The curse of the First Day

After 36 hours by train I finally entered China. Getting to China from Mongolia wasn`t difficult at all, probably the easiest border crossing among the countries I`ve visited in this journey. Crossing a border overland can be a surreal experience: after the stamp you are thrown into a new dimension, a new form of humanity, similar as similar it`s all the world, yet at the same time deeply different. Within few kilometres, all you were used to see seems to be changed.
Borders still exist, despite globalization, despite all.
They`re something real, like real is the "the curse of the first day" for me. The posts below clearly shows how must be there a sort of curse on me the first day I travel to a new foreign country. No exceptions, even today. It`s the first day in Beijing and few hours ago I got out to take some cash with Kaye and Alex (the English couple met in Irkutsk with which I travelled Gobi desert). Later, passing in front of some street-food sellers we decided to have a taste of the Chinese "delicatessen" trying some mistery food: I`ve chosen for a strange soup with dark colour, lot of chili and strange pork chops floating on it... While eating, Kaye said me: "Be careful, there`s a guy standing very close just behind you!". I moved away a little, he was standing still there like an idiot simulating non-chalance. Then he moved away. Funny is what Kaye said me later, reporting that guy while standing behind me, has looked her, pointing his finger to his mouth meaning her to say nothing to me... I wonder why all the population of the Earth is so attracted by my take-me bag. Curse is the only reasonable answer.
Anyway, Italy 1 - China 0. Fuck off: once more.

Some facts on Mongolia

Here are some interesting facts on Mongolia:
1) the 75% of the population in Ulan Bator live in gers (about 1 million people), this means not only tents but houses without facilities like running water, toilets or electricity;
2) one third of the Mongolian population live below the poverty ranking (which is less than one dollar per day);
3) the national average income is 110 dollars per month;
4) the most common and traditional dish is Buus which is a dumpling filled by mutton meat.

Tomorrow morning I`m leaving to China, but before leaving Mongolia I wanna share with you all the most famous quote by Damdin Sukhbaatar - the `hero of revolution` - the man that declared the Mongolian indipendence from China in 1921:
`If we, the whole people, unite in our common effort and will, there will be nothing in the world that we cannot achieve, that we will not have learnt or failed to do.`

Gobi Desert, Mongolia

After spending 7 days in the heart of Gobi desert and more than 10 living like a nomad, I feel fine to be back to civilization. Gobi desert lies in the Southern part of Mongolia and it`s the fifth largest desert in the world, an outdoor heaven for me. In one week, we crossed just a small bunch of villages, few gers and nothing else. Wild nature only: exactly what I wanted to see, what I wanted to experience once more. It`s difficult to explain in few words the feelings felt in a such place as the range of emotions can be really wide: you can easily shift from asking yourself what the hell are you doing there, to enjoy the amazing taste of freedom in that epic emptiness; from swearing to the awful morning cold or rains to feeling happy just because of the beauty of the landscape is passing in front of your eyes... Or maybe, you can just sit to enjoy the unbelievable silence which covers almost everything there (except for my tinnitus, of course!)

I definitely had great times there, sometimes was tough, but I must admit it has been a great experience to live.
Here is some of the highlights from Gobi desert, something I won`t ever forget:
1) the white clouds painting the deep blue sky;
2) watching wild horses running free in the steppe: Gobi desert is the only place in the world where you can see the last few hundreds wild horses left;
3) watching how to slaughter a goat before tasting it on a traditional Mongolian barbecue;
4) watching the sunset from the top of the highest sand dune in Gobi, one of the most beautiful things I`ve ever seen ;D
5) sharing sniff tobacco with a real nomad;
6) enjoying vodka party with friends in traditional nomad tents (with no heater, running water, toilet or any similar comfort);
7) big empty spaces in all the directions, something difficult to imagine.

I want also to spend some words about the people that shared with me this adventure: they mainly made this experience so enjoyable. Traveling in desert with boring people can be deadly boring, but for god`s sake this wasn`t the case. It has been one week of fun, will be nice to remember all the jokes and parties we had in that rugged environment.
Last day in Ulan Bator, our way splits.
But the memory remains.

The Big Nothing

I`m back few hours ago in Ulan Bator after a tour in central Mongolia. Beautiful nature and... nothing else! In Europe, when somebody talks about a place where there is nothing, usually means a couple of roads without shops or villages with small population; here, the meaning of the word nothing it`s on a well different scale: here is The Nothing. I mean, in four days drive we crossed just four villages, few cars and some brave motorcyclists. Just steppe, nature and many many horses, cows, lambs, goats. Nothing else. This made me think about the different perception people has about the meaning of the word nothing: as Europeans, we are always used to think that we need more and more, otherwise we have nothing, we are nothing. Here people lives in tents, without hot water, without running water, without toilets... So, what`s the `real` meaning of `nothing`?
Tomorrow I leave for a 7 days tour in Gobi desert. Will be challenging but funny as the people I`m traveling together is very cool. Longer posts next week!

Few days, no blog

Tomorrow I leave with three persons met here in Ulan Bator to a 4 days tour in central Mongolia. We`ll travel off road by jeep, overnight in traditional gers, eat with nomads families and so on. For this reason I won`t obviously have internet connection to update this blog, but my trusty readers should stay tuned: more news soon to come...

