Wild and untamed, Mongolia is a deeply spiritual land of nomadic cultures and dreamy landscapes of snow-capped mountains, great swathes of grassy plains, and an ancient desert. Even today, Mongolia evokes a time when Genghis Khan and his warrior horsemen thundered across the steppe to establish the largest land empire the world has ever known.
OAT Travel
So it was with these visions in mind we took off to explore this whole new part of the world. We knew it had to be more than the yaks and yurts we had read about….or the 17 million direct descendants of Genghis (pronounced Chingus) Khan!
We thoroughly enjoyed Mongolia. It is a country that is developing quickly while at the same time struggling to keep its ancient identity, and we got to see some of both. Since the fall of communism, Mongolia has opened itself up to the world, reaching out to the West for economic and cultural ties. Mining and cashmere are critical features of the economy, and It was our pleasure to be part of the other key feature….tourism!! We found few fences or private property, a young and well-educated population, and many unspoiled outdoor areas. We were blessed with great weather…and left on the season’s first day of snow!! What a great trip!!!!
Our traveling companions were fabulous. We will continue to travel the next legs with them but pick up another 8 people when we arrive in South Korea.
Our guide, Muuggi, was the best of what Mongolia offers. He was full of information, sensitive to the needs and personalities in the group, fun, funny, and just a fantastic person. We always think we can not find OAT guides better than those we have had in the past….as we always do! Muuggi is at the top, for sure!
So, just as the sun sets from our hotel, our trip sunsets so we can be off to our following country of exploration, South Korea. We are so grateful for our Mongolian experience!
Additional Mongolian facts Muuggie shared with us
- Only 6% of the country has trees (most in the north), down from 17% after cutting for construction. There is a program to begin replanting. The government owns all the land.
- The country is based on animal husbandry; there are 70,000 million animals. Horses are vital here. Sheep are all wild and protected. They are working on becoming certified to export meat since all animals are grass-fed.
- Major sports are wrestling, archery, and horse racing (unlike our horse races…these horses race for 20+ miles!)
- 30% of the country lives in yurts, and some in the capital city too!
- They have been a democracy for only 30 years after being in communism from 1924-1990. People lost creativity during communism & had to find trades like small businesses, taxi/bus drives, construction, and clothing business.
- Mongolian is spoken only in Mongolia. English is the second language taught in schools…but we will probably not encounter many English speakers. Chinese is becoming prominent because of their trade relations.
- There are state-run and private schools. State-run schools are overcrowded and private schools are expensive. All school kids wear uniforms. Unfortunately, the system is now like a business, with the wealthier people getting better schools.
- 13.5% is taken from income for medical care, which is free but takes a long time to access. Some surgeries have to be done in other countries.