddess of compassion, looking down at me through jeweled eyes. 

More to learn and more to wander. 

Leaving the city tomorrow for the countryside and my first night in a ger.