Mongolian Memoir

Golden Temple, Ulaanbatar

Dinner with friends, Hotel Mongolia

One can always start the travel itinerary doing the usual stuff: unpack, soak in a warm bath for one hour to ease the jet lag, check out the shops, get dolled up, visit some famous landmarks and have quiet dinner with friends. For some free spirits like myself though, any trip is not complete without sneaking out to some rustic and uncharted destinations (usually unplanned and without the whinny or sheltered friends or family members).

Modern Mongolia Country Home: Quite colorful amidst the arid surroundings

Rural Mongolia

I believe I am a backpacker at heart (but with better fashion sense :p) . Never really felt contented travelling through the usual tourist routes, except if I'm travelling with my mother who hates adventure. I love to see the country for what it is (not through glammed up post cards or posh travel buses). Rural Mongolia is truly a delight in its simplicity and quiet charm.

Mongolian Girl, Hovgol Nuur

This girl's family is also taking a field trip at the famous lake when we got there and she was so adorable in her underpants and pink hat not to take her picture...

Hovsgol Nuur, Asia's second largest freshwater lake

When we arrived at the place, my friends got busy taking pictures but I just had to take off my shoes and walk through the cool, clear lakebed...bakit? Instant foot spa, what else?

Marshland, Outskirts of Ulaanbatar

Mongolia is a hard but an exciting place to live: dry weather, beautiful mountain ranges and water basins far and between.

Commercial signage in Ulaanbatar were mostly in Russian

"It was a delight to see someone who looks so Chinese but behaves totally like a Russian especially when drunk."

Colossal mural at the Liberation Monument, Ulaanbatar

The artistry of this colossal mural, which depicts the 'white knights' of the Mongols, is so awe inspiring in its vivid detail and mastery of the chiaroscoro. The monument is also a proud reminder of the long-standing relationship between Mongolia and Russia, which the locals consider to be their "white knights", in defending the territory against Japan during World War II and geopolitical tensions with China that dates back as far as the reign of Genghis Khan.

Tourists on top of the Liberation Monument

The climb at the 1,500 step of the Liberation Monument definitely could strain your tendons but the spectacular view of the Ulaanbatar provides an idyllic respite for any weary traveller. "It's definitely worth it!"

Mongolian Hills, Ulaanbatar

I have never seen the sky so blue and the smell of the morning breeze so crisp from any other airport except in Ulaanbatar, Mongolia.