Advertisement
Published: October 13th 2012
Edit Blog Post
We headed off with Gary to Tiaga where the reindeer tribe known as the Dukha live. The Dukha are one of the most remote nomadic people in Mongolia and have been virtually unaffected by the outside world. The only information we had was a paragraph in Garys book and some information from a Belgian couple who had just returned from a stay with the tribe.
We got onto a public bus that headed from UB to Moron. Due to the 670km journey we were expecting a luxury coach, but instead we got a 1960s school bus with no head rests, no heating, a 42” TV strapped to the ceiling, washing machine in the isle, rolls of sheet metal and car bumper along the back seat. We were waiting for livestock to be loaded on next. Set off not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Didn’t think the journey could get any worse – but it did when we run out of tarmacked road after about 100km and the rest of the journey was dirt track through outer Mongolia desert… it got so cold in the bus at night the inside of the windows froze over. The bus broke down 5
times, not surprising since it drove over mountains and through rivers and it only cost us £10 each.
20 hours later we arrived in Moron , bruised and battered. Found a hotel to check into and then had to try and organise the next leg of the trip which included organising permits into the national park and organising a driver to take us the 270km to Tsagaannuur. As usual, this took a lot of time and effort because no one spoke English but eventually got the driver and permit all sorted and headed the next afternoon. This time we were travelling in a Russian 4x4 van packed with people and stuff, so full one person had to sit on the floor. We drove through the roughest terrain for about seven hours to the village where Mandra the driver lived (wed still another four hours till we arrived at Tsagaannuur).
It was 2am and he needed a break so invited us in for something to eat and drink. We went into his house which was a two roomed timber bungalow where he lived with his parents – one room was for living/sleeping/dining and second
room the kitchen area. The house didn’t have any running water but had electric and the dreaded long drop out the back. Most of his neighbours lived in Gers so he was probably pretty well off. His mum made such a fuss over us, made us tea and bread with sugar ontop of it (no wonder most Mongolians don’t have any teeth left). After about half an hour Mandra asked if we wanted to stay and leave for Tsagaannuur at 6am (this was all done by pointing at watches and doing the sleepy sleepy action). We put our sleeping bags out in the floor and slept in the living room with him and his parents.
Got up next morning and set off for Tsagaannuur which was another four hour drive. We eventually arrived and as the camp wasnt accessible by car we had a lovely surprise when we found Reindeer waiting for us to take us to the tribe. Two hours later we arrived at Tiaga and met the Dukha families wed be staying with. There were eight families in the tribe who herded roughly 400 reindeer and pretty much relied on them for everything included food,
clothes and getting water and food supplies into camp. We were staying in the Tepee of a woman who was the second Shaman in the tribe.
We helped herd the reindeer, chop wood and I cut up the meat for dinner (thought it was cow but soon found out it was Rudolph!!Sorry Santa) Phil and Gary watched a reindeer getting cut up and gutted after being whacked across the head with an axe. Nothing goes to waste here – Phil tried some heart. Being vegetarian im mentally scared now...hope travel insurance covers years of therapy!
The trip home was even worse than getting there – broke down even more times and it was even colder. We did the three legs of the journey pretty much straight after each other plus they didn’t even have enough seats for all the people, there were a few drunks – one had peed himself before he got onto the bus – Gary had to sit on the floor of the bus for most of the 20 hours! Once we got back to UB we slept 18 hours straight.
It was a
long, tiring trip with so many ups and downs but it was such an adventure. It was amazing seeing the real Mongolia (we didn’t see warm running water or toilets in the 7 days – in Moron no buildings have only public one!) and how the nomadic people live.
Lots of love to everyone,
Phil & Alana xx
Advertisement
Tot: 0.082s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 11; qc: 50; dbt: 0.0483s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb