Hello, I'm Director Sakida.
When we think of Mongolia, we think of Genghis Khan, the nomadic horse-riding people, and the Great Mongol Empire, a territory that spread widely across the Eurasian continent. Everyone must have seen it in history class.
Although I had a vague interest, I never went so far as to decide to go to Mongolia as a travel destination.
Even the distinction between this and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region within China was unclear...I think I had no idea what to do there because I knew so little about Mongolia.
The majority of people still live a nomadic life in yurts or gallop across the grasslands on horseback, but the capital, Ulaanbaatar, has become a large city...can you imagine what kind of country it is?
It all started when a friend of mine participated in a " Mongolian warrior training tour " organized by Mr. Ito of Nariwai .
I realized that Mongolia was a good travel destination, so in July 2010, I went on my first Musha Shugyo tour.
Since then, I have continued to take part in the Mongolian Warrior Training Tour every year, and now I even act as a chaperone.
What to do in Mongolia
I arrived in Mongolia late at night for the first time, and headed to a tourist camp in the grasslands about an hour from Ulaanbaatar by car. The grasslands at night are pitch black. I have no idea what is going on around me. All I can see is the starry sky and the Milky Way.
I still remember the "Wow!" feeling when I woke up in the morning and stepped out of the yurt.
Strong sunlight, a clear blue sky, a green field as far as the eye can see, and a fresh breeze blowing through. Cows, goats, sheep, and horses passing by.
It would take pages to write down all the "wow moments" so I'll just give a quick rundown of what we usually do on this tour.
Please go there and experience it for yourself to see what that "wow" feeling is like.
The first photo is of the tourist camp I stay at every year. There is a building in the center with a dining hall, toilets, and showers, and we sleep in gers around it. The entrance to the ger always faces south.
Inside a tourist ger. There is a bed next to a wood stove.
The most important things are placed in front of the entrance, such as family photos, horse racing medals, Buddha statues, and TVs on shelves, and a bed on either side. The local people use cow dung as fuel instead of firewood, which is a traditional method. It smells good when burned.
The ger where the camp owner's mother lived.
Learning how to make the dairy product Aaroll. It's almost done, but we just molded and rolled it. Once it's dried, it's complete. Many kinds of dairy products can be made from cow, goat, and sheep milk, and they are important foods that can be preserved. In Mongolia, there is a saying, "red food, white food," and red food refers to meat and white food refers to dairy products.
Dairy Arlor
Ride a horse across the plains
Horses on tour
The main attraction is horse riding.
Mongolian horses are not the big thoroughbreds you see at Japanese riding clubs.
Even when standing next to me, who is 154 cm tall, her back is lower than my head, as shown in the photo above.
The riding style is also different from the British style. One hand holds the reins and the other is free. Many people, even those who are new to horse riding, are able to gallop.
Horses are loaned to you by nearby nomads, who will accompany you and help you ride, adjusting the stirrups and girth and providing other detailed support.
(Left) Horses moving at a steady pace (Right) Horses gathered for riding
I have heard that the joy of a Mongolian man is simply riding a horse across the bare plains.
What is it like to gallop on a horse across an unobstructed grassland? As the galloping speed increases, the horse's excitement to go faster is transmitted, and the speed increases rapidly. However, if you get too excited at this point, the horse will lose control and run out of control, and those who are not used to it will end up falling off the horse.
It's important to keep the horse within your control. I'm extremely scared so I never go beyond a gallop...
A glimpse into nomadic life
Gel and solar panel
During your horseback ride you may also visit a nomadic ger.
Ger is equipped with solar panels to store electricity for use. Television, satellite phone, and smartphone are also commonplace.
When I visited the grasslands by myself about two days earlier than my autumn tour (late September), I happened to come across a party being held at a nearby nomad's house after branding a foal, so I dropped in. The party continued until the morning, with local people helping out, taking turns drinking vodka and kumis, eating a steamed lamb dish called khorkhog, singing and reciting poetry.
A celebration after branding the foal
Horse milk is stirred thousands of times a day in barrels to ferment. It is said that in the past, kumis was the staple food in the summer. That is how nutritious it is. It is said that Calpis was created based on kumis.
Barrel of milch
If you want to try other things, you can do that too. You can catch sheep, shear them, make felt, milk goats, etc. Catching sheep for our own consumption is a different feeling than catching sheep for shearing... After all, the sheep you catch will be slaughtered.
Encircling and catching goats and sheep
Shaving with scissors
Once you get used to riding horses, you will dismantle one of the yurts at the tourist camp and head to the forested mountains to set up camp. The yurt will be transported by truck, but it will take about three hours by horse to reach your destination.
