Questions and Answers with a Monk: Kharkhorin, Mongolia

A great day to interview a monk at the Buddhist Tibetan Monastery Erdene Zhu in Kharkhorin dating back to 1585.

This monastery was built on top of the ruins of Genghis Khan's capital and now the it's the oldest surviving monastery in Mongolia today.   These monks practice the Tibetan Buddhism of the Dalai Lama, yellow hat sect.

Unfortunately the monastery was destroyed by a communist leader in the 1930’s when there was a purge that resulted in the disappearance of hundreds of monasteries in Mongolia and the death of more than 10,000 lamas.

Today only three temples remain intact.

The head monk gave us insight into the day to day living of the monks and monastery. Interesting how they have monks as young as six years old that live there and they can choose to join at that young age.

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Horses everywhere

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Our Ger

Near our camp. I found a rocker

Inside our Ger

a visitor to our camp

A vulture on our drive

Our terrific guide

Where Horses Run Free: Khustai National Park, Mongolia

Through city traffic then breathtaking vast landscapes, our convoy of five 4x4s heads off to Khustai National Park to see where wild horses run free. The Takhi, or Przewalski's horses, nearly disappeared from this area but were later reintroduced through a captive breeding program with the help of Europeans. The horses are brown with natural blond highlights, stocky, and healthy-looking. They run free.

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Later, we make it to our first ger camp. What a unique experience! These round, felt-covered, tent-like structures can be torn down and set up within an hour. This is the typical house of the nomads, who reassemble their gers several times in the summer before moving to a more permanent one in the winter. They are true nomads.

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The drive took us through beautiful countryside, much of it untouched except for the thousands of animals: horses, goats, and sheep. There are very few trees, dirt roads, and distant hills dotted with shadows from puffy white clouds. I love it here.

sites along the way

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Our tour group is terrific. Fun, interesting, and all well-traveled. Naturally, there is much to talk about as we all get to know each other, layer by layer.

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our route

Chanting Monks, Soviet Monument, Dinosaurs, and Coffee. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Today we started our tour with National Geographic G Adventures.

First up was the Gandan Monastery where we were treated to hypnotic chanting by the monks in the vibrant-colored temple. Later, we explored the Winter Palace of Bogd Khan, the former residence of Mongolia’s last king, showcasing its temples and royal items.

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Zaisan Memorial, a Soviet-era monument commemorating Russian soldiers who died in World War II.

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A late afternoon break at No Limits Cafe provided us with delicious coffee served by local youth with Down syndrome and their mothers.