 It was a dark and stormy night. I
know that sounds cliché, but it was. In this day, there were no stars or moon
on the skies on this particular evening, and the clouds were dark and heavy
about the grey waters of Lake Bernard. I’ll usually take a moment to just gaze
across the water, but in this time, something special appeared to me. The
surface of the lake was as smooth as a sheet of glass, no movements at all. As
I gazed into the water, I saw that this smooth surface contains moving images.
I listen closely; I heard faint sounds coming to me from the lake as a history,
past—reflection. As I continue to watch the scenes of history drifting past me,
it becomes apparent that culture after culture, century after century, was
mirrored there. When I saw the era of a Mongolia I would like to investigate,
know more about it. I was tired and went a sleep, listening songs of the birds,
before I closed my eyes for the stormy night.
This night, I had vivid dream about the Mongolia. I started doing research about this
country. More I was reading about this
country, more I felt in love to this place. I felt in love in this place so
much, that I decided to visit this country of the nomads and indisputable
beauty. In fact, it was a perfect time to think about new motivations, I talked
to myself. I need truly refresh myself and satisfy my sense of adventure in
this inspiring journey that will introduce me to the true essence of Mongolia
which is a country of awe—inspiring natural beauty, sacred landscapes and home
to a proud and hospitable nomadic culture.
Discover and experience the traditional ways of nomadic life and the
legendary and striking landscapes, including northern region, where nature
feels at its purest, was my purpose of this unique trip. The sense of re-connection and escape from the
rest of the world is, partially, what draws me to new place--“North of
Mongolia.” “I need to see something special, something new for me, something
what I never see before, the an-touched nature and its endless attributes:
wildlife, beautiful lakes, trees where a sense of nature being free to be its
most wild, glorious self. The people are well –matched to the land they inhabit
and have deep connection with nature and the elements. People are a link with a
distant past and ancient ways of life. Animals are adapted to all kind of
ecosystems such as forest, steppe, desert, and tundra. Mongolia is said to be
the least densely populated country in the world, an isolated yet, magnificent
virgin landscapes, still largely untouched. Bone—rattling roads, little chose
of food and lack of access to running water in the countryside are all things
to consider, but the land and nomads are something special. Land of the Blue Sky and many sunny days a
year- even in the freezing winter, the skies are cloudless, one of the highest
country in the world with an average altitude of 1.580 m, where high mountains
ranges protects the country from the humid, and where weather is known for its
wild fluctuation due to changes in the wind direction. Some days, the air is
calm, and altitude makes the sun beat down and suddenly, wind, rain or snow
unpredictable element sweeps through the region.
When it comes to Mongolia, many would think of its breathtaking lakes, dense forests and raggedly beautiful rock formations. But this is natural beauty that holds the secrets of its rather curious past and tells the story of its colorful history. These stories reveal intriguing tales, mysteries and historical nomad’s events of the region and the whole country. The most valuable thing to humanity is the simple truth by which they can live every day and use every moment of there’s life, where the soul is only the vehicle of the Spirit and “All is Spirit always.” They believe that the best guide to life is strength and all misery comes from fear, from unsatisfied desire. Nature is ready to give up her secrets as we know how to knock where strength and force comes through concentration. The nomads of the vast expose of the Mongolian steppes shared a vision of the universe and the world of human experience that is characterized by religious concepts, rituals and magic practices that come to be known as Buddhism, shamanism, or Old Believers, embedded in nomadic life style of the people since ancient times. There is believe, that the great evergreen tree is also a living thing, so is the waving blade of grass, so are the tiny animals and plants that are too small to be seen by the naked eyes. Wherever you turn, there is life, even if it is invisible. It is easy enough to say that there is life in the fern or evergreen tree, while there is no life in paper. After all, what is life? They are the sum of all that is best in the mind and heart and soul of the human race, they are a fragment of bygone time and yet a piece of to-day and to- morrow. Ones and for all, is the language of the soul of all men, where the best guide to life is strength, and where every human body is a universe, containing a solar sun. Without belief there can be no creative power. There is no separation in Spirit. All is Spirit, I learned. The variety in the landscape is
matched by the number of different ethnic minority groups that reside in the
areas known with there’s
hospitalities, offering home made
products, traditional dairy products such as yogurt (tarag), dried milk
(aaruul), milk tea(suutei tsai), fermented milk (airag), sour cream (tsotsgii)
and chees ( byaslag). Nomads lived and still live, without electricity, no
running water, no comfort and without bathroom, but they are happy inside. I had wanted to go to Mongolia for many years. More than anything in this world I love the freedom to make my own choices, or my own mistakes, which we can also call independence or freedom. I soon figured out what that means this country, your own jeep, cooks and translator which is the first step to travel throughout the wilderness of this country, maybe bunch of friends who you can depend on and share the knowledge, travel experience, which could be life experience,
