Tag: Travel

Welcome to Mongolia

And what a welcome it was.

I happened to arrive on the first day of the Lunar New Year,

Tsagaan SAR (white moon) :

a celebration of the transition between Winter and Summer.

The celebration dates back to the 13 Century in a country that is largely Buddhist and Shamansim

It is a Huge, National celebration with shops closed for three days,

Families travelling to see their elders;

Everyone dressed in national dress.

AND TRAFFIC

The downside to this amazing day, was a normal 40 minute trip from the airport to our lodgings took FOUR HOURS.

I kid you not.

I was so taken aback that I didn’t take photos!!!!!!!!!

I did take a walk – I got out of our stationery vehicle,

walked two kilometres up the road and back again

I swear our car had barely moved.

The kids slept, even Malan (Husband and driver) had a doze at the wheel.

They were watching their phones and I could hear Trump in his now infamous debate/discussion/whatever over and over again as they watched it.

Mothers were taking their children for walks and ‘the other’

as we all waited for – well, for four hours.

When you are a guest and new traveller,

or perhaps it is just that when you are Me,

you have no idea where you are going or how much longer this whole thing would take.

So it makes it difficult to pace yourself.

And just like that we turned left and we were home.

Great relief for everyone, in every sense of that word 😂

And then the fun began.

A flurry of cooking, whipping, beating, folding, chopping, laying.

A Feast to celebrate the first day of the New year.

An entire rump of a cow is presented, sliced and thankfully not all eaten at once.

In fact it is kept and shared over months with families.

That beef carcass (note the portrait of Genghis Khan)

Dumplings or Uuts – the Mongolian National Dish

There was the traditional cheese (which I equate more to a Christmas tree)

It is home made and stored every year in muslin

‘pulled out’ for this celebration

and It would appear, put away again.

No one eats it but it is very impressive.

There was eating,

talking,

and drinking.

That carcass 😊
Unadulterated joy
Tired travellers, but hey, Vodka works….

Fun all of it.

And Finally, bed….

Tomorrow (well today that was) we explore Ulaanbaatar.

When I get time…. I promise.

Air China

Airports, flights, luggage


I cannot lie,

(well I can, and on occasion do, 😉)

but in this case, I cannot lie ;

I am impressed.  

 Beyond impressed with Air China and Beijing airport and the whole experience.   

It was cheap, that was the first thing that drew me to it.   

The reviews were as always, good and not so good.

But I booked.

Then I tried to check in on line and the circle went round and round – for two days.   🙄😩

Setting up some concern in my belly, my heart, my mind….. you get the picture.

Nothing to be done but fly to the airport and see.   

Fly to the airport is a bit optimistic 😂

Because anyone who knows Melbourne knows that getting from the south east (me) to the airport can be, no, always is a challenge.   

Try Friday night and the challenge comes with a capital C.

Clearly I should have left today, Sunday as there are no red lanes showing.   

Friday evening was RED ALERT.  

 Oh, why didn’t I leave today? 😂

For better or for worse, Tullamarine Airport here I am. 😂

And there was the queue – as long as any virgin airline queue I have seen.  

BUT DIFFERENT.   

It moved, quietly, smoothly and no one seemed agitated or concerned they wouldn’t get through –

everyone smiled or to be honest, read their phones,

confident in their (yes, almost all were ‘Asian’) Air China.

And so I was checked in, easily, courteously.  

It felt so generous.   

She did ask me if I had a charger pack in my checked in luggage.  

Yes said I.  Please remove it.   

And so I unlocked my case and removed it.   

No one rushed me – it was so unusual – a sheer joy.

It felt so generous.

She asked me if I had a charger pack in my checked in luggage. Yes said I.

Please remove

And so I unlocked my case and removed it.

No one rushed me – it was so unusual.

Sheer joy.

I said goodbye to my bags, hoping I would see them again in Ulaanbaatar.

