Thailand: Khao Sok National Park Caves

May9

After cruising through the stunningly beautiful karst formations that surround the dam, we were ready for the next part of the day’s adventure… a visit to some caves.

We were to get to the caves by riding on, or really gliding, across the still waters of the dam on a bamboo, ‘raft-like’, boat. Safety vests were to be worn on these craft!

These strange craft had there own small bay on the dam complete with floating chalets that can be hired for the night…. though that wasn’t our plan.

We waited at the landing stage for our turn… but there were not too many other tourists there that day which made it a pleasant place to be.

Screen Shot 2016-04-24 at 3.26.39 PM

Ready, set,go! One of the other groups we shared the dam with.

Screen Shot 2016-04-24 at 3.25.29 PM

It was all a bit of fun!

When we arrived at the caves and disembarked our bamboo rafts, we had to make a steep climb up to the mouth of the cave. In this photo, I’m looking back to that entrance and the rickety bamboo handrail that gave a little confidence although not much support!

Most caves are rather wet places to explore with water dripping through the ceiling of the cave. Wonderful stalactites like this one are produced by the precipitation of minerals as the drips of water dissolve the limestone. Most stalactites are icicle shaped formations that hang from the ceiling and have have pointed tips. This one is a group of such forms.

Mineral formations in caves are, in the main, either stalactites and stalagmites. This is an example of a stalagmite, an upward-growing mound of mineral deposits that have precipitated from water dripping onto the floor of a cave. Although many stalagmites have rounded or flattened tips, this one has formed as a pillar on the cave floor.

Weird shapes and patterns were everywhere.

More stalactites hanging free from the ceiling as well as attached to the wall of the cave.

Iron oxides, dissolved with the limestone, left these stains as the moisture evaporated.

Filigree edges to some of the stalactites attached to the side walls of the cave. Further iside this cave, a column from above has joined up with the stalagmite that formed below it.

A fairy-land of crystals.

After exploring in the dimness of the caves, we came out into the bright light of day again to make our way down the steep slope back towards the water of the dam.

By the time we boarded our long tail boats for the ride back across the dam, it was 17.15 and we were looking forward to a cool drink and dinner after a good day out.

We’d obviously been very lucky with the weather. By 17.45 when we returned to our vehicle, dark clouds were forming and the water took on an ominous look.

The girls opted for some pretty amazing looking cocktails while we waited for dinner at a restaurant near to Morning Mist Resort. We guys settled for a cold beer.

The stir-fried noodles were good too.

We capped the night off at another small bar where a fire-dancer performed.

And the girls made the most of some more fantastical cocktails!

It was nearly 23.00 by the time we got back to our rooms. I un-stuffed the doona and used the covering as a sheet. This time, I slept like a log. More adventures anon.

Video on Vimeo: Khao Sok National Park, Lake Cheow Larn and Cave

https://vimeo.com/165252351

David

If you enjoy these armchair travels, please pass our site onto others

www.dymusings.com

more of our travel stories and photos can be found on

www.jtdytravels.com

More of our travel photos are on

www.flickr.com/photos/jtdytravels

Thailand: Khao Sok National Park: Night Walk

May4

After dark, about a dozen of us set off with a ranger on a walk into the darkness of the Khao Sok National Park. We had been warned before hand, by our tour guide, that we should cover up, the full thing: long sleeves and trousers and to take repellent to guard against biting insects. So, covered from head to toe, I was! Our guide turned up in shorts, thongs and nothing else. Mosquitoes? No, there weren’t any mosquitoes! The jungle is very dry and this was probably the reason for the lack of mosquitoes. But I wasn’t dry…my shirt was wringing wet within minutes and remained so for the 2 hours of the walk!

It was a good walk although not exciting. We did see lots of spiders although some of them were hard to see on tree bark and on the ground.

Not sure what sort of spiders… but always wise not to get too close!

Up in the branches was a beautiful green snake with orange markings.

We watched him… he watched us.

I tried to get a decent shot of this little bird but he hid himself too well.

Some of us were interested… some not so much!

But the interest was aroused by this little ‘winged’ lizard or ‘flying dragon’. They possess a gliding structure, or patagium, attached to specialised ribs which can be extended away from the body. They can glide many metres from tree to tree.

There are about 40 kinds of these little lizards across south east Asia. This little creature is Blanford’s Gliding Lizard, one of the largest of its type. The male reaches 13 cm from snout to vent (not including the tail; the female 11 cm. These tiny lizards inhabit lowland rainforest up to around 1200 metres elevation.

This tiny lizard dutifully displayed his brightly coloured orange throat pouch, also known as a dewlap or a gular flag.

A close up the delicate pattern of scales. Males are identified by olive-grey mottling on the back and patagium, and females by transverse banding. My guess is that this is a female.

Placed back on a trunk, the colouring of the scales is excellent camouflage helping it to blend in well with the dappled colours of the bark. It almost looked like an aboriginal art work. As they cling to tree trunks, they feed on ants and other tiny insects.

There was quite a lot of bamboo in the park. The signs were in both Thai and English which was good. They are set out in fairly ornate signage frames.

Thailand has 12 bamboo species with 41 varieties. In Khao Sok National Park you can find 7 varieties on the park trails, including Thyrosostachya siamensis also called Monastery Bamboo which is a tightly clumping bamboo that grows to 13 m high. Bamboo grows very quickly like grass. Elephants enjoy eating the young bamboo shoots.

