A Journey Through Mongolia
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TravelTranscript
00:00🎵
00:30🎵
00:36With visions of Genghis Khan and his mounted warriors galloping across the steppe,
00:40we were headed to Mongolia.
00:42🎵
00:46It would be a month-long journey of epic proportions,
00:49with enough memories to last a lifetime.
00:52🎵
00:54Welcome to Mongolia, the country of endless blue skies.
00:58I just arrived in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar,
01:01and I'm getting ready for a month of adventures here in Mongolia.
01:05🎵
01:08We were mesmerized by the spectacular chaos of the capital.
01:13The architecture is impressive in its diversity,
01:16with temples scattered between old communist-era buildings,
01:20ultra-modern skyscrapers,
01:22and an unseemingly endless amount of karaoke hangouts and dive bars.
01:26As winter approaches, the cityscape sadly changes for the worse.
01:31Ulaanbaatar has now become the third most polluted city in the world,
01:35mainly caused by coal pollution from the many Ghir districts.
01:39The locals burn coal to heat their homes as temperatures plummet
01:43and the fumes settle in the valley with nowhere to escape.
01:47The government is battling this grave issue, but at this point to no avail.
01:52Ulaanbaatar has one of the largest outdoor markets in all of Asia.
01:56It's called the Black Market, but it sells all sorts of things,
01:59not necessarily illegal things.
02:01Hopefully we can find some cool souvenirs, and it should be pretty exciting.
02:05Let's go check it out.
02:07🎵
02:16The history of UB is quite remarkable, and certainly unique.
02:21In true nomadic fashion, the capital of Mongolia originated as a large gear camp
02:26and changed its location at least 25 times
02:29before settling at its current location in 1778.
02:39Today UB is a sprawling metropolis, home to around 1.4 million people,
02:44a staggering number representing roughly half of the country's entire population.
02:49This really puts the vastness and the remoteness of Mongolia into perspective,
02:54being one of the least densely populated countries in the world.
03:05Although we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in UB,
03:08it was now time to leave the modern comforts behind and head to the wilderness.
03:19It only took us a couple of hours drive to get to Hustai National Park from UB,
03:24not long at all by Mongolian standards.
03:27Our base for this first adventure would be a gear camp not far from the park entrance.
03:33In 1993, the only remaining true wild horse, the taki,
03:38was reintroduced to the area and has been protected since.
03:50Legend has it that the sand of Mtsuk Ilz has healing powers,
03:56great for aches and pains in your back, in your kidneys,
04:01and general body healing and awareness.
04:05So let's see if this sand can heal my aches and pains for the adventures to come.
04:20After relaxing for a bit, we would venture deeper into the heart of the park,
04:25in hopes of spotting the highly endangered taki horse.
04:30The park covers an impressive 500 square kilometers of stunning wild nature,
04:35and in 2002 UNESCO certified the park as a member of the World Biosphere Network of Natural Reserves.
04:43Scattered around the park are ancient burial grounds,
04:46with deer stones dating back thousands of years,
04:49a humbling reminder of a very different time.
04:56We were warmly welcomed by a local family of herders
04:59and invited into their warm and comfortable gear,
05:02a welcome break from the bumpy and dusty roads.
05:07Along with a few different dairy snacks,
05:09we were generously offered a large glass of fermented mare's milk,
05:13a popular beverage, about the same alcohol content as a light beer.
05:19It is certainly an acquired taste,
05:21which was quickly washed down with a shot of local vodka.
05:44Nomads often stick somewhat close to each other,
05:47while always leaving enough room for their herds to graze effectively.
05:52Even in the remoteness of the steppe,
05:54it is still nice and safe having neighbors and family close by.
06:03We had arrived at the busiest of times.
06:05All members of the family were hard at work,
06:08as one of their daughters was about to get married.
06:11This meant having to milk their horses every two hours from sunrise to sunset,
06:16ensuring that the local delicacies made from the horse milk would be plentiful.
06:26Even with more than 200 guests arriving the upcoming weekend,
06:30they somehow still found time to show us their way of life.
