With visions of Chinggis Khan
and his mounted warriors galloping across the Steppe, we were headed to Mongolia. It would be a month long journey
of epic proportions with enough memories
to last a lifetime. Welcome to Mongolia! The country of endless blue skies. I just arrived in the capital city
of UlaanBaatar, and I am getting ready for a month of adventures
here in Mongolia. We were mesmerized by the spectacular
chaos of the capital. The architecture is impressive in its diversity, with temples scattered between old communist-era buildings,
ultra modern skyscrapers, and a seemingly endless amount
of karaoke hang-outs and dive bars. As winter approaches the cityscape sadly changes
for the worse. Ulaanbataar has now become the third most
polluted city in the world, mainly caused by coal pollution
from the many Ger districts. The locals burn coal to heat their homes
as temperatures plummet and the fumes settle in the valley
with nowhere to escape. The government is battling this grave issue
but at this point to no avail. UlaanBaatar has one of the largest outdoor markets
in all of asia. It's called "The Black Market"
but it sells all sorts of things not necessarily illegal things. Hopefully we can find some cool souvenirs
and it should be pretty exciting. Let's go check it out. The history of UB is quite remarkable
and certainly unique. In true nomadic fashion, the capital of Mongolia
originated as a large Ger camp and changed its location at least 25 times
before settling at its current location in 1778. Today UB is a sprawling metropolis,
home to around 1.4 million people. A staggering number representing roughly half
of the country’s entire population. This really puts the vastness
and the remoteness of Mongolia into perspective, being one of the least densely populated countries
in the world. Although we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in UB, it was now time to leave the modern comforts behind
and head to the wilderness. It only took us a couple of hours drive
to get to Hustai national park from UB, not long at all by Mongolian standards. Our base for this first adventure would be a Ger camp
not far from the park entrance. In 1993 the only remaining true wild horse, The Takhi,
was reintroduced to the area and has been protected since. Legend has it that the sand of Moltsog Els
has healing powers, great for aches and pains in your back and your kidness and general body
and healing awareness. So let's see if this sand can heal my aches and pains
for the adventures to come. After relaxing for a bit we would venture deeper
into the heart of the park in hopes of spotting the highly endangered
Takhi horse. The park covers an impressive 500 square kilometers
of stunning wild nature and in 2002 UNESCO certified the park as a member
of the world biosphere network of natural reserves. Scattered around the park are ancient burial grounds
with deer stones dating back thousands of years, a humbling reminder of a very different time. We were warmly welcomed by a local family of herders
and invited into their warm and comfortable Ger, a welcome break from the bumpy and dusty roads. Along with a few different dairy snacks,
we were generously offered a large glass of fermented mares milk, a popular beverage about the same alcohol content as a light beer. It is certainly an acquired taste, which was quickly washed down
with a shot of local vodka. It's not so strong. Nomads often stick somewhat close to each other
while always leaving enough room for their herds to graze effectively. Even in the remoteness of the steppe
it is still nice and safe having neighbors and family close by. We had arrived at the busiest of times. All members of the family were hard at work
as one of their daughters was about to get married. This meant having to milk their horses every 2 hours
from sunrise to sunset, ensuring that the local delicacies made from the horse milk
would be plentiful. Even with more than 200 guests arriving the upcoming weekend, they somehow still found time to show us their way of life. Our horses at home, if we whistle, they all come running. It's a little different. I just hiked the top of a ledge here in Hustai National Park, and I finally got my first glimpse
of the Takhi wild horses. This park is really famous for the wild horses, and it is one of only 3 places in the world where you can see these wild Takhi horses,
so it's pretty special. I wanted to photograph them for so long
so I feel very lucky to be here today. The next part of our adventure
would take us into the northernmost part of the country, right on the border of Russia
and the great siberian forest. The Tsaatan tribe have been living in this remote area
for thousands of years, and still to this day have managed
to keep their traditions alive. We were looking forward to the long drive
across the steppe, followed by several days on horseback. We just landed in Murun which is a little bit north
of UlaanBaatar, about an hour flight. And I am getting ready to go on
my Tsaatan adventure, which is about ten days roundtrip
to see the reindeer herders which are some of the last reindeer herders
in the world. So I am pretty excited to get started. It would be a strenous haul through some
of the most rugged terrain in Mongolia. We would spend a few days
