The first surprise was dinosaur fossils.
Now, I can pretty much take or leave dinosaurs and the brief display in the Gobi of a few eggs and bones was fine for me. But in Ulaanbaatar, we were taken to a small dinosaur museum. Here, another example of the odd time shifts and contrasts that constantly confront a traveler in this country: Only three years ago, this building was a museum dedicated to Lenin, complete with a large statue of him at the entrance. They removed the statue and, overnight, made this small building the Mongolian Dinosaur Museum. (Mongolia considers dinosaur fossils “national treasures” and prohibits the export of these culturally significant artifacts. This museum was a big deal even though the country has only three doctorate-level paleontologists and no university-level courses in paleontology.) Because of the dry Gobi air, Mongolia is unique in unearthing many intact, complete dinosaur skeletons. I’ve seen the Natural History Museum’s dinosaur display in New York, but this was incredible! (Photos are lifted from the internet as picture taking was prohibitied.)
One exhibit had two fighting dinosaurs locked in combat. Their action pose has been preserved for 80 million years! One – the carnivore Velociraptor has its deadly foot claw embedded in the neck of the plant-eating Protoceratops who – in defense – appears to have bitten the right arm of his opponent. That the two foes’ battle is so well captured indicated to scientists that a sudden sand flow may have quickly buried them until their discovery in 1971…just a mere 45 years ago!! Sorta the dinosaur version of Pompeii. Just imagine! This is real stuff. Here are two real dinosaurs having a fight to the death. And whoosh...in comes some sand slide and their lives…and their battle…are snuffed out in an instant! 80 million years ago, life was as fragile as it is today.
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In the next room stood a nearly complete actual skeleton of a Tyranosaurus bataar – basically a T-Rex. But these bones weren’t just dragged in off the Gobi! Apparently a commercial paleontologist from Florida smuggled the Tyrannosaurus into the U.S. with false papers claiming it was from the UK and then proceeded to sell it at auction for over $1 million! (Remember: Mongolia prohibits exports and considers these national treasures.) This same crooked fossil smuggler had previously sold his booty at a gallery which had, in turn, sold the skull of a Mongolian Tyranosauras b. to Nicolas Cage (who had outbid Leonardo DiCaprio)! (Cage later returned the skull.) Now we know what the rich and famous do with their money: buy dinosaur skulls. Smuggler paid a fine and spent three months in jail.
And then - talk about contrast! - it was on to an evening performance by The Grand Orchestra of the Mongolian National Song and Dance. I was amazed & transfixed. A full 85 piece orchestra, using traditional Mongolian instruments, played both Mongolian traditional music as well as classical and, I swear, if you closed your eyes you would not know you were listening to violins, cellos, clarinets, etc.
The program included vocal soloists who performed traditional “long songs”, so called because – yes – they are long. But part of what makes them long is that each syllable of text is extended for a long duration. A four-minute song may only consist of ten words. The other main feature is the distinct vibrato held on each vowel. The sound – reminiscent of a pitch fork vibrating - is unusual, both haunting and piercing, but not unpleasant.
The other Mongolian vocal tradition that is well known is throat singing. Somehow, singers produce two tones simultaneously from their throat…sort of like creating your own harmony. It is an odd haunting sound.
The famous “horse head fiddle” is integral to Mongolian culture and is listed in the UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It is a trapezoid wooden-framed sound box with two strings made from nylon or – traditionally - horses' tails. The larger, or male, string has 130 hairs from a stallion’s tail. The female string has 105 from a mare’s tail. At the top, the tuning pegs are attached to a carved horse’s head. The sound is very much like a violin or fiddle.
The evening’s performance also included an amazing contortionist who could stand against anyone from Cirque du Soleil and several dance groups, all performing to a particularly ethnic or tribal group. An incredible last evening in Mongolia!
As I have in previous blogs, next week I will conclude this nomadic adventure trip by sharing a few particularly lasting memories, and some amusing moments along the journey. Meanwhile, I will wrap this up with more about how to get around Mongolia. It really does capture so much about this country:
Want to visit a neighbor’s ger? Feel free to hire a yak cart!
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Take the family along as you herd your horses.
Know how to change a tire, because Triple A is a long way away!
Approaching airport: Will dust clouds from “highway” traffic obscure take off?
