Mongolian Tour: Gobi and Sub-Gobi Desert PART 3

The red cliffs of Bayanzag and a sandstorm hits

Mongolia has been and is a paradise for both archaeologists and palaeontologists. We were almost blown off some startlingly red cliffs (Bayanzag) on a very windy day. Many dinosaur skeletons and eggs were found there but we just tried to stay upright and enjoy the view. 

Bayanzag

Bayanzag

Bayanzag

After returning to the van and continuing on our way, we encountered a lonely outpost in the middle of the desert. The "town hall" is used as a meeting place for locals and sometimes tour guides prepare meals here!

The "town hall" of the area

Not long after spotting the town hall we encountered a sand storm. We already knew Batar was an excellent driver by this point, but any lingering doubts would have been quelled when he got us through the storm in almost zero visibility. 

 THE SANDSTORM HITS

The sandstorm approaches

The sandstorm arrives

Navigating the sandstorm

"Roads" become rivers

When we arrived at our accommodation for the night we were keen to celebrate our survival, not to mention Tasha's birthday. 

Monastry ruins and runaway horses

In the middle Gobi we visited the Ongi monastery ruins. We were introduced to the area by a man whose brother was a lama at the monastery. He told us about how monks were either murdered or forced into labor. Seeing a place that has been devastated by a regime imposing itself on a culture, as it has here, is always heartbreaking. This would have been an even more majestic place in its prime. The scenery in the area was again lovely, the environment in Mongolia does have the tendency to turn you into a broken record in this respect.

View from the Ongi monastery 

Ruins of the Ongi monastery

Some of the most enjoyable lunches were prepared roadside by Bimba. This one occurring without even having to pull off the road!

Roadside lunch

A brief toilet break (Mongolian wild style – use your jacket if you need privacy) gave us the first impression of a change in climate. Horses abounded that day and soon we would reach the ancient capital of Karakorum.

Running horses

Horsies on the loose

Best clouds in the world

The ancient capital

The centre of the Mongolian empire for a long period, Karakorum was founded in 1220 in the Orkhon valley. This ancient city was busy point on the route of the Silk Road. For me, it really drove home the incredible power of the Mongolian empire. 

The Mongolian empire

We visited the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. There was an archaeology dig at the site and I had previously read that much of the ancient city was yet to be found underground. Pretty exciting!

Erdene Zuu: the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia

Erdene Zuu

Turtle rock formerly at the entrance of the ancient town

River stop along the way

Bimba wants blonde hair!

After the bumpiest day on the road yet, we arrived at the beautiful White Lake where we would spend the next few days. 

Terkhiin Tsagaan (White Lake)

Rob enjoying the view at Terkhiin Tsagaan 

~ TO BE CONTINUED~

Mongolian Tour: Gobi and Sub-Gobi Desert PART 2

Both the desert and ice canyon in one day!

I still cannot quite wrap by mind around the fact we saw an ice canyon surround by the Gobi desert.  I understand the process that created it, but it just doesn’t fit with what you expect to find in the middle of a desert! We had a lovely walk around the area and had a competition to see whose icy hands would fall off first...naturally. The area in which we stayed was often a highlight of our days for me, especially when goats on barrels were involved!

Camels and singing sand dunes

Sometimes it is easy to forget just how long we spent on the road. Some days it was as much as 8 hours but it probably averaged around 6 hours. To get to the wonders of Mongolia a long time in a vehicle and a very bumpy road is not only necessary, but part of the experience. I loved the way we stopped off to talk to passing parties. 

One of our many roadside chats

After a morning driving we reached a family that herded camels. The children were again gorgeous and the camels were willing to take us on their backs! Due to the season you really only had to lightly touch the camel and its hair came off in your hand. 

Our ride on the two-humped camels through the desert was enjoyable but I am glad it was not longer than a half hour. Our destination was the GREAT 2015 CLIMBING THE SAND DUNES CHALLENGE. It was really hard going. We kept thinking we were close only to go a bit further and realise there was a lot more hill left to climb, and it was only getting steeper. I think our camel guide left us at the hardest bit as a joke! Eventually Sarah had enough and started to walk back to the ger. The rest of us, perhaps stupidly, persevered ten steps at a time. Not only did the sand in our shoes and clothes weigh us down but it really felt like 3 steps forwards 2 steps sinking back. We were well and truly rewarded at the top.

The "singing" sand dunes were known for the tremendous noise that occurred when you ran down the dunes, displacing sand as you went:

~ TO BE CONTINUED~