Mongolia

Ate at a Mongolian restaurant in Beijing and have wanted to go here ever since!

If I believed in reincarnation, I would think that I have lived here at one point in time or another.

home of my user name,

The grass-lands are truly phenomenal. Up in the hills, looking where the eye can reach. No roads, power-lines, fences, ..

I’ve recently been watching the TV series made by Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman called “Long Way Round” about their motorcycle trip around the world. They fell in love with Mongolia, in spite of all of the hardships they had to endure trying to ride through it, and I must admit that from everything I saw in the shows I soooo want to go there now. Really really badly!
Please, if anybody wants to help me get there, I’m not too proud to accept charity based on pity…

Ever since I watched the great movie ‘Mongolian Pingpong’ I’ve had an ache to go here and take in the beautiful scenery. My parents really want to go here too so I hope we’ll be able to visit sometime.

Stay in a yurt.
ride horses
enjoy it!

Mongolia is a strange mix of buddhism, communism, old world, and Western world. Ulaanbaatar is the largest city consuming half of the entire country’s population. About a third of the population was also born in the early 1980s, so it is relatively young. Outside of this hodge-podge city, where no roads lie, exist the lifestyle of nomads living as they have for ages. It is awesome to experience, but one must be prepared: you do not run into English speakers, Mongolians have a learned sense of hatred/curiosity for the West from its communist times, and you will not find any star hotels. Water is a purchased commodity, and hotels generally do not have hot water unless asked for in advance. Despite its lack of modern luxuries (they do have cell phones, television, and vehicles), it’s hard to miss its rugged beauty and peace. I do not think I have been closer to the stars than when I was in the Altai Mountains, staying in a ger with no water or electricity. This is for those who do not need luxuries to enjoy a way of life.

Mongolia has never been a place i really contemplated going to, but i’ve recently made a new friend who spent almost a year teaching English there. the way she talks about it, it seems completely different from the perception i’ve always had, i.e. tents and yaks. i’m intrigued.

Seemed like a good start for my journey to find solitude.