The Monogogos Land in Western Mongolia
The Opening Ceremony in Ulaan Baatar
Ulaan Baatar culture tour for team “One Steppe at a time”
Friends, family and loved ones,
Town is packed with people coming from all over the world to celebrate Naadam, the 10 day festival of Manly Games. For centuries these games served as training for Mongolian soldiers. Today it also commemorates their independence from China in 1931.
We avoided the crowds by making an excursion to the countryside to see the world’s largest equestrian statue which features a heroic Chiggis Khaan in full regalia. We were dawned by the 40 meter monument.
Female golden eagles are traditionally used for hunting wolves.
We had to pay a visit to the museum to see Chinngis in Gold. He’s extremely well respected in Mongolia.
Finishing off our cultural extravaganza with a performance of traditional music and Tuvan Throat Singing was icing on our cake!
The team is enjoying our immersion into the local culture as we acclimate to 4,000+ feet of elevation. Tomorrow we’ll witness the opening ceremonies in the national stadium. Come join us!
Vern Tejas and “One Steppe at a Time”
Mongolia team explores Ulaan Baatar
Adjoining the temple is a unique structure that shelters the the tallest Buddha in Mongolia.
We were awed by the immense (26 meter) golden statue
Then we were off to the Chojin Temple complex whe we appreciated amazing Tantric Art.
This building houses one of the most impressive collections of Buddhist ceremonial masks in the world. Wandering around the multitude of temples we were struck by contrast of old with the new.
We will be regularly posting right here about where we are and what we are doing throughout our Mongolian adventure so please join with us and follow all the action.
All our best,
Vern Tejas.
No Shortcuts Says their Goodbyes
Hello there, friends, family, and loved ones,
On our way back to civilization we were able to soak up the unique aspects of the Mongolian world.
A caravan of camels.
We enjoyed a local archery competition that challenged the contestants to send an arrow 40 meters to strike a softball sized target. The bowmen were extremely accurate.
We made anther stop for horse racing and ice cream. Yet even more exciting was taking tea in the Ger of an Eagle Hunting family. Afterward he demonstrated his Eagle handling skills and invited us to feel the power of these truly amazing Golden Eagles.
Our evening meal consisted of the famous Besbarmak feast, a carnivores delight eaten with ones fingers. Once we were totally satiated our host family treated us to a concert of traditional music played on the popular Dobra, the sweet two string instrument of the Steppe.
The team is impressed by the hospitality of the friendly nomads. So we sadly say goodbye to Tuban Bodg of Western Mongolia and prepare for the flight tomorrow to Ulaan Battar.
All our best,
Vern Tejas and the Fabulous No Shortcuts
I’d do it again. Met my expectations in terms of culture, conditioning, and mountaineering experiences. Good logistical layout. Great local guides, great point of interest visitation plan. I rate it higher than other organizations expeditions I have been on.