06:41A little different.
07:11A little different.
07:41A little different.
07:47I just hiked the top of a ledge here in Hustaj National Park,
07:51and I finally got my first glimpse of the Taki wild horses.
07:55This park is really famous for the wild horses,
07:59and it's one of only three places in the world you can see these wild Taki horses,
08:04so it's pretty special.
08:06I wanted to photograph them for so long,
08:08and I feel very lucky to be here today.
08:38Taki
08:59The next part of our adventure would take us into the northernmost part of the country,
09:03right on the border of Russia and the Great Siberian Forest.
09:07The Tatan tribe has been living in this remote area for thousands of years,
09:12and still to this day have managed to keep their traditions alive.
09:16We were looking forward to the long drive across the steppe,
09:20followed by several days on horseback.
09:26We just landed in Maroon,
09:28which is a little bit north of Ulaanbaatar, about an hour flight,
09:32and I'm getting ready to go on my Sutan adventure,
09:36which is about a 10-day round trip to see the reindeer herders,
09:39which are some of the last reindeer herders in the world,
09:42so I'm pretty excited to get started.
09:48It would be a strenuous haul through some of the most rugged terrain in Mongolia.
09:53We would spend a few days living alongside the Tatan
09:56and get a better understanding of their life and daily activities.
10:07I just woke up from my day two to see the reindeer herders,
10:11and we drove about four hours in the middle of nowhere towards the reindeer herders
10:16and then found a local family,
10:18and our guide just knocked on the gear's door
10:21and we slept in the gear with the family last night,
10:23so it was really special.
10:25They let us sleep in the gear with the family,
10:27and it was a really special experience.
10:29It was a really special experience.
10:31They knocked on the gear's door and we slept in the gear with the family last night,
10:34so it was really special.
10:36They offered us tea and biscuits, and we slept on the floor.
10:39Pretty incredible.
10:41The hospitality in this country is just unreal,
10:44and it's said that the nomads can travel for days,
10:47and if they see a gear, they can stop and stay
10:50because the people that are inviting them into their home
10:54might be in the same situation with no place to stay,
10:57so the hospitality is out of this world over here.
11:00It's pretty incredible.
11:31In the next episode
11:33We meet a nomadic family
11:35who is looking for a place to stay
11:37in the country
11:39We meet a nomadic family
11:41who is looking for a place to stay
11:43in the country
11:45We meet a nomadic family
11:47who is looking for a place to stay
11:49in the country
11:51We meet a nomadic family
11:53who is looking for a place to stay
11:55in the country
11:57We meet a nomadic family
11:59who is looking for a place to stay
12:01in the country
12:03We meet a nomadic family
12:05who is looking for a place to stay
12:07in the country
12:30After 10 excruciating hours
12:32After 10 excruciating hours
12:34we finally reached the town of Rinchen Lombe
12:36we finally reached the town of Rinchen Lombe
12:38which is on the border of Siberia
12:40It's the last outpost before you reach Russia
12:42It's the last outpost before you reach Russia
12:44The road was excruciatingly painful
12:46The road was excruciatingly painful
12:48really bumpy, up and down mountains
12:50over valleys, through rivers
12:52but it was absolutely stunning and beautiful
12:54but it was absolutely stunning and beautiful
12:56I don't want to talk too much about the weather
12:58I don't want to talk too much about the weather
13:00It was particularly rainy and nasty around here
13:02It was particularly rainy and nasty around here
13:04but the weather today was absolutely stunning
13:06and it was a beautiful drive
13:08It's September here in Mongolia
13:10so a lot of the trees are turning yellow
13:12which is absolutely a surprise
13:14and lucky to be here at this time
13:16I'm really excited to get into my gear camp
13:18and relax the rest of the night
13:20because tomorrow we've got a long day as well
13:22riding horses for about 5, 6, maybe more hours
13:24riding horses for about 5, 6, maybe more hours
13:26so come check it out
13:28Pretty nice, we've got a fire
13:30when it gets really cold
13:32and beds all laid out
13:34This is your traditional gear camp
13:36that is made for tourists
13:38but it's the same sort of idea
13:40just without all the personal stuff
13:42from a nomadic family
13:56Back on the road
14:18Today was another really really long
14:20exhausting day
14:22but we finally made it to our camp
14:24camp which we're camping tonight in this beautiful valley, rivers around us, a few
14:33little houses and yurts but not much around. We rode for about six hours today.
