Ongiin Khiid and the Gobi Desert

 July 19-20, 2024

Ongiin Khiid and the Gobi Desert

 We began a long couple of travel days as we headed for the Gobi Desert in southern Mongolia.  Along the way we came across another UNESCO World Heritage site, a series of Bronze Age tombs: 

We came to the Uurtiin Tokhoi Cliffs over the Orkhon River, a site at which, so we were told, 10,000 Buddhist monks were murdered by the Soviets.  I’ve not been able to find confirmation of this legend. 

A word about government services to nomadic peoples.  The Mongolian government has funded 333 “Soum Centers” which are tiny villages scattered around the vast country.  Each has a small market and a residential school, and the children of the nomads go to school during the week at the center, returning to their nomadic families for weekends and summers.  We stopped at some when they were on our route; most had electricity and some had Wi-Fi (as slow as the old dial-up we used to have—a picture came one line at a time, and only one or two people could use it at the same time).  The markets had some unfortunate things for sale:

We drove and drove, and sometimes there was no road: 

The speeds were between 50 and 60 mph! 

Ultimately we arrived at true desert: 

Our lodging that night was at the Ongi Tourist Camp.  Some gers have openings in the very top for ventilation, but it’s weak at best.  Here’s my ger: 

I put out my travel clock: 

It didn’t cool down much in the evening (but it was a dry heat 😊)  We continued the next morning and stopped at the ruins of Ongiin Khiid, a complex of Buddhist monasteries and universities which had been destroyed during the communist purges. 

In a tiny museum there we learned of the history and saw a few exhibits of monastery life.  The skull of one revered monk was preserved—it had been cut in half and used as a drinking vessel; supposedly the wisdom of the monk was imbued in the liquid drunk from his skull. 

We drove for hours into the desert, stopping occasionally for “bathroom” breaks.  Men to the right, women to the left: 

We came to dunes which we had to cross: 

Ultimately we arrived at our camp where we checked into the only real buildings with real beds we found as we traveled.  What luxury!!  We had a chance to try Mongolian archery, and Leah did very well: 

There was a desert hare who was near our building: 

After dinner we drove to the Flaming Cliffs to be there for the sunset.  This is an area where phenomenal dinosaur skeletons have been found.  It was a hike to the viewing area, and one of our group chose not to come.  Here are 11 of the 12 of us on the Cliffs:

And Leah and me at sunset: 

Tomorrow, major dunes!

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