Places and Regions
ULAANBAATAR
This strange city just north of the forested Bogd Khan Mountains was founded where it is today in 1778. At that time the city was a completely migrating ger city, and before that it moved around for some 140 years before being established where it is now by the Tuul River.
Adrian and Elias Wigsten in Ulaanbaatar.
Sometimes the Maral deers of the Bogd Khan Mountain
migrates into the city from the nearby strictly protected area.
Even today, more than half of the Ulaanbaatar population live in ger (yurts) traditional dwellings. Some move out into the countryside in summer with their entire household. About half a million people live in Ulaanbaatar, which is one quarter of the Mongolian population. The most important sights in Ulaanbaatar proper is the Museum of Natural History, the Bogd Khan Winter Palace and the Gandan monastery. If these sights are open to the public, we will visit them.
The Natural History Museum house stuffed native animals of all kinds, so we can appreciate the variety of wildlife in the country. The most famous displays are several intact dinosaur skeletons, found in the Gobi. And there are even petrified dinosaur eggs.
The Bogdo Gegen was the Living Buddha of the Mongols and considered only second to the Dalai & Panchen Lamas of Tibet. Like the Potala in Lhasa, his residence has been turned into a palace museum. When Bogdo Gegen was made the monarch of Mongolia in 1921, his title was changed to Bogd Khan. The Bogd Khan Winter Palace is a replica of Dalai Lamas summer palace, Norbulingka at Lhasa.
His personal ger is on display inside. It is completely covered with snowleopard skins! When Bogd Khan died in 1924, the incarnations were discontinued.
The Gandan Monastery was the only functioning lamasery during the entire communist time. It is still the main monastery of Mongolia. Today, the Mongolian Buddhists receive financial support from India, which is coordinated by the Indian Ambassador in Ulaanbaatar. He is a Ladakhi, and himself a Rinpoche (saint). These funds seem to be raised by the Tibetan government in exile in India. In the mornings we are usually able to enter the temple and experience the prayers. Taking photographs is not allowed inside. This should, of course, be respected.
Lately, many private entrepreneurs have opened up a number of restaurants in the city. It is no longer a problem getting tasty food outside the hotels. Many new hotels and nightclubs have also been established. The Ulaanbaatar scene have changed dramatically over the last 2-3 years only, and earlier visitors will notice the change.
THE GOBI
The Gobi is a general Mongolian description of the entire South, one third of the country. It is not a complete desert, as often perceived by Westerners. It is claimed to hold 33 different ecosystems of which only 3 percent is true desert. Most of it is semi-desert.
Hongoriin Els
The Hongor Sands, or the Hongoriin Els, is a spectacular 180 kilometers (112 miles) long sand dune. It is several hundred meters high and just about 300 m wide. It is a superb experience of serenity and solitude to be near these sand dunes. At sunset and sunrise, by moonlight, the shifting light causes these dunes to change its character constantly against the green, green grass lawn on the leeward side of this great sand dune. Along its entire length there is an open stream, the Honguriin Gol, and blue iris bloom in profusion in June or July.
Hongoriin Els in South Gobi is a giant sand
dune, some 180 km long.
Our campsite in July 1992.
Herdsmen live with their livestock just along the sands, since the pasture is very good on the green grass at the leeward edge of the dunes. We offer vehicle supported treks only in this area.
Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park
The Gurvansaikhan Mountains is an extension of the Altai into the Gobi. It is a very large national park and cover also some of the surrounding desert steppe zones. The mountains are rich in wildlife and we are almost guaranteed to see plenty of Ibexes on the ridges in the early morning. It is also quite possible to spot the giant Argali Sheep. Due to the elevation, the flora encountered is alpine, and surprisingly related to Scandinavian species. The famous Yol Valley is a deep ravine where Lammergeiers (Yol means Lammergeier in Mongolian) nest. Birdwatchers are also delighted at short range at most times be able to see the Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) here. The Yol ravine have permanent ice in its shady parts all through the summer. Herdsmen even keep yaks here. Most yaks however, are cow and yak cross-breeds which the Mongols call "hainag" (Tibetan: "dzo").
Ibexes on a ridge at Gurvansaikhan National
Park, early morning.
Bordzongobi
Far west of Dalanzadgad, in the Nomgon sub-province bordering China, there is an arid plain, which is devoid of any vegetation in the middle, and covered with small shrubs in the extremes. Bordzongobi is a superb wildlife area with an abundance of black-tailed gazelle and the endangered "khulan" or wild ass. It is estimated that approximately 2000 khulan make Bordzongobi their home.
There is also the Bordzongobi Mountains where we make our campsite in a spectacular ravine filled with rock engravings from the period of the Huns. The best we ever have seen in all Mongolia. It is located just by the ruins of a previous monastery. The mountain area also is said to have numerous of snow leopard, lynx, argali sheep and ibex. Very few people, even herdsmen, roam about in this area. And none at all on the plain itself.
Gobi Altai
The extreme west of the Gobi areas. This is where the high Altai Mountains meets the Gobi steppes. The peaks are around 4000 meters above sea level, and usually snow-capped. It is a very arid region, with very interesting wildlife such as the Gobi Bear (Mazalai), wild camels (Havtagai), Ibexes, Argali Sheep and Snow Leopards. All present in the Great Gobi National Park. On request we may be able to stage camel treks here. The best months are May and October, then it's not too hot.
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