If anyone can, Genghis Khan! That horse statue and Ulaanbaatar

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That famous Genghis Khan statue which has featured on many TV shows such as Joanna Lumley’s Trans-Siberian Adventure (I bet she had the Provodnitsa at her beck and call!!) is the tallest horse statue in the world. There was talk that it was the tallest monument in the world, then the tallest statue. Now it’s not even that. It isthe tallest equestrian statue in the world but as the second tallest, General Jose Artigas in Uruguay, is only a paltry 18 metres tall compared to Genghis’s 40 metres, I don’t think there is much competition!!

The statue is genuinely in the middle of nowhere, unlike attractions such as the Great Pyramids of Egypt that look impressive on photos and documentaries. What it doesn’t show you is the McDonalds and collection of litter blowing in the wind. On the other hand, the Genghis Khan statue is exactly as you see it. On the approach, this magnificent sculpture instainless steel suddenly appeared on the horizon and as we got nearer everyone was trying to catch a first glimpse. The approach road leads to an equally impressive gated arch with statues of Genghis and his mates adorning the top, in a similar vein to the four-horse chariot atop the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. At the base of the statue are thirty-six columns, ten metres high which represent a memorial of thirty-six kings, from Genghis Khan to Ligdan Khan, the last Khan of the Mongols. This monument makes you want to start clicking the moment you leave your vehicle. Having taken a few ‘snaps’ and the obligatory group photo we were led in to the base of the statue where we were greeted by the largest leather boot in the world. Nobody could actually explain the significance of this exhibit so the question that remained unanswered was ‘why a boot?’ especially one with a swastika embroidered into the pattern. Apparently, the swastika was adopted by Nazi’s but in ancient times it was a symbol of Buddhism although you very rarely see this sign displayed in Buddhist temples these days!! We arrived shortly after the monument had opened and people were already turning up in their droves. Roisin spotted a dressing up corner so, not one for missing an opportunity, we allowed the assistant to help us slip in to into ceremonial costumes of the Mongol upper class. Les, who has read many books by the (locally) highly revered historic figure only has eyes for one costume - the Mongol warrior. Complete with sword and breast plated armour he was ready to do battle with any Provodnitsa that crossed his path!!

There is an observation deck on the horse’s neck that is accessed via an elevator or three flights of stairs…or so the sign says. Once out of the elevator, you still need to navigate three flights of stairs so the sign should read ‘elevator plus three flights of stairs or six flights of stairs should you chose to walk!!’ Either way, when you walk out on to the observation deck there is another flight of stairs before you are at the furthest point and standing directly on the poor horse’s head!! About turn and Genghis is casting a glance down at you. It is at this point you get a sense of the enormity of the whole statue. Genghis holds a golden whip in his right hand. Legend says that he found the Golden whip in the exact spot where the statue now stands and it is symbolically pointing east toward his birthplace. The whip is said to have inspired his future conquests.In the park around the monument are strategically positioned a number of life-sized Mongol warriors complete on horseback.

We left the monument just as a convoy of thirteen coaches turned in to the park approach road. Alex, our guide informed us that this is an entire outing of a secondary school. Although I saw no evidence of gymslips, waving hockey sticks and general mayhem, I had this vision of Mongolia’s greatest monument being over-run by Ulaanbaatar’s equivalent of St. Trinians!!

