Going Gobi: A Day in the Desert

Adapted from ‘Around the World: 6 Countries in 6 Months‘

Words & Pictures by Shaun Troke

My final glimpses of the Gobi Desert were from a train, as I left Mongolia heading for China.

Prior to this, I’d spent a day in this desert during a stopover in Ulan Bator.

It was October, 2011.

Up until this point, my only desire – or, life-goal, for a more modern choice of wording – was to ride a camel in the desert.

I knew nothing about Mongolia, I knew nothing about the Gobi Desert…I just knew that I wanted to ride a camel. Period.

The problem was that I didn’t know HOW I was going to do this…

Ulan Bator (or Ulaanbaatar)

Disembarking from the 3-day train journey from Russia to Mongolia at nearly midnight, I was picked-up from the station by the owner of the Steppe Mongolian Guesthouse, who drove me to their premises.

Three days of living in a 4-bunk cabin on a moving train leaves your body & mind feeling like it’s still in motion, meaning that by now I was wanting some space & solitude…

And so, I’d booked a single room in this Guesthouse.

I’d mentioned to the owner that I was keen to purchase one their Tour Packages, but would need to sleep on it, due to the tiredness the Trans-Siberian/Trans-Mongolian railway journey’s had caused…

However, I do recall emphasising the request about the camel-riding life-goal. Though, the owner mentioned that camel-riding can be a tricky around that time of year (something to do with the herds relocating to a warmer part of the desert).

Dammit.

And so, the next morning, a Tour Package was decided that would HOPEFULLY fulfil my wish!

The Tour was very simple: A non-English speaking tour guide would drive us (myself & 2 Danish girls) to different parts of the desert in his own car…

 

And, before reaching the desert, we were introduced to two spectacular sights: Firstly, the Zaisan Memorial, offering elevated views over Ulan Bator, if you’re willing to climb the 612 steps; And secondly, the gigantic Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue, a soaring 40-metres high!

Both are better seen with your own eyes.

                    

Openness

Driving further & further into the desert, our own eyes were treated to so much expansive space.

Openness.

Emptiness that would stretch on for miles & miles…

It’s an incredible sight (of nothingness!) to see.

Groups of Ger huts scatter the desert, and you realise that people actually do – and have to – live like this!

And, this only made me want to stay here longer!

To spend a few nights in the desert!

I knew at this point that I’d made an error in my travel plans: I’d not researched Mongolia enough.

And, perhaps if I had, I’d have stayed here longer…

I now wanted for nothing more than to spend a few nights in a Ger hut…

In the middle of nowhere.

The Gobi Desert had given me a new life-goal.

And, it also fulfilled an old one: I got that ride on a camel.

Aside from the testicle-bashes against the humps, it was still an experience worth waiting for.

As the day came to a close, the 2 Danish girls were to stay the night in a Ger in the desert, much to my jealousy….

And, I had a train to catch the following morning.

So, the Tour Guide & myself jumped back into his car, to begin the journey back to Ulan Bator, with one final pit-stop…

His house.

I’ll be honest & say that I feel the Tour Guide had ‘matchmaking’ in mind at this point, as he made a strong effort to introduce me to his daughter, while making blatant attempts for her & I to engage in conversation…

Or, perhaps he was just being ever so kind…

Either way, I was able to enjoy cooked Mongolian cuisine in a Mongolian home in the desert.

Departing

I had – and still have – such fondness for Ulan Bator & Mongolia.

Arriving from cold Russia into this warmer & friendlier city & country was hugely welcomed, and is a destination I’d gladly return to.

That said, my trip to Ulan Bator didn’t end on such a high note…

Keeping it short (ish), I was ripped-off by a taxi-driver on the way back to the train station.

The Guesthouse owner had organised the taxi for the early hours of the morning.

They’d informed me how much it’d cost, since there was a flat fare for this type of run (the taxi company had confirmed this)…

Upon arriving at the train station, the taxi driver demanded THREE TIMES the amount I’d been quoted!

After attempts to argue with him about this, and, with my train departing soon, I just paid the extortionate amount he’d requested.

But, for me, this wouldn’t be the end of it…

Days later, I emailed the Guesthouse owner, informing her of this taxi incident, because I didn’t want the same to happen to another traveller, as this kind of behaviour can have a serious affect on your budget (which it did!)

The Guesthouse owner replied, stating that the taxi-driver was new to the job, and that he’d now been suspended (because of what he did to me).

And that, his punishment would be whatever I decided it should be: Whether he should or shouldn’t be fired!

With his fate in my hands, and, as much as I disagree with swindling people, Christmas was also around the corner…

Unsure if the taxi-driver had a large family to support, my request was this:

That his only punishment should be that the money he stole be given to a charity chosen by the Guesthouse owner.

Which means by around Christmas time 2011, the taxi-driver still had his job, AND, a charity somewhere in Mongolia benefited from one of my bad travel experiences, ultimately giving my trip to Mongolia a happy ending after all!

Coming Next: The next adaptation from ‘Around The World: 6 Countries in 6 Months‘ …

Xi’an: Little City in Big China