living alongside the Tsaatan and get a better understanding of their life
and daily activities. I just woke up from my day two
to see the reindeer herders and we drove about 4 hours in the middle of nowhere
towards the reindeer herders, and then found a local family. And our guide just knocked on the Ger's door
and we slept in the Ger with the family last night. So it was really special. They offered us tea and bisquits
and we slept on the floor. pretty incredible. The hospitality in this country
is just unreal. And it is said that the nomads can travel for days
and if they see a Ger they can stop and stay, because the people that are inviting them into their home
might be in the same situation with no place to stay. So the hospitality is out of this world over here,
its pretty incredible. After ten excruciating hours
we finally reached the town of Rinchinlumbe, which is on the border of Siberia. It is the last outpost before you reach Russia. The road was excruciatingly painful, really bumpy, up and down mountains,
over valleys, through rivers, but it was absolutely stunning
and beautiful. I don't want to talk too much about the weather, because I hear the weather is particularly rainy
and nasty around here, but the weather today was absolutely stunning
and it was a beautiful drive. It's september here in Mongolia
so a lot of the trees are turning yellow, which is absolutely a surprise
and we are lucky to be here at this time. I am really excited to get into my Ger camp
and relax the rest of the night, because tomorrow we have a long day as well
riding horses for about 5-6 maybe more hours
to get to the Tsaatan. But this is my Ger camp for the night
so come check it out. Pretty nice, we got a fire
for when it gets really cold. And beds are all laid out. This is your traditional Ger camp
that is made for tourists. But it is the same sort of idea just
without all the personal stuff from a nomadic family. Well today was another really really
long exhausting day. But we finally made it to our camp, we are camping tonight. In this beautiful valley,
rivers around us, a few little houses and Yurts
but not much around. We rode for about 6 hours today, I'm pretty sure I will get a divorce
after this horse trip but we survived the first day. And tomorrow we ride another full day
and then we arrive at the Tsaatan the day after. It's really beautiful,
we crossed some rivers, just open plains, clouds in the sky,
the mountains in the distance. And again we had spectacular weather. So I am feeling pretty fortunate
...and pretty stinking sore. So tomorrow should be interesting. But survived the first day
and really happy to be at camp at the moment. So this is day 5 of our Tsaatan adventure. And this is the day we have been waiting for
because today we get to meet the Tsaatan tribe. They are on a border with Russia
and Mongolia in a no-go zone. So we need special permits
to get into this area, and notify the border police
and go through a lot of paperwork. All our paperwork is in order. We stayed in this beautiful valley
behind me last night and today is finally the day we get to meet the Tsaatan,
so it's pretty exciting. We are going to be staying there for two nights
in hopefully Teepees. I have never stayed in a Teepee before
so should be interesting, hopefully not too cold. The Tsaatan is one of the few tribes in the world, who rely completely on their Reindeer
for their daily survival. The reindeer are used as pack animals
and for transport. Their milk to create butter,
curd and other dairy products, their antlers for tools, such as knives
and their pelts for clothing. We finally arrived at the Tsaatan camp and we were invited in the chief's
and his wife's house. She made us some doughy things
that are quite delicious. And of course reindeer milk tee
which is always my favorite but it's ok. So they keep the babies around and this is probably a yearling
or something along those lines, so that the females come back at night
and therefore the males follow the females and they all stick around. So if they tie up the babies
everyone else will come. Very nice, very nice face. I am here sitting with the chief of all of the Tsaatan
in Northern Mongolia. And I have been warmly welcomed
into their house, his and his wife's house. And I am sitting down for a little interview to ask some questions to get little more educated
on the way they live and their lifestyle. So my first question would be
"how long have you been chief"? And how many Tsaatan are there
in this area? So you are a very busy man. What does your job as chief entail? And do you feel like the traditions
are thriving? or is he concerned about some of the cultures dying out
and changing as the years go on. One of my questions being
how tourism has affected the Tsaatan, both negative and positive. How has the community changed in the last ten years
since tourism has come about? Well I just want to thank you so much for having us here
and inviting us into your home. We feel so honored to be here
and see the way you live and it's such a beautiful culture
and I really feel touched to be here, so thank you very much. After meeting with the chief
and having productive talks with one of the original founders of