A chameleon minding its own business until we interrupted its night hunting.

Another spider with large palps that look like another set of legs.

As I mentioned earlier, it was an interesting walk but not what you would call exciting! And it was a VERY HUMID night with clothes clinging to skin in a most unpleasant way.

Back in our room the fan was set whirring and I climbed in under my flapping mosquito net. It was so hot I decided I would just lie on top of the bed and not bother with any covering. This was a bad idea because I didn’t sleep well at all as I am used to something, even if only a sheet, over me. Add to this, any two pieces of skin in contact with each other stuck together like two pieces of cling wrap. The next morning in some respects, could not come quickly enough, a day when we would explore further into Khao Sok National Park. More of that anon.

A video of my time at Morning Mist Resort and Khao Sok National Park is included here:

Morning Mist Resort Vimeo address

https://vimeo.com/165095034

David

If you enjoy these armchair travels, please pass our site onto others

www.dymusings.com

more of our travel stories and photos can be found on

www.jtdytravels.com

More of our travel photos are on

www.flickr.com/photos/jtdytravels

Mongolia #26 Day 14 of the Trek (09/10/15)

Dec9

DSC02437 © DY of jtdytravels

It was a warmer night – with no frost. For the first time, I slept under the sleeping bag rather than in it. Mind you, it was still only a few degrees above freezing.

DSC02438 © DY of jtdytravels

Soft pre-sunrise hues over the bay beside our campsite.

DSC02440 © DY of jtdytravels

Finally the sun hit the far side of the lake.

DSC02444 © DY of jtdytravels

…then it was our turn to receive some warmth from the sun

DSC02447 © DY of jtdytravels

The sun highlighted these fluffy seed heads.

There was an option this morning to go for a walk and be picked up along the way… or to stay in camp. This came about because we had to wait for two of our vehicles to return from Olgii where the con-rod in one and a broken leaf in the other car’s suspension were being fixed. Some of us decided to stay in camp and have some time-out. We kicked the remains of the camp fire into life and sat around it, chatting and relaxing until midday. The vehicles reunited, we drove on until we found the walking group. Our destination for the day was Khovd where there’s an airport. This would be our point of departure from far west Mongolia; the end of our trek.

DSC02451 © DY of jtdytravels

On the way, we came across a rather impressive, very Russian styled memorial. As with many things with a Russian influence, there appeared to be plenty of money for building, but nothing ever set aside for maintenance. Built and then forgotten.

DSC02452 © DY of jtdytravels

Yaks grazed contentedly on the wide open steppe.

DSC02454 © DY of jtdytravels

Our cars left a dust trail as we drove down into the town of Khovd.

(Elevation 1405m, 48.02N, 91.57E)

Khovd is the capital of Khovd Province, approximately 1580km (982mi.) from UB. The town’s population of 81,479 (in 2015) is made up of more than 17 nationalities and ethnicities all of which have their own traditional dwellings, dress and cultural differences.

The climate is harsh with the summer temperature regularly reaching 40°C (104°F) and falling to as low as -30°C (-22°F) in winter. The weather is dry with an annual rainfall of only 122.8mm (4.8in.) per annum. Despite this harsh climate, over two million livestock are herded here and, quite amazingly, the area around Khovd is famous for its watermelon production.

At present Khovd is connected to the Russian electricity grid and its prone to blackouts if the town falls behind in its payments! So generation of hydro-electricity from the abundant snow melt is becoming more important. It’s hoped that new projects will generate enough electricity not only for Khovd’s needs but also for the power needs of the adjacent aimags (Provinces) of Uvs and Bayan-Olgii.

DSC02458 © DY of jtdytravels

We drove a short way out of town to find a camp site beside a swiftly flowing stream. This was our last camp site for this Mongolian trek with Tim Cope.

Dinner tonight was a bowl of soup followed by a lamb dinner with potatoes and carrots. It was cooked in a pot with hot stones. Really delicious.

DSC02465 © DY of jtdytravels

After dinner we were entertained by three Kazakh performers in national costumes.

DSC02463 © DY of jtdytravels

The instrument played was the traditional morin khuur. I say traditional, but under the Stalinist regime, musical instruments had to be standardised and ‘modernised’ using different materials and construction methods. The top and bottom of the traditional morin khuur was made of skins. The sides had ‘sound holes’. Today, the instrument has a wooden soundbox, f shaped holes and a soundpost. Bows were traditionally made of horse hair. Todays strings are made of nylon.

DSC02467 © DY of jtdytravels

The firelight flickered over the face of the throat singer.

DSC02470 © DY of jtdytravels

These performers brought to an end the final night of a memorable trip.

DSC02472 © DY of jtdytravels

Before I turned in, I repacked my bag. And now, I have to let this biscuit have the final say in this diary of our trek. I bought it in a pack of biscuits way back on my first day in China on 6th September. That biscuit pack lived in my backpack, all day every day, one or two biscuits being nibbled at from time to time. They were not overly hard, nor overly sweet, yet at the same time rather nice in flavour. I wasn’t hungry between meals during the Walk on the Wall, nor between meals in Mongolia. So now, after all of that time, there was still one biscuit left in my pack. And it was not broken! There must be something very special about those biscuits!!!

