Monday, November 24, 2014

CHINGGIS KHAAN'S BIRTHDAY CELEBS - CHINGGIS FESTIVAL 2014 AT TSONJIN BOLDOG, MONGOLIA

Mongolia was in party mode yesterday as it celebrated 
Chinggis Khaan's birthday. 



The date changes each year depending on the lunar calendar. This year, his big day fell on the 24th. His birthday also marks the first day of winter. Boots on!

People headed to Chinggis Square (formerly known as Sukhbaatar Square) for the flag-raising ceremony, to honor the Man of the Millennium. After that, convoys of cars rushed to Tsonjin boldog, where his enormous statue is, for the Chinggis Festival, under the auspices of Genco Tours. 

The festival was graced by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ts. Oyungerel. 

Left: Enkhbayar Sanjaasuren, CEO, Tugs Nud (Exquisite Eye) Entertainment, capturing everything
on video and photographs.
Right: Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism Ts. Oyungerel wearing a beautiful light green-blue-red scarf              admiring the artwork. 

Left: Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ts. Oyungerel autographing my friend's book on Chinggis's life
Right: O. Erdenetsogt smiling as the Minister signs his book 

The festivities opened with a concert from one of my favorite bands, the Khusugtan Ethnic Band. 




Scientists showed a PowerPoint on their search for Chinggis Khaan's tomb, something that has been going on for years. It was one very interesting presentation, with maps, photographs and artefacts. In my opinion, Chinggis Khaan's tomb should be left alone. I don't wish it to be found. Imagine the desecration.












Chinggis Khaan's presence completed the celebrations on the occasion of his 852nd birthday anniversary. His wife Borte was there too.



At lunch time, I joined my friends for a meal and guess who was seated in front of me? 
Chinggis Khaan!

He was taking selfies with his iPhone. Oh well...it's the 21st Century. 
Chinggis Khaan is allowed some form of fun. 


HAPPY 852nd BIRTHDAY 
TO THE GREAT CHINGGIS KHAAN!!!!!

Photography by: Greca Durant


Sunday, November 23, 2014

Paragliding Mongolia

Paragliding Mongolia

"Good evening, Greca, do you still want to fly with us?" 

came the message at 19:15, 20 Nov

"Hello Bold, I just want to watch and take photos..." 
I replied at 19:48, 20 Nov

"We will fly this weekend...Saturday and Sunday, 

we will be there around 10am."

After rounding up my adventure partners Boss Bayraa - Enkhbayar Sanjaasuren, CEO of Tugs Nud (Exquisite Eye) Entertainment and Erdenetsogt O., production assistant, we navigated our way through Saturday traffic and in less than an hour, we found ourselves in Yarmag.

Artsat Road presented a challenge. Erdenetsogt's car twisted, hovered, bumped, rolled and kicked on the track road leading to the mountain, just like a hip-hop dancer. In the distance, colorful fabrics swayed, fluttered, folded, crumpled, or grazed the cheeks of the mountain.

We emptied the car and headed to where some men were huddled. The fresh, clean, nippy air immediately energized our bodies.

"Hi, are you Bold?"
"Yes, nice to meet you, Greca. Welcome. Are you going to fly with us? You can do tandem."
"Hmm...first, I'll watch."
Students go through 30 hours of classroom work and 60 hours of on-site training 

For a basic paragliding course, students pay MNT350,000.00 (+-USD186.00) - for a two-month course

Bold offers a basic paragliding course at his school in Namyanju, at the Bayankhairkhan Trade Bldg - a stone's throw away from my apartment! Is this a sign or what?

Students attend 30 hours of classroom work. They are then transported to Yarmag, to a field behind a hospital. There, students can hone their new skills as paragliding pilots.






Left: Bold P., CEO, Oyu World Tours & Arts LLC

Third and Second from Right: Enkhbayar Sanjaasuren, CEO, Tugs Nud (Exquisite Eye)
Entertainment and Erdenetsogt O., Production Assistant. 

While we were there, a carload of paragliding enthusiasts arrived.
They excitedly jumped out of their car. 

"They're here for tandem flying," Bold said. A tandem fly will cost you MNT50,000.00 
(+-USD26.54). This amount includes transport from UB city center to Yarmag. 

So, if you are brave at heart, here's your chance to fly like a golden eagle. 

Pick up the telephone, whip up your Android or iPhone, electronic mail him or go find him. 

"People find us."

Contact: Bold P, +976-8801-2123
Oyu World Tours & Arts LLC
Bayankhairkhan Trade Bldg
Namyanju Avenue
Bayanzurkh District
14th microdistrict
Ulaanbaatar 2040, Mongolia


And, did I tell you that you can also go Tuul river rafting with him? Woohoo! 
From May to September, before the river sleeps in winter. 

And, did I tell you that you can also go dog sledding with him? It's a blast! Winter fun!

HAVE GOOD FUN! 



