Camels and Lost Souls

Day: 275

Today is our first day in a week that we haven’t had to pack up our bags and move on to somewhere new, although with the insane afternoon sandstorms we ended up huddled in our ger for a few hours anyhow. The break was exceptionally deserved after what the morning did to my ass.

The morning, before the winds set in, was filled with a couple hours of riding an angry, stinky, camel through the scorching sun. It is almost as fun as it sounds.

In the evening a pair of German girls found us in our ger, and after a sorrowful tale of their escapades of broken car stuck in the middle of the desert and a pissed off driver we all agreed to let them tag along (sharing some of the cost of our tour price!) with us for the next few days on our way back towards Ulaan Bataar. The Russian pimp-mobile is going to be crowded.

GPS 43’49.415 (N) 102’23.489’ (E)

The Mongolian Interstate

Day: 274

The Mongolian population doesn’t actually believe in roads of any sort, everyone is just required to have four wheel drive then plow through the countryside creating fresh tracks. About half the time we are driving along with absolutely no road of any sort, and the other half of the time we are in the tracks that were created a few days before by the last bunch of tourists in a 4×4.

From time to time, our driver will pull over at some random ger, mumble at us in Mongolian then go inside for 10 minutes (I assume he’s having a cup of tea). He’ll then come out with a smile on his face, jump in the front seat and point off in the distance at some hill, herd of goats or vast expanse of nothingness and happily tool away with us in a new direction. A very interesting way to travel.

After five or six hours piled in our van, we made it to the base of Khongoryn Els (Some giant sand dunes) where we found another Ger camp to sleep in. Tomorrow is camel riding through the dunes!

GPS 43’49.415 (N) 102’23.489’ (E)

Mongolian Sightseeing

Day: 273

-Went to an ice filled valley in the middle of the sweltering desert where we got slightly lost and turned a three hour hike into five. We ran out of water and never got to eat luch. When we got back to our Russian jalopy, we found our driver unconcernedly sleeping in the back of the van.

-Visited Bayanzag (i.e. The Flaming Cliffs) to take a few pictures. Fortunately we were running late so the sun was low in the sky, hence making the cliffs “flame”. Reminded me of Utah a bit, come to think of it, much of the Gobi reminds me of Utah. Dinosaur bones everywhere, harsh summers and freezing winters, and endless desert.

-Found an awesome campsite in the middle of a Saxual forest, set up our tents and started making dinner. Only to find we were sitting in the middle of a Giant Tick breeding ground. Tucked in pants and shirts became a must to fight off the largest ticks I have ever seen. Searched myself a few times, after the small one I picked up in Calilegua National Park in Argentina I really don’t feel like having an insect burrowed in my skin again for a while.

GPS 44’8.311 (N) 103’43.667 (E)

Dalanzadgad; Quite Boring!

Day: 272

My alarm went off rudely this morning at 2am. Although I guess it is my fault, I set it. I decided I should follow Tomix and Lena’s (the Polish couple) advice and see the desert in its pitch black, almost full moon, glory.

Grudgingly I squirmed my way out of my sleeping bag and poked Felicia awake in hers, drifting my way outside to stand in awe at what was easily a stunning experience. The night was alive with every star and planet I had never seen. Of course I tried to take pictures, creating a few images I am satisfied with, learning a massive amount about night photography in a short time, but also getting excited about trying some more in the next few nights to come (most likely detrimental to my sleeping patterns). After a quarter an hour or so, we headed back in to sleep the rest of the morning.

Technical note: The fronts of the Gers are lit by my flashlight during a 30 second exposure.
Alas, this was the most exciting part of the day. By early afternoon we had reached the little town of Dalanzadgad to restock and settle in for the night before setting off into the desert for the next four days. Unfortunately, Dalanzadgad has nothing going for it, and sheer boredom set in. Although I think it’s the same for the locals, because all the advertisements I saw were for undersized “Frenzy” brand condoms and Chinggis Khan Vodka

We ate ice cream and mutton (trying with moderate success to decipher the Cyrillic menu), meandered the dusty streets and unsuccessfully tried to get my blog uploaded.

GPS 43.34.355 (N) 104’25.673 (E)

The Deserts Hot!

Day: 271

I guess coming out of Tibet I had got too used to the cold because now I am baking as we traverse further south. Dripping sweat while being beaten by a hot, dusty wind has forced me to have to use a bandana just to help keep the sun off, and maintain a “stylish sensibility, in a gay cowboy sort of way…” as Felicia put it. I wish i had a cowboy hat…

Gobi Bear sightings still at zero… although we did spot an eagle today.

GPS 43’8.882 (N) 109’8.709 (E) “ish”

Gobi Time!