And there had certainly been many things special about our trek. I was able to muse over them as I fell asleep in my tent on my last night under the Mongolian stars.

David

If you enjoy these armchair travels, please pass our site onto others

www.dymusings.com

more of our travel stories and photos can be found on

www.jtdytravels.com

More of our travel photos are on

www.flickr.com/photos/jtdytravels

Mongolia #25 Day 13 of the Trek (08/10/15)

Dec8

DSC02405 © DY of jtdytravels

It was another cold morning, -10℃, (14℉) with frost on my tent. My toes were still frozen! The sky was almost cloudless above our picturesque camp site.

DSC02404 © DY of jtdytravels

The sun began to creep over the hills and into our valley.

DSC02407 © DY of jtdytravels

Breakfast was the usual scrambled eggs with bacon but with a few extras in the form of orange slices and dried apricots. Very nice.

DSC02408 © DY of jtdytravels

Before we set off for the day, our driver, Pujee, posed with my travelling companion, Michael from London, alongside Pujee’s trusty Toyota HiLux.

DSC02410 © DY of jtdytravels

Leaving our drivers to pack up camp, we began to walk for about half an hour to the site of four standing stones… well, two standing stones, one ‘leaning’ stone and one definitely tired, lying down stone! There’s a growing problem in the steppe areas of the standing stones being stolen and sold to museums, smashed or indeed used to help get a car out of a bogged situation. Perhaps, respect for the stones is waning.

DSC02411 © DY of jtdytravels

A nearby small lake reflecting that huge blue Mongolian sky.

DSC02417 © DY of jtdytravels

After our vehicles caught up with us again, we drove on to see a “Silent Village”. It looks like a village in the distance but it is in fact, a cemetery… hence ‘silent’. Tim had told us that these villages had tricked him when he was on his big trek. Can you imagine, trekking along on your own and you see what you think is habitation… people… company… and a chance to share a meal. But no! Not here.

DSC02415 © DY of jtdytravels

We ventured closer to have a look. These were relatively new graves within a walled area. The ground is very hard and rocky so a mound is built over the body. At a later date a stone surround might be built.

DSC02414 © DY of jtdytravels

An older grave with surround.

DSC02413 © DY of jtdytravels

A much more substantial grave site.

DSC02420 © DY of jtdytravels

Now there’s a grave site with a pretty spectacular view.

Pity the incumbent isn’t able to enjoy it!

DSC02419 © DY of jtdytravels

There wasn’t a lot of vegetation except for a few tufts of White grass.

DSC02421 © DY of jtdytravels

Wonder of wonders… here in the “Silent Village” one of our drivers managed to get phone reception! The driver was still vertical so it wasn’t a call on the “royal telephone”! The silence is broken! Modern technology.

DSC02422 © DY of jtdytravels

We drove on through stark countryside under the clearest of blue skies.

The sky here really is amazingly blue.

DSC02423 © DY of jtdytravels

When we came to an ovoo on a pass, of course we had to make the obligatory stop and perform the, by now, well known ritual of walking around the ovoo three times clockwise, each time adding another stone to the ever growing pile.

DSC02424 © DY of jtdytravels

Oh oh! More vehicle problems. And no habitation in sight anywhere. Just as well our drivers were fairly knowledgable as mechanics… at least we hoped they were.

Up and running again, we set off back to Olgii. We stopped there for a while, long enough for me to finally get to a bank that had both power and people, both at the same time. Finally I got my hands on some more Mongolian money.

With local money in my pocket, we wandered off to the Italian coffee shop… I’m not sure whether the coffee or the free WiFi was best! Nonetheless, we partook of both.

Others managed to find some shops! We had lunch at a restaurant, climbed aboard our vehicles and set off towards the town of Khovd… but not for long.

DSC02433 © DY of jtdytravels

On the very outskirts of Olgii, one of the cars dropped a con-rod, or something like that, and it wasn’t going anywhere fast. The passengers from that car were unloaded and shared around the other cars… a bit of a squash but that’s how it had to be. We drove on leaving the ailing car stuck on the side of the road looking a little ‘down in the mouth’.

It was around 19.15 before we came to a lake where we could camp for the night. As I got out and walked around our vehicle, I could hear hissing from a back tyre. A rock we’d driven too close to, just before we stopped, had sheered of the valve! This was the only problem our vehicle suffered throughout the trip due mainly to Pujee’s careful driving and the good condition of the vehicle when we’d started. The corrugated and rock strewn roads really do punish vehicles in these parts.

The light faded but it wasn’t too cold… there was a good cloud cover. So, after dinner, most of us sat around a fire while Tim read from ‘The Silent Steppe” by Mukhamet Shayakhmetov, a first-hand account of the genocide of the Kazakh nomads during the 1920-1930’s under Stalin. It was 22.00 before we went to bed after what had been another eventful day in the far west of Mongolia.

More anon

David

If you enjoy these armchair travels, please pass our site onto others

www.dymusings.com

more of our travel stories and photos can be found on

www.jtdytravels.com

More of our travel photos are on

www.flickr.com/photos/jtdytravels

Mongolia #23 Day 12 of the Trek (07/10/15 am )

Dec6

I woke at 06.45 but stayed in the warm sleeping bag (the one I’d borrowed from Tim) for an extra 45 minutes. It was still -9℃ (15.8℉) and no one was moving yet.

