Final Thoughts

Mongolia captured our hearts.  From the Naadam competitions in the Gobi to the Eagle Hunters in the west, we left with a better understanding of the Mongolian culture and its people.  While an ancient country, it feels as if they are awaking for their next big challenge.  We felt blessed to have had the opportunity to photograph the landscape and its people.

If you'd like to learn more or even find a guided tour, I would suggest looking up Indy Guides (http://indy-guide.com/mongolia) to get great information on any trips your interested in.

While I doubt we'll return (too many fresh opportunities for adventure) I would recommend a visit to anyone wanting to truly get off the grid.  I kept thinking during our journey that this land must be what early pioneers encountered when heading west in America - vast open spaces, grasslands with grazing herds and native peoples that had learned how to deal with all the challenges they found.  I'm sure this will change as the world continues to look for new spaces to conquer.  I'm just glad I had the opportunity to experience it as it is today.

Last Day

After yet another shower (I'm sure we all had at least 2 since returning to the hotel from our camping trip) we visited the Gandantegchinlen Monastery.  This was the only Buddhist monastery that was allowed to remain open during communist rule.  One of the three largest Buddha statutes in the world (and perhaps the largest indoor statute in the world) is here.

We also had the opportunity to listen to the monks at their chanting lessons.  There were all ages of monks in the school practicing.  Outside in the courtyard, visitors, people cutting through on their way to work and monks all mingled.  In one large pot holding incense, several young women waved their wallets in search of good fortune.  There were large prayer wheels that a person could walk around and turn for prayer offerings.  While not as opulent as the temples we visited in Myanmar, this one felt very real and symbolizes a nation rediscovering its Buddhist roots.

We had a couple of hours before our final critique session.  One person in our group thought it would be great to stage our own photo shoot to show Ira we heard his instructions to pick a great background and wait for something to happen.  Here's some of the shots we sprung on him at our final session:

We also took a few minutes to buy those last minute cashmere gifts we couldn't live without.  We unfortunately found that the sales they were having last time we visited we 'real' sales, not ones that are always on for the tourists.  It was still a great deal compared to home.

Tonight we gathered to watch our final slide show.  Liza does a great job to feature everyone's work while presenting a show that really captures our experiences during the trip.  Mongolia was an incredible backdrop to teach us how to take better photos.  We also got to make some great new friends, many we'll see on future trips.

We had our final dinner at a delicious Indian restaurant.  Dinner was served family style and none of us left hungry.  Most of us were leaving in the morning, so we said our goodbyes and headed to bed.

A Day of Travel

With our time over with the Eagle Hunters, it was time for our group to return to Ulaanbatar.  This would turn out to take an entire day.

This morning, Ira asked us to give him any pictures we had taken of the families and the hunters so that he could make prints and hand them out before we left.  His little portable printer had wonderful color and was relatively fast.  Everyone that received a photo genuinely appreciated them.

After a mid-morning brunch, we loaded up our gear and started our trip back to Ulgii to catch our plane back to the big city.  This time we headed up into the hills instead of into the valley.  I don't think we could have made this trip without the Russian vans that were able to crawl up the rough roads.  Since we were sitting backwards, we could only judge what was coming by the looks on the faces of our fellow passengers.  This was a little frightening when they couldn't hide their concern at the roads ahead.

Even though it was slow going we finally made it back to the paved road heading into Ulgii.  We had our bags weighed and we checked in for our flight.  While the flights are technically 'scheduled' that doesn't really mean that you'll leave on time.  They also were considering a stop on our way back to pick up freight but decided not to since our departure time was pushed back.  This airport is so small that the only bathroom available before going through security was an outhouse in front of the building!

We all looked a little ragged since there were no showers today and we were a little tired.  We started noticing people were showing up wearing their Sunday best.  Once we got through security, it became apparent that someone special was coming on the incoming flight.  What we supposed was the mayor stopped by our little waiting room and asked how we enjoyed our visit to the region.  More well dressed towns people gathered outside to greet the VIP.  It turns out the visitor was a government Minister.  People threw candy at her then picked it back up to take home.  A beautiful coat was presented to her.  While this was a little interesting to our group, it also meant our plane was going to be late departing.