*********************************************************************************


Photography by: Greca Durant

For professional/commercial business video/photography:
Enkhbayar Sanjaasuren, CEO, Tugs Nud (Exquisite Eye) Entertainment
+976-99055490
https://www.facebook.com/enkhbayar.sanjaasuren?fref=tl_fr_box

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Saturday, August 9, 2014

OFF SHE GOES: MARY LEE in the Mongol Derby 2014 (www.twistedlamb.com)

Desperately Seeking Mary Lee - Mongol Derby 2014 Race Day

"I'm here," comes the text message of Erdenetsogt. Exactly 4:45 in the morning of Wednesday, August 6, 2014, as promised. Dawn is just breaking.

I quickly descend by elevator to the ground floor, weighed down by our lunch bags and shoulder carry-on. No matter what, we are going to find Mary Lee to give her a send-off worthy of a Warrior Queen of the Mongolian Steppes.

By 5:00 a.m., we are by the Mongol Kino building. Enkhjargal, my colleague at the International School of Ulaanbaatar (ISU), and her brother Bayraa, CEO of Exquisite Eye Entertainment (Tugs Nud) pile into Erdenetsogt's car, camera/video equipment and camera stand in tow. Everybody in high spirits.

"So, how do we find Mary Lee?"
"Can we call her?"
"No, we can't, they're in a secret location and they're not allowed to tell the name. Anyway, even if she'll describe the place to us or know its name... And I didn't get her number, it's a US one, so she'll pay too if I call her."
"So, that's our challenge today. I have this picture in my mind..." This line produces much laughter.

Our guide: pictures in my head, what I saw on the web site of The Adventurists, organizers of Mongol Derby, of a ger camp with 12 gers, two rectangular tents, one white and one with patterns, a tall rock in the middle of the steppe, and a kind of relief map of a little village, the green start flag, the black and white finish line flag, and blinking blue spots (from the riders' tracking devices).

Two nights before, working on my iMac, I clicked on the green flag and it flashed Erdenesant, a name of a village. Google Earth showed rocky mountains and a steppe area. Flickr featured colored photographs of Erdenesant sum and its location along the highway to Kharkhorin. It also showed the village road marker, with its name and the Soyombo symbol. But there was no ger camp. There was no rock in the middle of the steppe. Just a roadside teeny-weeny village with its felt gers and wooden houses, little shops and rocky mountains as its backdrop.

I loaded all these information in my head and turned on my homing device.

It is just amusing to think, getting up at three in the morning, grilling some Korean sauce-marinated meat, boiling rice, and driving hundreds of kilometers away from Ulaanbaatar, searching for our friend Mary Lee, so we can give her good luck wishes and hugs on her big race day.

At 8:30 a.m., my friends and I come face to face with the rocky mountains I have been telling them about.


"Mary Lee is behind those mountains."
"Really?" Enkhjargal says. We all smile. What a crazy idea!
"Yes. I just know. She's behind them."

I look at the other side of the road where a verdant green mountain beckons at a distance.

"No. Those are not the mountains. I don't get any pull from it. Mary Lee is behind these rocky ones," pointing to the solid wall on our right.

Erdenetsogt and Bayraa leave the car and try the family in a ger by the road.

"Is there a ger camp somewhere here, with 12 white gers, one big orange one and a big white rectangular one?"
"No, there is no ger camp in this village. We have never seen a ger camp here."

They come back to the car.
"What's the name of the mountain?"
"I remember a Bat Khan Uul. The other didn't have a name."
"Bat Khan Uul?"
"Yes, Bat Khan Uul. There are two mountains and the race starts in between these two mountains."

The family tells them that Bat Khaan Uul is situated farther out of Erdenesant.

"Oh no, it's almost 9. The race starts at 9:30 a.m. We really need to cross this mountain."
"But how, we don't know where the road is."

But I am not ready to give up. As if on cue, a herder on motorcycle materializes and he drives right to where my two friends are standing. He stops his motorbike. I watch as their faces get animated.

Erdenetsogt and Bayraa run back to the car, breathless.

"The herder has seen the ger camp with the 12 gers and the orange one! It's been there for two days now."

We follow the herder as he drives slowly for a dozen or so meters. Our sense of excitement pervades the air, but it is controlled. We still need to see the ger camp, if it is the right one.

The helpful herder stops and he points to the track road that will lead us to the foot of the rocky mountain and over it.

We drive bumpily for 10 minutes or so, over grasslands, rocks and mountain. Ours is not a 4WD, but it's a trusty Hyundai.

As the car edges to the summit, we catch a glimpse of a ger camp tucked in a corner of the valley, with, in fact, 14 white gers, one big orange-looking tent and a big white rectangular tent. A giant upright rock stands alone in the middle of the steppe. The whole scene look just like in the The Adventurists web site.





We find Mary Lee.
























Mongol Derby 2014 official route - 29 horse stations, 1,000 kilometers (621 miles)
August 6-16, 2014 - Mongolia
The toughest, longest horse race in the world - Guinness World Record Holder.




AND MARY LEE IS TOP HORSE!








Web sites: Mary Lee - TwistedLamb, American fashion stylist and Mongol Derby 2014 top contender
                 Enkhbayar Sanjaasuren, CEO, Exquisite Eye - Tugs Nud Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
                 The Adventurists, organizers of Mongol Derby
                 The International School of Ulaanbaatar (ISU), Mongolia

Photography by: Greca Durant