Day3: Gunning for the Gun Galut Nature Reserve 

 

Main Page > 2024 The Wrath of Khan! >

 

Mike and Bone rose early, had a good breakfast and met Sinhee and Bataar to finally hit the road and check out Mongolia. The first stop of the day was to visit a TON of steel! Stainless steel that is!

 

The steely image of the Khan!

Driving out of Ulaanbaator into the country was great to start to see the country, about an hour out they pulled up to a massive monument and museum.  Sinhee told Mike and Bone that the Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue, (a part of the Genghis Khan Statue Complex), is a 130 foot tall, stainless steel statue of Genghis Khan on horseback and the world's tallest equestrian statue. It is located about a mile from the Tuul River at Tsonjin Boldog, where, according to legend, he found a golden whip.

The statue is symbolically pointed east towards his birthplace. It is on top of the Genghis Khan Statue Complex, a visitor center, itself 33 feet tall, with 36 columns representing the 36 khans from Genghis to Ligdan Khan. It was designed by sculptor D. Erdenebileg and architect J. Enkhjargal and erected and opened in 2008 to honor the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Mongol Empire. It turns out that there is a Museum in the base of the Monument.

 

Mike and Bone with Temüjin !

The massive monument was designed by the sculptor D. Erdenebileg and architect J. Enkhjargal, and was erected and opened in 2008 to honor the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Mongol Empire. As Mike, Bone, and Sinhee walk up to the Stainless steel statue, they went into the in the base of the Monument.

 

Bronze Age Mongul & Xiongnu archaeological cultural artifacts!

The museum is focused on exhibitions relating to the Bronze Age and Xiongnu archaeological cultures in Mongolia, which show everyday utensils, belt buckles, knives, sacred animals, etc. and a second exhibition on the Great Khan period in the 13th and 14th centuries which has ancient tools, goldsmith subjects and some Nestorian crosses and rosaries. After checking out the few exhibits, they traversed into the Khan!

 

Chinggis Khan!?! (Really?!?)

Sinhee lead Mike and Bone up a very narrow walkway to the head of the horse through its chest and neck, where they had a panoramic view and came "face to face" with Temerjuan!

But really!?!

Since there is no known painting or description of Chinggis, it is an artist rendition of what is commonly thought of what he may have looked like, or more likely what any Mongol warrior would have looked like in the 13th century. After admiring the brightly glaring (literally and figuratively!), Mike and Bone turned their attention an awesome landscape!

 

First Glance of the Mongolian Steppe Landscape!

Checking out the scenery, the main statue area is surrounded by 200 ger (yurts), designed and arranged like the pattern of the horse brand marks that were used by the 13th century Mongol tribes. After a few more minutes check out the surreal surroundings, Sinhee led the Boys back to Baatar "battle-truck" to check out more of the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park!

First stop, visiting a turtle!?!

 

A Terrapin on the Steppe!

 Bataar next drove the three to check out the iconic "Turtle" rock in the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, not really much to it other than a picture opportunity and a chance to get out of the dang car! Next stop was a chance for Mike and Bone to get "spiritual!"

 

Stunning Scenery in their "Spiritual Journey"!!

A short drive from Turtle Rock is one of the most beautiful spots in Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, apart from its nature is Aryabal Temple. Hidden in the mountains full of granite formations, set among scenic valleys and hills with a winding river and groves of trees is a temple dedicated to Aryabal and was built here because of its “Natural Energy " on a very steep hill.

The shape of the temple is an elephants head and the set of 108 stairs leading up to the temple which is meant to symbolize an elephant’s elongated trunk.

 

A Record Rainy Season!

When Baator parked for the temple hike, the massive raining that had been going on in Mongolia for weeks  was apparent everywhere, with all the washouts and floods throughout the country, Mike and Bone however were not going to let their spirits be dampened, and started to press up the very long and steep hill!

 

The beginning of the Hike to Aryabal Meditation Temple!