While I haven’t been everywhere in the world, I have been to Mongolia and I firmly believe that there is no place on earth like this country. Long after the reign of Genghis Khan, nomadic way of life is still seen in modern Mongolia. People friendliness is ingrained culturally, and still hasn't changed. Ah, I loved the North. If I ever were going to pick any part of Mongolia that I would say north is beauty with combined landscapes make for a unique environment, special place. North has reached almost mystical proportions when I am thinking about the nomads and horses, running wild and free, but is also place of surprises, sometime not so positive, like you can read it, later on… Mongolia has some surprisingly diverse people and landscapes, from the Gobi in the south to the taiga in the north, from the Kazakh eagle hunters in the west to the Buryat farmers in the north east.  The landscape includes high mountains, surrounding you almost everywhere you go, large lake basins perfect for the animal postures, and steppe grassland when you can see all kind animals, this is a breath taking view. When people think of Mongolia (North)the first images that comes to mind an usually Genghis Khan, freezing winters, dry deserts, horses, caws, camels, goats and sheep’s., but interestingly no chickens’. This country offers the untouched nature and nomadic culture, which gives the feeling of freedom and space, when you are there. Nomads are able to provide refreshing approach to life with their enthusiasm, their hospitality and their hope in the face of the most extreme circumstances. What a privilege it would be to know the peoples of every century and of all lands, including Mongolia! We can do all these things in our homes by opening the computer, but surly is not the same, when we can experience real things, real people and there’s hospitality and friendship which you can see and feel all over the country.  This stories about the people, specially nomads and of the birth of this nation and the account of its remarkable growth is filling us with a feeling of joy and a sense of pride, but same time little worry about the future of the nomads, all over the world. We can watch their failures and their successes in wresting from Nature her guarded secrets, and we can see the products of the genius, hidden in spirit world. They will be waged between the forces of money, truth and falsehood, charity and selfishness, sympathy and spite, or, in other words, between good and evil. There will be no clamorous recruiting campaigns, but people will become attested on one side or the other by their thoughts, actions and influences. These historical chapters carry us from the first struggling colonies, including (East Block) to the modern, powerful democracy, the history of man’s achievements and disappointments. Modern Mongolia is bumming, economy is improving, but far there people are still living life historically poor, but spiritually high. Face of Mongolia is changing day by day, but Europe and North America was a land of endless forests as the century pass also. People of Mongolia must preserve all that is worthwhile of this rich heritage and build a truly great civilization for future ages; every square inch of land must be cultivated with care and planed properly for the next generation to come.              We all know that the earth is full of living things which we can see with our own eyes, the animals that run free about on the surface of the globe, the fish that dwell in the water, the birds that cheers us with their merry songs, that is true Mongolia. The far north is an area renowned for its pioneering through the landscape, the steppe land, the world’s last true wilderness, stretch completely flat with almost no sign of human habitation. The rolling plains are combined with a fascinating mixture of ancient tribal history, shamanism and Buddhist traditions. The variety in the landscape is matched by the number of different ethnic minority groups that reside in the areas. The north of Mongolia is an area renowned for its high mountains covered in thick  Lake Khuvsgul is the pearl between them. Lies within the bounds of Khuvsgul National Park and is sacred to many people and its known as the “mother” or the “see” where special minority groups live commonly known as the Tsaatan people or Reindeer people. North is a remote and unique geographical area with a population of nomadic herders equally as interesting and diverse as the land they inhabit. Is a place where wild horses still run, where the live stack greatly out members the humans population, and where the gers could told stories who at one time ruled an empire that stretched from Asia halfway across Europe. Today, like before, last unspoiled destination is home to nomadic herders who still roam the steppe as they have since of past time. The clock never moved over there. There is life and there is death, the weather is harsh for humans, also for animals, especially in winter, when the thermostats scale climes minus double digits. I had to go to Mongolia to see the untouched nature, the power of the mountains, and the nomadic life, which is up north harsh and sometime straggling, because of the temperature over there. I wanted to see the land of horses, the land of unspoiled, yet, beauty which could be seen everywhere. . The lakes are immensely beautiful and the coniferous forests could be mistaken for a tropical paradise while the sun reflects of the crystal clear unspoiled water. I had to see and be there to experience the senses of paradise and imagination, I seized life at North as a spring flowers, where earth is very near to heaven and the blue sky, flowers which bloom forever and forest and its animals are source of its wealth. The water at lakes and rivers is azure jewel, simply stunning, surrounded by majestic mountains and fresh alpine meadows, home to a wide variety of wildlife and birds, this fertile area its natural glory. The steppe and surrounding Taiga forest possess a mystical romantic beauty and provide the ideal environment for reindeer-breeding nomads, place of peace, stillness and beauty. North of Mongolia a land of undiscovered nature and a unique of unforgettable experiences of nomad’s herdsman, heritage that spans thousands of years since antiquity. Whole area is to me much more; like a country of dust, sounds, never-ending silence, horiz  ons that seems to grow without end. A sky without interruption of lights for miles, surrounded by a silence that you never imagine could exist. It is land—locked country, sandwiched between Russia and China, the cold, high homeland of nomads, maintains many traditions from its nomadic past, with livestock still providing the main source of wealth. I have to say that my time in this country has been phenomenal, and I am immensely lucky to have had this experience. Driving in the country side, y  ou can just pick a direction and go, so nice to have that kind of freedom. The absence of roads means that people often drive where they want, creating a new tracks. There is a whole lot of Mongolia to explore, and it’s easy to feel as if you have the country to yourself. Now, let’s ignite the torches in our dream and imagine and see this trip with me with your eyes and step into the magic place, wrapped up with myth, legend, grasslands, and desert, also be with my friends, who journeyed with me deep into Mongolians wilderness, which is not a journey as any other.      An ancestors taught them to have a deep respect for the
