Celebrations are well underway for Mongolia's most important festival of the year, Naadam.
This year marks the 805th Anniversary of the Great Mongol Empire and the 90th Anniversary of the People's Revolution.
As we lead up to the "big three"; horse racing, wrestling and archery, we will be treated to a prolific schedule of events including military parades, musical concerts, dancing, cultural events and many rounds of Shagai (sheep ankle bone shooting!)
Today it was the 999 Horse Head Fiddle (morin khuur)orchestra. The morin khuur usually accompanies traditional Mongolian performance arts and is considered a symbol of the Mongolian nation.
Quite a sight!
The musicians looked dazzling in their yellow and white costumes. And it was with much anticipation we waited, and waited and waited...for the event to start. VIPs and ministers were predictably (and overly) late and as time went on it seemed like there was little much to do except to try "hold your ground" in the expanding crowd and do a recount of the orchestra!
so regal...
Mongolians definitely know how to dress for special occasions in their striking head gear and costumes in brilliant shades of red, blue and violet. (It'd be nice to have that vantage spot (below) when taking photos).
And while we waited and waited... some got comfortable, whilst others slept ...
some made calls...
and others looked a little fed up!
Finally, about an hour after the scheduled time, Sukhbaatar Square rang out to the sound of 999 fiddles playing in unison. Bizarrely, it was accompanied by a hyperactive pop/techno backing track which kind of killed the majesty of the fiddle.
What made them think 999 horse fiddles wasn't enough??
Sukhbatar Square today
Sukhbatar Square 1957. The building has a new facade now
Note the pink Opera House on the left (featured in a previous blog)
Summertime in Mongolia is short but spectacular. There are endless expanses of grasslands, low mountain ranges, granite cliffs, fertile valleys, lakes and rivers to enjoy. It's also the home of 30 million goats, sheep, cows and camels, so there are a lot of encounters with livestock! It's not at all difficult to understand why during summer there is a mass exodus to the countryside in keeping with nomadic tradition. It's definitely a welcome relief from the city's congestion. Last weekend we also joined the ranks to soak up some fresh air and rural simplicity... these photos are a good representation of what a weekend spent in the countryside looks like.
Double click on the photos if you want to see them full screen
This is the "highway" out of town- narrow with tons of hazards like potholes, wandering animals and people who stop to relieve themselves! (not all that different from a city road!)
Our Ger camp exit
The following pictures were taken on our walk. Ole told us he knew friends living "over the next hill" who we should pay a surprise visit to, but in fact it turned out to be 2 challenging hills! The scenery made up for the unexpected "hike". We arrived to find nobody home. A neighbour said they had gone to the "countryside" for the weekend. Had to chuckle, I really thought that's where we were!!
Looks as though this could be a farm scene in any country
Getting higher....
and higher...
...and higher still! We came from the gers pictured on the right (in the valley). (the soccer pitch will be seen from another view further on in the blog again)
Ole...waiting for the stragglers
Judy and Col
The view is different again from another perspective.
On our travels, we found a group of people preparing traditional Mongolian Khorkhog which is basically mutton cooked with hot stones. Meat is layered with vegetables and hot rocks in a container which is then closed and put on the stove to simmer. Apparently they can tell when its ready by the aroma. I was happy to see all the men doing the preparations!
That's burning dung in the centre of the picture. The guy in the foreground is peeling carrots, onions and potatoes
The meat, veges and hot stones will be layered into the milk jug on the right.
Some of the meat...looks quite lean in comparison to what's usually on offer!
Passing cow parade at dusk each night...they seemed to know where they were headed.
...enjoying a pre dinner drink after a long walk
There were some heavy rain showers on Sunday afternoon. This is the soccer pitch that was in an earlier picture.
The Flora and Fauna....up close.
A herder who was making good business offering horse and camel rides.
They say dog owners really do look like their pets. Could it be the same for camel owners??
I didn't want to be unkind but I couldnt help comparing this man's face with his camels!
You often see calves with Coca Cola cans hanging off their noses (they are used as a weaning aid :( )
We had to pass this guy as we rounded the fence. Although he was timid, he was large and intimidating up close!
The hills were covered in a large variety of wild flowers.
It was quite suprising to see how similar the flora was to our own Australian natives.
It's not difficult to see why Mongolians retreat to the countryside every chance they get. I think we'll do the same!
Please feel free to post comment in comment section below, I love hearing from you! Thanks to everyone who does via email and Facebook, it's very encourageing to see so much interest in Mongolia. Susie
Disclaimer: Although he was also in the countryside, there are no pictures of Dad as he was attending a workshop in a 5 star Hotel!! about 10 km away.
The scene of the action. Wrestling Palace in the heart of UB.
More than a month ago when I got home from my first encounter with Mongolian Wrestling, I was definitely full of enthusiasm and eager to share the experience. At the time I was looking for a new blog entry and there I found an assemblage of half-naked fellows in long boots and briefs, flinging each other around the arena in between a prolonged embrace or two. My search was over!!
For more than 4 hours, I was truly captivated by the peculiar rituals and rules. I was fascinated by the assortment of stocky, somewhat flabby, macho men who pranced ethereally across their stage imitating the flight of an eagle. There was also a lot of thigh and butt slapping!! (by bodies that would be better appreciated clothed than naked).
I spent most of the time behind the camera lens but am disappointed that I was unable to capture the true essence of this major sporting event in the Mongolian calendar. Some things are better experienced in person!
The VIP box at just $7 a ticket was not a bad deal. The trick is, just walk in looking like you belong. You may need to give up your front row seat for a General or parliamentarian halfway through, but still a good deal. You will also have to be willing to be flashed on the national television broadcast from time to time, both OK with me! This picture was taken by a friend who spotted us from across the stadium with her super zoom lens (from the cheap seats!)
Inside the Ger shaped stadium
Most seats have a great vantage point
Sim, Colin and Daniel
The crowd is predominantly male. (Sim's company's banner in the background)
.
Costumes...
The Jodag is a tight fitting, collarless, blue or red sleeved top with ties wrapping around the front. According to legend, one competitor, having won the competition , ripped open their jodag to reveal breasts showing that they were a woman. From that time on a wrestlers chest has to be exposed.
Shuudag are tight fitting briefs to prevent the opponent from being able grab their opponent easily.
The Gutal are traditional leather boots with upturned toes.
A beginner's viewpoint....
A wrestling event can go for a very long time. There are no weight or size divisions. 512 wrestlers begin in round 1, then 256, 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2 and then finally the winner remains. After each win the defeated walks under the right armpit of the victor. The victor then yields his head to accept a winning cap from the "umpire". Once he has the cap on his head he floats? prances? flies? over to a plinth containing the Mongolian flag where he proceeds to show his respect to the wrestling totems by imitating the movements of an eagle or other totem. Before moving on they give both sides of their thighs a slap. ( I'm still yet to find out the purpose of this). In the final rounds, the winners grab handfuls of dough balls wrapped in green foil and throw them to the appreciative crowd. These are highly sought after. I did have the opportunity to try one. (Similar to a plain piece of doughy bread). It must have some other symbolic significance given the way the spectators fought to get some.
"Eagle dancing"
...more "eagles"
Curiously, there are no weight classes!!
Wrestlers can be in an embrace for quite a prolonged time
Sometimes a respite is required when there is an injury or clothing needs readjustment. The umpires in the red and blue deels, will be there to help wrestlers regain the advantage they had by repositioning wrestlers in the exact embrace they left off with. This can take quite a while as every finger and grip is as exactly as it was before the mini break. From the time and care taken, it's obvious that near enough is certainly not good enough!