14:39Pretty sure I'm gonna get a divorce after this horse trip but we survived
14:44the first day and tomorrow we ride another full day and then we arrive at
14:49the Saton the day after but it's really beautiful. We crossed some rivers, just
14:53open plains, clouds in the sky, mountains in the distance and again we had
14:58spectacular weather so I'm feeling pretty fortunate and pretty stinking
15:02sore so tomorrow should be interesting but survived the first day and really
15:07happy to be at camp at the moment.
15:54So this is day five of our Saton adventure and this is the day we've been
16:01waiting for because today we get to meet the Saton tribe. They are on a border
16:08with Russia and Mongolia in a no-go zone so we need special permits to get into
16:13this area and notify the border police and go through a lot of paperwork but
16:18all our paperwork's in order. We stayed in a this beautiful valley behind me
16:23last night and today is finally the day we get to meet the Saton so it's pretty
16:28exciting. We're gonna be staying there for two nights in hopefully teepees.
16:34Never stayed in a teepee before so that should be interesting, hopefully not too
16:38cold.
17:18The Saton is one of the few tribes in the world who rely completely on their
17:23reindeer for their daily survival. The reindeer are used as pack animals and for
17:28transport. They are milk to create butter, curd and other dairy products. They're antlers
17:34for tools such as knives and they're pelts for clothing. We finally arrived at
17:41the Saton camp and we're invited into the chief and his wife's house and she
17:46made us some doughy things that are quite delicious and of course
17:51reindeer milk tea which is always my favorite but it's okay.
18:09So they keep the babies around and this is probably a yearling or something
18:14along those lines so that the females come back at night and therefore the
18:19males follow the females and they all stick around. So if they tie up the
18:24babies everybody else will come.
18:44I'm here sitting with the chief of all of the Saton in northern Mongolia and
19:02I've been warmly welcomed into their house, his and his wife's house and I'm
19:07sitting down for a little interview to ask some questions to get a little more
19:11educated on the way they live and their lifestyle. So my first question would be
19:15how long have you been chief?
19:28And how many Saton are there in this area?
19:41So you're a very busy man. What does your job
20:10as chief entitle?
20:40And do you feel like the traditions are thriving or is he concerned about some
20:57of the cultures dying out and changing as the years go on?
21:11One of my questions being how tourism has affected the Saton and both negative
21:24and positive, how has the community changed since tourism in the last 10
21:28years has come about?
21:41How has the community changed since tourism in the last 10 years has come
21:47about?
22:11Well I just want to thank you so much for having us here and inviting us into
22:29your home and we feel so honored to be here and see the way you live and it's
22:34such a beautiful culture and I really feel touched to be here so thank you
22:37very much.
22:58Thank you.
23:02After meeting with the chief and having productive talks with one of the
23:06original founders of the Saton community and visitor center it was decided to
23:11implement a visitor's conservation fee which in time hopefully will help
23:15preserve their amazing culture. As tourists we have a huge responsibility
23:21and must be extremely careful not to exploit tribal communities like the
23:26Saton. We must always show our utmost respect for their ways.
23:33Within just a few hours after leaving Ulaanbaatar we had arrived in the heart
23:40of the Bayan Olgi province. The capital of Olgi is the gateway to the majestic
23:45Altai mountain range and the nearest access point to experience the
23:50legendary Golden Eagle Festival. We're heading to the Eagle Hunter Festival
23:55we're on our way this morning and I've been waiting for this for years and
23:58years and years so I'm thrilled to be going there. Not really sure what to
24:02expect I know there's definitely a bunch of tourists in town but it should be
24:07really cool there's probably around 60 Eagle Hunters said to be in this
24:11festival over a two-day period this weekend so it should be really fun.