DSC02325 © DY of jtdytravels

When I did emerge, the scene was magical… an absolutely cloudless sky above snow capped mountains which were reflected in the still clear waters of the lake.

DSC02319 © DY of jtdytravels

And there, by the lake, was my little tent with Tim’s sleeping bag airing on top. It could stay there in the sunshine while I had breakfast… such as it was! Just watery porridge; the muesli was running out. No wonder I lost weight on this trek.

DSC02324 © DY of jtdytravels

Before we headed out for the day, Tim explained something about this wonderful Tsambagarav mountain and glacial region that we were experiencing.

The Tsambagarav National Park has an area of 110,960 hectares (274,188 acres). The permanently snow-capped Tsambagarav Mountain is 4193m (13,737 ft.) high and is sacred to Mongolians. Several other peaks are also permanently snow-capped. Many glaciers and numerous glacial lakes dot the park. Deep rocky gorges and waterfalls are common. There are petroglyphs and Turkic standing stones to be seen as well.

We would need to keep our eyes peeled for the wildlife of the area. It was possible, though not at all probable, to sight elusive Snow Leopards and other endangered wildlife including Argali sheep, Ibex, Rock Ptarmigan and Altai Snowcock. We would be more likely to spot an Altai sheep, the largest wild sheep in the world. An adult male can weigh in at over 35kg (75 lbs.).

We would also probably come across more of the Kazakh and Uriankhai nomadic herders who live in the area during summer.

DSC02329 © DY of jtdytravels

Time to leave. But we didn’t get very far at all. Dirty fuel again stopped one of the vehicles. So we decided to walk until the problem was fixed.

DSC02334 © DY of jtdytravels

Very soon, we were up to the snow line again.

DSC02336 © DY of jtdytravels

The edges of the river were frozen.

DSC02339 © DY of jtdytravels

After walking for two hours of following the stream up the valley, we came to this dwelling. The people who live here are not Kazakhs but Turvans, displaced/refugees from Tuva. I’d never heard of Tuva before and that’s not surprising… it was only recognised as an independent state by two countries; Russia and Mongolia… and that only from 1921 until 1944.

We stopped to ask directions and were promptly invited in for tea. So hospitable.

DSC02340 © DY of jtdytravels

This little one wondered what was going on.

DSC02345 © DY of jtdytravels

The inside of the house was lined with colourful rugs, lino and plastic sacking. We shared our lunch of a delicious soup which had some extra flavour added… a little of the sheep that our crew had killed the night before!

DSC02349 © DY of jtdytravels

The lady of the house…

backed by the wall rug and plastic coverings for the walls.

DSC02351 © DY of jtdytravels

The man of the house.

DSC02350 © DY of jtdytravels

Another member of the household.

DSC02352 © DY of jtdytravels

There were some handcrafted mats, rugs, bags and clothing for sale. Margaret bought a couple of small rugs from the home owner who seemed very pleased.

DSC02357 © DY of jtdytravels

An image of Genghis Khan was knotted into the pattern of this large wall rug.

DSC02344 © DY of jtdytravels

Finally, it was time for us to bid these hospitable people farewell and leave them to eke out their survival existence in this harsh, inhospitable landscape. Meeting people like this in their home, in their environment, made us all so thankful for our own way of life. How very fortunate we are… and may we always be grateful for that.

motor bike

Meanwhile, our drivers were testing their 4 wheel drive skills getting to us. They had to ford the ice covered stream near the herder’s dwelling. One of the locals showed the way across on his motorbike.

car crossing stream

After all of our vehicles had crossed the stream, it was time to climb on board and head higher up in this wintry wilderness. More of that anon.

David

If you enjoy these armchair travels, please pass our site onto others

www.dymusings.com

more of our travel stories and photos can be found on

www.jtdytravels.com

More of our travel photos are on

www.flickr.com/photos/jtdytravels

Mongolia #22 Day 11 of the Trek (06/10/15 pm )

Dec5

After lunch near the river in Tsengel, we headed up a valley, intending to cross a pass, but the snow was too thick. So we had to go back down and try a parallel valley.

DSC02262 © DY of jtdytravels

And in that valley, we stopped to ask advice from a local horseman who was looking after his flock. They all looked like silhouettes against the snow.

DSC02263 © DY of jtdytravels

The view back down the track that we’d just followed up the pass.

DSC02264 © DY of jtdytravels

Looking ahead, the track was getting icier and the prospects for getting over this pass were not looking good. Would we have to turn back yet again?

DSC02266 © DY of jtdytravels

Finally, we made it over the pass and came upon this delightful meadow and pond.

DSC02267 © DY of jtdytravels

Animals grazed peacefully in this beautiful valley.

DSC02268 © DY of jtdytravels

And the view just seemed to get better and better, the further we went.

DSC02269 © DY of jtdytravels

It was decided to camp for the night beside a quiet lake, surrounded by snow covered mountains. It was cold but it was stunningly beautiful.

DSC02271 © DY of jtdytravels

We marvelled at what we found down at the edge of the lake just a short distance from our campsite. This was a photographer’s dream find!

DSC02274 © DY of jtdytravels

Fantastic ice sculptures had formed as spray from the lake had frozen on plants.

