Outline
This and subsequent posts will outline my Mongolian adventures in the land of Chinggis Khaan, June 25-July 17 2017.I signed up for this with my friend Lorraine for two reasons: I have always been fascinated by the Mongol empire created by Genghis Khan (now spelled Chinggis Khaan), and the fact that the tour organisers, Tusker Trails of Nevada, are well-known providers of safe but exotic outings.
Chinggis Khaan wasn't such a bad fellow, now was he?
Chinggis Khaan (Чингис хаан, 1162-1227) is well known in the West as a blood-thirsty genocidal maniac. Furthermore, DNA evidence suggests that at least 16 million Eurasian men today are descended from a single male ancestor who lived in Eastern Mongolia towards the end of the 12th century. However, it is possible to look at his legacy from a different perspective. His approach to conquest was to lay siege to a city and demand surrender; those who opened the gates and let him in were spared the slaughter and had the opportunity to become part of the broader empire. Those who resisted were indeed decimated, and survivors often wound up as captives, but there was no explicit attempt to eradicate any one racial or religious group. Furthermore, his soldiers were not allowed to loot, pillage or rape uncontrolled; instead booty was collected, counted, and distributed evenly. (And yes, 'booty' probably included young girls, witness the DNA record). And finally there is no evidence or record of systematic torture such as used by Crusaders and Inquisitors: people who resisted were put to death in an orderly fashion much as diseased cattle might be. Chinggis actually welcomed representatives of all faiths and races in his world; his capital Karakorum had Chinese, Muslim and Christian quarters as well as Buddhist temples. Furthermore, he made the stunning decision that Empire required written documents, and forced the adoption of a modified Uighur script to serve the purpose of accounting for fair distribution of said booty. (No other illiterate conqueror realised so clearly the need for a written record of transactions if his conquests were to endure as an empire). So while he was arguably a man of his times, using typical 12th and 13th century methods for conquering and uniting warring tribes, he was hardly an early-day genocidal maniac focused on eradicating specific groups of people or subjugating them by torture.
In any case he is revered by Mongolians who have renamed the international airport in his honour, and who will proudly tell you that 2017 is the 811th year of the Great Mongol Empire.
Ulaan Baatar
We spent several days in the Mongolian capital, Ulaan Baatar (Улаанбаатар) over three separate dates. The city is Asian, but not as intense as others such as Bangkok, partly because the population is relatively small: somewhere between 1.3M and 2M depending on who you talk to. There are no hordes of cyclists, mopeds or scooters, nor is the city overrun with oxen, cows, horses or other animals. What it is overrun with is used imported Japanese cars with RHD, including a very large number of Priuses.
The centre of town is Sukhbaatar Square. In 1921, Sukhbaatar estimated that the problems facing Mongolians were all due to the Chinese (who had invaded in 1919), capitalism and religion. He drove out the Chinese (who are still mistrusted today), abolished religion and brought in a Russian style of communism. This made Mongolia the second communist country after the Soviet Union. Among the changes that followed were the introduction of a modified Cyrillic alphabet to replace the ancient Uighur-based script, and the demolition of a substantial portion of the Buddhist temples in the country. Today the country is a democracy, but Mongolians still feel closer to Russia than China, and the statue of Sukhbaatar on a horse still dominates the square.
The Mongolian parliament faces the square and features a massive statue of Chinggis. People stop here for photos related to important events such as weddings.
Overall Ulaan Baatar is a surprisingly modern city. It has a reputation for very poor air quality, which was not a problem when we were there, but which is a problem in the winter when the ger towns on the outskirts heat with whatever fuels they can get their hands on -- animal dung, wood, coal, old tires. At times the particulate emission ratings are off-scale.
Central Mongolian steppes
For the first week of our trip, Kazakh Tours hired a driver, a middle-aged fellow named Tuuru, and a guide, a young lady named Nomin, to show us around. Tuuru came with a big Toyota Land Cruiser and a cowboy attitude towards obstacles on the road, such as other cars, herds of cattle or pedestrians. His approach was to stay on the throttle while blowing the horn. Miraculously we didn't hit anything.
Speaking of cars, the countryside has much fewer Priuses, but lots of 4X4 vehicles. This is due to the state of the roads, about which more later. Vehicles are of two types: late-model Japanese or Korean SUVs and 4X4 minivans, or Russian vehicles of indeterminate vintage made by UAZ. The UAZ-452 van in particular is quite popular although we were told that riding in one is particularly hellish. This one was decorated with a grille ornament taken from a well-known Western manufacturer... I sense a copyright infringement suit if this becomes well known.
Also note the large public TV screen in downtown Ulaan Baatar, featuring a Microsoft warning about a virus. Some things are constants no matter where you go.
