The Golden Eagle Festival and the Black Lung

Warning - Course language has been avoided somewhat so its not as funny anymore :(

The Eagle Festival, Bayan Ulgii trip was a while back now (28 September to 6 October 2010). I was dreading having to come up with a concise story to summarise what has been the best trip so far. Instead I made a video about the festival (see below), which you can start downloading while you read this:

The trip to Bayan Ulgii was the last proper holiday for 2010. It was also the last time I was healthy. Since then I have had 4 colds (one of which I have right now) and stomach "issues" (no details required). This has all led to less exercise and therefore weight gain. Even worse is this information I was sent from a friend courtesy of the World Bank blog:

"In Ulaanbaatar (UB), annual average particulate matter concentrations (PM10, i.e., particles that cause damage in the lungs when inhaled) have been recorded at as high as 279. To put this into perspective, the World Health Organization’s recommended PM10 level is 20. This means that UB’s PM10 levels are 14 times higher than the WHO’s recommendation."

Why is this? Many Mongolians still live in gers. Coal or whatever else they can find is used in the ger stoves to keep the ger warm all day and night long. There is also the waste and pollution created at the power stations - you may recall from an earlier post that heat is centrally turned on for all homes and buildings in Ulaanbaatar. Also, cars. Too many stupid cars. The only cars allowed should be formula 1 cars. Incidentally how much did the final F1 suck!! Vettel is one lucky prick.  

Back to the badness of the pollution. I wear a mask when I go outside and to minimise the strange looks and laughter I put a scarf over it. Though I am getting better at Mongolian language, I can't always tell if the packs of young Mongolians are actually laughing at me but I think its a safe assumption. As a result my anger levels are hitting all time highs since I arrived here. I think to myself as some loser looks at me perplexed as to why I don't want to breathe in toxic fumes, "Do you want a smack in the face you dumb truck!". Sometimes I mumble under my scarf, "Truck off you trucking shunt."

Partying hard isn't really helping with maintaining good health. While I have managed to avoid alcohol for the most part, parties like these end up either at a tacky night club or Karaoke, both of which are right across the road from where I live. A little too convenient to stay out until 3am. Ok its not that late but I am running on empty being sober all the time these days - geez I sound like a recovering alcoholic, which I am certainly not.

Halloween Party - Chilean miner among a few other costumes

[Photo by Prancis V Boom Boom]

On top of everything else, its now freezing, literally. Temperatures will occasionally reach -10 degrees C and drop as low as -20 degrees C at night. The cold is ok though. Its been an unusually warm Autumn. If it weren't for breathing in death and the dry air the winter would be a wondrous experience. Also, I have already had a tussle with the ice and it won.

Positives - work is great, I love my colleagues and I can officially declare them the best Mongolians ever, I am getting better at the Mongolian language and I am starting to converse with people on a very basic level, I discovered Mongolia's answer to the Choc Top except you can buy this baby straight from the convenience store two seconds from my home, I am getting better at avoiding blows from my kick boxing instructor, I finished my research paper and will now hopefully graduate (if I pass), and finally, I am still having fun!

Straight from Russia this icecream can be purchased from all good corner stores. It comes with no wrapping so its great for the environment. Confused? Well yeah there is no wrapping. I stick my hand into the freezer at the shop and take it out as you see it. It might be unhygienic but it tastes great!

Let me tell you about a time back in September/October when the air was clear and the weather was beautiful. It was in Bayan Ulgii, a far west province in Mongolia where the Kazak people live. Nine of my friends (oh yes, I have at least nine friends or more) plus our guide/friend, driver and cook all squished in a Russian van, a ger and basic housing. There is no running water at the homes in the country side or the town centre. When we made it to town we showered at a bath house for a small fee to give the baby wipes a rest.

Toilet talk was rife but that's how it is when everyone has to go out in the open all at once. Everyone stumbles out of the car searching for a rock or private place to go. Going to the toilet out in the open is actually preferable to a drop toilet except when its windy.

Aside from the actual festival, highlights included checking out the glaciers and Tavan Bogd mountain, near the borders of Russia, China and Kazakhstan all at once.

One of our host families preparing milk tea and food. Really welcoming people even though we could only communicate with them through our guide.

The guys didn't really have to crouch so much. Oh thee who have little faith.

These kids were freaked out by how funny we look. They cried and cried and cried and I just laughed and took pictures. They are so adorable!

Hogoh, our cook, was dishing out some sheep brain with an ax. There are some things in life I am ok with missing out on.

Apparently some very old carvings called hieroglyphs. It was lost on Warren and I who started pretending we were hosting a documentary "See here the man is hunting the wilder-beast...". So ignorant, so insensitive.

