The Land of the Great Khan

Asia » Mongolia
September 4th 2007

Published: September 4th 2007

First, an apology: for being so dilatory in my blog-writing this summer. You should have received two blogs about my trip to South Korea (which I have just republished with photographs), and I battled with Microsoft China in Xi'an to try and send you at least a short summary of my trip to Mongolia. For some reason, the fonts and character-spacing spontaneously changed when I tried typing direct... Read Full Entry

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Elizabeth Weir

Weir travels

I decided in early 2006 that I'd had enough of the London rat-race and the career thing - at least, for the time being - and that I'd like to take some time out: "me time", as it were; time to do at least some of the things that I'd been thinking about doing over the last few years but hadn't been able to fit in around work and client demands. So here I am: backpack to the ready (to be honest, it had never really been put away after my '93-'94 round-the-world trip), and a gazillion ideas about how to fill the next xx months..... (And, no, I've no idea when I'll go back to the "real" worl... full info

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view from "Swan Lake" in the Khogno Khan area

... and, sure enough, we actually found a couple of swans on the lake

nomadic woman serving airag (fermented mare's milk)

So innocuous-looking...

milking mares

Although it was a warm day, our hostess still went to the trouble to don her "milking coat".

nomads' ger

...old and new technology much in evidence

initial Naadam parade in Sukhbaatar Square

waiting for the opening ceremony to start at the Naadam Stadium

the President addresses the Naadam opening ceremony

colourful figures at the opening ceremony for Naadam

the gods turn up to the opening ceremony for Naadam

Mongolia's answer to Ozzy Osbourne?

Of everything we saw that day, this has to have been one of the most unexpected!

more colour parading at the opening ceremony for Naadam

colourful figures at the opening ceremony for Naadam

playing pool at Naadam

If you get bored of watching others compete at the "three manly sports", you could always shoot some pool!

Naadam horseracing

Yes, those clouds of dust are the arriving horses.

crowds at the horseracing

dusty chaos in the parking area after the horseracing

Dawa's unorthodox route for leaving the chaos

visiting a horse trainer during Naadam

His generosity was extensive: we were repeatedly plied with vodka from a communal cup, as well as airag (in our own personal plastic cups) and, had we not just had dinner, as much of the overflowing table's eats as we could have managed.