NADAAM!!




The Mongol horde loved Pooh

We were up and out early to get to the opening ceremonies and events at the stadium. We didn’t have to ask directions or consult a map; we just joined the teeming river of humanity surging across town. The grounds around the stadium were like a state fair – thousands of vendors and hawkers, food stands, face painting, but adding to the spectacle were the participants in the procession, dressed in a variety of gorgeous historical costumes and the crowd itself, largely dressed in traditional silk robes.



Archery!



The first traditional sport showcase we found, after some aimless wandering just taking in the scene, was archery. The archers were quite skilled and good thing too, as the score keepers were standing right next to the targets (stacks of cylinders – scores seem to be based on exactly where you hit the stack and how much of it you knocked over). There was also a lovely flower display right in the middle of the green and a little woman tending the roses – completely indifferent to the projectiles whizzing around her head.



Ankle bone shooting


Next we followed the sound of chanting interspersed with loud cheers to find the ankle bone shooting. What is ankle bone shooting you ask? We’re not 100% sure ourselves, so visit our youtube channel and decide for yourselves. If you figure it out leave a comment to let us know. It involves a large group of men sitting in a long oval on these tiny little stools chanting for a very long time; until suddenly the contestant quickly flicks a square tile from a wooden block at two ankle bones set on a small stage about 8 to 10 feet away. The chanting may be ritualistic, centering or trash-talk. When the shooting tile is retrieved it is given to the other contestant by means of tossing all around the ring of men from hand to hand.

We watched a Mongol horde race into the stadium, Tsam dancers with their splendid masks, and a procession of fabulously ornate flag bearers. After all of this we were starving and a little overwhelmed by crowds and fabulous, so we headed out to forage for sustenance and look for more tchotchkes. The search for all things was a bit hampered by so many businesses being closed for Nadaam, but we persevered. We ended up at the Grand Khan Irish Pub, which had the dual benefit of being outside the theater where the Mongolian National Song and dance Academic Ensemble was performing AND having vegetarian versions of several Mongolian dishes. Mongolian cuisine is unbelievably dense and filling – a quarter of a serving and you think you may never eat again.

Dinner over, we rolled into the theater. All the arts academies are having all kinds of special galas and performances for the holiday. Our program was wonderful! We had been wanting to hear the amazing horsehead fiddle and it vastly exceeded any expectations. The music was incredible – we also heard Mongolian long-song and the throat singing, more Tsam dancers and much more. The traditional music was lovely, but they also played Mozart on the Mongolian instruments and that was tremendous fun. The second half was dancing – all very gorgeous. There was also a contortionist - horrifically good.



We feel like we do this for a living also



The lovely evening took a turn for the worse when we emerged from the theater into a huge rainstorm. We had checked the forecast that morning and it had said there was no chance for rain. The sky absolutely opened, pouring down torrents of icy water and we were almost a mile from our hotel. The thousands of taxis that we had been dodging all day had evaporated – just like the legions of umbrella sellers who had been soliciting our business all day. Did we have our rain coats? Don’t be stupid; of course not!

The roads already don’t drain, in this deluge they become swiftly rushing rivers of filth. We resigned ourselves to flesh eating infections and waded in. About 2/3rds of the way there, it became so intense that we couldn’t see anything but the lightning strikes. We took shelter in a little French bistro – a providential discovery, as it turned out to be a haven of warmth and incredible desserts.

Zada & Pooh on Turtle Rock

Next day, we were up and out early again. We had booked a tour to see a little of the countryside. These things are somewhat cheesy, but much easier than working out our own transport given that we don’t speak Mongolian. We went to Terelj National Park and saw the Turtle Rock and then visited the beautifully restored Aryapala monastery. The Soviets shut down all the religious establishments when they liberated Mongolia from Chinese influence. Buddhism is making a striking comeback. The landscape was truly lovely – smoothly sloping hills carpeted in fresh green and covered in wildflowers periodically interrupted by rocky outcroppings and enormous boulders weathered into fantastic shapes.



See the elephant?



panda!

The monastery looks like an elephants head from a distance due to the 108 stairs leading up to the entrance. It was a bit of a hike up to the staircase as well, but the trip was rendered educational by signposts carrying Tantras translated into Mongolian Cyrillic and English. The vividly painted temple stood out splendidly against the perfect blue sky. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day. There were all sorts of whimsical architectural details that rewarded closer examination of the structure. The rafters were all brightly decorated and supported by charming carvings of various animals – including a panda. We wandered all over the complex, visiting the school where the monks learn to read the Buddhist script – the Mongolian version is a branch of Tibetan Buddhism and pictures of the Dalai Lama were very much in evidence.

We arrived at a collection of three gers where we were to get fitted out for a horseback ride and have lunch. The pater familias arrived just after us, popped the trunk, and pulled out an enormous sheep in a sack. The sheep was most unhappy with this state of affairs and struggled mightily to free himself. We felt sure things would end poorly for the sheep, and stressed again that we were VEGETARIAN. All the country people seem to be blessed with almost super-human strength. The dad lifted that huge sheep like a loaf of bread and his wife, when Kimberly was looking around for a mounting block, just tossed her into the saddle. Speaking of saddles – Brad got a traditional wooden saddle. He signally failed to appreciate this opportunity to live history.

After riding around the hills and meadows for a while we then headed back to eat. As we rode up to the beautifully painted ger door we noticed a sheep skin casually draped over a post. Ah well, circle of life. We were offered steaming bowls of yak milk to refresh ourselves after the ride – it’s very thick and salty. We were very proud of Zada, who drank and ate everything she was offered. Oddly, the item she had the most trouble with was a dill pickle. They had prepared vegetarian versions of everything. We had potato pies in place of the meat and our soup was minus the ovine bits floating around in the other bowls. Everything was good, but they could have fed a vegetarian army with the amount they had prepared.

Our last port of call was the giant Chinggis Khan statue. This thing was incredible – over 40 meters high set on a ten meter pedestal which houses a museum, café and gift shop. They have a whole elaborate scheme planned out with the planting of 1 million trees and 800 gers. It is already very impressive and it is hard to imagine what it will be like when they finish. We got to go up to the walkway on the mane of his horse – it is an open walkway affording breathtaking views of miles of countryside. We saw 5 or 6 golden eagles riding thermals also.

After that, we headed back into UB, along the road we saw enormous herds of cashmere goats, sheep, the ubiquitous horses and even some yaks. Less expectedly, we saw Bactrian camels scattered about the roadsides – their handlers were selling photo ops. Zada was disappointed to see you just sat on a sitting camel – she had hoped rides were available. We cleaned up and went back to the French bistro for more decadent dessert – we were still too full from lunch to manage any dinner, but there is always room for profiteroles!

Mongolia has been a wonderful experience and we leave here, as from everywhere else, (except Irkutsk) wishing we had more time.