One week in Gobi

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Just came back from an unplanned trip from Gobi desert after one week, the price was so cheap that I couldn't resist, and it was worth every mongolian penny, or whatever they are called.

There were five of us sharing the cost, a couple of Korea and a couple of Switzerland. We got into this modified russian ambulance and took off to the desert. Along the way we watched to landscape change from barren land to high mountains, from tanning heat to freazing cold, different animals and experienced sandstorms. The weather was unexpectable in desert, one moment it was clear sky, only to be filled with foggy dust five minutes later.

Every night we stayed at a nomad family, within our own ger. Mongolians are now officially my favorite people in the world. Their hospitality was just amazing, you could just step into their ger without notice and getting invited to milk tea. And they all smiles, which was so nice to see after Russia.

Next Stop: Beijing.

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Photos

tourist bus
This is our bus, formerly a russian ambulance, 8 years old and running surprisingly well. Inside all the ceilings and walls are padded, to proctect people from hurting themselves, because the roads are so bumpy that you litterally feel like a pinball sometimes.

ger
This is the traditional ger combined with modern technology. A ger is a tent that is takes only one hour to set up, this allows a nomad family to move fast from place to place. Nowdays nomads familys have a satelite dish and solar panels. It doesn't mean they are rich though.

inside a ger
beautiful decoration. Every ger is supported by beams with no nails.

sand storm
Sandstorms are so often that I sometimes wonder how nomads can leave at all in the desert. This is probably the same desert sandstorm that reaches to Beijing and Korea from time to time.

goats and sheep
There are so many goats and sheep, one day they will all be dinner.

smile
Everybody smiles in Gobi, and I mean everybody!

Born to be wild
Every mongolian nomad family has a motorbike. This is the modern age.

Nomad Child
free as a bird

sand dunes
The sand dunes were the highlights of the trip. Sand sandcorns are incredibly white, fine and waterlike. The footsteps on them disappear after some breazes from the deasert wind

daughters of the sand
Their dad died one month ago in a motorcycle accident. Now their mother earn money from guiding tourist to sand dunes by camels. Luckily these kids are too small to understand the hardship.

camels
Camels are sooo slow then you ride them, but if you approuch them with a car they are surprisingly quick to dodge.

desert flower
The rarer they are, the more beautiful they become

death in desert
There can be no desert without some dead stuff.

ice valley
Oh yes. Ice CAN be found in Gobi desert.

kids kids
Shit I love kid photos, they dont hide anything in front of the camera.

rock formation
Rock formations rocks!

Comments

[cass]

amazing photoes, my dear! I love it, miss u =)

[Sheng]

Fantastic picture
I can see these diffrent landscape and people´s live on your picture and commentation.

[Capten Ahab]

Wooow beautiful pictures =)...I hope u r njoying ur time maan =) TC =)/Capten Ahab

[R]

Heellllllllllo Mr!
My God Mengan, vem visste att du var så dukti på att ta bilder?? Verrryy nice!!

[collin]

Help! ;)
Hey, I found you entry on a google search. Could you give me some details of this trip? From where did you leave? How did you organize it? What was the total cost US? I'd really appreciate it! Collin

[Mengan]

some info
The best way to start your trip is from the capital, Ulan Bataar. It is super easy to find travel agencys who can arrange tours in the streets, or you can do like I did, go through the hostels, which is even more convient since they already have clients staying with them willing to share the cost. They basically prepare everything for you, you don't have to plan anything except bring some warm clothes. The hostel I stayed at was UB Guesthouse. If you don't hire a guide, only the driver, and share the cost with 4 people which I did, the cost for one week can be as low as 200 USD, and that includes food, accomondation, everything. Every night we spent at the different family and different yurt. The catch to travel this way is the fixed rountine and not being able to know such as much about Mongolian customs as you would if you had a guide. I don't think hiring a guide would be expensive though if you split the cost by five people, I would ask for a guide if I were you. Good luck!