Travelin Z - Time travel to Mongolia (22)

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A couple of years ago I read a fascinating book named "Genghis Khan and the making of the modern world". This well researched book disputes some well rooted beliefs and myths regarding the greatest conqueror the planet had ever known.
What surprise me daily here, is how many things haven't change since Genghis died.


VERY IMPORTANT FACTS - YOU'LL BE TESTED ON THEM
Mongolia is a country roughly three times the size of France. While France has 60 million habitats (excluding the illegal north African labor), Mongolia has only 2.8 million human residents who, unlike most French, speak Mongolian. Supposedly over 30 million domestic animals live in Mongolia including almost 3 million horses. No French Poodles to my knowledge.
Some 52% of the Mongols live in the country side, and most of them a nomadic life style. Welcoming hospitality, still dictates social conduct, just like the Nomadic Bedouins.
There is almost no privet land in Mongolia, and very few fences around the country - mostly small ones as corrals for live stock. The Nomads just don't care about owning land.



OBSERVATIONS

FOOD
- The Mongolian culinary legacy is legendary practically due the the usage of the same sophistication of seasoning invented by a stone age chef while preparing a mastodon for thanksgiving dinner. Salt the meat, add salt, boil to death and/or roast. Don't bother with the basil, mandarin and caraway seeds in a light toasted balsamic vinaigrette. Give me salt.
To add insalt to injury, (pun intended) even the tea is salted, not sweetened. I guess better for the teeth. When making tea, Mongolian homemakers boil milk and water together with their flavorless dry tea leaves, then add salt and yak butter as a floating oily garnish. Apart from the Mongols, only a freezing and starving mid 18Th century English sailor, on a north sea whaling voyage, can drink this brew.
One other Mongolian delicacy worth mentioning is horse milk. Yes you read it correctly. This beverage takes a very long time to extract, and is somewhat toxicating in late summer due to fermentation. Mongols, and I guess most mischievous colts, drink it lovingly, but I, since I don't fall into either categories, learned to avoid it after the second attempt.


GENGHIS KHAN IS ALIVE
Chinggis Khaan, also known by the Persianiesed version - Genghis Khan, is still alive. Like Elvis. I can't think of any other ruler on this planet that still reverberate the heartbeat of his people, to this extent, 800 years after his death. Till today the pride and joy of the Mongols.
Though no pictures drawings or statues of his exist, a modern version of his face decorates the currency and countless products from beer and vodka bottles to cigarettes and candy.
In a drunken conversation with a couple of Mongolian friends, I was able to extract a confession that the face most commonly used for Chinggis is too Chinese, and that the beard and mustache are way to thick to be Mongolian. Long live Chinggis


FACES
I find the Mongolian Eurasian faces to be very friendly and expressive, even if, at first glance, they seem rough. I think the men get the first wrinkles for their Bar-Mitzva and the women as a sweet sixteen present.


HORSE TREKKING IN MONGOLIA
Some 800 years after Genghis Khan fall off his horse and died from the injuries, I wanted to ride one of the infamous descendant of this beast on the same steppes. The lightly grassed plains of Mongolia.
Short, stubborn, stocky and praised for high endurance, these horses can be found all over the country. The average Mongol learns to ride shortly after graduating from his babe stroller.

STOP ! Stop !! easy does it kiddo...

This is not an "observation" this is a "recountal" of my eight days horse ride in north east Mongolia next to Hovsgol lake.

I sure hope i didn't offend your connoisseurial linguistic palate.

I'll save this for the next installment of my travel updates.

Just to wet you appetite, and as dictated by my well researched and highly sophisticated perception of Mongolia, the next issue is currently labeled "The Men's Issue".


Wishing you a great week,


Zeev

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Photos

stress
this is what i imagined Mongolia to be -and happy- found!

Comments

[the Boy who lived]

hi
to sell a house and go on travelling...some might call it stupid or may call you crazy....but I think its great!!!!!!!!It shows your passion for travelling. Also your trip to Mongolia.....beautifully described and structered.....keep going dude...and Best of Luck,...I will keep reading