“The best identify inwards Mongolia is Khovsgol Lake.” The middle-aged local human pointed at a vast blueish acre on a map of his the world in addition to nodded assuringly. He drew an imaginary business from the working capital missive of the alphabet of Ulaanbaatar, where nosotros were currently standing, at i time through the town of Moron in addition to into the Northern purpose of the country, nigh the edge of Siberia. “That is where yous must go.” That was all the convincing nosotros needed.
Known equally the Blue Pearl of Mongolia, Khuvsgol Lake holds an astounding 1% of the entire planet’s fresh water. In the wintertime this enormous torso of liquid completely freezes over, allowing vehicles to job it equally a thoroughfare. But inwards the summertime it shines nether a brilliant Mongolian sky, surrounded past times forested peaks in addition to blooming wildflowers. Even without the local man’s insistence, at that spot was no agency nosotros were going to miss this highlight.
Our eight-day tour of the Gobi Desert had come upwardly to an destination in addition to nosotros were cook to motion onto greener (literally) pastures. The annual Naadam Festival was fast approaching in addition to Lesh in addition to I had decided that nosotros wanted to avoid the busyness of the working capital missive of the alphabet for the celebrations. One of my quondam friends from my kickoff twelvemonth inwards Canada was planning on joining us for a few days (which would surprisingly plough into v weeks of chaotic adventures), in addition to nosotros were non bad to pick out lead maintain of upwardly on quondam times.
We met Dan in addition to his girl Christine inwards Ulaanbaatar in addition to jumped on board an overnight motorbus to Moron, next the man’s invisible line.
Anyways, shameless plugs aside, later on a typical Mongolian carry debacle involving piece of cake passengers, 2 tire blowouts in addition to a random 3 lx minutes nap intermission inwards the middle of the night, nosotros arrived inwards Moron, tired but excited.
The side past times side few days revolved or hence wrestling, archery, Equus caballus racing in addition to drinking lots of beers. The Naadam Festival is Mongolia’s biggest number in addition to celebrating it inwards i of the smaller aimags is definitely something worth considering if yous are inwards the the world during mid-July. Unfortunately for us nosotros establish the whole festival to survive a piffling chip lackluster in addition to underwhelming. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of standing or hence waiting for something to happen, a lot of vodka-filled Mongolian men staring us downwardly everywhere nosotros went, in addition to a hell of a lot of dust roofing everyone in addition to everything. Still, but our watch in addition to don’t allow that deter yous from checking it out for yourself.
With the festival coming to an sudden unopen nosotros at nowadays had our sights laid for that large blueish acre due north of Moron. For Lesh in addition to I, Khovsgol Lake would lead maintain to wait. We took a seven-day detour to visit the Tsaatan reindeer herders inwards the isolated taiga betwixt the lake in addition to Siberia. That inwards itself is an exclusively dissimilar gamble that volition survive told inwards due course. (Spoiler alarm – One of our best go experiences EVER!) But i time the memorable journeying had come upwardly to an destination nosotros met upwardly with Dan in addition to Christine inwards Khovsgol Lake’s southern-most town, Khatgal.
We checked into our ain individual ger at Khovsgol Inn correct on the shore of the lake in addition to spent the side past times side few days drinking to a greater extent than beers in addition to wine, relaxing inwards the immaculate sunny conditions in addition to catching upwardly on quondam times. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 luxury ger with lake views, wood burn downwardly stove, costless wifi, build clean shared bathrooms in addition to all the relaxing yous could grip toll us a budget-friendly 15’000MNT per someone – well-nigh $7.50 each. Khovsgol Inn gets a lot of thumbs upwardly from both NOMADasaurus in addition to Dear Mum.
Khatgal is a friendly in addition to tranquil hamlet whose location hints at glorious wonders behind the surrounding mount peaks in addition to across the waters of Khovsgol Lake. While nosotros could lead maintain easily spent a calendar month inwards blissful content sipping imported vino inwards Khatgal, nosotros all knew that to a greater extent than unspoilt beauty was only a few hours farther north. It was fourth dimension to pack our camping ground gear in addition to come across what else nosotros could find.
The most mutual agency for travellers to explore the banks of Khovsgol Lake is either past times Equus caballus or on foot. Having had plenty Equus caballus riding for a while, in addition to deciding nosotros wanted to a greater extent than relaxing rather than trekking, nosotros opted for the lazy-man’s agency of carry – a taxi. Olgi, the possessor of Khovsgol Inn, organised a Russian van to accept us equally far equally the state of war machine checkpoint on the Western side of Khovsgol Lake for 90’000MNT. We knew this was a slight overcharge, but having been on the route for hence long nosotros are good past times the betoken of caring over a few dollars. And what nosotros lead maintain since discovered well-nigh Mongolia is that if yous desire anything to become according to plan, yous lead maintain to pay extra for it.
Stocked upwardly on food, beer, to a greater extent than vino in addition to a bunch of chocolate, nosotros left on a gorgeous morning time in addition to bounced along a oil dirt rails for 2 hours. On i side of the route pino forests crept upwardly the ravine-scarred hills in addition to on the other the lake glistened dazzlingly. Every few minutes nosotros would spot a sprawling acre of grass, exclaim, “Look at that sick camping ground spot!” in addition to hence bounce along further.
