Welcome to my third blog post!
This past week has been an interesting one. On Monday August 24th we started Mongolian language school. I was feeling fairly optimistic about the prospect as everything VSO had organised for us thus far had been great. Monday morning saw me leaping out of bed and in the mood for some awesome learning!! But seriously, I was genuinely looking forward to learning Mongolian and cracking the enigma that is the cyrillic alphabet. We had to catch the bus to school (which I haven't done for a good few years) at 8:20am but having observed the Mongolian people's contempt for the practice of being on time we didn't rush to get to our pick up point. In the event, we weren't even really late (about a minute) but try telling that to the bus driver. Picture any Japenese prison camp from a World War two movie and now picture the commandant. Our bus driver makes them look like ballet instructers. He has buzz-cut grey hair, a face that suggests "I've killed people", and a stare that says "I've definitely killed people". Anyway, we sheepishly scrambled onto the bus headed off to school with a long mental note reminding us not to be late again.
The language school is a large circular, red-bricked building that may have been a church at one time. Upon entering we were greeted by some of the staff who divided us up into two groups who would be taught seperately for the next two weeks. I believe they were employing a divide and conquer method as it quickly became apparent that the purpose of this school was to break our will. I won't go into detail about each lesson as it would bore me and probably you as well but suffice to say, I had more fun the last time I stubbed my toe. Our teacher speaks very little English and her favourite teaching method is the good old, "I'll say something and then you will endlessly repeat it" technique. Despite her best efforts, after a week at the school I can finally read a bit of cyrillic but when I first looked at it I may as well have been trying to read a babies random scrawlings. The first week at the school dragged but finally the weekend appeared on the horizon.
I had been looking forward to it ever since it was first mentioned. Myself and a group of VSO's headed into the hills of the Bogd Khan protected area to do some hiking and camping. On the way to the start point I envisioned a gentle stroll over across some reasonable hills and valleys. had I known the truth I would have been filled with trepidation...and I would have brought more water.
The morning started nicely enough on a relatively gentle gradient but as we entered the forest the path began to get steeper and much less pleasant. I was lagging behind a bit due to my total lack of fitness but I "heroically" pushed on. The woods were totally unspoilt and every now and again there would be a break in the tree line and we were treated to a stunning view out across the steppe. As well as great vistas, the morning presented us with a bizarre incident. The last thing any of us expected to find up in the hills was a full company of soldiers, weapons and all, lounging around in the shade of the forest canopy. Naturally we were surprised and I wondered if we had accidentally wandered into a military exercise and were about to be forcefully ejected from the area. Thankfully, our presence barely registered with them, save for a few curious glances. Shortly after we had passed the soldiers the reason for their presence became clear. As we rounded a bend a portly man wearing a blue shirt hoved into view. He was flanked by two men carrying weapons, both of whom had their fingers on the trigger. It turned out that he was the president of Mongolia been out walking with the American ambassador (whom we encountered looking rather tired later on). Life is strange sometimes.
In the early afternoon we climbed up a large rock formation which stood at around 2224m and was capped by a very large ovoo (see earlier post). It offered spectacular views of Ulaanbaatar as well as the steppe and distant hills. It was one of those moments that you know you will remember for many years to come. Sitting perched on a rock with nature in all its glory spread out before you is quite an experience. Aside from the wind there it was quiet I could hear the flapping of the enormous ravens circling overhead.
After we headed on there was no more paths to follow. We were officially bushwhacking and the going was rough. We hiked over boulder fields and through dead woods as thunder claps nearby made us concerned for the night ahead. It was whilst we were traversing one of the large boulder fields that I was saved from serious facial disfigurement by luck and my ruck-sack. I was hopping from boulder to boulder when I put my foot on a rock which gave-way. I started falling forwards and luckily my foot slipped and twisted my body so that I landed on my back rather than my face. I was scratched and bruises and my back ached for a while afterwards but I was otherwise unhurt. The thought of face-planting a boulder isn't a happy one.