Another one of our hosts. His family was very lovely. We stayed in their Kazakh ger. Kazakh gers are larger and more colourfully decorated than Mongolian gers. This trip really was the best.

The finest Eagle Hunter of them all. After some time in the fresh air of the country side, we finally made it to the dusty pit of the Eagle Festival. It was brilliant! The Eagle Festival is not traditional but designed specifically to attract tourists. Its a fine idea though as these dudes get to go out and show their mad hunting skills.

Gold coast horse. Ok so these hunters compete for prize money I believe. They all get paid to be there anyway but there is also pride at stake. Some hunters are as young as 14 years old and some are very old and wrinkly (probably in their 60s). The fastest to call their Eagle (they each have their own) to fly down to them or catch (fake) prey wins.

Some Kazak girls in the crowd - they look very different from Mongolians and most of them are Muslim so they also have different cultural practices. They still drink Vodka and unfortunately I had to accept a few nasty shots from my hosts so I wouldn't look like a sissy.

Nice pony tail, hehehe get it? "Pony" tail. Gosh I'm funny.

Out in the town where we stayed for the Eagle Festival. They have this great Turkish restaurant there in case you get sick of eating fatty mutton. What! In case??? Sorry, I mean when you do get sick of fatty mutton. Apparently the sheep's tail is a delicacy. Its 100% fat. Our guide pointed out that our Mongolian driver wasn't eating the sandwiches for lunch - apparently its not a real meal. He joked that the driver still has the sheep's tail sitting in his stomach from the night before so he wasn't hungry. Funny story: An American friend of mine speaks fluent Mongolian and she asked for meat without fat at a market in Ulaanbaatar. The seller threw her a piece of fatty meat and said, "If you want to speak Mongolian you have to eat like a Mongolian". Fair enough.

Most of the hunting in the festival involves bait but for some weird reason at the end of the festival they have a live hunt display where they release a fox and wolf for the Golden Eagle to hunt. The animals are then killed. Apparently they don't like risking their Eagles so they maim and probably muzzle the fox and wolf before they get hunted. I didn't like that part of the festival much. This little baby wolfie lost out in the end. So sad because he was so cute and some morons were throwing rocks at it. I hate people sometimes.

This was awesome fun and dangerous. Two contestants play tug of war with animal fur on horseback. They were running into the crowd a lot. I freaked out a few times and accidentally grabbed onto a few strangers but not too much pride was lost.

Now for live footage. Prepare yourselves...I made this video all by myself. Are you proud of me mum?.

So if you liked the look of this, you should consider going next year. Its a great place with lovely people and the festival is so much fun. You can even hunt marmots while you are there. Some people eat them but its not advisable as many have rabies.

Bye for now.

Ok so this has nothing to do with the Eagle Festival. The picture was taken after a "Murder Mystery in Egypt" party a couple of weeks ago. When it was all over Warren decided to replace his Arabian guide outfit to wear Anna's wig. Does he remind you of someone? Unfortunately Warren will be leaving us soon to hold down a job and relationship with his fine woman. [Photo by Prancis V Boom Boom]

The days

Two unfortunate things have happened to me so far today.

1. My colleague told me I was getting fat - apparently this is a socially acceptable thing to say to people here. I like the brutal honesty.

2. My research supervisor told me my paper is good with a massive but

Ok so what does this mean? I need to eat less food? I need to eat less fatty mutton? I need to stop my addition to peanut butter? I should never have gone to uni?

PS: I saw snow in Ulaanbataar for the first time this year on Tuesday. It pretty and not even that cold.

Gone fishing at Henti (North East) on the Onon River and other places too.

On the face of it, this trip should have been really boring for me. I didn't really fish - I threw the line in about 7 times and caught nothing. I chose to go on this trip because I knew that the fishing places in Mongolia are some of the most beautiful places to visit. And as usual I was right - it was brilliant! I ate fresh fish other people caught, got caught up in some harrowing moments, studied Mongolian language, camped, relaxed, cooked, joked around, slept a lot and experienced some of the stranger or lets say novel things that happen on trips like this. This includes stopping by a stranger's home for some shelter during a storm and meeting up with a watchmen/fisherman who then let's us stay at a closed tourist ger for the night.

The family we imposed on after a snow storm plus 2nd driver/mechanic man on the far left and Pete on the far right.

The watchman (and his fish) we met when we stopped to fish. He let us stay here:

So nice and warm. Having almost froze to death in my tent the night before I was thankful for this place.  

Interesting tree trunk. When fully functioning, you can use showers and western style toilets here. There is also a restaurant room with a mezzanine level with an awesome bar and other lovely things but it was locked. A place worth staying at in the future me thinks.

