Sept. 29- We awoke before dawn & after brekky in the ger, were off on one of the highlights of the trip- a camel ride into the sand dunes! JJ quickly named hers Thor since he was a blondie opposed to the normal dark-haired ones. <<The Bactrian camel is found only in the Gobi, and is famous for it's two humps. Unlike other camels with one hump for storing water, the Bactrian's two humps store fat, used for nourishing the body during times of little water or food. As the fat is burned, the humps lose their rigidity and can actually fall over to the side. And of course, the humps form a natural saddle in between. Our camels had actual saddles also, but the humps were great back rest & handle bars. In addition, these camels grow thick, shaggy winter coats for the winter, and shed in the spring. This is essential to handle the temp variation from 25'F below zero in the winter to up to 122'F in the summer!>>
<<Notable- In Mongolia, no animals (dogs, horses, etc) have names...mainly due to the fact that animals always serve a purpose other than just being a pet. For example, cow=milk/meat, sheep=food/wool, horse & camel= transport/airag, dog= security (they are at EVERY SINGLE GER when we arrive, barking and threatening to bite our leg off).>>
After a 45 minute, 1 mile ride in which Thor took a knee in the mud and threatened to get JJ wet too, we arrived at the foot of the Khongoriin Els (Sand Dunes), which reach heights of up to 300 meters (1000 feet)! We climbed to the top of the dunes (if only some local entrepeneur would think to sell oxygen at the top!) and sat on top for a while to enjoy the view. We found out on the way down why these are also called the "singing dunes", due to the sounds the wind makes at the top, and also due to the fact that when you run & jump & slide on your bottom, the pants-to-sand friction makes a sound that sounds like singing.
We rode Thor & Co. back to camp & bought a few homemade souvenir goodies from Bayerra, our host & camel farmer (or rancher?). We then drove a few hours & stopped for lunch at the exact time a windstorm swept through the valley we were in. L&B were determined to make it work, so we put up a large tarp to block some of the wind, ate quickly & washed the sand down with some wine & water, & hit the road again...singing like Mongolian Povarottis along with the tape player. These songs were way better than the "Into the Great Wide Open" & "In a Big Country" & "On the Road Again" that had been stuck in J3's heads for the first day or two.
We arrived in another soom (town/village) called Bulgan, went to the mall for the essentials- juice, cake, wet wipes. We passed on the freshly dried pieces of meat laying on the counter since Lufzan already had that covered. This "mall" was a basic rectangular, 3 story building with one door on each of the short sides leading to one long hallway splitting the building. On either side of the hall were identical rooms with everything a 7-Eleven would have in each one. Yes, every room had the same stuff. We wondered what would happen if someone suddenly made his mutton half off, would the others stone him? Afterwards, we didn't get a chance to ask many capitalism vs. socialism questions, since we were too busy juggling for the kids outside.
On our way out of town, we stopped for petrol & then at a watering hole, where locals (& folks like us) stop to collect water which is routed thru pipes from the mountain a few miles up the road. There was no faucet, so obviously the water is plentiful throughout all the summer months.
We made it to the "Flaming Cliffs" by mid-afternoon. These cliffs were definitely fabulous & flaming at the same time...sort of a mini Grand Canyon & painted desert combined. We learned a bit about how the sea used to reach this valley below, certain vegetation, and played with the mind-twisting toys sold by the sole vendor at the spot...yes, definintely the end of tourist season, which is a good thing.
Drove another hour & set up camp. Wet wipe showers for J3 while L&B made dinner of beef & veggie soup. After dinner, we collect firewood....I mean, dungwood....for our fire. Surprisingly (and thankfully), dried poo doesn't really smell bad at all, although we sure weren't about to start roasting marshmallows either. We shared a bottle of Mongolian vodka with the boys & while chasing it with orange juice, tried to explain the OJ Simpson nickname & story with the boys.
Up later than usual at the crack of 8.30 am, & drove to DG to check in for our flight back to UB. After checking in early, we toured the town one last time to a market, some shops, and Jason fulfilled his promise and bought the boys s small bottle of whiskey, which the 3 drank on a bench outside the airport building while waiting for the plane. The takeoff was similar to the jeep, on the same bumpy dry desert land, but the shocks were probably worse than the jeep. We actually got off the ground & made it back to UB in two pieces. Lufzan's employee, Batir, picked us up from the airport & we ATM'd the last part of our balance, a whopping 856,000 turgrits! After arriving back at Suzanne's place, we had the best showers we have ever experienced in our lives, and napped to tv till our gracious host got home. We ordered pizza delivery, minus worms & hair, and were off to be very early for a serious night of sleep for the first time in a week.
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Posted by: Jefferson Memorial | June 19, 2011 at 10:36 PM