We eventually found a camp-site and set up for the night. We lucked out both with the location and the weather. It didn't rain despite the thunder which was now directly overhead. The night wasn't particularly comfortable but at least we were dry! In the morning we set off and I hoped that the worst was behind us. However, the devil vomitted in my kettle once more and it only got worse. We were scrambling over bigger rocks, through thicker forest, over more uneven ground, and up and down steeper valleys. It would be fair to say that I was well and trully exhausted as we finally emerged from the forest onto the hill that would lead us down to Ulaanbaatar. At this point I was pretty much in a daze and it was all I could do to prevent myself from toppling over and grinding face first down the hill.
As with any tough trip we finished with a beer and a smile and I'll be damned if it wasn't the best beer I'd ever had.
Many thanks for reading! I know it was a long one!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
A Week in Ulaanbaatar and Uncomfortable Horses
Hello all, welcome to my second post which I have finally managed to find the time to write.
So where to begin...
Well all of us new VSO guys started our in-country training (ICT) on Monday the 17th. I must admit that I had not been looking forward to it at all but once we got going it was pretty good, and there was free coffee which always helps. The first week of ICT basically involved sitting in a room and learning as much as possible about Mongolia as well as how to avoid beeing mugged, getting a disease or being trampled by a yak. The sessions usually lasted for from about 9:30am until 2:00pm and I will save you the boring details save to say that there was a hell of a lot to take in.
One of first things that I have learnt in Mongolia is that it is never going to be famed for its culinary delights. Mongolian dishes are not what you would call varied, and that is an understatement. The first gastronomic delicacy that I was privaleged to try was Buuz (pronounced butts). Buuz are essentially incredibly greasy lumps of meat wrapped in equally greasy pastry type stuff. Interestingly, "incredibly greasy" could be used to describe any Mongolian food. Also, if you don't like meat then you are in the wrong country. One of the volunteers ordered vegetable soup and it may as well have been renamed "meat in oiley water with a small piece of cabbage floating around in it". Another kitchen wonder is Huushur which is a small slab of meat wrapped in some other kind of pastry and deep fried. Cholestorol is clearly not a concern in Mongolia. I swear that the grease and oil that I could have drained from it would have filled a tea cup. Thankfully there are a variety of different international restaurants in Ulaanbaatar.
The week passed fairly quickly and featured social events for all the volunteer orgs in Mongolia and a pub quiz. Being made a permanent member of a pub quiz team was not one of the things I was expecting from Mongolia. When the weekend rolled around I was stupidly happy as there were a couple of trips arranged. On Saturday 22nd all the new vols plus Doug (the country program manager), his family and a few of the older vols hired a bus and headed for the countryside. I had a bunch of idyllic images and preconceptions about what it was going to be like and unbelievably I wasn't let down.
We were going to visit the family of one of VSO Mongolia's staff who were still living the traditional life in a ger. The drive out provided a glimpse of nice scenery but it was nothing compared to the view that we were treated to once we arrived. Stepping off the bus the first thing I noticed was the silence. Its not often one gets to experience true quiet and sadly my moment was cut short as soon as we started moving. Taking a step seemed to awake an army of crickets who immediatly began chirping and never really stopped. Still, it was nicer than traffic noise. The family inhabited two gers and we were invited to sit inside and shar some food and drink. Gers are pretty awesome. There is a whole load of etiquette involved. The main thing is that you must always walk clockwise around the ger. There are plenty of other "rules" ranging from not tripping on the threshold to not holding your cup by the rim.
As amazing as ger life is, it's nothing compared to land surrounding them. I've never been in such open space. Africa has plenty of plains but there are always tree's to break up the view. The Mongolian steppe is completely devoid of trees and bushes and its effect is breathtaking. Vast expanses of flat land extend up to distant mountains and hills. Dotting the land are ger settlements. The other thing you notice are the horses. I've never seem so many in one place. Most gers have a group of them near-by and they huddle together, possibly for warmth, possibly to play a game of cards without the humans knowing. They are not the healthiest looking animals in the world but that is due to the lack of a sufficient food supply.
There were Mongolian herders constantly riding here and there tending their flocks of goats and sheep or just galloping off into the distance as eagles soar overhead looking for prey. I was lucky enough to be able to be able to have a go at riding one of the horses and part of me wishes I hadn't. Pain seems to go hand-in-hand with horse riding! Especially where wooden saddles are concerned! It was amazing to canter off accross the plain though. What an experience! My imagination ran away with me and I pictured the mongol horde setting off on a trail on conquest and destruction. Then I rememered I was merely sitting on a boney horse that sounded like it was struggling to live. No matter, it was still awesome.
