Driving as Art

A maze of countryside roads

Travel by personal vehicle in Mongolia is not like any other place I've been. City driving and countryside driving are different for sure, but both require skill and confidence. Before moving I predicted that I'd miss driving (and the freedom it offers) the most. That has NOT proved to be true. While I'm sure I *could* learn to drive here, I have no interest in doing so (at least not yet). I'm happy to leave that stress to someone else--whether it be a bus driver, a taxi driver, or the Driver we've hired for a countryside adventure. 

In this post I want to focus on the Driver, or жолооч (pronounced Jolooch) in Mongolian, that one hires for getting around in the countryside. More often than not these guys (I'm sure there are gals--I just haven't hired one yet) are far more than drivers. They are problem solvers, mechanics, map makers/readers, and I'd argue--artists. Zorig refers to fly-fishing as a type of Art; in Mongolia, driving can be Art. 

The best vehicles for countryside travel are the Land Cruiser (what we traveled in last summer) and the Russian Van. The Land Cruiser offers more comfort; however, there is a feeling of being indestructible and that one can go ANYWHERE in a Russian van. I'm happy to travel in either. For this summer's countryside trip, Enji and I traveled in a Russian van with an experienced driver (10+ years) who knew all the places on my self-made itinerary. 

Last summer, crossing a river in a Land Cruiser, GAZ-44 ahead

We covered over 2,200 kilometers (1400 miles) in 8 days. I suspect about half of that was off-road, which here means unpaved roads. This is a network of endless miles of two track roads that spread across the countryside in clusters of spiderweb-like connections that can take you anywhere you want to go. Assuming you have the Driver, of course. While tourists and travelers can purchase maps, I've yet to see a driver have or use one. They carry maps in their heads. Not like the maps you and I know or learned how to use. Their maps are memories and images of landscapes, landmarks, and the relief of the terrain on the horizon. There are very few, if any, signs when one is off-road. Drivers travel the roads, know them in their minds, in their bones, in their blood. They feel the landscape and move through it--connecting what they know with their instinctual knowledge of the land. It's beauty in action. 

I spent a lot of time watching our driver do his Art on this last trip; and I also wondered what Drivers think about for so many hours--both while they drive and when they are stopped at locations while travelers tour and explore on foot. I don't have an answer to that question. But I did come to the conclusion that while driving, a lot of energy is used towards the actual work of driving. When leaving the paved road, a driver has to select the correct two track. Sometimes they start out on one, go a ways, then pause, scan the landscape, and then juke over to the next two track to the east or west. Sometimes they go over two or three two tracks. But eventually they hit the one that they *know* is right for the destination desired. These two track roads can be on wide open steppe, on desert dunes, on mountainsides, along and through rivers and creeks, or over land littered with boulder-sized lava rocks. Or any combination of those. Once the path is selected, there are any number of things to traverse. Unexpected dips and turns, ground squirrels, the intersection with other two tracks, herds of livestock, creek and river beds of varying depth and bottoms, rocks or trees to climb over. Then there is the weather--sun, rain, wind, fog. So very many variables--each location and moment in time offers a unique equation to be solved.

Big rivers require bridges (Orkhon)

I was impressed by our driver's comfort with every terrain and obstacle. We would crest a steppe top, he'd sometimes pause and take in the landscape, looking for landmarks that weren't discernible to me, then shift into gear and drive on. When we came down to a river crossing, the same thing would happen. He'd scan the terrain, taking in the path of the moving water and assessing all previously made two tracks and single tire track paths made by single vehicles. I'm sure he was evaluating any number of things that I don't think to consider, as I'm not a Driver. Then, he'd shift into gear and with full confidence drive us through the water. We never once faltered or hesitated--we just went across the river to the other side and were on our merry way. 

Drivers are also mechanics. They are monitoring the condition of their vehicle and all of it's systems. After traversing the lava rock fields on the way to the Orkhon Waterfall, our driver spent part of the evening under his vehicle--tightening screws and ensuring everything was in great condition for the next morning's ride out over those same tough rocks. They know when and where to stop for fuel and carry an extra filled gas can, just in case. 

If a driver is traveling a new landscape or feels off-course, then they use the Mongolian GPS--Ger Positioning System (thanks to my sister-in-law for teaching me this phrase). The driver rolls up to the next ger they see and confer with it's inhabitants. They converse while often pointing across the land to the horizon and everything is quickly sorted out. Sometimes a driver may stop a time or two along the way at other gers to ensure you are yet on track. Dad and I experienced this a lot the summer of 2014 as neither our driver nor Zorig had ever been to the Onon river previously. We got there just fine, as you know. 

I have nothing but respect and awe for these people we know as Drivers in Mongolia. I'm sure there are bad ones--but thankfully I've only traveled with good ones. Shoot--the driver we had last summer (for our fishing trip and then a camping trip) had taken third place in a Toyota Off Road Challenge competition here in Mongolia just weeks before. I confess that instilled great confidence in me as we drove over fallen trees that were easily 12-16 inches in diameter and through swampish, soft ground and fairly high flowing rivers.