world around them, because they believed that every object in nature is
precious. Starting in the Bronze Age burial cists  were sometimes interred into
cairns, which are situated on the skyline above the village of the deceased. A traditionally
they are often decorated, heap-formed cairn called an ”Ovoo” which serves
religious purposes and finds use in both Tengriist and Buddhist ceremonies. Mongols paying respect at an Ovoo. These large piles of rocks or
wooden structures can be found on every pass, or as a road signs, or boundary
marks. One, walk 3 times around the ovoo clockwise, each time throwing a few
racks into the pile, and offering to spirits some presents. From the beginning it
was wrong to dig the soil or cut the grass. To them, these were attacks on
nature.     In traveling throughout steppe, one soon become aware of the beautiful stone formatting art, found on the deer stone monuments. Mongolia’s Bronze Age 14 deer stones are one of the most striking expressions of early monumental art. Deer stones (Reindeer stones) are ancient megaliths carved with symbols nearby (Murun--Uushigiin Uver) . These stones are from the granite and green-stone They are fairly detailed -pictures. Every stone is different, a specially decorated and vertically—aligned rectangular shaped rock, which surface is divided by basically into a horizontal parts. These locations are created by nomadic people and honored, because deer do not harm human beings; and also there is ancient believe that the deer was the symbol or spirit of their creator. The images also may indicate a long tradition of protective body ritual and represent a spiritualized human body. The stones were aligned from north to south in a single column. These stones are today historical monuments and also art, and of course, cultural heritage.  Mongolia is the land of livestock. As you travel through Mongolia, you will have many opportunities to enjoy nomadic hospitality. The people of the steppe have adopted a pastoral way of life, moving in the search of best pastures. They live by and for their livestock. Nomadic families follow a seasonal routine, moving the herds to new grazing land based of the time of year, where daily responsibilities are divided evenly among family members. Traditionally, nomads raise 5 species of livestock known as the five Muzzles; horses, cows or yaks, sheep, goats and  camels. Reindeer's are raised by the Tsaatan people. Yaks and cows bring meat, milk, which is use for making a variety of dairy products. Sheep are the most universal animals, the basic food of nomadic lifestyle, sheep wool for clothing and felt for Ger covering, where Yurt (Ger) is part of the national identity. Goats provide milk and cashmere, where cows and yaks provide milk and leather.Wool, hair, and cashmere are other valuable resources from livestock. About 25,000 tons of wool, hair and cashmere is produce annually. Mongolia is the land of the horse. Any nomad can ride the native horse. As one of the only remaining horse—based cultures left in the world, they greatly cherish their horses. They are extremely proud of their riding skills and horse racing is a favorite whit believe, that the race to be a test of the animals (Naadam Festival).        Danzandarjaa Khiid Monastery, Murun or Mörön,   This trip and this adventure taps into the nomadic lifestyle, traveling through ruggedly beautiful gorges mountains, experiencing local customs up-close, exploring rural villages and sleeping in traditional ger tents.   This country brought me and my memory together with Tuvans,
Mong Each herder household usually has several sites that are used during winter, spring, and autumn, which are equipped with specific herd shelters-herd enclosures. As a unwritten rule, areas used for herder settlements are supposed to be cleaned completely before moving to other place.   A journey through out ancient time and space… keep an open mind at all times, where the air is hazy, and the smell lingers in everything. We drove, and at time pushed our two jeeps, over muddy, bumpy, dirt roads north to the “Blue Pearl of Mongolia” the ancient Lake Khuvsgul, Ulaan Taiga. The lake spans 85 x 22 miles and its water is so pure that you can drink straight from the lake—its waters are cold; frozen from January to April. The high mountains hosts’ wolves, deer, and many more wild animals, surrounded with a white felt tents, traditional dwellings (Gers), extinct volcanoes, dinosaur graveyards and mystic shamans.     Travels through those places require lot off patients, because off the beaten track and really bad terrain. Mostly take hours, or even an entire day, before we reached a Ger or arrived at a small—town community or different points-- guard borders.   Old time, understanding power of the dream and power of the season was considered necessary in order to understand the mystery of life, because dreaming follows the cycles of season and nature. Every society needs to have a connection with its past and understand the own roots of its traditions. The unique traditions guide educates people to live in harmony with nature and to appreciate its blessing. For many years, the grasslands, mountains, wildlife, forests, and humans have co-existed in harmony, where tradition in sustaining that way of life, based on harmony between nature and man. Khovsgol Lake--Toilogt--Festival   Knogorgo River’s valley camp was a last station to take a shower, before we were heading to Siberian border, where Reindeer people live. Valley and river have a lot of offer for just anybody with its majesty and natural beauty.                Contact... http://books.hlobil.com/ |