The afternoon was capped off by seeing a veritable stampede of a massive group of horses (there must have been around 60) accross the steppe. Their owners were desperately trying to reign them in but we had to leave before we got to see who won that contest.
The following day myself, Aki (an existing Dutch VSO), Leah, and Andrew (both new Australian and both new) headed off to climb Mt. Chingeltei which is apparently the highest mountain in the north at 2000m. Granted that isn't too high but the weather was atrocious. The wind was howling and the rain blew in sideways. Naturally I didn't have a water-proof with me and so I got soaked. It was worth it in the end though as the weather cleared up and the view from the top was amazing. At the top there is a massive mound of stones with a large wooden pole sticking out of the top. The pole is wrapped in blue material with prayers written on. It is known as a Ovoo and it is a shamanisitic symbol. Shamanism is one of the leading religions in Mongolia and its quite intriguing. For example, one custom which we all partook of is that every time you come accross an Ovoo you must circle it three times and throw another stone on or leave an offering. There was money from all over the world at its foot and I found it remarkable that no one had stolen it.
The whole weekend was amazing and I am glad it was because we started language school on Monday and I doubt fun has ever been used to describe it. But that is another story for another day.
Thanks for reading my second post, I hoped you enjoyed it. More next week!
So where to begin...
Well all of us new VSO guys started our in-country training (ICT) on Monday the 17th. I must admit that I had not been looking forward to it at all but once we got going it was pretty good, and there was free coffee which always helps. The first week of ICT basically involved sitting in a room and learning as much as possible about Mongolia as well as how to avoid beeing mugged, getting a disease or being trampled by a yak. The sessions usually lasted for from about 9:30am until 2:00pm and I will save you the boring details save to say that there was a hell of a lot to take in.
One of first things that I have learnt in Mongolia is that it is never going to be famed for its culinary delights. Mongolian dishes are not what you would call varied, and that is an understatement. The first gastronomic delicacy that I was privaleged to try was Buuz (pronounced butts). Buuz are essentially incredibly greasy lumps of meat wrapped in equally greasy pastry type stuff. Interestingly, "incredibly greasy" could be used to describe any Mongolian food. Also, if you don't like meat then you are in the wrong country. One of the volunteers ordered vegetable soup and it may as well have been renamed "meat in oiley water with a small piece of cabbage floating around in it". Another kitchen wonder is Huushur which is a small slab of meat wrapped in some other kind of pastry and deep fried. Cholestorol is clearly not a concern in Mongolia. I swear that the grease and oil that I could have drained from it would have filled a tea cup. Thankfully there are a variety of different international restaurants in Ulaanbaatar.
The week passed fairly quickly and featured social events for all the volunteer orgs in Mongolia and a pub quiz. Being made a permanent member of a pub quiz team was not one of the things I was expecting from Mongolia. When the weekend rolled around I was stupidly happy as there were a couple of trips arranged. On Saturday 22nd all the new vols plus Doug (the country program manager), his family and a few of the older vols hired a bus and headed for the countryside. I had a bunch of idyllic images and preconceptions about what it was going to be like and unbelievably I wasn't let down.
We were going to visit the family of one of VSO Mongolia's staff who were still living the traditional life in a ger. The drive out provided a glimpse of nice scenery but it was nothing compared to the view that we were treated to once we arrived. Stepping off the bus the first thing I noticed was the silence. Its not often one gets to experience true quiet and sadly my moment was cut short as soon as we started moving. Taking a step seemed to awake an army of crickets who immediatly began chirping and never really stopped. Still, it was nicer than traffic noise. The family inhabited two gers and we were invited to sit inside and shar some food and drink. Gers are pretty awesome. There is a whole load of etiquette involved. The main thing is that you must always walk clockwise around the ger. There are plenty of other "rules" ranging from not tripping on the threshold to not holding your cup by the rim.
