Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north, China to the south, and Kazakhstan to the west. It covers an area of 1,564,116 square kilometres (603,909 square miles), with a population of just 3.3 million, making it the world's most sparsely populated sovereign nation. Mongolia is the world's largest landlocked country that does not border a closed sea. Ulaanbaatar, the capital and largest city, is home to roughly half of the country's population.
The 21 Aimags (provinces) of Mongolia are further subdivided into 331 Sums (districts. Approximately 30% of the population is nomadic or semi-nomadic; horse culture remains integral. Buddhism is the majority religion, with the nonreligious being the second-largest group. Islam is the second-largest religion, concentrated among ethnic Kazakhs. Most citizens are ethnic Mongols, with roughly 5% of the population being Kazakhs, Tuvans, and other minorities, who are especially concentrated in the west.
Much of Mongolia is covered by grassy steppe, with mountains to the north and west and the Gobi Desert to the south. Ulaanbaatar, the capital and largest city, is home to roughly half of the country's population.
Road map of area around the capital, Ulaanbaatar. Our Mongolian trip began in Ulaanbaatar after a filght from Souel Korea
Chinggis Khaan International Airport Mongolia. A brand new airport that had only been open for several months
Modern buildings in Ulaanbaatar from Sûkhbaatar Square
Chinggis Khaan Statue in Sûkhbaatar Square in downtown Ulaanbaatar
Government House in Sûkhbaatar Square in downtown Ulaanbaatar
Mongolian Hot Pot restaurant in a shopping mall in Ulaanbaatar. I had always thoght that was an American restaurant concept. Who knows?
Flew from Ulaanbaatar to Hovd, overnighted at the Steppe Hotel and then drove to the Single Tree area of Tsambagaray Uul National park
Steppe Hotel in Hovd
Grocery store in Hovd like a Costco
Grocery store in Hovd like a Costco
Mongolian desert steppe outside of Hovd
Ger, the home of the nomadic Mongolians. Over 30% on Mongolians are nomads.
Mongolian desert steppe outside of Hovd
The nomadic Kazakhs of Western Mongolia maintain large herds of sheep and goats.
Wild Bacterian Camels in Westerm Mongolia
Group of Gers, summer home of nomadic Kazakh people of Westerm Mongolia
Arrival at Gants Modnii Zuslian (Single Tree) area, Bayan-ölgiy Aimag (Province), Altantsogts Sum (District), Mongolia
The welcoming committee
Tsast Uul and Tsambagarav Uul (mountains) in the distanace
Guest Mongolian GER accomodations. Yurt is a Russian term.
Susan in front of our assigned GER
The interior of our Ger. Not the standard Mongolian Ger layout. The robes were very warm and wonderful.
Due to double bed we did not have a stove
Complete with a Buddist shrine for moments of contemplation
Toilet tent on the left, shower tent on the right
View from the throne in the toilet tent
The interior of the dinning Ger.
Early morning and all the livestock is heading out to pasture
Archery competition at the Altantsögts community Nadam Festival
Nadam Festival archer
Top archers as noted by head gear and neck scarf
Top archers as noted by head gear and neck scarf
Top archers as noted by head gear and neck scarf posing for us
Finish line for Altantsögts community Nadam Feestival horse races
Kids are the same everywhere, clowning for the camera
And the winner is?, Riders ride bareback and are 4-12 years old
They race long distances, not around a track. The mask is protection from the dust
The races have 6 divisions and 5 winners in each division
Age of horse and age of rider figure into winners
Altantsögts community Dadam Festival grounds
Presentation of winners and awards
Horse, rider, trainer and grandparent
Awards like this add to the value of the horse
It's tradition to share a cup of mares milk
the trainer, the rider
and the horse share the milk
Drink it kid, you'll learn to like it!
Blue Group award presentation, 5 winners
Horse, rider and award
Archery, horse racing and this is the third leg of Nadam festival events, wrestling!
Has anybody told you, you have bad breath?