Our guide had to pull a few favours to get us into some of the better fishing locations so we felt lucky to be there. He used to be an ex fighter pilot so he took calculated risks while driving and pulled them all off or at least got us out of the bad moments - fun times :) I would highly recommend him to anyone - seriously. 

This is the type of plane Erden used to fly.

The town on the way to the Onon river. I could live out here.

Erden fishing - isn't it a lovely place?

Sam was reeling em in. Nice singlet.

I was sitting on this very comfortable branch until Pete came to sit next to me and then it collapsed. 

Erden and his catch.

Cooking up fish on the side of the river. Its quite a high bank. To make getting down the down easier, Pete built some stairs by digging into the side of the bank - very resourceful. Some might argue it was an act of environmental degradation but I was grateful for them anyway.

When they catch the fish, they beat it over the head. At that point, I freak out because the fish looks stunned with its mouth wide open. The blood is not from this method of killing. Its from Pete cutting into it.

Nice one Sam. That's dinner! 

I am tapping on ice on the top of the water. It was quite thick.

Pete taught me how to army roll.

Erden catches a fine baby Taimen (a rare fish found in Mongolia). When he took the hook out, it spat out this:

dinner for the baby Taimen has been spoilt.

On my walk I found a little wild mouse hiding under an abandoned jacket. Sorry to disturb cutie pie.

A story about a very special day we had:

Camping on the onon river we caught fish and ate it along the river. Delicious food and hot tea in a beautiful and calm setting that is until...
***
Next morning at 4am which felt like 1am, I wake to the sound of wind. Really really really strong wind. Umm, it will pass. I'll just try to get back to sleep. What felt like hours, hmmm, its still really strong. Holy crap, I wake up with my tent on me! Tent is collapsing around me, hmmm, I'll just wait here until something happens, like being flung, tent and all into the river. Hang on, the wind is blowing in the other direction. Phew, I will just be flung out into the vast plains behind me. Its ok, don't be a pussy, just take a few pictures and you'll be fine.

***

I hear voices, Sam and Erden calling out. We are getting the fuck out of here. Apparently the storm is not going to pass. I bolt upright, throw everything into my back pack, I start to take down my tent when I realise its disintegrating into my hands so I just tear it down and stuff it into the car. We are out of there.

***

Its snowing like crazy and Erden is doing a masterful job driving through slippery snow with visibility limited to about a meter in front. Whoopsie daisy, the Russian van glides almost gracefully out of Erden's control and comes to a stop in time before rolling or crashing into trees or tumbling into a river. Nothing too major at this stage. "Driving very difficult", Erden says kinda half laughing nervously and half dead serious. I can imagine, I think to myself. Pete is saying something but I am too busy removing myself from the situation to simply become a spectator.

***

Hmmm. You aren't proposing to... ok here we go, across that deep looking river flowing deceptively slowly with that extremely steep looking bank on the other side. It chugs, it grunts and it stops at that extremely steep looking bank. Ok. What now? Is just me or is this van on an extreme angle. Oh no, its fine surely. What was that? Water. In the car and exhaust. No. Really? Shit.

***

I don't give a shit what happens next, I am not getting out of this van into that water. I will be sure to die of hypothermia so I might as well stay here. I decide to speak, "Um Pete, will we have to get out?". Pete says something but again I move into my out of body state. This is an interesting situation these people have got themselves into, I think to myself.

***

Erden and 2nd driver/mechanic man negotiate with the engine which is cleverly accessible from inside the van between the driver and the front passenger seat.*

***

"What do you reckon we get out the fishing rod and just drop a line outside the window, hehe. Do you reckon Erden would find it funny?" Pete says under his breath. We all have a little giggle but agree Erden probably wouldn't see the humour in it at this point. Ah Pete. There is always time for a joke.

***

I recall Erden and 2nd driver/mechanic man getting out of the car into the cold, side stepping the water to get onto the bank, assessing the situation, getting back into the car and trying to start it again. Water has definitely entered the exhaust. Try something else. It was at the point when 2nd driver/mechanic man said "Fuck" in Mongolian that our hearts sank and we lost hope for it meant one thing. Our resilient, calm and resourceful pair were out of options.

***

At one point I wished I had my camera but I realised that I had stuffed into my bag, which is in a pile of crap at the back of the car, possibly getting wet. I also realised that now would not be a good time to be taking pictures of Erden and 2nd driver mechanic man quietly losing their shit.

***

Then something ingenious happened. Erden pumped the ignition over and over and over edging the car forward ever so slightly up the bank enough to allow the car to be high enough to start and then yank in reverse and drive straight the fuck out of that river bank on safe ground. What a van! I remember cheering, some elation and a few laughs. Then I thought, hang on a sec. Erden. you aren't going to try cross it again, woah! Its ok, he's just turning the car around in slippery snow, a little too close to the edge of the river and going back the way we came.