Ulaanbaatar means Red Hero. We were never told (and nobody thought of asking) to whom the Hero refers!! However, it wouldn’t take a genius (or a Genghis!!) to hazard a guess!! With that in mind, we were on our way to explore the city. A city of a country for whom no one in their wildest dreams would have expected to have been the highlight of their trip so far! The journey from the Monument to the city should have taken approximately forty minutes. Bearing in mind that it was only late morning the traffic was a nightmare and the journey to our next destination took us an hour and twenty minutes. The government have already started an attempt to alleviate the congestion problem by staggering the traffic. All Mongolian vehicle number plates have a sequence of four numbers followed by three letters (i.e 1234 ABC). The Government decreed that the fourth numeric digit will determine on which day you are not allowed to drive your car. For example, if your car ends in ‘1’ then you are not allowed to drive your car on Monday else face a stiff penalty, if the number ends in a ‘2’ Tuesday etc. The numbers double up later in the week to ensure those cars ending in 8, 9 and 0 don’t miss out on the vehicle ban!! There are exceptions to this, of course. Public transport, taxis and the emergency services do not apply. We all spent the next half hour or so looking out the window trying to spot any offenders of this regulation. The UK should take a leaf out of Mongolia’s book in adopting this scheme, with a few minor adjustments: as the configuration is different in the UK, use the last letter of the registration number so on Monday the letters A, H, P, X are banned along with Audis, BMWs, Merc….in fact any German car; Tuesday: B, I, Q, Y are banned from using their vehicle and (I’ve only just thought of this) the German car rule applies to every day of the week!! How flippin’ fantastic would that be?!

We called in at a Buddhist city monastery before lunch. GandantegchinlenMonastery is currently residence to over 150 monks. We were allowed to watch them in prayer but were alerted to pickpockets that operate in this area. The public tend to congregate in the open doorway trying to get a glimpse of proceedings. This causes a bottleneck thus this area is a haven for organised crime. I doubt the warning was referring to the monks although I had this vision of a Fagan character in a maroon robe and shaven head controlling an army of monk like urchins to do his dirty work!! But the twist is instead of stealing money from wallets, they open the wallet and insert money to those who need it most!! The ceremony consisted of fifty or sixty monks ranging from the age of eight to eighty-eight doing a lot of incense burning, chanting and turning of wide strips of parchment on which, I guess, were written prayers. The official language of the Buddhist scriptures is ancient Tibetan and many of the prayers are still recited in this language, similar to when Catholic mass used to be conducted in Latin or the or the official language of the Koran is Arabic.

We were introduced to the difference between a red monk and yellow monk. Apart from having the makings of an excellent tongue twister, they identify two different sects and therefore teachings of the same religion.

We then walked over to the main Temple of the Gandantegchinlen (Gandan) Monastery. By the way, ‘Gandantegchinlen’ means ‘Great Place of Complete Joy’. We stopped just to the right of the main entrance whilst Alex explained about a ‘Stupa’. This is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. I can’t remember whose remains lie contained and I don’t profess to read ancient Tibetan! There were six twirly cylinder prayer things on each side of the Stupa. Each one contains a prayer and is dedicated to a specific God. Anyone can twirl these cylinders. It’s a sort of vote for your favourite prayer kind of thing! The more twirls the prayer gets, the stronger the message to the God and the likelihood the prayer will be fulfilled.

The inside of the Church was dim. Like all Buddhist temples seen, this one was also awash with colour although many of the frescos had faded as to indicate age. A couple of things gave this temple the ‘wow!’ factor. Firstly, on entering the main door, there is a twenty-six-metre statue of Avalokiteśvara which is said to embody the compassion of all Buddhas.The more modest four metre statues of a Sun God and Moon God flanked her left and right sides respectively. The second unique feature were the small three-dimensional figures all in separate glass cases, ten shelves high and covering almost every inch of this rectangular room. This represents the thousand disciples of Avalokiteśvara.

No photos were allowed in either the prayer room or the main temple so you’ll just have to use your imagination…

…or Google…

…unless you’re reading this in China…

…then you’ll have to use another search engine…

…or your imagination!!!