DSC02277 © DY of jtdytravels

Crystal clear ice surrounded plant stalks.

DSC02288 © DY of jtdytravels

The ice crystals followed exactly the shape of the plants.

DSC02289 © DY of jtdytravels

In other places the ice hung like stalactites.

DSC02293_2 © DY of jtdytravels

Extra layers of ice were added each time the wind blew. The temperature didn’t rise above zero during the day and so they didn’t melt… and who cares about the cold with such delightful sights to enjoy.

DSC02291 © DY of jtdytravels

Layer upon layer of ice on one stalk. It was very difficult to stop taking photos… each piece was so unique, so beautifully sculptural.

DSC02297 © DY of jtdytravels

The spring and summer grass had been harvested to be kept for winter feed.

DSC02298 © DY of jtdytravels

A local paid us a visit; just looking; checking us out.

DSC02304 © DY of jtdytravels

It was indeed a beautiful campsite.

DSC02305 © DY of jtdytravel

Having stopped early, there was time to go for a walk before dinner. Fences are very uncommon in Mongolia. This stone fence guided stock to the water’s edge.

DSC02308 © DY of jtdytravels

And this timber fence may have been built to keep animals from the water.

DSC02311 © DY of jtdytravels

A yak herder came over to our camp to look us over.

DSC02314 © DY of jtdytravels

One of the yaks was also curious.

rock hopping

We’d set out to walk around the lake but our return to the camp was cut off by streams running into the lake. Some of us rock hopped across the stream, trusting that we’d get to the other side without wet boots.

4 wheel driving!

Some of the vehicles came to the rescue, but first they had to rescue themselves!

4 wheel driving 2

One after another the cars crossed through the slippery mud.

4 wheel driving 3

Would he make it? Of course. It was a Land Cruiser. I have one at home!

After all of this drama, we had dinner; chunky vegetable soup. It warmed us up as it was very cold and the cold was making my nose run. The next activity could have possibly made my eyes run with tears… if I was a vegetarian. But I’m not.

sheep

Tseren had bought a sheep for the crew to kill in the traditional Kazakh way.

Tim

Tim explained the process as we watched on in fascination… even if some were a bit squeamish! To begin the process, a small incision was made in the animal’s chest just below the sternum – an area known to be rather devoid of nerve endings. A hand was inserted into the pleural cavity and the aorta snapped. Death was instantaneous. This method of killing means that no blood is spilt as it all remains in the cavity to be scooped out later. These people are Muslim Kazakhs and, for them, the spilling of blood onto the ground as sacrilegious. The skinning, gutting etc. was then a little more familiar but I was surprised at just how easily the skin came off.

So this is how you get your meat for dinner out on the steppes. It doesn’t come from the supermarket already nicely packaged and ready to cook. It’s a hands on job.

DSC02332 © DY of jtdytravels

Back out on the steppe near the camp, yaks grazed amidst stunning scenery. And that was just one of the wonderful scenes from this day to ponder upon when I turned in to sleep in my tent under the stars. Sleep came easily after a truly memorable day.

More anon

David

If you enjoy these armchair travels, please pass our site onto others

www.dymusings.com

more of our travel stories and photos can be found on

www.jtdytravels.com

More of our travel photos are on

www.flickr.com/photos/jtdytravels

Mongolia #21 Day 11 of the Trek (06/10/15 am )

Dec4

DSC02200 © DY of jtdytravels

We woke to a still and clear, cloudless sky. I was up and outside by 07.00 to find our hosts already milking their yaks.

DSC02209 © DY of jtdytravels

Our host with his wonderful fox fur hat.

DSC02210 © DY of jtdytravels

A nearby house was similar to the one owned by our hosts.

The smoke of the morning fire wafts across the fields, bringing the house to life.

DSC02212 © DY of jtdytravels

Barren hills, yaks and rider on a modern ‘horse’!

DSC02213 © DY of jtdytravels

A more settled form of Mongolian farming with mud brick houses.

There aren’t many trees for building but there is a lot of dirt for making mud bricks!

DSC02199 © DY of jtdytravels

Mud brick wall construction.

DSC02215 © DY of jtdytravels

A little face in a doorway.

DSC02218 © DY of jtdytravels

The little one’s father.

DSC02217 © DY of jtdytravels

Another local

By now the animals had been milked and our morning tea was ready for us – three milky bowls of it. All very well except we had to follow the local custom and add some curdled cream to it. It wasn’t too bad…. I managed three bowls of the stuff.

Tseren had left earlier to drive the 28km (17.4 mi.) back to Olgii to get our passports and permits which would allow us to proceed into the National Park.

So after a breakfast of watery porridge (muesli wasn’t on offer) the usual scrambled egg with ‘bacon’, dry bread and cheese and a cup of tea), we started walking.

DSC02219 © DY of jtdytravels

We managed to walk about 3km before being picked up by our vehicles.

DSC02220 © DY of jtdytravels

In this barren landscape, I was surprised to see a small group of larch trees in their golden autumn colours. They are definitely survivors in this harsh climate.

