Gobi Desert

We continued our journey through Mongolia down to the Gobi desert near a town called Sainshand. Our guide knew the train conductor and a lot of the staff so managed to get us a cabin to ourselves on the train. The landscape slowly changed as the train headed south turning from lush rolling green hills to dry flat desert plains. On the way the only real stop was at the small town of Choir which was once the biggest soviet air base in Mongolia but know is almost disserted. Just off the platform is a statue to the first Mongolian cosmonaut Jugderdemidiin Gurragcha.

We arrived in Sainshand after dusk witnessing one of the nicest sunsets and having to emergency stop for a cow on the tracks. We set off in a 4x4 to our ger camp in the desert with our guide and driver. The ride was very bumpy and with no road lights and traffic signs we had to follow the electrical lines to the camp. When we arrived at the camp we had mutton again (with spaghetti) for dinner before settling in for the night.

The camp was a lot more basic then at the Elstei camp with the hardest beds we have ever slept on. The top of the ger was open as the temperature was a lot hotter in the Gobi and in the morning we where woken up by the sunlight pouring in to the ger. After the worst shower that was both cold and no more than a few drips we had a lovely sausage omelet for breakfast before setting out to the Buddhist temple. This is a very important site as it was the first Tibetan Buddhist temple in Mongolia created by Danza Rabjaa.The site was destroyed buy the soviets when Mongolia was a communist country but is slowly being rebuilt with new temples.

The next stop was to see a sandy dune in this part of the desert it is mainly bush scrub plains with only a few pure sand dunes that move across the plains with the wind. We then went in search of the Gobi desert forest which is made up of hundreds on small bushy trees in a band across the plain.

In the afternoon we had a small rest before we walked around the Ger camp area before a quick game of basketball with our guide before dinner. At dinner we met the owner of Monkey Business who was traveling with his wife and daughter from Beijing to Russia looking at all the places along the way to check on accommodation and services.

The next morning we had a busy schedule ahead of us after another bad night on the hard beds. The first stop was at the Buddhist monument for women, which are two stone piles in the shape of breasts, only women are allowed to walk around. It is also custom to pour milk onto the rock piles which with the heat made for quite a nasty smell.

We then had a short drive to the heavens bell that you touch to feel the vibrations.

The next stop was to see some petrified wood which are the fossil remains of the old forest that covered the region. A lot of the fossils were left on the ground until recently, where they were moved to museums to stop them being removed without permission by tourists and fossil hunters. We then arrived at the mediation caves where the lamas from the monitory would come to meditate for 108 days. They entered the caves and then were sealed in by their helpers with only a hole in the roof to let food and drink in and smoke and poop out! They were given food for the first 54 days but had to go on a fast for the next 54 days with only water being lowered into each cave.

We then had a short walk the holy energy centre which had been destroyed by the soviets but now has recently been rebuilt. It is a place for Buddhists to come and receive energy to heal and feel good by lying on the red rocks. I was not quite sure what to make of this place though it did have a peaceful feel about it.

After the short trip at the energy centre we embarked on one of Naki short 2km walks through the desert which in this area changed from plain to rocks slowly changing colour as we walked. At the point where we met the driver there was a deep well were the locals collected water and the animals could come to drink. There where 3 cows arriving to the well so between Naki and I we manage to fill the trough while Jen took the pictures and video.

On the way back to the camp we stopped off at a camel herding family that our guide knew. For $5 we had a short camel ride to get the feel for how it would be to trek through the desert on camel. Jen really enjoyed it but being a boy it is a lot less comfortable then riding a horse, also mine kept scratching its head where my hands where holding on. With its big teeth so close to you hands it was a bit scary.

After some lunch (and a quick nap which we had while the mid day sun was beating down out side) we went for another walk around the camp. This time to the "river" that flowed through this part of the desert. As it was the dry season this was just a big dry river bed. I had to promise to buy Jen some peach juice to motivate her on the way back. Before dinner we had a refreshing shower even if it was freezing cold.

In the evening we played cards with Naki and Vanessa before teaching the locals how to play guess who. Jen even managed to play guess who with the little boy who only really knew yes and no in English, they had to use a lot of pointing and gestures.

It was another early start for the trek up the man mountain. Jen was disappointed that she was not allowed up before she saw the steepness of the climb. She was allowed to walk up half way where there is a temple for women to worship. We left her with the pigeons and set off up the lose rock slope. After crawling up on my hands and knees the view from the top was stunning if not a little windy. We descended the mountain down the side which was just as steep as the way we went up to meet back with Jen, who had not had fun with the pigeons!

After a quick lunch at the camp we set off to the city to visit two museums. One about Mongolia and the fossils found in the area and the other about Danzan Ravjaa. We had some time to kill before the train departed for Beijing so we went on the internet and our guide showed us the local pool which he was really proud of even if it was on the small side. The driver then took us on a tour of the ger district in the town stopping a ger to collect a picture made of threaded beads showing a monkey on the back of an elephant. After a few awkward minutes look at the picture with both us and Naki not sure what was going on we set off to the soviet war memorial on the hill between the town and the train station. We still arrived an hour before the train which was still a little late for Jens liking even if we were the only ones there!