On the way to lunch, someone pointed out that they had not seen any McDonalds. There are only three fast food chains that have smashed the Mongolian market: Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut. We were taken to none of these and pulled up outside an all you can each barbeque buffet. Another unique experience awaited. We took instruction from our guide before being let loose on the ingredients. Firstly, we filled our bowls with the vegetables of our choice from a varied selection on offer. Next, we add any combination of meat available. The restaurant provided many conventional meats, for example: pork and chicken as well as those requiring a more acquired taste such as belly fat (I have enough of my own thank you!) The only rule is that we had to use the same moderately sized bowl for the veg and the meat. In the final stage of preparation, we all took a small cup each and filled these with any desired sauce or combination of our choice. Topping this with a selection of herbs, we took our bowls and cups to the counter. In turn, the restaurant assistant pointed to a numbered disk on the top of the counter. I laid my ingredients on disk number two. The meat/veg and the sauce/spices were almost immediately collected by one of the three chefs and then in full view, emptied on to a giant circular hotplate. He then proceeded to use two long spatulas to toss and mix the concoction….separate, flick and pat; separate, flick and pat. These chefs were part cooks part showmen. Bear in mind there were eight orders on the go at one time. A plate was called for and threw to the chef who, one quick pivot, a one-handed catch (behind his back!) then in one fell swoop, scooped the content of my lunch with one of the spatulas and dropped the barbequed food on to the plate. This was then placed on the counter on the same number as I originally placed it. The next meal was collected and the routine repeated. There was no respite for these chefs. The only regret was that I never piled on the meat and veg to max capacity. I, like a few others, didn’t want to appear ‘greedy’ just because it was ‘all you can eat’. However, from years of stir fry experience, I should have taken account of the ‘shrinkage’ factor!! Either way, the food was delicious. On top of the barbeque there was a section of pre-cooked food. Moussaka, pasta, boiled and mashed potatoes, rice and soup. Sweets were a little limited but, nevertheless, a fine finish to a very satisfying meal.

Our afternoon session was spent around the central area known as Chinggis Square as well as a visit to the Mongolian national museum. At one end of Chinggis Square stands the Government Palace with, surprise, surprise, Genghis (Chinggis) Khan taking centre Stage at the main entrance. He is considered as the founding father of Mongolia. In the centre of the square is an equestrian statue of Damdinii Sükhbaatar. Whilst having a first name similar to a pantomime character, this 1921 revolution hero is said to be integral in Mongolia gaining their independence from China. At the opposite side of the Square is a plaque embedded in to the flags referred to Zero Point of the City. This is the symbolic centre of Mongolia from which all roads start

A three-minute walk and we entered the Mongolian History museum. Another place where photos were forbidden unless a tariff of 10,000 tughrik was paid (£3.00) This was a trip of Mongolia through the ages from prehistory through to the 1990s. The best exhibit, in my view was the costumes of different Mongolian tribes. Each tribe have their own colours and patterned costumes, similar to Scotland with their tartan, with the only difference being that there aren’t many red headed Mongolians and not many are known as ‘Jimmy’!!

The ‘Ancients’ wore a scabbard by their side that contained their sword and a holder for their chopsticks in front in case they were suddenly offered dinner while visiting a neighbouring tribe. What if they had a dispute and the host drew his sword? In a panic the guest went for the wrong holder and pulled out the set of chopsticks!! I suppose he could try to nip his opponent to death. If he didn’t die from laughter first!!

An hour and a half later, the visit finished, we realised we had been on the ‘go’ since 9am (don’t forget the lack of sleep from a night in a sauna!!) We still weren’t finished. If anything should be said about these inclusive excursions it that they are excellent value for money. Alex could see that we were all starting to ‘feel the pace’ so agreed that we were taken to the hotel for check in. We had an hour’s respite before our next appointment, a visit to a cashmere factory or in Alex our guide’s case, a ‘cashback’ factory as while were we all waiting outside, Alex was still in the store probably receiving his commission (or am I just being sarcastic!!)

After our evening meal we were taken directly back to the hotel. It was now 9pm and the traffic around central Ulaanbaatar was still heavy. So much so, traffic cops had been employed to ensure the smooth flow of vehicles around the capital. One policeman I spotted had a whistle and what looked like an orange fluorescent glow stick. His garb would not look out of place at a Manchester rave.

Five days without wi-fi. No, make that seven as although there was wi-fi available in our hotel, the band width must have been so small, two people using the internet concurrently means the system has taken a serious hit and it must have brought the whole system to a grinding halt as I was unable to log on!!

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Comments

[Anne and Philip]

Coincidence ?
Is it our imagination or does Genhis Khan pose a distinct likeness to our Chris ? Loving the blog