Day3: Gunning for the Gun Galut Nature Reserve
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Mike and Bone rose early, had a good breakfast and met Sinhee and Bataar to finall 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 centre, itself 10 metres (33 ft) 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!
Chiggis 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 Sinhee led the Boys down to take off 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 Rockin the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, not really much to it other than a picture opportunity and a chance to get out of the Car!
A Stunning Scenery!!
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 Car!
A Record Rainy Season!
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A Stunning Scenery!
Grabbing Grub in the Gun Galut Ger Camp!
