Figure I better close out my post from Mongolia as we're nearing the end of our stay here in Thailand and Mongolia was 3 countries ago on our trip! I just "can't" be writing about Mongolia from Cambodia - that would do me in for sure!
- We had made this 2nd tour or trek specifically to see and spend 2 nights at Erdene Zuu (E.Z.) Monstery; it was the first monastery in Mongolia, built in 1586, and 2000 monks lived there; E.Z. means the 1st Image of Buddha and also the 3 Treasures: Buddha, Lama and Sutra.
- Had gotten to Kharkorin too late on Sept. 9th to see EZ so walked the 10 minutes or so on dirt roads/paths from our ger "camp," i.e. all of 10 or so gers, to the monastery; positively breathtaking views b/c of the immensity of it and b/c it's in the middle of nowhere really.
- Steven, Valerie (our sidekick or perhaps she would refer to us as HER sidekicks, not sure!) and I spent several hours walking around the immense complex of buildings, relaxed a bit back at our ger and went back to the monastery for another look see later;
- All 3 of us were feeling pretty washed out mid afternoon as we'd obviously eaten something the night before that didn't agree with our stomachs; we had considered ourselves to be so lucky before then b/c we'd had no problem with any of the food but our dinner the night before of spaghetti about did all three of us in for the next few days.
- 9/11: lit a small candle in our ger for all those affected by the horrific events; then, on our way back to UB, stopped for a camel ride on the sand dunes as part of the tour; while waiting for our camels to arrive at the camel ger camp, we waited inside the ger; I didn't realize it but Valerie picked up on it right away that the ger family had both a Shaman's altar with robes, including a headpiece,as well as a Buddhist shrine.
- I had taken photos of the altar and shrine (not knowing what the former was) when the ger woman was not inside; when she came back in, Valerie asked her about it, and the woman IMMEDIATELY pulled the coverings down over both the altar and shrine. Valerie made me promise to send her my photos as she hadn't taken any inside.
- It was an "interesting" camel ride to put it mildly: we think our camel guide was pretty intoxicated and shouldn't have been trying to guide us; I had a bruise on my right leg til a couple of days ago from where the stirrup was way too tight; wish you could help me out here, Christine, with my camel/horse gear!
- Steven's camel had a huge and deep bloody gouge (from a wolf bite, we think) on its right flank that Valerie got her foot in - yuck; all three of our camels were tethered together so that I was holding onto Valerie's rope attached to her camel and she was holding onto Steven's, etc; seemed fine initially but when one camel moved in one direction, we all did!
- Our "guide" was totally unaware of what the camels were doing as he was walking on ahead though holding one rope; he didn't speak a word of English which was an issue when we felt very unsafe.
- Valerie was scared out of her wits the whole time and also well before we even got near the camel ger camp, so we had to do a lot of wheedling to get her up in the first place; she had never, I think, been up on a horse so was damn near petrified at the prospect of getting up on a CAMEL!
- My camel brushed up against a tree trunk and my right leg above my ankle got badly scraped; I think I will have another scar but WHAT a story to relate how I got this one!
- Having said all this though, it WAS exciting and we're all glad we did it. I was able to take some good photos while riding the camel; I will spare you the ones of the empty sky or the blurry ones when I was being jostled about and wasn't able to focus!
- Other impressions: only saw one fast food restaurant in all of Mongolia and it was KFC; have NEVER in my life seen so many pregnant women: there must have been some pretty cold nights back last January, methinks! Pollution is so bad in UB, that drivers aren't able to drive their cars one day a week based on their license number.
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| At ticket area, just inside Erdene Zuu Monastery; the stone lions protect the temples. |
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| The view of EZ as we walked to it from our ger. |
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| Outside Erdene Zuu Monastery at Kharkorin Village. |
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| One of the doors at EZ - the blue prayer "scarves" were everywhere all over Russia, Mongolia etc at all Shaman ovoos and Buddhist temples. |
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| More views of inside the monastery walls. |
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| Valerie and Bolga, our wonderful driver, from Khongor Guesthouse in UB. |
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| Another turtle rock, albeit a tad smaller than the last one: this was at EZ. |
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| I saw Steven a gazillion times this trip doing this same pose, i.e. getting something out of his fanny pack or putting tickets away in it! |
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| View of many of the stupas at EZ. |
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| Immediately outside the entrance to EZ: not sure if any of the postcards I mailed from the "post office" will get to where they're supposed to go; the post office was really a souvenir shop! |
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| Another view of Erdene Zuu to show you the size and scope of it! |
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Me, before it too cold in our ger!
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Almost nighttime by our ger at EZ.
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Yaks on the side of the road.
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Our camel ger hostess.
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Valerie inside the camel herder's ger across the room from the altar and shrine.
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