A happy winner
Another winner
A wrestling winner,Altantsögts community Nadam Festival
Altantsögts community Nadam Festival winning wrestlers parading in their speedos
Unhappy spectator
What candy from the photographer will do
Look, look, look, we're hot stuff
Giving each other a super wedgie
Very tired wrestlers
Gants Modnii Zuslian (SingleTree) area, Bayan-ölgiy Aimag (Province), Altantsögts Sum (District), Mongölia.
Locals gathering for a wedding
Respected elder men, picture of bride and groom in backgound
Honored senior members of the wedding party
Family matriarchs pondering what the bride is about to endure?
Life is tough for women in this part of the world
The growd gathers as the wedding time nears
Everybody is here from all over the area
The bride and groom!
The wedding party. Does she look happy?
Wedding party posing prior to ceramony beginning
Her final moments of ........
Nearby Gers and belongings
Time to find a location to pose the eagle hunters
Driving into the mtns. Our Ger in far distance on right
Snow!
A very remote and isolated Ger.
Large herds and flocks of animals
Herding on horseback
This is really off the grid, no water, no electricity, no internet, no almost everything..
heading back to our Ger, we just missed being in a large down pour
The calf was just born
The first time standing. Not very stable
Gants Modnii Zuslian (Single Tree) area, Bayan-ölgiy Aimag (Province), Altantsogts Sum (District), Mongolia
Gants Modnii Zuslian (Single Tree) area, Bayan-ölgiy Aimag (Province), Altantsogts Sum (District), Mongolia
Home ( Ger) of Eagle Hunter Sailua & his family. Women's things on right and men's things on left
We are invited for tea. Entertaining at back of Ger. Left men, right women, back honored guests is standard Mongolian Ger layout.
The offerings for our tea.
Fox pelt
Wolf pelt, fir coat and medals of honor
Sailua and his wife Pensiya and grandson
Sailua, their son Serikjan, Pensiya, grandkids and Serikjan's wife. They all live in this Ger.
Photographer and tour leader Art Wolfe and Susan
Kazakh Eagle Hunter Sailua, dressed for the hunt, with his Golden Eagle inside of his Ger
Kazakh Eagle Hunter Sailua, dressed for the hunt, with his Golden Eagle inside of his Ger
Kazakh Eagle Hunter Sailua, dressed for the hunt, with his Golden Eagle inside of his Ger
Kazakh Eagle Hunters Sailua and Serikjan, dressed for the hunt, with Golden Eagle
Serikjan putting the eagle back in its pen
Outside view of their ger. Note solar panel. Very modern
Our ger encampment. The single folks got a stove in their ger. Double bed disallowed for a stove
Fuel for the stove is very scare. You burn what is available
Potential area for photographing the eagle hunters
Gants Modnii Zuslian (SingleTree) area, Bayan-ölgiy Aimag (Province), Altantsögts Sum (District), Mongölia. Tsast Uul & Tsambagarav Uul in distance
Gants Modnii Zuslian (SingleTree) area, Bayan-ölgiy Aimag (Province), Altantsögts Sum (District), Mongölia. Tsast Uul & Tsambagarav Uul in distance
Gants Modnii Zuslian (SingleTree) area, Bayan-ölgiy Aimag (Province), Altantsögts Sum (District), Mongölia. Tsast Uul & Tsambagarav Uul in distance
Gants Modnii Zuslian (SingleTree) area, Bayan-ölgiy Aimag (Province), Altantsögts Sum (District), Mongölia. Tsast Uul & Tsambagarav Uul in distance
Golden Eagle nest with eagle about to fledge
Serikjan checking out the young eagle as a potential to train. As there was only one, it was not captured
Art Wolfe in position to photograph the eagle
Art Wolfe's Golden eagle on nest photo
Here come the Golden eagles for us to photograph
Getting dressed in hunting attire
Serikjan with his eagle
Kazakh Eagle Hunters Serikjan and Sailua with their Golden Eaglesailua
Kazakh Eagle Hunters Serikjan and Sailua with their Golden Eagles
Kazakh Eagle Hunters Serikjan and Sailua with their Golden Eagles
Kazakh Eagle Hunters Serikjan and Sailua with their Golden Eagles
Kazakh Eagle Hunters Serikjan and Sailua with their Golden Eagles. Ken and Susan documenting the experience
Kazakh Eagle Hunters Serikjan and Sailua with Sailua's Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle, Sailua and Ken
Golden Eagle, Sailua and Susan
Portrait of Kazakh Eagle Hunter Sailua and his eagle
The star of the show getting a break
Our Ger encampment at Sailua's place
Pensiya and Susan
Pensiya provided eack of the women with gifts
Golden eagle resting back at its compound after a busy day
Time to drive back to Hovd in Khovd Aimag. The x on the map above the "L" in Olgiy is where we were staying
Wildlife! A Tolai Hare ((Lepus tolai Pallus)
Ger encampments in the distance, no trees and very little vegetation
Ger encampments in the distance, no trees and very little vegetation. Not much of a road either
A summertime Ger neighborhood. See the two lane expressway?