I did, which is more than we could say for Claire’s luggage coming from Istanbul. No arrival till Tuesday – 4 days to go !!!!!!

Claire in Istanbul on her way to Ulaanbaatar, blissfully unaware her luggage was not joining her

Customs was equally smooth and boarding was absolutely on time,

as was take off.

The hand luggage saga – almost always a battleground it seems,

went smoothly.

Somehow everything fitted, there was no moving ‘furniture’

banging closed etc etc. AND the plane was full.

Civilised is the word that comes to mind.

I noticed no alcohol was served.

Did that make a difference I wonder?

The screen map was amazing, you could rotate it any which way and see the whole world and where you were flying – fabulous. 

Loved playing with the maps – such fun.

We landed spot on time, and again, almost instant disembarking.

Welcome to Beijing 🇨🇳 (PRC)  and cameras EVERYWHERE

White eyes looking down on us, absolutely everywhere.

Spotless, beautiful, easy to move around.   

Heaps and heaps of comfortable seating.

People sleeping on long seats.

A few coffee shops open (it was 5am)

Good free wifi but no facebook h

owever, facebook messenger worked –

go figure?

Just ‘feel good safe and cosy’

despite (or is it because of) the cameras.

The next leg was equally uneventful,

on time, quiet, clean, d

are I say it had a vibe of Swiss efficiency

with a gentler demeanour.

And now to the crux of the Chinese efficiency machine.

I had in fact two power packs in my case –

I had completely forgotten as I never travel with them

(well clearly not Never, 😂 but you know what I mean 🙄)

One I had removed and carried in my hand luggage.

One I Had removed For me.

I would never have noticed.

Unlocking my case when I got to our lodgings,

I found a piece of paper which did not look familiar.

It was not, familiar that is.

It most certainly wasn’t familiar.

It was a letter from the Checked Baggage Inspector etc of the PRC

to tell me they had removed a power pack

(and neatly locked my bag again 😂)

They had unlocked my bag, taken it, left me a note and locked it up again!!!!!   

The funny thing is if they had not left me the polite letter,

I would never have known my case had been opened,

never mind that I was missing a power pack 😆

Welcome to China!!!!!!!

I would do the whole trip again without a second thought.

It was great, white cameras, baggage searchers and all.

And this is only the beginning.

Hold thumbs…..

When opportunity knocks

Anyone who knows me,

knows I love words……..

Whether using them (some would say too much 🤣)

writing them in long winded stories (some say often going nowhere 🤪)

or reading them. 📖

I did a blog somewhere beginning “words words words”

a la My Fair Lady and, 

when I went to look for it, I found, well not one, but two,

oh wait, three; (better stop looking 🙄).

See what I mean about me and Words, Words, Words.

So, if you are curious, or love words;

here are 3 ‘wordy’ posts. 😊

(Open the links to read 😉)

(Or not 🤣)

Tassie Tigers…..

Stanley… No Words….

Glenorchy Back Country ; No Words

And then,

there was no time for words

only for horses and riding

and the joy they have brought an old gal. 

It all began when I had some time on my hands and wanted to visit

Mongolia

– not sure why –

you know I am a little crazy 🤪

Visiting Mongolia and  not including  horses just didn’t make sense

as in my mind that is where it, they, ‘all began’.   

 The marauding mongol tribes and all that.

Problem was, I was 64 and could not ride.

So I followed sage advice and settled for a ride in Margaret River –

my reckoning being it too began with an M ,

Mongolia, Margaret River.   

A start. – what could go wrong?

Well nothing,

as it transpired,

it was magical,

painful yes,

but magical.   

 https://leepowrie.com/2017/11/01/margaret-river-harmony/

Be bold and have a read – the comparison will be interesting 🤣

And with that, began the most amazing few years of learning,

exploring, expanding my world in ways I could never have dreamt of.   

And Mongolia receded into the back of my mind,

neither a need nor desire as life had me busy.

And now? 

 I hear you ask….