Terelj National Park, Mongolia

I`m just back from a daily trip to Terelj National Park, about 100 km far from Ulan Bator, which was pretty cool. The weather was unbelievably warm and the sky painted deep blue. I visited a buddhist monastery settled on mountains, a giant rock shaped like a turtle and then I had my first one-hour horse riding experience: those horses were extremely lazy and relaxed, even slower than dogs... well, exactly what I needed for my riding skills.

Ulan Bator, Mongolia

No, I don`t like Ulan Bator. Let`s try just for one moment to forget what happened to me yesterday: ok, the city has a couple of beautiful buddhist temples, one big square and many gers which make the landscape really exotic; on the contrary, garbage is everywhere - as much as some areas look like open-air dumping grounds; crossing the streets is a hard job as drivers don`t even think to slow down when pedestrians are on their way and, last but not least, crime rate is so high that everybody recommend the tourists to go back their rooms before midnight. No, this is not the Mongolia I was looking for.

First day in Mongolia

The first day in Russia I was almost robbed, the first day in Mongolia I`ve been almost pickpocketed. They attempted to pickpocket me twice near the main square in Ulan Bator, but these motherfuckers don`t know ain`t easy to trick an Italian. I was getting into a shop near Sukhbatar square - which is the central square and the only nice one in Ulan Bator - when I heard something like a little tug to my strap. I immediately understood that someone tried to open my backpack, so I`ve checked it and it was half open... I closed it as soon as possible and I`ve got out with the eyes wide open. Few seconds later, one guy passed in front of me and, with a very quick shift, opened the small bag I wear at waist height. I just saw the bag open, I checked if everything was right inside, then I looked him into the eyes and I instinctively exclaimed `What the fuck?!?!?!` He came to me very aggressive simulating a fist to shut me up. He did, I moved into the closer shop while he moved away. I don`t wanna mess with those sick loosers. By the way, two failed attempts for them: Italy 2 - Mongolia 0. Fuck off.

Ulan Ude, Buryatia

I`m in Ulan Ude, the main city of Buryatia, an autonomous region in Siberia where West seems definitely disappered to East. Here is where Gengis Khan was born and nowadays people in Ulan Ude looks definitely like Mongolians more than Russians. The city as well, even if Soviet-style, has a truly different taste from those ones I`ve been used to see since last weeks of travel. The city has two main sights to visit: the biggest Lenin`s head in the world and, just few kilometres far from the city, a Buddhist temple which was the main centre of Russian Buddhism and the only one survived to Stalinist repression. I`ve seen both and they`re really interesting, but mainly the temple which was for me the first one I`ve ever visited.
Anyway, tomorrow I leave Russia. During these weeks of travel I`ve learnt how to enjoy this country and its people, and even if sometimes I thought some things were crazy to me, I guess Russia is one of the most democratic place ever seen. I`m sure I will miss it: I will miss the majesty of his nature, his blue electric sky, his people, his immoderate lifestyle, his language. Maybe, I will miss even those tomatoes and cucumbers sold almost everywhere. Good memories, but they`re past. The future now is the bus I`ll catch tomorrow morning: destination Ulaan Bator, Mongolia.

Olkhon Island, Siberia

Olkhon island is a wild island in the middle of Baikal lake, one of the main centre of Buryatian shamans. The main village is Kuzhire, and I enjoyed every single minute of the 2 days spent there. What has really impressed me is the spoil beauty of that nature, always divided between steppe and forest. Everything`s there had a true Siberian taste, from the woodden houses to the grey and cloudy weather, from the nature to the face of the people. I`ve reached the island with a very thrilling ride on a small rusty minivan driven by a crazy driver which was pushing to full speed on a wet, gravel and extremely bumpy road. It takes usually 6 hours drive to get to the island, he covered it in just 4. Anyway I`m still alive, thanks God. The island was perfect for outdoor activities so I had long walks and a full day by bike to reach the other side of the island through the Tashkine valley, in company of some European people met there. Was pretty sad to leave such a beautiful place and such nice people, but new adventures are waiting for me now! Let`s go then!

Lake Baikal, Siberia

The people you meet traveling make your travel more than the places themselves. It`s the case of what I experienced in Listyvianka, a small village on the shores of Baikal lake. After one day spent there I took a ferry to Bolshy Koti, onboard I`ve met a Russian family with friends and they started offering me almost everything they were eating. In Bolshy Koti they also brought me to see the best spots of the village, including a beautiful view from the top of the hill, a `real` Russian bath and then a great dinner with delicious dishes and loads of vodka, of course. they have been all unbelievably kind: I was more than surprised, I was astonished. Maybe even more when, as I had to get the ferry at 6pm, they all came together with me at the pier to say me goodbye while leaving. Exactly like long time friends do.
Well, I had to reach Siberia, but finally I`ve found a different, better, way to manage social relations than what I`m used to see in my beloved Italy.

Irkutsk, Siberia

I arrived yesterday evening in Irkutsk, the city which was considered the Paris of Siberia. Honestly I think Paris it`s a bit better, but even Irkutsk ain`t bad! It`s full of traditional Siberian wooden houses and is a very lively city. Today, as it`s the first of September, was the first day of school and to toast it, all the city was in party, with shows, music and... huge loads of vodka! The photo above shows how this city impressed me, maybe is the city where I should spend the rest of my life... eheheh