Surprise in Mongolia- from Hell to Heaven.

I had fantasies about Mongolia and its endless planes stretching over the horizon. As with most fantasies, even this one was bound to be shattered. Little did I know what Mongolia had in store for me.

One thing you'll have plenty of in Mongolia besides horses is space

Mongolia was the last station on my second extended world trip sometimes in the last decade or so. Time is a funny concept to me, but I don't buy into it much, so I apologize for lack of precision in time-space continuum.

I was traveling with my buddy Ra. We met in Kazakhstan and slowly made our way on land through Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and China. Ra was a virgin in the traveling style that I pursue, which basically sums up to- no plan, no guidebook, no bookings, no going with the crowd. I also travel alone, but he somehow convinced me that we are meant to do this trip together. The boy learned fast. He soaked up my traveling knowledge like a sponge. In couple weeks I felt like he is a valuable addition to our trip, and that says a lot, cause I am one moody demanding bitch. Or at least back then I was. He changed me as much as I changed him. As much as Mongolia changed both of us.

Typical yurta village in rural areas

We arrived to border crossing in Erlian (China) by bus from Beijing. We aimed to cross to Zamin Uud (Mongolia) by walk, only to find out that it can't be done. One has to be inside a vehicle. Forcing our way in one of the many passing cars after we got our exit stamp was not easy but fun. Because there was no such things as empty space in any of the passing cars. I eventually squeezed in between pile of boxes in old Russian jeep. Ra arrived later in similar smuggling mode.
Outside of busy border crossing, Zamin Uud is a lazy town. Before departure of overnight train to Ulaanbaatar we had enough time to play pool in the main square and get in trouble when we were asked to pay a hilarious sum afterwards, which we didn't do.

billiard club in Zamin Uud

Crossing the Gobi desert by train was stunning. Sunset over the vastness of it. Train is my most favorite means of transport and I loved trains in Mongolia. Reminded me of my home country 30 years ago. We met great Mongolian people and I started to get a taste of how they are. Mongolians remind me of Vietnamese. They are proud and authentic. They are not one least bit impressed by westerners and if they don't like you, they will show it openly. I like that a lot.

overnight train across Gobi desert

We eventually found a great place to stay in Ulaanbaatar- the infamous Hotel Negdelchin. It was cheap, clean but shabby, and grumpy Mongolian gentlemen brought their lovers there for a quick fix. Receptionist was an old lady who actually started to like me once I switched from English to Russian. We were the only foreigners there. I loved that place.

Negdelchin the place to be!

One day we decided that it's about time we ride horses. We asked around and ended up in some local bus headed somewhere out of town. To my surprise, after an hour or two, we actually did end up in a village where everyone rode horses. So we went for a ride. First time to ride a horse for me. First time I realized how intelligent that animal is. It can actually laugh at you. At least it did laugh at me. I decided I won't be scared. At one point one local boy who was racing past me forced my horse to gallop unexpectedly. It was like losing virginity. I clung to my horse's neck, feeling the wind in my hair and the rush of awe and exhilaration. Ra scratched his behind to blood (something on his saddle) which made the locals bend in laughter cause they thought he shitted himself.
We camped in the woods by the river, cooked our dinner on fire, and went back to our strategic base in Negdelchin the next day.
The day of greater adventure came soon. We decided to cross Mongolia all the way up to Khovsgol lake, close to border with Russia. Train goes only to Bulgan, from there it's hundreds of kilometres of plains to cross. Some people told us that hitch hiking does not work in Mongolia so we decided to hitch hike. It went great for us. I remembered how I hitch hiked across whole Australia following tips of one of the guys who gave me a ride- he told me to dance. So we danced, by the side of the road, grinning from ear to ear. Some cars actually stopped just to look at us, the white idiots at the side of the road. And that's how we got a two day ride across the wide stretches of plains with an elderly couple. They only spoke Mongolian, so the initial communication about what we actually want (a ride west) was done via phone with their daughter, who spoke English.
It took us another lift to get to Khovsgol lake, actually maybe a few, one of them on a pick up truck.

Don't be fooled this was one final stretch just before Khovzgol with new road. There are no roads across the central plains

Khovsgol village was rainy, cold, and unwelcoming. We bought some potatoes to cook in ashes and found a place to camp in the forest close to town. I was tired. And fed up with Mongolia. I liked the people, but I also disliked their manly ego. The next morning was when the biggest breakthrough on this world trip happened to me.

the day I stepped into the moment

I woke up to sunshine falling through a misty forest. And it pierced the clouds in my mind. I remembered the interview with Eckhart Tolle we listened to in the train, about accepting the present moment fully without trying to change it. And all of a sudden I was there. And I loved Mongolia. The shabby village, my wet tent, the grumpy men frowning at us and back aching from huge backpack. All of it.
Next few days were a bliss. We moved to opposite side of lake and spent 3 days in our improvised hippie camp, naked most of the time. We danced around our massive fire (there was so much wood everywhere!), did yoga, smoked the pure tobacco we got from lovely mountain people in Tajikistan (we named it "Laika" after the Russian dog which was sent to space cause that's where it shoot us), and went to town only once to buy more potatoes and veggies. On the way back we helped a woman repair her fence. She was struggling with the big hammer and had no nails so we had to pull the old ones out and straighten them up. The whole thing happened without a word. She kissed our hands in gratitude when we waved good-bye. We were anxious to be back in our Tarzan mode.

Ra in our yoga studio

The journey back to Ulaanbaatar went even smoother. I think we broke the world record in speed hitch hiking. As soon as we put our backpacks down in gas station where we intended to hassle our way into someone's car (there were very few passing by...), a drunk guy approached us and in broken English explained- I am an engineer and I need to be back in Bulgan tomorrow or my wife will kill me. There were two drunk women in his car. I told him I can handle that.

They had to go...

An hour later, after he got rid of the ladies and finally handed the wheel of his new Toyota Landcruiser V8 limited edition over two me, I was racing across the Mongolian planes towards the dimming daylight in the east. We only stopped when the engineer needed to vomit then went back to sleep on the backseat.

Yaks are friendly. Typical for Central Asia and Tibetan plateau

Mongolia gave me a special gift, which stayed ever since in me. Sometimes it just sits in the background, like silently smoking cinders that could be brought back to fire of life anytime I decide that HERE and NOW is a good place to be.

Thank you for reading,

Love and Light on your journey,

Jan

Follow me @jankasparec

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