DSC02223 © DY of jtdytravels

Nearby, on a broad stony plain, stood this large traditional Turkic stone. In a project that lasted from 1007 to 2012, a group of archeologists and scientists studied these stones across many of the countries where they occur. Their conclusions can be read in their project notes;

‘The Stone Guards of the Great Steppe’. http://balbal.kz/en

They found that many of these stone sculptures face East. The reason for this is that “the ancient Turkic tribes and nations adhered to the Tengrian faith – veneration of the Immortal Blue Sky – in their belief and traditions. The setting up of the stone sculptures … often signified that a well-known person of ancient Turkic society is buried there.”

DSC02234 © DY of jtdytravels

The indigenous Old Turkic name for these stones is “badiz”; a figure, carved in stone. As seen here, Turkic stones usually have a bowl or a bottle of vodka carved into the base, possibly to provide the liquid needed in the after life. This stone would appear to have been placed on a mound, very likely a burial mound.

DSC02236 © DY of jytdytravels

The stones inevitably stand in the middle of BIG landscapes. The authors of the project make the comment that; “centuries later, it seems as if these monuments hand us a message from our ancestors: ‘We preserved these lands for you, and your mission is to pass them on to the next generation, so that they stand the test of time.” A sage message for all of us no matter where we live, especially today as we witness the effects of climate change on our world.

DSC02238 © DY of jtdytravels

Oh oh! Another flat tyre slows our progress.

DSC02240 © DY of jtdytravels

We were now getting closer to snow again and feeling colder!

DSC02247 © DY of jtdytravels

We drove into the small town of Tsengel. It was really good to get out of the cars, go for a walk and try to capture some of the essence of this place with my camera.

DSC02249 © DY of jtdytravels

Most of the houses were simple design, functional, made of timber and mud bricks.

DSC02244 © DY of jtdytravels

Three little girls, all rugged up against the cold wind, smiled a warm welcome.

DSC02245 © DY of jtdytravels

Cuties, aren’t they!

DSC02248 © DY of jtdytravels

The hinges on this metal door are made from a discarded rubber tyre.

DSC02250 © DY of jtdytravels

The washing out to dry… innovative clothes line!

DSC02252 © DY of jtdytravels

A timber bridge crosses the river that runs through the town. Low in water during the autumn period, the river obviously carries a lot of water in the time of the spring thaw.

DSC02254 © DY of jtdytravels

What water there was in the river was frozen over.

DSC02255 © DY of jtdytravels

Large ice crystals formed near the river’s edge.

DSC02257 © DY of jtdytravels

The bridge across the river also marked the boundary of the National Park, the destination we had been seeking for a couple of days now! As we crossed the bridge, our papers were checked at a rope barrier strung across the bridge. Before entering the park proper, we stopped in a grove of larch trees for lunch… well, what purported to be lunch! We were offered three small apples, one of them tart enough to suck the inside of your cheeks together for a week, a small mandarin and a chunky shortbread-like biscuit.

DSC02260 © DY of jtdytravels

Lunch over, we said farewell to this neat timber and mud brick town with its colourful corrugated iron roofing… it could be used as part of a Colourbond roofing advertisement! Our next activity was a walk in the National Park… more of that anon.

David

If you enjoy these armchair travels, please pass our site onto others

www.dymusings.com

more of our travel stories and photos can be found on

www.jtdytravels.com

More of our travel photos are on

www.flickr.com/photos/jtdytravels

Mongolia #18 Day 8 of the Trek (03/10/15 Part b)

Dec1

DSC02069 © DY of jtdytravels

The eagle competition was about to begin. This young handler, dressed in his elaborately embroidered clothes, had climbed up the rocky hillside with his eagle and awaited his turn to launch his bird. The stage was set for the main event!

Waiting to release eagle

The aim of the sport is simple really… the winner is the bird that takes the shortest time to fly from the point of release to the time it lands on its owner’s arm. When the starter gives the signal, the handler on the hill removes the eagle’s hood and sets the bird free. The eagle then SHOULD fly straight down to its owner on the horse and be reunited. The emphasis is on the word SHOULD! It doesn’t always happen that way.

[NB. I took lots of video but we are having no luck downloading it to WordPress at the moment…. so some photos taken from the video will have to suffice… my apologies.]

Eagle soaring

Several of the eagles had their own ideas about how to spend the afternoon… they soared the thermals giving spectacular flight displays. No prizes for that… but it was really good to watch these majestic birds soar overhead.

DSC02130 © DY of jtdytravels

Eyes skyward… watching eagles soar! A wonderful sight.

Eagle landed

When those soaring birds finally came down to land, many decided to check out the crowd rather than return to their owners. It was fun for us … frustrating for the handlers.

correct landing

A few did as they were trained to do … they returned to their owner on the horse…

this to great cheers from the crowd and a possible chance to win the event.

Eagle returned to handler

Reunited… no winner… but the possibility of another chance on another day.

How do you remonstrate with a bird this size?

DSC02129 © DY of jtdytravels

In amongst the crowd, I noticed this man with a wonderful face.

At times like this, I just wished that I could have understood his language;

heard his stories; learned so much more about his country, his people, his culture.

DSC02119 © DY of jtdytravels

A grandfather with grandchild… taking in all the activity and the ambiance.

Perhaps, one day, this child will become an eagle handler… who knows?

DSC02124 © DY of jtdytravels

In a nearby area, an archery competition was underway.

DSC02125 © DY of jtdytravels

Archers, dressed in traditional archery garb, took aim with crossbows.

