B.A: I do understand one thing; in Mongolia, almost nothing is at it first seems to outsiders.
M.H: Tea finished, it is time for something stronger. The fermented horse milk - airag - of Dundgobi is the most potent of all Mongolia’s provinces. It has something to do with the grass, or tundra, that the horses graze, which filters down into presumably 100% proof teats.
B.A: On arrival and learning that the temperature was minus 18 degrees, overheard a fellow traveller say “thank God. Looks like Mongolia’s enjoying a warm spell”.
M.H: (about bus travel) At all costs, avoid seats positioned above the back wheels where one’s knees and ears can end up in a lengthy embrace.
B.A: A man, walking by spat, laboriously on the pavement, and the spit froze into a mini slab as it spread on the pavement.
These quirky quotes are either (B.A) from writer-traveller Benedict Allen's "Edge of Blue Heaven" or (M.H) from our supporter Matt's article
M.H: All packed, our bags were lashed onto what seemed a preposterously loaded motorbike, but Mr Munh-Od seemed unconcerned with the additional weight and reached down to swing his daughter in front of him on the saddle. Mrs Munh-Od was to be our guide for our journey on foot to the lunch-time ger, leading the way as her husband motored over the hills on his precarious steed and we hoped not very far away.
B.A: (spoken by Mr Gansukh when Ministry of External Relations): “fires all over nation have spoiled the grazeland, and a very snowful winter there was. - - - if freeze there is, the snow will be made solid, the cows and sheeps cannot eat the grasses, and it means terrible losses”
(Little did any one realise when Benedict wrote this in 1998 that it was to become a terrible prophecy. It began with the winter of 1999/2000 when the worst snow storms for decades brought extreme and bitter winds, deep frozen snow, and minus 50c temperatures. Succeeding winters although less severe, did not let up until 2004. This period saw the wiping out of around a third of the country's herd animals - between 10 and 12 million died in all, plunging thousands of herder families into crisis with many losing whole herds and their livelihoods.)
M.H: Occasionally, small herds of wild horses would appear over a ridge at tremendous speed, check their pace at the sight of us, and then continue across our path, whinnying to each other over the plains.
B.A: It was minus 26 and dropping fast. We stopped for a quick cup of tea and I watched the tea bag freeze into a block as it was lifted from the steaming hot water.
B.A: A Dutch consultant: “they have a veneer of Russia, and how deep it runs we in the west are waiting to see. Certainly, each and every Mongol has Genghis Khan in the back of their minds and they are waiting for another Genghis to lead them back to greatness again”
(To read Matt's full article from which his above quotes were taken, please go to this link)
