Our 6 Day Tour: great Times In The Gobi Desert, part #1

After costs a day in Ulan Bator, the funding city of Mongolia, we were prepared to set off into the excellent outdoors as well as experience all that this remarkable country has to offer. We satisfied up with 4 other like-minded backpackers about the exact same age as us, as well as began planning our trip with them out into the Gobi Desert!

As you understand (or may not know), we are desert junkies. We can’t get sufficient of them. We’ve spent a long time in the western deserts of Egypt as well as we did a camel safari in India, however we had yet to experience a desert so diverse as the Gobi. The 6 of us (Ben, James, Anna, Merlin as well as us) packed our bags as well as bodies into the minivan as well as headed out into the excellent expanses of the desert with our guide as well as driver.

Loading up the van…Gobi Desert, right here we come!
Day 1:

We made our method with some horrendous web traffic in the funding city as well as out into the open steppe. It only took about 15 minutes of being out of the city to see the rolling eco-friendly hillside. all of us bumped as well as bounced around to the tune of Mongolian music, total with “neighing” horses as lyrics!

The scenery on the very first day of our trip
We stopped in at a sum (very little town) as well as had our very first taste of countryside food. From that point on, whatever we ate would be made from either goat or sheep. We likewise got our very first glimpse at the type of toilet we would be utilizing for the next 6 days, as well as I believe it’s risk-free to state that they were the worst we had ever seen!

The outhouse style toilet we would be utilizing for 6 days
The driving time on the very first day was quite rough. since we desired our trip to last 6 days instead of 7, we ended up driving for 13.5 hours before coming to our ger (traditional Mongolian home, likewise called a yurt in some countries). The 6 of us got settled in, had some dinner as well as shots of vodka to kill any type of bacteria in our stomachs (which would ended up being the norm during our travels here) while enjoying the sun set over the horizon.

Our ger for the night

Day 2:

We awoke to “baahhh’ing” goats as well as sheep as well as peered our heads outside of our ger. We packed up everything, had some breakfast as well as before we understood it, we were on the road again. We started off by seeing the Flaming Cliffs, which are popular for being the extremely very first location where dinosaur eggs were discovered. These steep cliffs were sensational as well as when the sun hit them just right, they absolutely looked red as well as flaming.

Us with Ben, James, Anna as well as Merlin at the Flaming Cliffs
We continued on after a bit while before pertaining to a herd of camels blocking the road! Our very first desert camels of the trip. We got out as well as took some pictures as well as Nick tried to pet one…with no success.

Nick trying to befriend the camels…with no success
Back in the van we went as well as continued making our method to our next ger camp. before coming to our final destination for the day, we discovered a cow skull. I don’t understand if it was the sun that was making us a bit loopy or what, however all of us made a decision that this dead animal head would ended up being our mascot for the entire trip. We named it Gandalf as well as from then on, he was a part of our crew.

Gandalf! The newest member of our crew
We shown up around 2:00 as well as were invited into the family’s ger for some regional cheese, bread as well as milk tea. all of us lounged around enjoying the desert life before installing a camel as well as making our method to the large sand dunes that loomed in the distance. We’ve seen significant sand dunes when we were travelling in the excellent Sand Sea of Egypt, however these ones were totally different.

Local cheeses as well as breads used to us in the household ger
We started out on flat ground on the plateau, then hiked up the dunes as well as behind the dunes were rocky mountains! Flatlands to dunes to mountains, it was a few of the very best scenery we’ve ever seen. Nick as well as I stayed up there enjoying the sun as well as views up until sunset. That evening we took pleasure in freshly made buzz (local dumplings) with goat meat as well as all of us tried some arak (fermented milk), in this situation it was fermented camel’s milk. The taste was absolutely interesting…

The sand dunes of the Gobi Desert
Day 3:

We stated goodbye to our ger, the camels, the goats as well as the sheep as well as set off on a 7 hour journey. We stopped at a sensational gorge for lunch as well as a bit of relaxation before getting back in the van as well as continuing on to the Yolyn Am, which is one more gorge that is covered in 10 meters of ice for 10 months out of the year! The group of us made a decision that we wished to lease horses as well as trip with the canyon rather than walking. Nick, Merlin as well as James took off in a fury as well as were galloping down the canyon, while me, Anna as well as Ben were stuck kicking our hopeless horses! No amount of kicking, whipping or “Choooo’ing” (as the locals stated to do) would make my equine move. So, I slowly trotted as well as walked my method down the gorge. Either way, it was a excellent experience.

Us at the Yolyn Am Gorge
 

Me on my equine that wouldn’t co-operate

After about an hour, our guide suggested we stop at a museum. We weren’t sure what to expect as well as when we went inside, we couldn’t believe our eyes. The 6 of us slowly started to giggle, then laugh, as well as then seriously fracture up, before crying with laughter! This was an animal museum as well as the taxidermist who stuffed these animals need to have been high or something when he tried to bring them back to life as well as on display. They looked absolutely ridiculous. The Snow Leopard as well as the goat are two of our personal favourites.

Once we were done rolling with laughter, we made our method to our ger camp for the night. This camp was the very best one yet. set on the rolling steppe hills sat 4 gers. two for our group, one for the kitchen area as well as one for one more family. We were told that wolves roam the area, however regrettably we didn’t get to see any.

Our house for the night…not a poor view!
We all played some cards, had our normal vodka shots as well as turned in for the night. We needed our rest for the final 3 days of our Gobi Desert trip!

The team playing some cards as well as having vodka on the steppe
Check Out Our Gobi Desert excursion Video!

Stay tuned for part #2 of great Times In The Gobi Desert and part II of this Video!

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