Ger encampments in the distance, no trees and very little vegetation
Damn, a lake in the middle of nowhere
Every day, same thing. Just you and your herd
Altai ( Gray) Marmot (Marmota baribacina)
Altai ( Gray) Marmot (Marmota baribacina)
Whooper swans enjoying the water
Demoiselle Cranes
Wild Bactrian Camels, a different species than the domestic Bactrian camels
Wild Bactrian Camels, a different species than the domestic Bactrian camels
Starting line for a Hovd Dadam Festival Horse race. There will be 70 horses in this race
Lunch break while waiting for the race to begin
Susan said this cheeseburger was absolutely fantastic
Putting up the starting gate. Race time must be soon?
Racers arriving. Riders are 4-14 years old and ride bareback. There are about 30 different categories for horses and riders. They ride to the starting line from miles away.
Almost time for the start.
And they are off! Black vehicle on right drove behind arriving riders and when it arrived the race was immediately started
And away they go. They race for many miles. This race was over 10 miles.
Black-eared Kite
They highway back into Hovd
Now were are staying inSteppe Hotel in Hovd. Today we venture to the Khoit Tsenkher Cave Petroglyphs
Khoit Tsenkher petroglyph area in Mankhan sum, Khovd Aimag, Mongolia
Khoit Tsenkher petroglyphs in Mankhan sum, Khovd Aimag, Mongolia
Khoit Tsenkher petroglyphs in Mankhan sum, Khovd Aimag, Mongolia
Khoit Tsenkher petroglyphs in Mankhan sum, Khovd Aimag, Mongolia
Typical road in the Khoit Tsenkher petroglyphs arae in Mankhan sum, Khovd Aimag, Mongolia
Susan describing the Khoit Tsenkher petroglyphs in Mankhan sum, Khovd Aimag, Mongolia
Susan and her new friend Megha
Khoit Tsenkher petroglyphs in Mankhan sum, Khovd Aimag, Mongolia
Friendly local creature, Long-tailed squirrel
Khoit Tsenkher petroglyph caves in Mankhan sum, Khovd Aimag, Mongolia
Khoit Tsenkher petroglyphs in Mankhan sum, Khovd Aimag, Mongolia
Today we are going to look for Saiga near Dörgön Nuur ( lake)
Back to flat county and drive where ever you want
Wild Bactrian camels
Flat, flat, flat. Just follow the road?
A Mongolian Little owl
saiga antelope ( Saiga tatarica)
Saiga antelope, females with kids
Saiga antelope, females with kids
Saiga antelope, critically endangered and weird looking
Saiga antelope, critically endangered and weird looking
Male Saiga antelope, critically endangered and weird looking
Couple of Male Saiga
Lunch at Cafe(?) in Urdgol. Best available
Drop in surprise local.
Cook and her kitchen, she made a great lunch for us
Cinereous Vulture ( Aegypius monachus )
On the shore of Khar-us Nuur Lake)
A herd of Wild Bactrian Camels lakeside
The Wild Bactrian camels came together to pose for us?