As amazing as ger life is, it's nothing compared to land surrounding them. I've never been in such open space. Africa has plenty of plains but there are always tree's to break up the view. The Mongolian steppe is completely devoid of trees and bushes and its effect is breathtaking. Vast expanses of flat land extend up to distant mountains and hills. Dotting the land are ger settlements. The other thing you notice are the horses. I've never seem so many in one place. Most gers have a group of them near-by and they huddle together, possibly for warmth, possibly to play a game of cards without the humans knowing. They are not the healthiest looking animals in the world but that is due to the lack of a sufficient food supply.
There were Mongolian herders constantly riding here and there tending their flocks of goats and sheep or just galloping off into the distance as eagles soar overhead looking for prey. I was lucky enough to be able to be able to have a go at riding one of the horses and part of me wishes I hadn't. Pain seems to go hand-in-hand with horse riding! Especially where wooden saddles are concerned! It was amazing to canter off accross the plain though. What an experience! My imagination ran away with me and I pictured the mongol horde setting off on a trail on conquest and destruction. Then I rememered I was merely sitting on a boney horse that sounded like it was struggling to live. No matter, it was still awesome.
The afternoon was capped off by seeing a veritable stampede of a massive group of horses (there must have been around 60) accross the steppe. Their owners were desperately trying to reign them in but we had to leave before we got to see who won that contest.
The following day myself, Aki (an existing Dutch VSO), Leah, and Andrew (both new Australian and both new) headed off to climb Mt. Chingeltei which is apparently the highest mountain in the north at 2000m. Granted that isn't too high but the weather was atrocious. The wind was howling and the rain blew in sideways. Naturally I didn't have a water-proof with me and so I got soaked. It was worth it in the end though as the weather cleared up and the view from the top was amazing. At the top there is a massive mound of stones with a large wooden pole sticking out of the top. The pole is wrapped in blue material with prayers written on. It is known as a Ovoo and it is a shamanisitic symbol. Shamanism is one of the leading religions in Mongolia and its quite intriguing. For example, one custom which we all partook of is that every time you come accross an Ovoo you must circle it three times and throw another stone on or leave an offering. There was money from all over the world at its foot and I found it remarkable that no one had stolen it.
The whole weekend was amazing and I am glad it was because we started language school on Monday and I doubt fun has ever been used to describe it. But that is another story for another day.
Thanks for reading my second post, I hoped you enjoyed it. More next week!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
First Impressions and an interesting taxi ride
So writing a blog seems to be the done thing for any VSO volunteer so naturally I have towed the line and decided to write one myself. How well it will go or how many people will read it remains to be seen. Anway, here goes...Enjoy!
I flew out of the UK from Heathrow at 11am on Friday August 14th and endured an 11 hour flight (at least thats what I think it was as the cross-over between UK, Russian, and Mongolian time zones have been a bit confusing) with Aeroflot, including a 3 hour stay in Moscow, and arrived in Ulaanbaatar (UB) at 7am local time. Let me just tell you something about Aeroflot...it's shit. Moving on; Flying into UB was amazing. The sun was just rising over the hills and cast a fantastic golden glow over the steppe. The few clouds that there were hung low in the valleys and the entire landscape was simpy beautiful.
After we landed we got through the airport quickly and were met by two guys from VSO, Chuka who works for the program office and George, an elderly volunteer from New York. We drove into UB and at first it looks grey and oppressive but once you get into the heart of it, well...it's still grey and oppressive (just kidding, there is actually some really great architecture and open spaces but you can see the Soviet influence.) When we pulled up outside the guesthouse which is to be my home for the next 3 weeks my heart sank. To say it looked run down would be as big an understatement as saying Robert Mugabe is a 'bit of a bad chap'. Looks however can be extremely deceiving and thankfully they were. The guesthouse interior is actually great and it's very comfortable. There is a really friendly atmosphere and some great banter as most of the people who stay here are either VSO or with other international organisations. The rooms are dormitories which isn't the end of the world.
We spent the morning of our first day combatting jet-lag by heading out for a walk around the city and drinking an unhealthy amount of coffee. I got my first real look at Mongolian life and met some local people. Mongolians (at least so far) are really friendly and smile a lot. They are often well dressed and many clearly take pride in their appearence which provides a sharp contrast to harshness of some of their surroundings. I think I will enjoy getting to know Mongolians.