The flight back was uneventful.  We had some great views out our windows down onto the varied landscape.  I got a good idea of how vast and uninhabited much of the area remains.  You could see the excitement building among our group at the prospect of a hotel shower.  Liza was practically giddy as we approached our destination.  We grabbed our keys and hopped in the shower followed by several in our group heading for the bar for a bite to eat and a nightcap.

It had certainly been an amazing three days but we were all thankful to be back to the land of running water.

Tomorrow: Our last day together

More Time With the Eagle Hunters

Sleeping seemed to go better for us this time since we knew we needed to dress warmly for bed.  Showers were also setup for us using gravity fed bags filled with hot water hung in a small, square tent.  It felt good to wash a layer of dust away from our journey even if it was a little challenging getting it all to work correctly.

This morning after breakfast our entire group gathered in an open field to photograph the hunters mounted on their horses with their eagles on their arms.  The horses galloped towards us as we perfected our shots of moving subjects.  It was great practice with exceptional subjects.

During the heat of the day, the eagles rested by a ger, most with leather hoods on to keep them calm.  We used the hottest part of the day to hold our third critique session.  Ira is really ramping up his comments trying to improve our skills during the trip.

Later in the afternoon we photographed the drivers with their freshly washed cars (the river served as their car wash), the family that owned our rented ger and the Eagle Hunters.  An impromptu session  of everyone taking a turn holding the eagles took up most of our time.  We now appreciated how heavy they are and the strength needed to hunt with these majestic golden eagles.

We gathered in the ger for a question and answer session with the hunters.  The eagles they use are obtained one of two ways: either taking a baby from its nest or trapping an adult under the age of three using nets.  The eagles are easily trained with the adolescents taking a few days and the older ones a little longer.  They only use female eagles because of their size and hunting abilities.  The hunters will keep their birds until around the age of 12 when they are returned to the wild and allowed to reproduce.  A great deal of trust must be established between the hunter and the eagle as the eagle has the opportunity to fly off when hunting.  The birds can hunt rabbit, lynx, fox and wolves, with them sometimes even going after small sheep.  They can capture prey many times their weight with their powerful talons.   Once they capture their prey it is the hunter’s responsibility to separate the eagle from the animal.  They gift the fur to families hosting them during their hunts but use the meat to feed the birds.

We adjourned to the open field again for a demonstration of the skills they must perform during the eagle festivals.  The first skill demonstrated entailed the hunter kneeling on the ground calling their eagle while the eagle rested on the arm of another person mounted on a horse.  Not all of the eagles cooperated but we did have two that were up for the task.  The second skill involved dragging a skin attached to a rope that the eagles then captured.  A piece of meat was attached to the skin to make the game a little more enticing.  The eagles really didn’t want to let loose of their captured bounty but the hunters managed to place them back on their gloved arm to play the game again.

In a competition, an eagle is released from a mountain top to fly to their owner both seated on the ground and astride their horse.  This is a timed trial.  They also compete in the fur capture like what we got to watch.  With the heat, the eagles were quickly ready to rest after the demonstration.  The hunters packed up their gear and headed off with the eagles for their long ride home.

Tomorrow: Back to UB

Eagle Hunters

Our pace slowed this morning which allowed us to sleep in, although camping made that a little more difficult.  The temperature dropped into the low 40’s and proper preparation at bedtime meant the difference between sleeping and lying awake cold.  Fortunately my Boy Scout husband had some tricks up his sleeve so we wore long underwear and socks to bed while also putting our clothes for the next morning in the sleeping bag with us.  We slept on cots with thin air mattresses on top finished by our warm sleeping bags.  While not the most restful night of sleep I’ve ever had, I did get sufficient rest to carry on.

Our Three Camel Lodge chef that accompanied us on the trip kept us well fed on this leg of the adventure.  Much needed coffee greeted us as we gathered in the dining tent.  A light buffet breakfast rejuvenated us and we also had the option of fresh cooked eggs.  After breakfast we returned to our tents to pack up for our next destination.

The drive this morning took us through more mountain lined fields inhabited mostly by livestock.  We entered a lush valley with a river running through it that was full of sheep, horses, goats and yak.  Whoever lived here must be considered rich with all the resources available to them.  We took frequent stops on our drive to stretch our legs which allowed us more picture opportunities. 