This is another sport taken very seriously by the Kazakhs, and other Mongolians.

Earlier in the morning, traders had arrived at the festival with there gers and their wares carefully packed onto their camels. They set up a market near the event ‘field’.

There were lots of small beautifully embroidered items for sale.

I resisted the temptation to buy; well, almost!

Just a small embroidered ‘dingle-dangle’ destined for our Christmas tree.

I had to remember that we had a 15 kilo limit for the plane.

Oh… and a key ring of Kazakh boots – again for our Christmas tree

But when it came to the wide variety of Kazakh embroidered rugs and mats, I looked, but for once, I resisted buying a rug! Beautiful though they were, and much as we love our floor rugs and carpets from many parts of the world, and even though Jennie’s favourite colour is red…. these colours just wouldn’t go with our decor at home.

Where ever there’s a festival, there’s always food. Lamb kebabs and fish were on offer.

After a great day watching something very different from anything that I’ve ever seen before, it was back to the gers for a short stop. On the way, we passed by a veritable line up of those Russian “oo-warz-ik”, the ‘boxes-on-wheels’ vehicles so popular in these parts.

Late afternoon scene back beside our ger camp.

This old poplar also looked great in the late afternoon sun.

We rounded out the day by attending a concert back in town. Performers at the concert were dressed in embroidered traditional garb and entertained us with their Kazakh music.

We still had another day at the Eagle Festival to look forward to… and so do you!

More anon

David

If you enjoy these armchair travels, please pass our site onto others

www.dymusings.com

more of our travel stories and photos can be found on

www.jtdytravels.com

More of our travel photos are on

www.flickr.com/photos/jtdytravels

Mongolia #16 Day 7 of the Trek (02/10/15 pm)

Nov29

Before we left in the cars to travel onwards, we took time to farewell our cameleers and horsemen… and of course the camels and the horses.

Our four cameleers rest after their busy few days trekking with us.

On behalf of all of the group, each cameleer in turn, from oldest to youngest, was given some goodies, a tip and, most importantly, a blue silk scarf known as a Khata … also known as a Khadag or hadag. The Khata is a symbol of peace and well being and is the highest symbol of respect, well wishing and greeting in Mongolian culture. It’s always presented to the oldest or most distinguished person first.

The colour blue is also very important to Mongolians. It represents the eternal blue sky in this ‘Land of the Blue Sky’. We had all certainly enjoyed those wide blue skies.

A cameleer and his camel… ‘led by the nose’ takes on a new meaning!

This camel seemed to shed a tear at our parting.

But as for this one…. the smile says it all… no more packs to carry for awhile!

By the shape of those humps, a long drink of water wouldn’t go astray.

The camels looked a little lost without our red duffle bags.

Still work to do for the lead camel.

We also thanked the horseman in the traditional way, again with a blue Khata.

He seems happy enough with the tip!

A handshake of thanks from Tim, and we went on our way again, by car not by foot.

And just as well we weren’t walking! We were back into the vast open landscapes so typical of Mongolia. After a couple of hours we had reached this vantage point… and a well earned leg stretch. Ahead, the multiple tracks that crossed the steppe were obvious. Each driver had chosen his own way but, generally, the latest set of wheel tracks were followed.

Looking ahead, we could see, in the distance, a lake known as Achit Nuur.

Achit Lake is the largest freshwater lake in the Uvs Aimag of Mongolia, in the far west of the country. It’s at an elevation of 1,435 m above sea level. It covers an area of 290 km²; is 28 km long, 16 km wide, and 10 m deep.

With no wind the clouds were reflected perfectly in the lake.

Further on, we passed a nomad’s ger with the modern essential, a Russian ‘box-on-wheels’. The van’s Russian name sounds something like “oo-warz-ik” (phonetic). Although Mongolians still love their horses and camels, many have this form of transport as well.

Not a lot grows on these stoney plains.

Where there’s some water, the larch trees grow, small in size but in abundance.

Location of Oglii

Our destination for the day was Olgii (Olgiy). It was near here that we were scheduled to witness the Golden Eagle Festival over the next two days; a much anticipated event.

Weather Chart for Oglii

Olgii (sometimes written Olgiy) is the capital of Bayan-Olgii Aimag (Province). It experiences a desert climate with long, very dry and cold winters and a short warm summer.

Nestled beside the Khovd River near the Altai Mountains, Olgii is 1710m (5610 ft) above sea level. In 2008, its population was 28,496, mainly of Kazakh origin. The area is known for the annual Golden Eagle Festival held in October, and also for embroidery and Kazakh music.

Olgii is 1600km (994mi.) by road from UB, and 1000km (620mi.) of this distance is unpaved. You can travel between the two cities by bus. Even under ideal conditions, that journey takes 48 hours; and under not so ideal conditions, it can take 3 to 5 days. There’s no rail link but there is a small airport with one paved runway. Flights to UB are said to be ‘regular’… to other destinations they are irregular, whatever that means!

Because of this relative isolation, Oglii hasn’t developed as quickly as more eastern parts of Mongolia. Much of the city centre was built during the 1950-1980’s and has only had a spurt of growth since 2005 when many new apartments, shops, restaurants and hotels were built.