Once nosotros reached the ranger’s checkpoint the bored official gave a cursory glance at our passports, jotted our details downwardly on a slice of newspaper in addition to waved us off with a smile. We unloaded our backpacks in addition to supplies from the van, loaded them onto our bodies in addition to began hiking into the woods.
With all the abundance of nutrient in addition to alcohol nosotros had with us, nosotros hardly looked similar nosotros were well-seasoned adventurers off to explore the remote wilds of Mongolia. Indeed nether a blistering rut nosotros trudged along exasperated, cursing ourselves for bringing hence much extra crap. Our excogitation was to hike for a few hours until nosotros establish the ultimate secluded camping ground spot in addition to hence brand base. We were already dreading the upcoming ramble.
As luck would lead maintain it nosotros had walked barely xx minutes when a acre of heavenly pasture emerged from beyond the pino trees. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 champaign of blossoming lavander in addition to golden wildflowers speckled the shores equally far equally the oculus could see. Khovsgol Lake lapped at a stony beach; turquoise in addition to transparent equally anything the Caribbean Area could muster together. Mountains rose skyward to the west. Drop the bags, pitch the tents, crevice a beer – nosotros had establish paradise!
The kickoff afternoon passed past times with physically demanding activities, such equally laying inwards the wildflowers reading books, skipping rocks on the lake (quite mayhap my all-time favourite affair to do), edifice a kickass campfire in addition to getting stuck into our vino in addition to beer. Day turned into night, the Sun exchanged places with the radiant Galaxy in addition to nosotros passed out inwards our tents, delighted in addition to filled with booze.
In the morning time nosotros rose from our beds, slightly weary in addition to heads cloudy, in addition to made plans for the day. Dan in addition to Christine were going to chill or hence the campsite spell Lesh in addition to I ventured into the mountains to come across what the watch was similar from upwardly high.
Walking dorsum to the ranger’s station nosotros followed a dirt route upwardly to towards a rise peak. The ascension was mellow, in addition to with every few hundred metres nosotros were rewarded with fleeting views of the lake at nowadays far below us, in addition to to a greater extent than obligatory wildflowers waving gently inwards the alpine breeze.
Nearing the summit the distant mount ranges that hid the Dukha reindeer herders loomed into view. We wandered or hence the peak in addition to discovered a plethora of shamanistic shrines. On this clear 24-hour interval nosotros could come across all the agency to the northern extremity of Khovsgol Lake, where Mongolia ended in addition to Siberia began.
Feeling satisfied with the day’s mission, nosotros skipped dorsum downwardly the mount in addition to to our camp. Dan in addition to Christine were waiting with a roaring campfire in addition to to a greater extent than mutual frigidity beer. Despite the lake having all the same been frozen over only vi weeks prior, I took the icy plunge to launder the day’s elbow grease from my skin. Evening came inwards similar fashion equally the previous one, with to a greater extent than views of the Galaxy in addition to some other few litres of beer consumed.
Our tertiary 24-hour interval at the lake wasn’t quite equally spectacular equally the kickoff two. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 tempest front end had drifted inwards in addition to torrential pelting was bucketing downwardly equally nosotros woke. We peeked out from our tent to assess the grim outlook. Today was a 24-hour interval for shelter in addition to carte du jour games. Unfortunately neither of our tents were large plenty to identify a communal game, hence nosotros isolated ourselves from the other political party with but the occasional telephone weep upwardly of, “Fucking Mongolia!” to intermission the audio of pelting rain.
The pelting never stopped, in addition to nosotros managed to attain the exciting accomplishments of reading a whole book, completing no less than 75 games of gin in addition to drifting inwards in addition to out of consciousness with intermittent naps.
When morning time came the pelting was all the same falling in addition to our beautiful campsite had turned into to a greater extent than or less a swamp. Our pre-organised taxi was due to alternative us upwardly at 2pm, in addition to nosotros were facing the boring chore of having to pack upwardly our tents inwards a storm. Luckily nosotros must lead maintain had some adept karma stored upwardly somewhere in addition to the clouds broke away past times 11. We hung out our saturated gear inwards the at nowadays shining Sun in addition to did a piffling trip the low-cal fantastic toe of gratitude for the shamans above.
With the conditions dorsum on our side nosotros didn’t actually desire the fun of camping ground inwards Khovsgol Lake to come upwardly to an end. The wildflowers beckoned us to remain in addition to the H2O returned to its hues of pale blueish beauty. But alas with no to a greater extent than beer or vino to potable in addition to our chocolate supplies running dangerously low, it was fourth dimension to motion on. In our minds nosotros had already decided to forego our horse-buying adventure in addition to caput out to Western Mongolia. Now nosotros had a whole lot of days of dubiety ahead on how nosotros would brand that happen.
Our bags were packed, significantly lighter luckily, in addition to nosotros hiked dorsum out from the swamp towards the ranger’s station. Those days camping ground inwards Khovsgol Lake were some of the most serene in addition to picturesque of all our fourth dimension inwards Mongolia. We left with photos that don’t create the identify judge in addition to memories that saturate the highlights over time. And spell it wasn’t equally adventurous equally our reindeer herder hollo for or total of historic sights similar the Gobi Desert, it was every chip equally awesome.
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