Jul 07

this is from our first week in Mongolia- we had class and an overnight at a ger camp about half an hour outside of UB

this is at Hustai National Park, the fieldtrip we took the first weekend we spent in Mongolia. Lots of hiking and enjoying the scenery.

Hustai Park is also famous for having the largest wild horse herd in the world.

this is a rather blurry picture from a show at the Mongolian National Theater, of course it was about the life of Chinggis Khan

This is a picture from Gandan Monastery, the largest Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. It is located in UB and was one of the very lucky few not to be destroyed during the Communist purges.

This is part of the mural of the memorial at Zaisan Hill, just on the outskirts of UB.

This is a picture of the city of Ulaanbaatar

This is from the weekend trip we took out to Kharakhorum and some areas around there. It's very easy to go horseback riding once you get into the countryside, and some of the group has really taken to it.

One of the best parts about the countryside are wonderful scenes like this.

This is a rather typical sight off the "roads" in Mongolia. The particular one shown here is from the long drive to Kharakhorum.

This is taken on the tall hill right next to Kharakhorum, very close to our ger camp.

Entrance to Kharakhorum and Erdenezuu

Inside Erdenezuu

a really great statue, one of many

more of the complex

Now: our trip to the Gobi

some really awesome cliffs

as you can see by Amanda and Ananya's excellent demonstration, it was incredibly windy

we went hiking through these mountains/big rocky hills and came upon this huge sheet of ice/glacier. Of course, when you are confronted with a glacier while in the Gobi, the only possible course of action is to take of your shoes and walk around barefoot on the ice until you can no longer physically stand it.

Then, we rode camels

hiked around the Flaming Cliffs for a bit (didn't find any dinosaurs though)

and visited a saxuul forest

As you can see, it's been a lot of fun.

Allison and the UHC have come up with a pretty comprehensive list, but here are a few additional suggestions:

First off, does your project require you to go to the countryside or will you be staying in UB? This will determine the amount of nice clothes you'll want to bring (though of course you need at least one nice outfit), if you'll want a water filter and other necessary items, and what types of gifts you'll want to bring (your advisor in UB has slightly different taste than the herdsman you interview for an afternoon).

Second, ziploc bags! You most likely aren't going to eat out every meal of every day, so the grocery store becomes your friend. But wait, you've bought a huge cans of peas (making sure you get all those veggie nutrients, though of course you brought vitamins)! How will you preserve them? Plastic bag and into the fridge. You can get by without them of course, but they don't weigh much and can come in handy.

Third, extra socks!!! They will get dirty and disgusting quickly. You will not want to do laundry that much, yet clean(ish) socks are an important thing to have. Bring more than you think you will need. You'll probably lose some as well.

Fourth, if music is important to you, bring music! Also, make sure you bring things you like and a wide variety. It will be the only noise besides your groupmates talking for a long long time. You know yourself best, so think it over.

Fifth, books! You probably will not have a TV. You will want some down-time. This can be a great opportunity to finally read some of those classics you always meant to. However, make sure there is some coordination. Having repeat books and "the mystery book that everyone thought someone else was bringing but didn't and now everyone really wants to read it" is unfortunate. Variety is also good, every now and then you just want to relax with some mindnumbing action novel or vampire erotica. Again, plan ahead.

Sixth, realize that bathrooms on this trip will 98% of the time not be like bathrooms in the United States. A large percentage of bathrooms will require you to bring your on toilet paper and hand sanitation. If you must have your purell, stock up on it before leaving. It's easy enough to buy wet wipes in Mongolia, but hand sanitizer is not cheap.

Seventh, so you are vegetarian. You are not going to die; fruits and vegetables actually exist here. So do not think you need to bring cans of soup or something. Use that space for something else. Ramen is always available as well. There are two vegetarians on this 2007 trip, so if you have any questions I'm sure they'd be happy to help.

Eighth, mental openess! This trip has a lot of great experiences and a lot of really weird things. Be willing to get out there and push your comfort level. You don't have to like everything, but try it at least with a positive attitude. You'll have a blast, promise.