I’ve been thinking a LOT about Mongolia recently, since I realized that – mind-blowingly – it’s been a year since our epic 25-day expedition through that most marvelous land.

This trip has been beyond description even to look at any singular part of it, any one day or even a sole moment. And when I try to zoom out and look at the entire picture, 14 countries, 23 months, and what those numbers actually MEAN, what they actually HOLD, it’s simply mind-boggling.

And if I had to choose a single experience or a single country from all that as what was the most incredible, what was the most unique, what was the most rewarding experience of all…I would choose that expedition through Mongolia. We still have another 6 countries and 7-10 mos to go on this trip but I can pretty confidently say at the end of it, that will still be the case.

Maybe if I show you what we were doing on THIS exact day, July 3, one year ago, you’ll understand.

But I should have started yesterday, really, or two days ago. So let me back up a little, for context.

A year and two days ago, we were camped out in our tent along a most idyllic crystal clear and clean river, beneath a most unreal sky.

At the right time, the view might look like this, as yaks crossed the river.

And later, horses…

There was even a horse nearby for us to visit.

…barefoot.

In the evening, Ray and our guide Jojo sat by the river and chatted for a bit.

Then we pulled our 2L plastic bottles of beer out of the river where they’d been cooling and had a nice, chill evening.

After two nights at this lovely camping spot, we were to begin our 2-day horse trek to a place and a people so remote and so special that cars can’t get there and you need a permit to visit:

The nomadic, teepee-dwelling Tsaatan (Reindeer People), in the far north of Mongolia, on the border of Siberia.

To put this trip and these people in perspective, consider this.

All of the rest of Mongolia and Mongolian lifestyle and culture is still incredibly uniquely wild and preserved.

The people are still very much nomadic and live in simple round gers (you may know them as Yurts), felt and wood affairs that can be constructed or dismantled in a day.

The ger and all its contents can then be put on a truck (or yak cart) and relocated, and just like that you’ve practically just moved from Arizona to Nebraska.

If you are a Mongolian, passing visitors, such as ourselves – two foreigners and two Mongolians loaded into a compact gray Russian Jeep, or perhaps fellow Mongolians on horseback – may see your lone ger from miles away, isolated against the impossibly huge skies and expansive empty landscape.

These visitors will stop and come by – unannounced, naturally – and you will have them come inside and set about preparing hot tea and biscuits and homemade cheese and hard yogurt, perhaps even dinner of homemade noodles and home-killed goat soup.

They will likely stay the night, and you will be as at ease with these strangers in your home as though they were visiting friends or family, these people who just dropped by out of nowhere to your home in the middle of nowhere.

This is NORMAL life in Mongolia!

That’s how exotic and wild and different it is from the culture we come from, where your own mother or sibling is expected to give plenty of advance notice if she intends to make a visit, and most certainly if she is going to stay longer than a cup of tea.

And there’s not a chance a stranger is making it in the front door, let alone to stay in the house.

Plus, nevermind the walls being made of felt and the floor of rug-covered dirt.

The toilet is that bush up there – no not that one…yeah that one. Walk around the horse skull and various bones laying about on the way, and try not to mind the 4,300 goats staring at you, baaa-ing away.

Yes, of all the places we’ve been on this trip, Mongolia was the most otherworldly.

So now that you have an idea of what normal life in Mongolia is like…

Now imagine our Mongolian guide, who COMES from this otherworldly place, being quite excited to go visit the Tsaatan and see them in person for the very first time herself, giddy for the mystery and the intrigue of these Shamanic and rare people.

That will give you an idea how unique and remote they are, how interesting their teepee-dwelling, reindeer-herding nomadic culture is.

We had to build in several flexible days for this extra journey to the north of the north, because sometimes it may take several days even just to FIND them, and if you don’t allot the necessary time you may not even get to see them or their way of life at all.

An excellent resource to get more of a feel about this unique people can be found at the Tsaatan Community & Visitors Center site.

To give you an idea, here’s what they have to say about things to consider if you’re thinking about planning a trip to the Tsaatan community:

Taiga trips are physically challenging and involve significant travel costs and careful logistics coordination.

The taiga is cold, wet, and far away. To reach the Tsaatan you will need to drive off-road through muddy, bumpy conditions for a minimum of 12 hours, and then ride by horse for a minimum of 3 hours [G's note: 2 days, in our case].

You will be sleeping on the ground while in the taiga. Flush toilets, running water, and electricity are not available anywhere…in the taiga. Visitors should be in good physical condition and adaptable in challenging conditions. All visitors should also allow for sufficient time for their trip.

You will need at LEAST seven days roundtrip from Mongolia’s capital city, Ulaanbaatar, for a trip to reach the Tsaatan. 10-12 days is ideal.

To reach the taiga you will be traveling for 2 to 4 days each way from Ulaanbaatar, and will likely spend several hundred or even several thousand dollars just for transportation.

The Tsaatan live far away from any major transport routes, requiring travelers to be flexible, adaptable, and ready for all conditions, weather, and circumstances.

Pretty intense, huh?

And it was.

[To be continued...]

Tales from Mongolia: Going to the Tsaatan – the Reindeer People of Mongolia is a post from: Backpacking Travel Stories from Asia

Gobi Desert Break Down is a post from: Backpacking Travel Stories from Asia

The amazing ice in the middle of the Gobi desert during summer, and some other fun stuff! The ice in this gorge in late JUNE is testament to the -40 degree (F and C) temps it reaches in winter. Come check it out!

Photos of Mongolia: the Gobi Desert – Yolin Am Ice Gorge

Expedition Mongolia: the Gobi Desert – Yolin Am Ice Gorge is a post from: Backpacking Travel Stories from Asia

Hi everyone! More tales to tell than we can shake a stick at, so let’s just let some photos tell a thousand words each. There are captions to guide you through. Enjoy!

Photos of Mongolia: Entering the Gobi Desert

Expedition Mongolia: Success! is a post from: Backpacking Travel Stories from Asia

Operation: Expedition Mongolia – Top to Bottom, Day 25 THE END is a post from: Backpacking Travel Stories from Asia

Operation: Expedition Mongolia – Top to Bottom, Day 24 is a post from: Backpacking Travel Stories from Asia

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Operation: Expedition Mongolia – Top to Bottom, Day 14 is a post from: Backpacking Travel Stories from Asia

Operation: Expedition Mongolia – Top to Bottom, Day 13 is a post from: Backpacking Travel Stories from Asia

headin north up towards Siberia (Russia) now, and I reckon the scenery’s a-changin!

Operation: Expedition Mongolia – Top to Bottom, Day 12 is a post from: Backpacking Travel Stories from Asia

Operation: Expedition Mongolia – Top to Bottom, Day 11 is a post from: Backpacking Travel Stories from Asia

Operation: Expedition Mongolia – Top to Bottom, Day 10 is a post from: Backpacking Travel Stories from Asia