24:19We're here a little bit early to kind of catch some of the Eagle Hunters as they
24:24come to the festival there's about six riding our way and the landscape is
24:28absolutely fantastic lighting's great so hopefully we get a chance to get some
24:33shots before too much of the crowds come in.
24:46The annual Eagle Festival is held during the first weekend of October just prior
24:52to the main hunting season. More and more competitors join in the festivities
24:57each year and during our visit in 2016 almost 100 Eagle Hunters attended. Many
25:05of the hunters will travel far distances and even across borders to take part.
25:13The Kazakh Eagle Hunters compete in various events to show off their
25:18training and hunting skills with their magnificent birds of prey.
25:23I just got to the Eagle Festival and it's totally insane and perfect. There's
25:28vendors everywhere selling all sorts of Kazakh arts and crafts. We've got a
25:33fenced-in area over here where you can see the Eagles in competition there's
25:38gonna be horse racing, camel racing, all sorts of fun stuff over a two-day
25:42weekend so it should be a ton of fun and lots of photo ops.
25:48As visitors we were spoiled by the variety of skill based events such as
26:09the best Eagle at hunting prey and the best Eagle at locating its owner along
26:15with spectator popular events like best traditional dress, camel racing and of
26:19course the infamous goatskin tug-of-war. A grueling tough sport which occasionally
26:25will end with a kiss to the ground to the great joy of the audience immediately
26:29followed by loud cheers. The Eagle Festival has certainly not gone
26:35unnoticed and has quickly become one of the major tourist attractions for
26:39travelers wanting to experience the wonders of Mongolia. The week around the
26:44festival is bustling with activity and we were getting ready to leave the
26:47crowds behind and explore the everyday life of the locals. We had arranged to go
26:53live with an Eagle hunter and his family for a few days before heading back to
26:57UB. Our host for the next few days would be Bashankan, a highly revered Eagle
27:09hunter who lives with his family on a farm deep in the Altai mountain range. It
27:14would turn out to be a stunning drive through beautiful rough landscapes in
27:18the glistening mountain sun.
27:37Bashankan's oldest son had just returned from a successful hunting trip in the
27:42area as we arrived at the compound. The young Eagle he brought with him had just
27:47finished training and this was its first actual kill, a tasty rabbit. Clearly a
27:52very proud moment for a father passing on his skills to the next generation. A
27:57practice which has taken place for thousands of years will continue to live
28:02on. The Eagle was rewarded with the juicy rabbit meat as part of its training
28:07teaching it the benefits of man and beast working closely together. I'm
28:13about to run with a fake sheepskin and the Eagles gonna catch it while I run
28:16hopefully not fall on my butt. The relationship between hunters and Eagles
28:30is truly remarkable. The hunter will steal the Eagle from the nest at a very
28:35young age and train it until it's ready to join the hunt. Then once the Eagle
28:40reaches breeding age it will be released back into the wild so it can reproduce
28:44and maintain the Eagle population. This great respect for their animal
28:48companions is astounding and something which should serve as an inspiration
28:53across the world.
28:56During our stay we joined Bashankan in the mountains scouting for prey and
29:05although we did not have much luck bringing home the prize the experience
29:10will stay with us forever.
29:26A visit with the Eagle hunters of Mongolia is a journey back in time and
29:38we are elated seeing the tradition still thriving and feel confident that the
29:44culture will hold its ground against the attractions and the lure of the modern
29:48world. What an epic way to end our Mongolian adventures. It's finally
30:00snowing I'm so excited I've wanted snow this entire trip. We've got a sunset in
30:05the back that is absolutely breathtaking. The mountains have all the snow on them
30:09and the sun is coming out and the clouds are parting and it's really spectacular.
30:14This trip has been absolutely amazing from visiting the Satan in the north to
30:19urban UB to finally up here with the Eagle hunters and the Eagle Festival.
30:23Thanks so much for joining us on this episode and hope to see you next time
30:27Adventure Calls.