mongolia
In July 2024 I pointed the Niva east and drove it across Mongolia: ovoos with blue scarves, yaks in the ford, a flat tire in open steppe with an audience of nothing. There is a statue you can stand inside, in the mane of a stainless horse forty meters up. I considered flying home from a sensible airport. The Niva won the argument.
22 entries, newest first.
2024
The Caravan on the Apron
· A western airfield on the way home: one Cessna on the concrete, a tower with no hurry, and the pull of small aviation.
The Window Over Ulaanbaatar
· A city hotel after weeks of felt walls: night glass, distant lights, and a silhouette between curtain and dark.
Plan B, Considered
· An hour at the airport pricing the sensible way home, and the argument the Niva won without being present.
On the Mane
· Up through the horse to the viewing platform: standing in the statue's mane with the steppe running to the sky.
The Rider From the Steppe
· First sight of the Chinggis colossus: forty meters of stainless steel rising off the grass, flags straight in the wind.
The Bed at the Far End
· A ger's warm interior, lamplight on felt and lattice, and one traveler asleep before the tea was cleared.
The White Lake
· Terkhiin Tsagaan at evening: water the volcano made, a shore with no schedule, and the trip's stillest hour.
The Crater at Khorgo
· An extinct volcano's perfect bowl, larches on the rim, and standing at the edge of old fire country.
A Rainbow Over the Gers
· After the afternoon squall: a full arc over the village, the Niva steaming by the fence, and unearned perfection.
Khorkhog, With Fingers
· Festival mutton cooked with hot stones, eaten the only correct way, grease to the wrist and no regrets.
Leading the Racehorse
· Naadam day: five-year-old jockeys, a horse that tolerates me, and leading a racer to the line by its rope.
Spinning the Wheel
· A brass cylinder full of prayers, one push of the palm, and outsourcing devotion to good machinery.
A Hundred and Eight Stupas
· The wall of Erdene Zuu: whitewashed stupas against the grass sea, counted twice, magnificent both times.
Behind the Monks
· Kharkhorin at last: young monks crossing the yard of Erdene Zuu, and arriving in history's boot prints.
Gold on Paper
· The day's yield on a creased sheet: a pinch of flakes, two hands steadying it, and the price of everything visible at once.
The Ninja Miners
· Artisanal gold at the sluice: the informal economy in rubber boots, watched politely from the rim.
The Jack and the Grass
· First flat of the trip: the Niva on the jack in open steppe, a wrench, an audience of nothing, and honest work.
Yaks at the Crossing
· A ford shared with the shaggiest traffic in the valley, and the correct etiquette of not hurrying anyone.
Milk for the Road
· The libation lesson: a wooden spoon, an arc of milk to the morning, and a blessing performed badly but sincerely.
Blue Scarves at the Pass
· A second ovoo in sunshine, a khadag over the palm, and learning the courtesy of high places.
Camels on the New Asphalt
· The oldest caravan meets the youngest road: Bactrians on fresh tarmac, and right of way settled instantly.
The First Ovoo
· Across the last border in rain: a cairn with rags of blue, three stones added, and the Niva pointed east.