In the evening I met up with the volunteer whom I am taking over from and along with a bunch of other VSO's we headed to Mongol Rally after-party. It was pretty awesome and there were a few good bands. I got to meet some of the people I would be working with over the next year including Battuya who is my boss. She is a short lady with a broad smile and an infectious laugh.
When it started to get late most of the new VSO's headed back to the guesthouse but I stayed out as I wanted to go and watch the football at an established VSO's house. Sadly jet-lag finally cought up with me and I hit a wall and had to head home. This proved easier said than dome however as even though a Mongolian had explained to the taxi driver where I needed to go, once we left he clearly didn't have a clue. So I spent the next 30 minutes driving around UB with a crazy driver and strangely, his wife. Every now and again he would stop outside a police station clearly assuming that the police would speak English but true to form, he was wrong. Eventually he drove past a landmark that I recognised and I practically barrel rolled out of the car when he stopped at a red light, leaving what I thought to be an appropriate some of money on the seat. After stumbling alone through the city for a while (the pavements are pretty cracked and uneven) I eventually found my way home by sheer luck.
So that was my first day. I hope it didn't bore you! The next entries will be shorter and probably once a week. I hope you'll read them so that this doesn't become a futile exercise in travel writing.
I flew out of the UK from Heathrow at 11am on Friday August 14th and endured an 11 hour flight (at least thats what I think it was as the cross-over between UK, Russian, and Mongolian time zones have been a bit confusing) with Aeroflot, including a 3 hour stay in Moscow, and arrived in Ulaanbaatar (UB) at 7am local time. Let me just tell you something about Aeroflot...it's shit. Moving on; Flying into UB was amazing. The sun was just rising over the hills and cast a fantastic golden glow over the steppe. The few clouds that there were hung low in the valleys and the entire landscape was simpy beautiful.
After we landed we got through the airport quickly and were met by two guys from VSO, Chuka who works for the program office and George, an elderly volunteer from New York. We drove into UB and at first it looks grey and oppressive but once you get into the heart of it, well...it's still grey and oppressive (just kidding, there is actually some really great architecture and open spaces but you can see the Soviet influence.) When we pulled up outside the guesthouse which is to be my home for the next 3 weeks my heart sank. To say it looked run down would be as big an understatement as saying Robert Mugabe is a 'bit of a bad chap'. Looks however can be extremely deceiving and thankfully they were. The guesthouse interior is actually great and it's very comfortable. There is a really friendly atmosphere and some great banter as most of the people who stay here are either VSO or with other international organisations. The rooms are dormitories which isn't the end of the world.
We spent the morning of our first day combatting jet-lag by heading out for a walk around the city and drinking an unhealthy amount of coffee. I got my first real look at Mongolian life and met some local people. Mongolians (at least so far) are really friendly and smile a lot. They are often well dressed and many clearly take pride in their appearence which provides a sharp contrast to harshness of some of their surroundings. I think I will enjoy getting to know Mongolians.
In the evening I met up with the volunteer whom I am taking over from and along with a bunch of other VSO's we headed to Mongol Rally after-party. It was pretty awesome and there were a few good bands. I got to meet some of the people I would be working with over the next year including Battuya who is my boss. She is a short lady with a broad smile and an infectious laugh.
When it started to get late most of the new VSO's headed back to the guesthouse but I stayed out as I wanted to go and watch the football at an established VSO's house. Sadly jet-lag finally cought up with me and I hit a wall and had to head home. This proved easier said than dome however as even though a Mongolian had explained to the taxi driver where I needed to go, once we left he clearly didn't have a clue. So I spent the next 30 minutes driving around UB with a crazy driver and strangely, his wife. Every now and again he would stop outside a police station clearly assuming that the police would speak English but true to form, he was wrong. Eventually he drove past a landmark that I recognised and I practically barrel rolled out of the car when he stopped at a red light, leaving what I thought to be an appropriate some of money on the seat. After stumbling alone through the city for a while (the pavements are pretty cracked and uneven) I eventually found my way home by sheer luck.
So that was my first day. I hope it didn't bore you! The next entries will be shorter and probably once a week. I hope you'll read them so that this doesn't become a futile exercise in travel writing.
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