We had dinner at one of those restaurants; a bit of a treat and it gave our cooks a rest. It was a Turkish restaurant and dinner consisted of tasty and very tender marinated lamb cubes with grated carrot, coleslaw, potato balls and rice with a dob of tomato sauce on top.

After dinner it was a 25 minute drive to our ger camp – not the place that we’d expected to be staying at in town; Tseren had decided that was too noisy and not suitable. So we ended up at a temporary six ger set up much nearer to the site where all the activity of the Eagle Festival was to take place. This was supposed to save travel time and be much safer and quieter.

However, there was no running water here. And, as Olgii offered the first chance since leaving UB of running hot water and a SHOWER, some of us decided to go back to town for just that reason. So, at 21.00 it was back into the vehicles for most of us for the run back into town to the public bath-house. It took a bit of a Cook’s Tour around town to find the place but, at last, our vehicles pulled up outside a low-set building.

Inside, there were two rows of back to back cubicles, ostensibly males on one side and females on the other; but, in the event, we were all mixed up. Who cares? Running hot water gushed from the shower head and it made no difference that the place needed a good upgrade to fix broken tiles and leaking and rusted fittings. A wooden duck-board bridged the hole in the floor down which lots of brown water washed as the clean water from the shower head and the dust on my body mixed. No need for a shampoo when you’ve got a No. 1 hair cut. I just stood there luxuriating in the almost forgotten experience of hot water over body.

Olgii has a bath-house because the Russian era demanded that the collective approach be followed when it came to hot water. Quite rightly. It’s so much cheaper to produce hot water in one place and pipe it around the city than for everybody to have smaller individual water heaters. We were therefore rubbing shoulders with the locals who use the facility all the time. I’m not sure how often the locals strip off in the middle of winter when the temperature can be as low as -40ºC (-49ºF) even if the bath-house is steamy.

The large Stalinist era central powerhouse still provides the town’s hot water.

After the shower it took another 25 minutes to drive back to the gers. By then, those we had left behind at camp, were fast asleep in their grubby skins! I, on the other hand, felt good and clean and was ready for sleep. Once again, all of the others opted to sleep en masse in the six gers. Not me. I opted once more to sleep in my own tent. I went to sleep thinking with much anticipation of the Eagle Festival that would be our lot on the morrow. And I did sleep, and very well, in my own tent, under the Mongolian stars!

David

If you enjoy these armchair travels, please pass our site onto others

www.dymusings.com

more of our travel stories and photos can be found on

www.jtdytravels.com

More of our travel photos are on

www.flickr.com/photos/jtdytravels

Mongolia #14 Day 6 of the Trek (01/10/15 pm)

Nov27

After lunch we walked further along the valley.

This camel didn’t seem at all keen to walk further with our packs.

Getting a bite to eat from the grasses was a better prospect.

The first part of our afternoon walk… leaving the snow behind!

One of our nomads riding his horse and leading a couple of camels

Lichens on rocks.

Larch trees along the banks of the Yamaat River.

Paul and Robyn, two of our accomplished riders, follow the river.

There were very few birds about but we did see a magpie or two…

the sheen of their feathers luminous in the sunshine.

Our track crossed the Yamaat River a couple of times.

That’s Tim making his way across the river, rock hopping, stone by stone.

It’s always a good idea to look back to see where you’ve come from-

it’s usually worth the effort.

At one of the crossings, hidden behind the main river, we found a pond.

It rewarded a closer look.

Lovely reflections in the absolutely still water.

Just magic

…and again

Fallen larch needles trapped in the rocks at the edge of the pond.

A hillside of all but bare larch trees in the snow.

We were walking in a conservation area so some large larch trees survived being cut down.

Deep in thought, watching each step, enjoying the experience.

The richness in colour of the landscape was intensified as the sun dipped low in the sky.

A lonely buttercup (Ranunculus sp.), having shed its petals, now sets about producing plenty of seed for next spring.

Our track followed ever further along the river.

Our camping spot for the night was still not yet in sight.

Eventually, we made camp in a larch forest. It was still very cold with a light spread of snow on the surrounding hills… and I thought we’d finished with snow! Fortunately there was no snow beside the river where we pitched our tents. While some of the crew collected wood for a camp fire, we enjoyed some biscuits, cheese and spreads. Dinner followed later.

The camp fire was most welcome. Even so, we were in bed by 20.45 .

There was more walking to be done on the morrow!

David

If you enjoy these armchair travels, please pass our site onto others

www.dymusings.com

more of our travel stories and photos can be found on

www.jtdytravels.com

More of our travel photos are on

Join me for the Journey

musings on the go, anywhere, any time WordPress.com site

Category Archives: Wilderness Adventures

Thailand: Khao Sok National Park Caves

Thailand: Khao Sok National Park: Night Walk

Mongolia #26 Day 14 of the Trek (09/10/15)

Mongolia #25 Day 13 of the Trek (08/10/15)

Mongolia #23 Day 12 of the Trek (07/10/15 am )

Mongolia #22 Day 11 of the Trek (06/10/15 pm )

Mongolia #21 Day 11 of the Trek (06/10/15 am )

Mongolia #18 Day 8 of the Trek (03/10/15 Part b)

Mongolia #16 Day 7 of the Trek (02/10/15 pm)

Mongolia #14 Day 6 of the Trek (01/10/15 pm)