Beautiful skies for photography
Amazing, a two lane divided expressway
At last, the paved highway back to Hovd. We are coming from the South
And there it is, Hovd in the diatance
Taking lunch in the lounge at the top of the Steppe Hotel
A panoramic shot from the top of the Steppe Hotel. Notice all the gers that people occupy in town
Getting ready to fly back to Ulaanbaatab Called UB by the locals
The local airline, Aeromongolia, provided our transportation
Hovd from the air, notice all the Gers!
We are headed SW of UB to Wild Horses area
We are now in the Hustai area, much greener here
Our new ger encampment. We are guests of Mr. Batchuluun and his wife Oyunchimeg
Our new home for the next few days.
Our ger with toilet tent in the distance
Inside of our new ger
Ceiling ribs are gayly decorated
This is our dining tent, good weather allows us to eat outside
The cooks and the cook tent. It is amazing the , meals they could prepare in these facilities
The cooks and the cook tent. It is amazing the , meals they could prepare in these facilities
View from the throne in the toilet tent
A Brandt's Vole, entertainment when on the throne
A Brandt's Vole, entertainment when on the throne
Mongolian Female Shaman and assistants preparing for spiritial encounter
Mongolian Male Shaman and assistants preparing for spiritial encounter
Male Shaman in spiritial transformation
Male Shaman in spiritial transformation
Male Shaman in spiritial transformation
Female Shaman in spiritial transformation
Mongolian Shaman and assistants preparing for spiritial encounter
Mongolian Female Shaman and assistant preparing for spiritial encounter
Mongolian Shaman
Mongolian Shaman and assistant preparing for spiritial encounter
Mongolian Shaman
Shaman explaning their faith and answering our questions
Mongolian Shaman invoking spirits of ancestors at traditional sunset fireside ceremony
Mongolian Shaman invoking spirits of ancestors at traditional sunset fireside ceremony
Mongolian Shaman invoking spirits of ancestors at traditional sunset fireside ceremony
Mongolian Shaman invoking spirits of ancestors at traditional sunset fireside ceremony
Mongolian Shaman invoking spirits of ancestors at traditional sunset fireside ceremony
Mongolian Shaman invoking spirits of ancestors at traditional sunset fireside ceremony
Mongolian Shaman invoking spirits of ancestors at traditional sunset fireside ceremony
Elaborate costume of a male Shaman
Elaborate costume of a female and male Shaman
Elaborate costume of a male Shaman
Elaborate costume of a male Shaman
Mongolian Shaman invoking spirits of ancestors at traditional sunset fireside ceremony
Mongolian Shaman invoking spirits of ancestors at traditional sunset fireside ceremony
Elaborate costume of a male Shaman
Elaborate costume of a male Shaman
Mongolian Shaman invoking spirits of ancestors at traditional sunset fireside ceremony
Mongolian Shaman invoking spirits of ancestors at traditional sunset fireside ceremony
Mongolian Shaman invoking spirits of ancestors at traditional sunset fireside ceremony
Mongolian Shaman invoking spirits of ancestors at traditional sunset fireside ceremony
Setting sun and dieing embers, the spirits have been put to bed
Great clouds for photos. Hustai National Park
Foxes showing interest in the Marmot. Hustai National Park
Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle in flight
Tending the flocks and herds on horseback. Use of a motorbike was another convienient method of herding.
The only living Wild Horse in existance
Hustai National Park -Przewalski stallion. They usually have around 10 mares in their harem
Hustai National Park, two Przewalksi mares and a foal
Hustai National Park. The stallion's harem, mares and foals
Hustai National Park- Przewalski stallion interacting with his harem to get them to move away from us
Hustai National Park- Przewalski stallion interacting with his harem to get them to move away from us
Hustai National Park- Przewalski stallion interacting with his harem to get them to move away from us
Rooftop view of downtown UB from our Best Western Premier room
View from the bathroom from our rooom at the Best Western Premier Hotel in UB. Why a view window in the bathroom?
Our room at the Best Western Premier in downtown UB
Our youg Mongolian Guide, Manaljav.
The brand new Chinggis Khaan International Airport. It had only been open for about 6 months