THE END

*The design feature of having the engine inside the car, being quite clever for situations such as this one, also makes the car very hot in that particular area. Men seem to notice it the most. They tend to describe their ass and balls as sweaty (how'd you like that one - nice little visual). My bottle of hand sanitiser melted slightly after being wedged in front of it. "Can anyone smell burning detergent?" Sam asks. "You're imagining things you crazy bastard" Pete and I balk. As we unpack the car at the end of the journey, oh that's where my hand sanitiser went.

PS: My camera didn't get wet :) but other stuff did. Thankfully none of it was mine.

10th International Gobi Marathon

Crap. I'm going to die before I even get there. I walk towards the aircraft only slightly larger than Brindabella airlines (exactly, so small you have never even heard of it!) and smaller than a Qantas Dash 8 for those who have had the pleasure. I then realise I am busting for the toilet... if there is one. I prop myself on the seat and look ahead. Yes, spotted. A toilet there is! We take off and I am mighty impressed with how smooth it is. I head to the toilet and edge in sideways into the size of a broom cupboard. Oh hello, I say to myself in front of the mirror as I attempt to be seated. Hmmm, this is a little high. I edge back to the seat and squat only slightly - not much room for sitting in here. Ahhhh. Ok, now where to wash hands? No tap! That's disgusting. Oh wait, there are baby wipes in here. That'll do.

Moments later, landed in Dalanzadgad. Survival. 

Two hour drive later into the South Gobi aimag (province), I walk into a luxurious ger camp designed for tourists. Why luxurious? Running water, showers, seated and clean toilets, a restaurant, electricity and a bed inside a toasty warm ger versus normal ger - no shower, no toilet, one stove in the middle of the room, no refrigeration and flies. 

Having spent a great evening with friends and the other crazy participants from Australia, Germany, India, Canada, US and the list goes on, I reluctantly woke up at 6am to my running outfit, perfectly laid out from the night before.

Joachim, the marathon organiser in mutters in his barely audible German accent, "You will all be tranzported to ze ztart line in zee furgen". What the fuck is a furgen??? "Itz zee German name for zee Russian vanz" replies Joachim.

I regulate my breathing in the Russian van just the way Alkhaabaatar my kick boxing trainer showed me. It gives you the illusion that one is not tired. I am surprisingly calm for someone who only trained in the last week with two 8km jogs around UB. Having decided only two weeks before that I would not go, I was chuffed that I reverted from being a pussy to a normal person. 

We watched an adorable opening ceremony performed by some local children before seeing off the full marathon runners.

My 21km journey is about to begin. Ignoring the nervous jitters and negative taunts around me, I stretch and adjust my fucking annoying waist belt holding my camera, sunscreen, toilet paper (critical) and my glasses. With water bottle in hand I run. Some time later (I never actually got my time), survival.

Dork or douche?

Putting her body on the line for the opening ceremony

Entertainment and a camel

The track

The track

Ok, ok, I look like a freaking dork. Apparently, I am a dark horse. "Who is that over the horizon, Ju Lin? Lap? Oh no its Tanya!", cries Warren in surprise. I finished just about in the middle of 21km runners. I ran about 70%, walked 20%, played photographer for 5%, toilet stop 3% and drank and ate for 2%.

Jodie and I with our winnings - T-shirt and medal.  Joachim zee German marathon organizer was handing out zee t-shirts. I said "Medium size please", he said in a very German accent "oh yez, you nid it". Gee thanks!

Friends jumping at the flaming cliffs - I can't jump so I take photos instead.

Our gang

On the drive back we visited a functioning monestary in the Gobi.

And did a little hike through the valley of death - well actually its called Mandelgovi. Its very cold so why on earth am I wearing shorts? Because it was fucking hot yesterday!!!! Ah Mongolia. Later that day I got laughed at by locals at the town centre for wearing shorts on a cold and rainy day.

My tour buddies - Dave in the middle is 81 and did the half Marathon. 

I am cacking myself. Why? We chose to drive back rather than risk death by plane. The ride was so bumpy that we were practically flying in our seats. The tall German gentleman, Rainer, above bumped his head and we all found it very amusing even though his wife Heike has stopped laughing at this point. On the side, Heike and Rainer were chasing Geocaches and informed us that there was one near where we were driving but we couldn't detour because of time constraints. They are these capsule things that people put stuff in and tourists go around looking for them. Its cool.

In a local restaurant with our guide and driver - milk, salt and tea called milk tea. Its nice even if you find a hair in the bottom of the cup - ah the amount of times that has happened to me on my travels here.