The question on the way up was who was "Aryabal"? Aryabal is a Buddhist God who listens to all the prayers of humankind and releases humankind from suffering, which is ironic, because trekking up that hill causes suffering! They also learned that the number 108 is an auspicious number in Buddhism.  The Boys (viscerally!) read that there are108 steps leading up the mountain to the temple, and that they symbolize an elephant’s elongated trunk!

 

Mike, on the path to ,,,  Nirvana!?!

As they traipsed slowly up that steep hill the Boys read each of the 144 signs with Buddhist teachings, written in both English and Mongolian, that lined the sides of the path to the temple. All had pithy sayings on being a good person has its own rewards, which mostly could be boiled down to "be good or karma is a bitch!" The further they walked the steeper the walk became! Now they understood why people after the walk up would want to thank for their god and meditate! It was really to catch their breath!

 

Mike and Bone, approaching Nirvana (or at least top of the Hill)!

Mike, talking College Football at 5,000 Feet!

Near the top, Mike saw a guy with a maize Block M blue jacket and immediately thought "Michigan!!!", Well the guy was from the states, but it was a High School Team jacket, that had obviously ripped it off of that glorious home of the 2023 Natty Champs, Meeeechigan! It was a nice distraction since it was still  couple hundred more yards to the Monastery for Mike and Bone!

 

Inside the Aryabal Meditation Temple!

Walking in the Boys learned that the Aryabal Temple belongs to the Kalachakra sect of Buddhism, was originally built in 1810's by Mongolian and Tibetan artists and Buddhist monks from Manzushir monastery, who would come to this temple to meditate. The decoration at the temple houses the Boys found was amazing, especially where it depicts what is paradise and what is hell! 

They read that in 2000, Buddhist monks from the Lamiran temple in Ulaanbaatar initiated a project to restore this temple and completed the restoration work in 2004-2007. Lamiran temple monks sometimes come to this temple and cater religious service here and in many days of year it is open place for visitors and tourists, who like to come to pray and meditate.

Mike and Bone walked around for a few minutes and noticed a lot of people in reflection, so to not disturb them they started their trek back.

 

More amazing scenery on the hike down from the Monastery!

Heading down Mike and Bone did marvel on how beautiful the Gun Galut Park was, until ..........

 

Physical Graffiti!

Was it the Bloods !?! Was it the Crips?!? Nope!

The writing on the cliffs are Buddhist symbols from the local Buddhist priests, meant to protect the area from evil spirits!

Once Mike, Bone, and Sinhee were down the "holy hill" they linked up with Sinhee and Bataar, who drove the Boy to the next adventure: a climb to the top of Mt Baits to "dance with the wolves"!    

 

Heading up Mount Baits

Mt Baits is a very picturesque area of Gun Galut, its summit provides a great panorama of the whole National Park. Once there Mike hightailed it to the top while Sinhee made sure gimpy Bone could get all the way up! 

Totem Boys?!?

At the top of the mountain there was two cool monuments, one was a Buddhist Totem pole since the mountain was considered holy, because...........

 

Wolverines and Wolves!?!

Sinhee next showed the Boys statue of Sculptur Totemic grey wolf and explained why the mountain is "holy."  In Mongolian culture, the grey wolf is a key figure, representing not only the male ancestor behind the bloodline of Chinggis Khaan, but also the messenger of heaven, sent to punish those who disrespect the spirit masters of the land! Supposedly, near this spot, Chinggis Khan's mother Ho'elin, learned of her son's magnificent destiny!

 

A Stunning Scenery!

Mike and Bone wasn't sure about that story, but man, what a beautiful scene at the top of the mountain!! One of the things Mike and Bone noticed (during the whole trip) was just how undeveloped Mongolia was. Magnificent and unspoiled as far as the eye could see! After a few more minutes the three headed down, it was close to dinner time and the Boys were hungry! It was time to check in to the Ger Camp!

 

Grabbing Grub in the Gun Galut Ger Camp!

There was a local Ger Camp just 20 minutes from the Hike and as they rolled in a light rain started to fall. Most ger's are made of felt, and wed felt, made for a VERY stinky Ger!

While the accommodations were nice, the smell, not so much!

 

Mike and Bone's Ger (AKA Yurt)!