Ulaanbaatar the capital of Mongolia is the place where I landed to travel to one of the most unexplored, yet popular among travelers dry Gobi desert. My hotel is surrounded by muddy parking lots and endless karaoke bars. Ulaanbaatar is a good blend of old traditional meets new money, few shiny skyscrapers, but if you truly want to enjoy living among Mongolians in Ger, suburban totter in the outskirts.
Almost reluctant, but still for the sake of a touristy cultural show at a rundown theater I went on to the dodgy side of the town. The performers were shockingly astounding and we all sit there mesmerized by local traditional music shows. The food in Mongolia is definitely on the meat-heavy side. And if you are a vegetarian you better survive on bread and chips. I along with a group of Australian tourists started our next morning with a tough Mongolian guy our local guide named Nemosen.
He takes charge of our motley group, leading us to Ger camp, however, his English was flawless and he had a lot of stories to tell about how he was raised in Ulaanbaatar as we bump along the dirt highway. We even rode in unruly Mongolian ponies, cracking jokes and showing off, but most of the part was dusty roads. By evening we all were asked to drink Samogon a local Vodka, little dancing in the small confines of diner Ger.
If you are a real traveler you will be touched by the originality of the place which is so untouched in its natural beauty inland as well as in the smile of people. Ger camps generally belong to nomadic families. And a family lives a simple life in the desert with less technology and preserving their traditional values and culture. The mesmerizing beauty of the desert was something that left all of us wordless; the long dusty journey seems to be perfectly rewarded by golden dunes and the beauty of the desert.