Yes, I am in awe of what Drivers can and will do on this great Mongolian landscape. And the truth is.....to really get to experience and see this beautiful land--one HAS TO HIRE a Driver. Countryside adventures in Mongolia are not like anything else you've ever done. So get out there and see it, do it.....and let me know if you need a driver. I can recommend a couple. :)

Summer's Pace

The South African landscape

This first summer abroad has been an interesting mix of travel and relaxation. The last day of work for me was June 17. That night we hosted a barbecue at our summer house in Gunt. Many of my teaching friends attended, as well as people I've met through Mongol hiel (tongue) classes and my network of American Wives. Those first two weeks I was mostly in UB as I picked up a small editing gig and attended a friend's wedding. 

Then, on July 1st, Zorig and I headed off to South Africa for the grand safari with my father and cousin Greg. After all the stress and worry about whether Zorig would get his travel visa, it was MY visa that nearly kept us from boarding our first flight (OUT of Mongolia). I'm not sure what the issue was, as my Alien ID card was renewed and is good until July of 2017. Perhaps it was the name change, but either way, I paid $160 minutes before our flight departed to purchase a 90-day work visa. We are YET waiting for the results of the application for a spousal visa. We have submitted ALL they requested and were last told it was going before a committee for decision. So we wait. 

We went to the Apartheid Museum

South Africa was a good time. Zorig and I flew to Johannesburg and spent an overnight there before continuing to Port Elizabeth the following morning. Then a three hour drive north and east to our Mankazana Safaris camp outside the town of Adelaide. We spent 10 days with the following routine: Get up early and hunt a few hours, home for brunch and a siesta, then back out for a few more hours of hunting until darkness overtook the day. It was winter in South Africa, so the sun rose after 7 am and was down before 6 pm. Days were shorter, but always full. We'd all get back to the lodge around 6:30, shower, and enjoy a drink before dinner was served. The food was always good, but dinner especially so. We'd talk and share stories--the four of us, our two professional hunters and the landowner--over the meal and glasses of red wine. Usually around 9 pm and never past 10, we'd all retire to our rooms to get sleep before we repeated the routine. I loved the pace of the days. And each time we went out hunting.....within 15-30 minutes, someone spotted wildlife. The land was rich with it. The mornings and evenings were chilly, but the sun heated up the days and layers were always shed. 

Common Blesbuck, my first kill

We had four hunters and 10 days. A total of 14 animals were killed. Because of the aging process, we only tasted the blesbuck I shot on the first day (and Greg's nyala). We did try plenty of other game, but it was from the safari before ours. We enjoyed an impala pate, zebra steak, blesbuck fillets, and a number of dishes made from warthog (breakfast sausages, meatballs, lasagna). I'm truly a fan of pig--domestic, wild boar, warthog....whatever. It all tastes great to me!

Zorig and I arrived back to UB midday on July 16th. We spent the rest of that weekend recovering from the mild jet lag and unpacking and doing laundry. Oh yeah....AND dealing with a chest freezer that had somehow gotten unplugged at our departure. I'm sure I must have knocked it loose....but have no idea when. While there wasn't *much* in it, what was had defrosted and begun to rot in the heat. I nearly vomited when I opened it and the smell first hit me. So incredibly gross! We emptied it out and cleaned and sanitized it. Still working on getting the last remnants of smell out, though it is back on and functioning. Not a fun situation to return to. I'm sure I will forever now check the refrigerator and freezer before departing on all future adventures. 

On the deck in Gunt

The last three weeks I've spent mostly here in the city--catching up with friends, doing my FitnessBlender workouts, reading, writing, and preparing for the next adventure. I did spend a lovely weekend out in Gunt--just Zorig and I--fairly romantic, if you ask me, and our first time for it to really be just the two of us out there. Unfortunately it was at a time when the view was completely blocked out by smoke that had come down from all the wildfires across Russia/Siberia. My hike to the top of the mountain wasn't nearly as rewarding without the view at the end, but it was still nice to be outside of the city. I read a book. I listened to music. I watched a movie with Zorig. We had a nice barbecue on the deck. I colored and journaled. Yes, it was a very relaxing 48 hours. 

Tomorrow the last and final stage of my summer begins. Enji and I will head to Darkhan to spend a night with a friend and her family, and then on Sunday we depart on our own countryside adventure. We'll head to Khuvsgul for a couple nights, then come south and make a loop hitting the following sites: Khorgo--Tserkhiin Tsagaan Nuur NP, Tsetserleg, Tsenker Hot Springs, Orkhon Waterfall, Kharakhorum, and finally Khustai NP. Enji has been to Khuvsgul, but none of the other places. I've been to Kharakhorum and Khustai before (in 2014 with dad), but not the other places. I'm hoping we can hike and explore, take lots of great pictures, talk and enjoy time together. When we return, I'll have just less than a week before I report back to work for the new school year on August 22. I wish I could say I was ready.....but I'm not. Summer went by far too fast. As it usually does for us teacher folks.