Our camp for the next two nights was near a small town with gers spotted along the river running through the valley.  Off in the distance we could see the four Eagle Hunters that would be spending the next day and a half with us riding into our camp.  Part of our crew had arrived ahead of us to set up the dining area in another rented ger and had lunch waiting for our arrival.  Our drivers setup our tents, port-a-potties and tent showers while we ate. 

We were on our own to wonder or nap during the hot afternoon.  Later, we were split into groups to photograph the Eagle Hunters.  One of them has won the Eagle championship the last two years, so he’s very well know.  We setup a makeshift portrait studio with lighting in the ger, two areas outside where we got to experiment with reflectors and a fourth area where one of the hunters road his horse in passes by us, both with and without his eagle.  This was an opportunity of a lifetime being with these hunters who had traveled by horse for 6 hours to spend time with us and share their eagles.

Tomorrow: More time with the Eagle Hunters

Way Out West

We were supposed to have a leisurely morning with an early afternoon flight to the west.  However, things are always a little fluid here and our flight was moved up several hours, which meant no sleeping in.  I guess the wind conditions have an effect on the flights so it’s important to check early or you might be left behind.  If you think you can just catch the next flight, think again.  There are two flights a week out west so you can definitely throw a wrench into your adventure if you miss your flight.

We arrived in Uugli midday.  Our drivers were waiting for us at the one gate airport (small, very small).  This trip our transportation was Soviet UAZ vans, six cylinder 4x4's that reminds you of a Volkswagen bus from the 60’s.  They are perfect for the rugged terrain waiting for us.

We stopped for lunch at a Turkish restaurant which would turn out to be our last chance at the internet for the next 3 days.  We then went to a grocery store/liquor store to stock up on wine for our next three nights.  While this region is predominantly Muslim, they practice a gentler version than what we hear about on the news.  Lucky for us, wine was available and very reasonable.

Off we set for our next adventure.  We started out on a paved road but that quickly changed to a dirt road filled with rocks and challenging terrain.  The landscape was amazing with vast expanses of prairie and mountains rising up around us.  Again, sheep, goats and yak were grazing on the sparse grassland, allowed to roam by their owners who kept an eye on their flocks.

Our evening’s accommodations was a tent camp that had been erected for us before our arrival.  We also rented a nomadic family’s ger that served as our dining hall.  Perched on the edge of a lake, our surroundings were both remote and spectacular.  In the late afternoon, the yaks proceeded to the lake for their afternoon bath.  What a great setup for pictures with the lake and mountains as a background for this woolly, wet creatures.

We also witnessed the nomadic family milking the yak.  Dairy is the major source of food for them, so the yak milk will be made into cheese and yogurt.  This family consisted of the parents, three children and a grandmother that could have been straight out of Central Casting.  Bent over from years of hard work, grandma was full of character and also wasn’t too shy about posing for the camera. 

After dinner, we setup for our second night of Milky Way photography.  With the lake in front of us and mountains as a backdrop, this night session went much smoother than the first one in the Gobi.  Everyone was much more prepared, already knowing what settings were needed on our cameras.  The lake served to reflect the glow from the stars.  This was another night of amazing shooting.

Tomorrow: Eagle Hunters Await

Back to UB

Another early morning, we drove back to town to catch our flight to UB.  Upon arrival, we transferred to the Best Western.  We had a couple of hours of free time so we headed to lunch at Millie’s Café.  We had been told it was the best place for burritos (yes, I did try Mexican in Mongolia) and many other American friendly foods.  Millie also makes homemade desserts that were the highlight of the meal.  The place was bustling and with good reason.

We returned to our hotel for our 2^nd critique session.  After the critique most of our group opted to attend a Mongolian cultural performance showcasing the traditional arts found across the country.  The performers wore traditional clothing like what we saw at the history museum.  There were dances, singing (including the throat singing they are known for) and the Mongolian symphony played.  The instruments used were Mongolian such has the horse headed fiddle.  It was really quite lovely.

 (An example of the instruments they were playing)

After the performance most of the group dined at Silk Road.  The mixture of Italian and American seemed to please everyone.  Since we had an early flight the next morning, we limited our alcohol intake and headed back before 10.  This was our last night before heading out west for the camping portion of our trip. 

Tomorrow: Out to the West