Day: 270

9:30 was our designated time to meet up with our new Polish acquaintances and our Mongolian driver to head south into what we have been told would be days at a time without civilization of any sort. After a quick stop at the pharmacy for a supply of eye drops and aspirin, we were off to spend the next seven hours bouncing through the desert in a 30 year old Soviet van complete with zebra covered seats, green curtains and a bobble head dog on the dashboard. Most likely the pimpin’est ride in all of Mongolian.

After a few stops along the way we pulled up to a nomadic ger (the type of tent) camp with three tents and Felicia and I made ourselves at home inside, even if I did have to throw my sleeping bag on the floor because the beds were about eight inches too short.

We wandered the rest of the evening throughout the local rock formations and finally were fed a dinner of mutton and rice to accompany the setting sun.

GPS 46’13.827 (N) 106’4.192 (E)

Healing

Day: 269

Yeeeaahh! I woke up this morning and my eye is almost completely better. With the Gobi trip starting tomorrow this really couldn’t be better news.

We spent the day wandering the city stocking up on food for the next three days. Having been told we would be staying with nomads and the next grocery store won’t be for three days, so I highly doubt there’ll be much of an internet connection until at least then, possibly longer. Trust me though, you’ll all get pictures as soon as I can find a place to upload.

Until then enjoy this picture of a Gengis Khan statue.

Ulaan Bataar

Day: 268

Ulaan Bataar is supposedly the coldest capital city in the world, I really didn’t find it so as I unloaded my bags from the train to the hostels van that was sent to pick us up. All I saw was old soviet era buildings and a city that seems excessively un-photogenic (at least through my one good eye, the other one is getting better as we speak though).

Felicia and I got a room, showered and the hostel/tour service started giving us a run down on tour prices to see various parts of Mongolia. Relatively cheap at $750 for 10 days of driver, gas, camping equipment and jeep split up to six ways. We found a Polish couple and the four of us set out in two days to visit the Gobi desert.

My real hope is that I get a glimpse of one of the remaining 25 wild Gobi bears, highly doubtful, but I will get to ride a two hump camel.

Oreos, Oil, and Salt

Day: 267

My diet on the 30 hour train ride north into Mongolia today consisted basically of those three things; Oreos because I think Felicia is trying too fatten me up to sell me to the Mongolian nomads. Oil which thoroughly soak every piece of meat and vegetable that came out of the dining car at lunchtime, and copious amounts of salt that generally comes with the instant noodles and processed meats which were my dinner. Everything was washed down with a few cups of instant coffee. Delicious.

On a sour note my left eye has been up to no good lately (hence the sub par pictures), being swollen, sore and infected yesterday and cloudy today, but fortunately it seems to be clearing up now. If it is not better by tomorrow I am going to have a visit to my embassy in Ulaan Bataar who can recommend an American trained doctor to me. I have already self proscribed a routine of aspirin, antibiotics and eye drops which seems to be working quite well. Don’t worry Mom, I’ll make sure I take good care of the problem and if it gets worse I promise to fly right home and have it taken care of there.

A Real Dilemma

Day:266

I have always said (although this being the first time on “Mom Says…”) that if people are not related or have know each other for at least a decade it is near impossible to travel together for an extended amount of time and not annoy the shit out of each other; with one exception, if they are having sex. Sex seems to cover and forgive a broad array of sins from each other.

Obviously from past posts my views on sex are rather casual. I am not usually “on the prowl” but if a situation presents itself I always am up for a good time. At the same time I am absolute about being responsible about this lifestyle I have chosen, always protecting myself and those I sleep with by using protection, as well as semi-regular tests. Anyways a point to this rambling; I normally travel with what I view as a reasonable amount of condoms, unfortunately I didn’t take into account a certain persons appetites, or the length of time we would travel together and ran out yesterday.

No problem right? Well I am in China, but being in Beijing I should be able to find an American brand that I can trust, right? After a considerable amount of effort we came across a pharmacy that sold Durex, I bought a couple of dozen and went away with a smile on my face. Life was good again.

Until that fateful moment of passion that will live in infamy in my mind forever, I go to use one….

And of course it doesn’t fit, too small… Slightly helps build my self esteem, but at the same time relegates me to third base. Frustration might be the word I am looking for.

My only hope left now is that Ulaan Bataar carries Russian sized birth control.

*No names were used in this article to protect the innocent; speculation optional.

Camels and Lost Souls

The Mongolian Interstate

Mongolian Sightseeing

Dalanzadgad; Quite Boring!

The Deserts Hot!

Gobi Time!

Healing

Ulaan Bataar

Oreos, Oil, and Salt

A Real Dilemma

robertpaetz

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Camels and Lost Souls

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The Mongolian Interstate

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Dalanzadgad; Quite Boring!

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The Deserts Hot!

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Gobi Time!

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Healing

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