the Tsaatan Community and Visitors Center, it was decided to implement a visitors conservation fee which in time hopefully will help preserve their amazing culture. As tourists we have a huge responsibility. And must be extremely careful not to
exploit tribal communities like the Tsaatan. We must always show our utmost respect
for their ways. Within just a few hours after
leaving Ulaanbaatar, we had arrived in the heart of
the Bayan Olgii province. The capital of Olgii is the gateway
to the majestic Altai mountain range and the nearest access point
to experience the legendary golden eagle festival. We are heading to the Eagle Hunter Festival,
we are on our way this morning and I have been waiting for this for years and years
so I am thrilled to be going there. I am not really sure what to expect, I know there is definitely
a bunch of tourists in town. But it should be really cool. There is probably around 60 eagle hunters said to
be in this festival over a 2 day period this weekend. So it should be really fun. We are here a little bit early to kind of catch some
of the eagle hunters as they come to the festival. There is about six riding our way
and the landscape is absolutely fantastic. Lighting is great so hopefully we get a chance
to get some shots before too much of the crowds come in. The annual Eagle Festival is held
during the first weekend of october, just prior to the main hunting season. More and more competitors join in
the festivities each year and during our visit in 2016
almost 100 eagle hunters attended. Many of the hunters will travel far distances and even across borders to take part. The Kazaakh eagle hunters compete in various events, to show of their training and hunting skills
with their magnificent birds of prey. I just got to the Eagle Festival
and it's totally insane and perfect. There are vendors everywhere
selling all sorts of Kazaakh arts and crafts. We have got a fenced in area over here
where you can see the eagles in competition. And there is going to be horse racing, camel racing,
all sorts of fun stuff over a 2 day weekend. So it should be a ton of fun
and lots of photo ops. As visitors we were spoiled
by the variety of skill-based events. Such as the best eagle at hunting prey
and the best eagle at locating its owner. Along with spectator popular events
like best traditional dress, camel racing and of course the infamous
goatskin tug-o-war. A grueling tough sport which occasionally will end with a kiss to the ground
to the great joy of the audience, immediately followed by loud cheers. The Eagle Festival has certainly not gone unnoticed and has quickly become one of the major
tourist attractions for travellers wanting to experience
the wonders of Mongolia. The week around the festival
is bustling with activity and we were getting ready
to leave the crowds behind and explore the everyday life of the locals. We had arranged to go live with an eagle hunter and his family
for a few days before heading back to UB. Our host for the next few days would be Bashankan, a highly revered eagle hunter who lives with his family
on a farm deep in the Altai mountain range. It would turn out to be a stunning drive
through beautiful rough landscapes in the glistening mountain sun. Bashankan's oldests son had just returned from a successful hunting trip
in the area as we arrived at the compound. The young eagle he brought with him
had just finished training and this was its first actual kill,
a tasty rabbit. Clearly a very proud moment for a father
passing on his skills to the next generation. A practice which has taken place for thousands of years
will continue to live on. The eagle was rewarded with the juicy rabbit meat
as part of its training, teaching it the benefits of man and beast
working closely together. I am about to run with a fake sheep skin
and the eagle is gonna catch it while I run. Hopefully not fall on my butt. The relationship between hunters and eagles
is truly remarkable. The hunter will steal the eagle from the nest
at a very young age and train it until its ready to join the hunt. Then once the eagle reaches breeding age
it will be released back into the wild, so it can reproduce
and maintain the eagle population. This great respect for their animal companions
is astounding and something which should serve
as an inspiration across the world. During our stay we joined Bashankan in the mountains
scouting for prey. And although we did not have much luck
bringing home the prize, the experience will stay with us forever. A visit with the eagle hunters of Mongolia
is a journey back in time. And we are elated seeing the traditions
still thriving and feel confident that the culture
will hold its ground against the attractions
and the lure of the modern world. What an epic way to end our Mongolian adventures. It's finally snowing, I'm so excited,
I wanted snow this entire trip. We've got a sunset in the back
which is absolutely breathtaking. The mountains have all the snow on them,
the sun is coming out, the clouds are parting
and its really spectacular. This trip has been absolutely amazing, from visiting the Tsaatan in the north, to urban UB, to finally up here with the eagle hunters
and the eagle festival. Thanks so much for joining us on this episode, and hope to see you next time adventure calls!