What are you on about –

words words words leading us nowhere……..

Well, what if I said these words were leading me

off the grid

I invite you to join me in spirit,

with a promise to share as much of my next adventure

as I can on my return to ‘the grid’ 

Life is full of surprises.   

All you have to do is keep your heart open,

your eyes looking ahead and a smile on your dial,

even in the tough times. 

And so it is that through mutual dear friends,

Mandy & Pat Retzlaff

(@Mozambique Horse Trails; 104 Horses – do read it)

I was connected with a remarkable woman,

Claire Thomas by name.    

Bold, brave, fascinating,

documenting stories, both painful and joyous

to challenge or enchant us.    

This is Claire Thomas…… 

Projects and Stories

Open the link and be blown away as I was.

Who knows what will happen if you do 😉

She has invited me to join her

and I am confident I shall be both challenged and enchanted.   

And where are we going?   

To Mongolia,

to the Altai Mountains,

via Beijing, Ulambataar….

Add to that the flight from

Melbourne to Biejing

You can see it is a Long Way.

The Altai Mountains are in the north west of Mongolia and the Britanica states :

The Altai mountains are a complex system extending approx. 2000km from the Gobi Desert, through the Western Siberian Plain, through China, Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan.

The name comes from Turkic-Mongolian  Altan meaning Golden.

Okay, enough words about the geography.

How about the weather?   

Right now in Melbourne we are sweltering in temperatures of 39-40 ‘C.  

Yes Celsius.

We are living in semi darkness trying to keep the heat/light out.

The kids (and dog) have moved into the living room –

it being marginally cooler than their back room.

img_0130-1

And ME?

I am navigating the thought of -23’ Celsius –

yup, that Is Minus!!!!!

The mind is baulking at having to think of such cold weather

when we can barely move from the heat…….

But navigate I must…..

Thankfully not the way to UB (Ulambataar)

Air China will do that,

but round the idea of cold, cold, cold.   

Sharing accommodation, (which is common when I travel), is one thing –

the added dimension of such cold makes me wonder if we will be sharing body heat too 😉 if you get what I mean.

So I found a thermorest I last used in 2001 in Nepal (long before blogging 😂) ; does it still work, am I too old to sleep on it ;

will it keep some of the cold off?

So, just like trial packing, I have done a few trial sleeps. 😉

Seems okay. 🥰

And now to the “BIG REVEAL”

I am still pinching myself at this opportunity.

I am not going on a tourist trip to Mongolia,

where we ride around on ‘tourist horses’

seeing the ‘tourist’ things.   

That would be great, I have no doubt,

but often leaves one feeling a little like a voyeur,

even a little patronising. 

 I will be going with Claire Thomas

Hunters and Herders of the Altai

and two others.   

We are staying in the homes of Claire’s friends.

We are following the eagle hunters.   

Bold and so so ‘from another era’
Alankush, father & Arkalak, his 12 yr old son, following in his father’s footsteps.
Carrying their eagles while riding in the Altai mountains.
26 yr old Serik Gingsbek shows off his golden eagle.

We are eating, drinking, laughing, sharing, and learning from them.

Seik Gisbek, an eagle hunter,
drinking tea while visiting Alankush.

Eagle Hunter Alankush in his home.
Dinar, wife of an eagle hunter milks her cow
Food preparation is a never ending occupation.

In return, Claire is filming their stories.  

For two reasons;

to help maintain their traditions

and

to help fund them for the future.  

Because we all know,

we have changed the world

and what sustained rural communities for centuries

no longer does. 

Which raises the question of where our responsibility lies…..

One of their urgent desires is to educate their children.

Which means sending them away to schools,

which means funding them….

Anyone interested in supporting them?

Let me know.

All the Beautiful photographs belong to Claire Thomas.

Do yourself a favour and explore her website.

Hunters and Herders of the Altai

Opportunity knocked.

I took it and will keep you posted.

Till next time adieu

I leave shortly.