Build a Ger
The accordion-style walls are unfolded, and many rods are inserted to support the skylight, and the surrounding area and ceiling are then wrapped in large sheets of felt.
In the past, it was only made of felt, but now it is covered with waterproof cloth and tightened with an elastic belt to complete it. The nomads complete this in about an hour.
At night, you can sleep on a rug in a yurt or in a sleeping bag outdoors while gazing at the starry sky and shooting stars.
Mongolian summer festival "Naadam"
Girls taking part in the Naadam horse race
At the end of the tour, local nomads will gather together and perform "Mini Naadam."
Naadam is a Mongolian summer festival featuring horse racing, archery, Mongolian wrestling and more.
The tour organizer, Mr. Ito, is well known among the neighboring nomads and is also known as the Ito Cup Naadam.
Children participate in the horse races. Even a little girl like this can run like this. There are also many children who run bareback without a saddle. Since it is not an official Naadam, adults also participate, but the lighter children are overwhelmingly faster. Apparently Asashoryu's horse has participated in the big Naadam held in Ulaanbaatar and won, which is quite an honor.
(Left) A girl nearing the finish line. (Right) Children running while cracking whips and cheering.
After the horse races, there was Mongolian sumo and archery. Mongolian men love sumo, and if you get close to them or touch them, they'll grapple with each other. Japanese sumo is also popular.
"Look, look at this," he says, proudly climbing onto his horse. He picks up things from the ground while riding and makes the horse jump. Nomad men love to show off. When I meet nomad boys grazing while riding, they come up to me and proudly show me all kinds of tricks.
Mongolian Sumo
(Left) Trying archery (Right) Nomad standing on horseback
The Mongolian summer vacation is long, from June to August, and children who live in school dormitories help out at home, such as grazing the animals, during the summer. Adults who usually work in Ulaanbaatar also work as horseback riding guides, interpreters, and help with grazing. It seems that it is common for even company employees to have a second job.
Raise sheep, rent their wool, sell it, slaughter it, butcher it, and eat it.
On the last night on the plains, we butchered the sheep and had a khorkhog. We butchered it with a small knife, trying not to spill any blood on the ground. It is said that if a nomadic man cannot do this, he will not be able to find a wife. Disposing of the innards is the woman's job.
When we buy meat in exchange for money, all of this process is completed and we can only see it after it has been packed. This allows us to see things that are usually hidden and out of sight.
Put lamb, carrots, potatoes, and hot stones into a milk can and steam it. The best way to eat it is to eat it all down, even the thin membrane that remains on the bones. It is said that it is good for your health to warm your fingertips with the hot stones after the holhog is done.
On rainy days, the sheep are not caught and slaughtered because they are tired and not tasty.
Mongolians follow customs, practices, and what is considered good and bad. They love to sing and even sing karaoke. The main religion is Tibetan Buddhism, but shamanism still remains.
(Left) Butchering a sheep. Men's work. (Center) Putting it in a milk can with hot stones and vegetables. (Right) The finished product.
Bite into
On the other hand, the capital, Ulaanbaatar, is an ordinary city with skyscrapers being built one after another. In recent years, population concentration and air pollution have become problems, and apartment buildings have been built around Chinggis Khan Airport in the suburbs, which was previously pitch black and empty, and Prius cars are now driving on the streets. There is also a traditional market and department store.
Once you get used to the horse, move on to the next step.
By the way, this year, instead of going to the grasslands like the one introduced this time, I took part in what is called an intermediate level tour, whose participants were mostly veterans who had previously participated in the Mongolian warrior training tour.
We will travel by horseback over mountains, valleys, and rivers, camping along roads that are off-limits to cars, to the mountain that is designated as a national park and is home to the caldera lake called Naiman Nuur.
It rains a lot so the roads are muddy.
Crossing the River
Lava, a remnant of an eruption more than 10,000 years ago
From inside a tent pitched at Naiman Nor (Eight Lakes)
Cooking in a ger borrowed from a nomad
Orkhon Valley
Here you can see a magnificent landscape that is different from the usual grasslands.
Mongolia is a vast country with many different ethnic groups and landscapes.
If you have even the slightest interest in Mongolia, be sure to visit.
Now, as to why I go to Mongolia every year, to be honest, I'm no longer really sure.
It almost feels like I go back to the countryside every year.
It's a strange balance, with the people adopting modern conveniences such as solar panels while continuing their nomadic life in yurts, which has likely continued since the time of Genghis Khan.
When you ride horseback through the green grasslands, devoid of man-made objects, sheep, goats, and cows, you feel as if you lose track of your boundaries.
Perhaps that's why he goes to Mongolia every year.