The far west corner of Mongolia nestles between Russia and China with Kazakhstan not far away. Within an hour of landing we had been adopted by one of the local Kazakh population: Khanat. We were whisked into his family home and he merrily made all arrangements for our time in his province.
Khanat himself drove us the 7 hours to Tavn Bogd National Park for the start of our extraordinary adventures.
The park is home to the highest point in Mongolia, Mount Khuiten. With a gaggle of non-serious scientists, we hitched a cramped lift (12 in a jeep!) as far as the snow line and then hiked up to the glacier.
A little too reliant on GPS, it was after dark when the casual chemists and micro-biologists sauntered down from these inhospitable slopes (one of the last refuges of the snow leopard).
Our base camp was the home of the park ranger. His family ger was in the Kazakh style - large and brightly decorated with wall hangings and carpets made by his wife. We ate and rested as best we could in this crowded space before getting into the saddle once more.
A week of trekking took us into as beautiful and remote a landscape as we are ever likely to experience. Land of the Kazakh nomads.
We found their hospitality unquestioning if mixed with a distinct wariness of our peculiar ways. Our camera was always popular - another ger, another family photo-shoot!
The intensity of the interractions, coupled with our struggling guts, sent us into our own little tent for a couple of nights. We recuperated by the mirror-like 'Restoration Lake'.
Whilst picnicking by the lake, we were approached by a lone rider. This formidable figure turned the tables on us... Now, we were the hosts. Fortunately, he was happy to slurp cup after cup of our brand of 'chay': rosehip infusion. No worse, it seems, than salted milky tea with a lump of butter.
There was no let up in incredible encounters, even on the road back to town where our way was barred by a herd of inquisitive wild camels.
More curiosity was to follow, as we stopped off to meet kids at a rural school. In exchange for lunch and a jar of pickled gherkins, we were volunteered into giving an impromptu English lesson. "Heads, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes..."
And now, in Kazakh! "Bass, eeyuck, chzay, eye-ack, chzay, eye-ack...."
It may have been exhausting at times but our two weeks in Western Mongolia were truly unforgettable. We must say 'Rahmet!' to the many people we met, especially Khanat.
Each life-size clay individual has been crafted with distinct features and the overall effect is one of a real army marching directly from the past. Their ranks are made up of generals, soldiers, horses, standard-bearers and, our favourite, the archers.
In the gritty hutongs we tried to guess "Restaurant or Pet Shop?" as we perused, with disbelief, the frogs, goldfish, crickets, budgies and terrapins lined up for sale.
And at the top of the Grand Hyatt Hotel we sipped cocktails in the world's highest bar. Bling.
We walked through the mist from Jinshangling to Simatai, with endless steps giving our train-weary legs a good workout.
Earthier pleasures of Beijing were to be had haggling in the Silk Market, exploring the wonderful 'hutongs' (the tiny side streets of this high rise city) and bantering with the locals.
The Bogd Khan's Winter Palace and other hidden gems made it well worth braving the cold, the street rogues and the gaping holes in the pavement.
Hunting with golden eagles is a fading tradition. The Kazakhs use the eagles to capture large ground squirrels and foxes for food and pest control. The festival is revitalising this ancient skill and youngsters are now proudly taking up the art.
The hunters come down from the mountains to compete in this prestigious event.
The criteria was not always immediately obvious to us but the judging was taken very seriously. "Om! Om! Om!" - a regular chant from the crowd calling for top marks of 10 out of 10.
The category for 'presentation' seemed particularly political, though we felt this guy had a certain look...
The eagles are kept hooded until the moment of attack. Once un-masked, the stars of the show are allowed to shine.
The climax of the two days was not for the squeamish. Three eagles were given the honour of seizing a wolf. Not quite so dignified given that the pup was bound and muzzled. It may have been a demonstration of the eagles' power, but this felt like gratuitous blood-sport to us.
All in all, the combination of eagles, hunters and horses set in the dramatic Gobi Altai landscape was the most thrilling spectacle.
Khanat himself drove us the 7 hours to Tavn Bogd National Park for the start of our extraordinary adventures.
The park is home to the highest point in Mongolia, Mount Khuiten. With a gaggle of non-serious scientists, we hitched a cramped lift (12 in a jeep!) as far as the snow line and then hiked up to the glacier.
A little too reliant on GPS, it was after dark when the casual chemists and micro-biologists sauntered down from these inhospitable slopes (one of the last refuges of the snow leopard).
Our base camp was the home of the park ranger. His family ger was in the Kazakh style - large and brightly decorated with wall hangings and carpets made by his wife. We ate and rested as best we could in this crowded space before getting into the saddle once more.
A week of trekking took us into as beautiful and remote a landscape as we are ever likely to experience. Land of the Kazakh nomads.
We found their hospitality unquestioning if mixed with a distinct wariness of our peculiar ways. Our camera was always popular - another ger, another family photo-shoot!
The intensity of the interractions, coupled with our struggling guts, sent us into our own little tent for a couple of nights. We recuperated by the mirror-like 'Restoration Lake'.
Whilst picnicking by the lake, we were approached by a lone rider. This formidable figure turned the tables on us... Now, we were the hosts. Fortunately, he was happy to slurp cup after cup of our brand of 'chay': rosehip infusion. No worse, it seems, than salted milky tea with a lump of butter.
There was no let up in incredible encounters, even on the road back to town where our way was barred by a herd of inquisitive wild camels.
More curiosity was to follow, as we stopped off to meet kids at a rural school. In exchange for lunch and a jar of pickled gherkins, we were volunteered into giving an impromptu English lesson. "Heads, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes..."
And now, in Kazakh! "Bass, eeyuck, chzay, eye-ack, chzay, eye-ack...."
It may have been exhausting at times but our two weeks in Western Mongolia were truly unforgettable. We must say 'Rahmet!' to the many people we met, especially Khanat.