The trip with Turuu and Nomin focused mainly on the steppes to the west of Ulaan Baatar, with the ancient city of Karakorum the objective. Along the way we ride camels in an area of sand dunes reminiscent of the Gobi (although unconnected to it). The land is flat and the expected long wavy grass is missing due to a very dry winter and spring. This has been hard on the livestock that roam freely everywhere, including on the highway. (Look closely at the photo and you will see a lone camel, centre right, making its way across the steppe).
Outside Karakorum, we stay at the Dreamland Resort, a ger camp founded by Dolgorsurengiin Dagvadorj (Долгорсүрэнгийн Дагвадорж) who is famous as the first Mongolian to become a sumo champion. Photos graced the walls of the dining area at the camp, one showing him with his brothers and father (all well-respected Mongolian wrestlers) and another showing him in his prime as sumo wrestler.
What a handsome bunch of fellows! Dolgorsurengiin is on the far left with Dad in the middle. At least one of his brothers is now a respected parliamentarian.
His sumo career was cut short as he was not very good at maintaining the level of decorum expected of a sumo wrestler. The photo illustrates the attitude problem that got him in trouble.
Karakorum (Хархорум)
This is touted as Chinggis's capital city, but while he selected the location and probably camped here regularly, it seems he didn't live to see it built. His son, Ogodei, laid the cornerstone some years after his death, and his grandson, Kublai, moved the capital to what is now Beijing by the end of the 13th century. Nonetheless the city remained a commercial centre and important crossroads for several centuries before being abandoned. A nearby Buddhist monastery complex, Erdene Zuu, was built in 1586, partly from stones quarried from the ruins. Unfortunately there is nothing to see today of the city, although there is a very good museum nearby.
There is an excellent monument on a hill overlooking the Orkhon River valley and the nearby modern city of Kharkhorin. Here the river flows out of the central mountains and into the grasslands. One can imagine Chinggis and his hordes camping here as they consolidated the various warring Mongolian tribes and planned the expansion of the Mongol Empire westwards. The photo shows the Orkhon River winding its way to the plain.
The modern 'city' of Kharkhorin looks quite poor with muddy lanes and ratty fences hiding compounds that, seen from a height, seem to be as ratty as the fences. It is hard to see what the economic activity in the city might be.
Leaving Kharkhorin, we have our first of several off-road experiences. The 'road' (actually a goat track) to the Orkhon River waterfall involves several rivers that can be crossed on rickety bridges, or, more commonly and safely, by fording in a suitable spot. Here is where the 4X4 drive and Tuuru's skills come in handy. (Later we see a van whose driver underestimated the capabilities of his vehicle, or perhaps his own as a driver).
On the way back to Ulaan Baatar, we stay with a family of nomads who feed us a delicious hot pot (meat and potatoes cooked in a pot with hot stones from the fire). Animals are wandering around loose and I once again bang my head on the low lintel of the ger. Ouch!
Turkic history
The Turks come from here, too. In another museum, artifacts exhumed from 6th and 7th century Turkic burial sites are exhibited. The whole complex was paid for by the Turkish government, who probably also paid for the excellent 30 km highway leading to it. Later we come across a battlefield site of about the same vintage where a fallen leader is buried with his men, each standing stone representing 10 soldiers. At a guess the site commemorates the deaths of at least 500 men.
Przewalski's horse
It seems there are only seven wild horse species out there, of which three are zebras and three are asses. The seventh is the takhi, or Przewalski's horse, which has been reintroduced from zoo stock to its native Mongolian hillsides. (Other so-called 'wild' horses are actually descended from domestic horses that escaped and went feral -- the takhi is genetically distinct from the domestic horse). We are given a tour of Hustai national park by a keen young Mongolian, Tushig, who speaks excellent English and is working on a degree in eco-tourism. I suspect he will do well. We are lucky enough to see a group of about 6 takhi from a distance. They are characterised by short manes and a stubby head. There are now several thousand of them running wild in Mongolia, all descended from about 9 specimens captured for zoos early in the 20th century.
Cult of personality run amok?
Turuu has found a CD of Toto Cutugno in his glove box and we are treated to what I will forever think of as bombastic Italian wedding music as we head east of Ulaan Baatar to a new, 40 metre high stainless steel statue of Chinggis Khan. There is lots of bombast on display here, too. For about $1.50 you can take an elevator up the hindquarters and walk out onto the horse's mane. My vertigo keeps me inside. Below the museum is a bit thin on content, but is being expanded; the best part is a series of striking bronze statues outside.
Back in Ulaan Baatar, we have a couple of days on our own before meeting up with the Tusker gang. This will be recorded in Part 2 of this post. Hopefully you have enjoyed reading so far; stay tuned as it only gets better!
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