It feels like a big part of the trip is coming up; Mongolia is going to be freakin wicked. I kind of suspect it’s going to be one of my favorite places in the whole world. And that’s saying a lot, because I’ve loved everywhere I’ve been.

But the wide-open landscapes, the allure of the mysterious nomadic, ger-dwelling lifestyle of the people, the music, the food, the hospitality and culture, the tradition, the history…all so different from anything I’ve ever experienced before. India was too, but in another way. India felt crazy-different (in a good way); Mongolia seems fable-different. Like a fairy tale far-off place, one that you hear about in stories, myths, legends. I mean, GENGHIS KHAN! The Gobi desert!

And there’s camels. CAMELS!!! I LOVE camels! And there’s horse riding, the biggest festival of the year (Naadam Festival), CAMPING, rivers and lakes, fishing and I hope campfires, music, neat local dress, baffling customs, challenging foods, and unforgettable moments.

We’ve armed ourselves with a new tent and tomorrow will go purchase some sleeping bags and a small stove. Our fantastic friends J and Ange that we met in the Philippines live in Bangkok and have kindly agreed to keep our non-Mongolia-necessary stuff until we come back to pick up Sjoerd in July. This is excellent.

From what I’ve read, it is wise to be a little more vigilant against theft or muggings around the capitol, especially during the busy and crowded festival time that we’ll be there. We’re pretty aware and conservative travelers anyway, but something’s telling me this is a good time to step away from the computers, leave them behind, and really focus on this vast, great land…and each other. Then no worries, no hesitancies, and a new experience (not plugged in??!, gasp!). We’ll still have our small netbook with us, for uploading our pics, and hammering out the occasionally-needed long journal entries about particularly awesome days or pressing thoughts, maybe updating the site at least a couple times along the way.

But aside from that, I kind of like the idea of being more relegated to hand-written journal entries, and to not being “productive” for awhile. I’m going to make myself unavailable for article-writing this month, for the first time in almost 2 years. I’m not going to have much internet access for the next two months – and I’m going to embrace it! It should be a neat experience, for this flashpacking, (most) always-connected Gen Y’er. Mongolia to me looms as such a different destination, lifestyle, and experience from anything we’ve done or seen so far on the trip, or ever, and it’s calling to me to be much more strictly “functional” than “productive” in terms of using (or having) our technology.

Maybe it’s seeing the pictures with the lakes and rivers and owning a tent again, thinking about things like buying a sleeping bag and sleeping under the trees or under the stars in the middle of nowhere, that makes me feel differently about this particular country. Mongolia is different than anywhere else; it is a completely unique experience that awaits within those fabled borders, and I want to give it a completely unique approach from our normal modus operandi. I want to go, and be completely wide-open and flexible and purely just along for the ride. Everything I’ve read about independent travel/backpacking in Mongolia says you really rather need to be, if you even hope to have a good time there. I do hope to have a good time there; in fact, I am certain I will. I know almost nothing about this land of mystery, but I do know even from here that it’s something special.

I am very excited for tomorrow, and the next 51 days to come!