Mongolia
Mongolia Trip Planning
Comprehensive Information for Mongolia trip planning. Do it yourself travel.
Mongolia Pictures for Your Travel Itinerary – Desert, Steppe, UB
My Trip Report. One month in the country summarized.
What to Know for Traveling in Mongolia.
Topical Posts
Mongolian Toilets – Cities, Steppe, Gobi Desert
Mongolian Horse Riding & Milking
Diary Entries in Chronological Order
Getting to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia |
| Pre-flight jitters |
| Seoul Incheon Airport Fun: Heading to Mongolia |
| Learning About Sushi en Route to Mongolia |
Arriving in Mongolia |
| Breathing – My Arrival in Mongolia |
| My Cozy Bed – Arriving at the Apartment – Mongolia |
| My Embarrassing Toilet Situation – Mongolian Adventures – nighttime travails. |
Day 1 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia |
| German in Mongolia – I Never Expected This |
| German Food at Home – Mongolia |
| My First Day in Ulaanbaatar + Mongolian Dumplings – The Ulaanbaatar Beatles monument! |
| Jacket Shopping in Ulaanbaatar – I fail. 100% |
| The Transfer: Babysitter 1 to Babysitter 2 – Mongolia |
| The Talent Show & Gladys the Dog – Day 1, Event #1 – For disabled Mongolia youth and adults. Traditional dancing, clothing, and more. |
| A Sketch Artist Draws Me – Mongolia. More traditional clothing |
| Theater In Mongolia – Day 1, Event #2 – A Christian event. |
| Walking Home – Ulaanbaatar Supermarket |
Day 2 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia |
| Car Trouble After Breakfast – Day Two in Mongolia |
| Visiting the Ulaanbaatar Black Market Bazaar – Mongolia (I visit again at the very end of my trip) |
Day 3 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia |
| Children’s Day in Mongolia – A Mongolian holiday |
| Instagram Meetup, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – Instameets are so fun! Get off the phone, already. (We have a 2nd Instameet at the end of my trip) |
Day 4 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia |
| Fortunes & Family – Mongolian culture |
| Horse Meat for Gobi Desert – Shopping at the big market with stalls for meat, veg, and more |
| Yikes! The Pickpocket Hits – Mongolian crime |
Gobi Desert |
| The Road to Gobi Desert – Getting into the Mongolian Desert |
| Camels in the Distance. Super Thrilled! – Mongolian camels are so cool! |
| Supper Time! – Camping in Mongolia |
| Mongolian Camel Day! – I love today |
| Desolate Earth – Mongolia |
| At My First Ever Ger Camp Stay – Mongolia’s small ger camps are family-run, the food is good, and toilets are… |
| Mountain Goat Day! – Mongolian mountain goat. We spot a few! |
All Blog Posts with Pictures for Browsing – Not Chronological Order
A Sketch Artist Draws Me – Mongolia
As my eyes adjust to the murky room and my ears receive deafening roar, I realize we have entered a disco. The Disco Ochma and her friend rush backstage to prepare for their performance. There are small children everywhere! As in any good disco, the music is so loud...
The Talent Show & Gladys the Dog – Mongolia
Little boys and girls dressed in traditional clothing perform Mongolian dances. I didn't realize how diverse Mongolian clothing is. There are plenty of patterns, hats, and textiles! There are also performances by teens and adults. One of those included dancers both in...
The Transfer: Babysitter 1 to Babysitter 2 – Mongolia
At the agreed upon time of 2:30 pm on this hot afternoon, Dasha and I meet up with the woman I ‘met’ on Instagram last month, Ochma (pronounced Oh-ch-mah). The three of us chat in the posh little café on the ground floor of the Department Store over cups of blueberry...
Jacket Shopping: My Failed Venture in Mongolia
You might assume that since it's hot here, and practically June (May 31), no one needs a jacket. However, everyone here reminds me seemingly every five seconds that Mongolian weather is unpredictable and it could snow again this afternoon. If there are weather...
My First Day in Ulaanbaatar + Mongolian Dumplings
11am, Day 1 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia It's my very first day in Mongolia, and Dasha (Dolgormaa’s brother) picks me up for a trip into UB’s city center, which is great! I’ve been awake since 4 a.m. and am bored waiting around the apartment. I’d rather be out exploring....
German Food at Home – Mongolia
It’s mid-morning, and I have time on my hands. I’ve been awake since 4am, typical of the terrible jetlag I get when traveling. It occurs to me that I was in Berlin just 9 months ago and could show Dolgormaa's dad photos, since he was there many years ago. I pull up my...
German in Mongolia – I Never Expected This
Today I learned that Dolgormaa's dad studied journalism in Berlin many years ago, and is an author specializing in the history of Genghis Khan. Somehow I end up speaking German in Mongolia. So unexpected! Speaking German in Mongolia Dolgormaa's dad and I communicate...
My Embarrassing Toilet Situation – Mongolian Adventures
Dolgormaa's family is more super-coolness than you can imagine: hilariously funny, nice and uber-helpful. You have nothing to worry about while I’m under their care. But, if you really want a concerning issue, it would be my toilet situation. I have terrible skills! ...
My Cozy Bed – Arriving at the Apartment – Mongolia
Just after midnight, the three of us arrive at the family’s 3rd floor apartment somewhere in Ulaan Baatar. I'm not familiar with the city, and after a 30 minute drive through Mongolian dust and darkness, I really have no idea where in the world I am. I suppose that...
Breathing – My Arrival in Mongolia
My arrival in Mongolia is on time at Chinggis Khan airport in Mongolia's capital, Ulaan Baatar (UB). It's the middle of the night, and I only saw a few lights outside my window, so as expected, I'll have to wait until morning to see anything. I pass through...
Learning About Sushi en Route to Mongolia
We chat nonstop while painting our seascapes on woodblocks in the Culture Center in the Seoul-Incheon Airport departure terminal. My art buddy, Mrs. F, is a cool woman from Fukuoka, Japan is en route home to better sushi. I Learn that Sushi in New York City is...
Seoul Incheon Airport Fun: Heading to Mongolia
Holy cow! First of all, my layover to Mongolia is at the best ever airport-- Seoul Incheon airport fun times are the best! Have you been there? This is my first time, and I had been afraid that it would be another big, loud, and boring airport. Luckily, it's amazing!...
Pre-Mongolia Flight Jitters
This Wednesday I’m getting on a jet plane for my Mongolia flight. I am so excited for my month in Mongolia, exploring whatever crosses my path. I'll land in Ulaan Baatar (UB) in the middle of the night, assuming an on time arrival. This means I won't get to see...