INTO THE GOBI DESERT: AN EXPEDITION THROUGH A LAND OF CONTRASTS

I spent a few days in Ulaanbaatar before I was able to book a multi-day tour of the Gobi Desert. I waited for other travelers who were planning on making the same trip to arrive. After all, it was cheaper to go with a group rather than do a private one.

The guesthouse owner and tour operator briefed us about what to expect during the trip. It would be cold; we might not be able to take a bath at all because there were no bathrooms, and some campsites only had makeshift toilets. Later, I found out that some of these "toilets" were just holes in the ground with seats and no door and were a few meters away from the camp. Imagine walking out of a ger (yurt) in the middle of the night in below-zero temperatures just to relieve yourself.

We departed from Ulaanbaatar with snow and ice covering the city and the streets on the day of our trip. The temperature was below zero degrees Celsius. I brought clothes just enough for a week-long trip. I wore a pair of water-resistant and windproof pants, a bonnet, gloves, two layers of clothes, and a down jacket. But I was still freezing; my skin was dry, my lips chapped, and I was eager to board the van so I could finally get warm.

Our driver and his assistant received instructions from the tour operator. They packed food and some water. We later discovered that the van had a mini kitchen installed where our guide would cook while we explored the picturesque environs. The two men spoke little English, so we had to make do with hand gestures like pointing at a picture or an object and miming what we wanted to say mixed in with a few words. During our excursions, they would lead us to a viewing spot and point, tell us to keep going, mention where our camp was, and say the food was ready. I wanted to have a meaningful conversation with them, but the language barrier was too much to overcome.

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Van and Ger Life in Mongolia

We boarded the customized Soviet-era van. It was quite spacious, with the seats facing each other. It fit our group, which consisted of four Europeans and one Asian guy. It was only at that time that I became acquainted with the other passengers. I discovered that the boy and girl (university students) were from Germany, and the couple were from the Netherlands. I was eager to sleep in a ger and get a glimpse of the Mongolian steppes and landscapes. I had only seen and read about these nomadic people, and now I finally had the chance to experience a bit of how they lived, even just as a visitor. Ulaanbaatar receded in the background. The road merged with the sky as we drove towards the Mongolian steppes.

Our group drove for hours through barren landscapes, rolling hills, rock formations, and frozen bodies of water. We occasionally stopped for a short walk to viewpoints. We admired stones, valleys, icy rivers, and rock formations carved into the land, shaped by the howling winds and tectonic shifts over millions of years.

One particular destination called Bayanzag, translated as "Flaming Cliffs," was etched in my mind. Its red rock formations, jagged edges, and uneven surface made me feel like I was on another planet. The snow covering the area added to its mystique. Fossils of dinosaurs have been discovered here, adding to its ancientness. Our group climbed the hill and waited for the sunset. I stood at the edge of a cliff and looked around: nature as far as my eyes could see.

Mongolia is one of the least populated countries in terms of size. As the sun began to set, its rays would bathe the surroundings in light. True to its moniker, the Flaming Cliffs were ablaze with sunlight.

The Gobi Desert

One of the destinations in our itinerary was the Gobi Desert. As our crew drove toward the desert, we passed through more barren landscapes characterized by rocks, rough roads, and the mountains looming over everything. In the distance, an animal galloped. As it got closer, I realized it was a camel. I often thought of camels as plodding creatures, but this one was galloping with a few goitered gazelles appearing in the wild terrain. The Gobi was also a trade route along the Silk Road centuries ago. Caravans carrying all sorts of goods would pass through the desert on an expedition to Europe or other countries in the Middle East or Central Asia.

We arrived at our camp in the Gobi Desert late in the afternoon. It was cold, with a few spots covered in ice. The Gobi experiences extreme weather: scorching hot in the summer and freezing in the winter.

Our journey, which was right at the start of winter, entailed riding camels to the sand dunes. The short but bumpy ride reminded me of my first time riding these creatures across the Jaisalmer Desert in India.

When we alighted, the sky was overcast the landscape. We felt like children in the playground when we walked and ran up and down the sand dunes. I took my gloves off and scooped up a handful of sand. Its smoothness reminded me of some of the beaches in Coron, Palawan. I let it slowly trickle from my open palm. It got much colder than it already was while we waited for the sunset. When the time came, it wasn’t as spectacular as we expected. It was too cloudy. We only saw patches of red and orange scattered all over the sky. However, I was still satisfied. It’s not often one goes to the Gobi Desert. We made our way back to camp before it got dark.

I woke up in the middle of the night because it got too hot and stuffy in the ger. I put on an extra shirt but didn’t bother wearing my jacket, then went out to cool off. Just outside, I noticed clumps of snow around the campsite. To my surprise and delight, it was snowing in the desert. I had read that the Gobi is one of the few "cold deserts" in the world. Even if I knew this fact, my initial reaction was, "It’s snowing in the desert!"

I stood outside as the snow fell around me. The desert's vastness is just enough to make one contemplate. 

I thought about the numerous bus, train, van, and boat rides I had taken over the years. Was I at another crossroad en route to somewhere?

The snow in the desert was more stunning in the daylight compared to the black and white hues of the moonlight and stars. The sand dunes in the distance took on the fiery red of the sun, and the clumps of snow provided a striking contrast. Our guide packed the pans, water containers, bags, and cooking equipment and prepared to leave after breakfast. I stopped and took in the view one last time.

As we drove out of the desert, I looked out the window and saw the transformation of the landscape we drove past the previous day; I couldn’t help but wonder about an endless search for something I couldn’t pinpoint. As this thought receded to the back of my mind, the vast and barren steppes pulled me into its fascinating uncertainty.

How to Get to Mongolia

There are no direct flights to Ulaanbaatar from Manila. My travel to Mongolia was part of a longer trip around China.

Instead of taking the expensive Trans-Siberian rail, I took the train from Beijing to Hohhot, and then from Hohhot to Erlian. From Erlian, you can take a bus or hire a taxi to take you across the Mongolian border to Zamiin-Uud. From Zamiin-Uud, you can take the train to Ulaanbaatar. The Gobie Desert tour was booked with UB Guesthouse.

2024-09-16T08:06:06Z dg43tfdfdgfd