Under the weight of the spacesuit
One of the Parisian lectures organized by International Exhibition surrealism, almost turned into tragedies for Salvador Dali, who was invited to it. According to the artist, the lecture needed some animation and clarity, so he put on a spacesuit. With his shocking and, at the same time, heavy, attire, the artist, as he himself then admitted to journalists, wanted to symbolically depict a complete creative immersion in himself. It all started quite traditionally, the extravagant artist was photographed with Rupert Brinton Lee and his wife Diana. But when Dali tried to take off his helmet, it turned out that he was jammed: the air in the suit ran out, and the artist began to choke. If the suit had not been ripped apart, this trick could have cost the eccentric life, and the unsuspecting audience would have applauded, enjoying the dramatic effect.
Bicycle - bike
On December 7, 1959, the presentation of the ovocypede (ovocypede) took place in Paris: a device that was invented by Salvador Dali and implemented by engineer Laparra. A bicycle is a transparent ball with a seat fixed inside for one person. This "transport" became one of the devices that Dali successfully used to shock the public with his appearance.
Shocking showcase
Dali's stay in America was the most scandalous time in his life. Back in 1939, the artist agreed to decorate the window of Bonuit Teller's store on Fifth Avenue and, I must say, this decision made him famous as never before. On the mannequins of the early twentieth century, used by Dali in the composition, instead of artificial wigs, there were real hair cut off from a corpse. In addition, the composition consisted of a black satin bathtub, a bath tub, and a buffalo head shed with a bloody dove in its teeth. Such a showcase could not go unnoticed by New Yorkers. The interest of the public was so great that it was impossible to walk along the sidewalks of this street. The city administration, fearing riots, decided to dismantle Dali's composition. However, the artist's reaction was unexpected. Angry, he overturned the satin bathtub, smashed the mirrored shop window with it, and went out into the street, where the police arrested him.
"Rainy Taxi"
Arranging an exhibition in Paris in 1938, Dali did his best to stir up the interest of the public. Shortly before the opening, he announced that this would be one of the most amazing events of the first half of the twentieth century. And so it happened. An extravagant surprise - "Rainy Taxi" awaited the visitors of the exhibition in front of the entrance to the building. The maestro created a car, inside of which it was raining, the floor was covered with ivy, and a hundred Burgundy snails were crawling on a dummy sitting in the back seat. Today, a kind of "taxi", modified and supplemented later by the artist, can be seen by all visitors to the theater-museum in Figueres.
Cadillac instead of a bull
On August 12, 1971, in the homeland of Dali, in Figueres, a festival was organized in honor of the artist. The opening began with a bullfight and a procession created in the style of Dali's favorite artist, Goya. The only spot that stood out from the general picture was Salvador's open Cadillac. The maestro waved his hand to everyone present and proved that he would not get lost even against the background of Spanish bulls, he would be able to surprise. By the way, "Cadillac" Dali was part of a special line of "Caddy", consisting of only five cars. The owners of this limited edition were the most famous or shocking personalities of the last century: one belonged to US President Roosevelt, the second to Clark Gable, the third was owned by Al Capone, who was released by that time, the fourth became the property of the Gala and Salvador Dali couple, the name of the owner of the fifth car still unknown. Not a bad deal, mind you, considering that Dali only used his Cadillac for public appearances.
"Andalusian dog"
In 1929, the premiere of the film "Andalusian Dog" took place in Paris, which was the result of the joint work of Salvador Dali and Luis Buñuel. Frightening and shocking scenes of the painting (cutting an eyeball with a blade, ants crawling out of a severed hand, etc.) made it perhaps the most famous surreal work of the two creators. The script was written in just two weeks and was based on the dreams of Dali and Buñuel. "Andalusian Dog", contrary to the expectations of the directors, was enthusiastically received by the public. The tragic death of the leading actors of the picture added to the gloomy fame of the film. Pierre Butcheff died of an overdose of the drug "Veronal" on April 13, 1932 in a Paris hotel, and Simone Mareille on October 24, 1954, committed self-immolation in the Place Périgueux in Dordon. Later, Dali used the film as a source of inspiration for another outrageous act. He conquered the audience again, appearing in front of television cameras in a coffin strewn with money and infested with ants, with an eggshell on his face.
Mongolia with mushrooms
In his lifetime, Dali himself completed only one film entirely, Impressions of Upper Mongolia, which was released in 1975. In the tape, which did not receive much public recognition, he told the story of an expedition that went in search of huge hallucinogenic mushrooms. The video series "Impressions of Upper Mongolia" is largely based on enlarged microscopic spots of uric acid on a brass strip. The "author" of these spots was Dali himself. For several weeks he "painted" them on a piece of brass.
"Ball of Dreams"
On January 18, 1935, Joella Levy and Caris Crosby organize a Dream Ball in honor of Dali and Gala's departure from New York. At a costume ball, the artist appeared in the form of a showcase for his wife's bra, he used a lobster as a headdress, and black wings in white gloves protruded behind Dali's back. Gala paraded in a red cellophane skirt, in a green bodice and with a celluloid baby as a headdress. In his Secret Life, Dali would later write that the image of the "charming corpse" chosen by his companion attracted even more attention than Eve's costumes, bloody nightgowns and safety pins stuck in the skin of other ladies. From this shocking appearance of a married couple at the ball, journalists fanned a real scandal. The fact is that at that time the press widely discussed the kidnapper of the child of the Lindbergh family, and one of the journalists of the Paris newspaper wrote that on Gala's head was not just a doll, but the image of a kidnapped baby. The artist himself rejected this "version" of the outfit.
Love for three
At the end of 1965, Salvador Dali meets the already well-known model Amanda Lear, who becomes his mistress. The appearance of the favorite in earnest angered the artist's legal wife, however, the wayward Gala is gradually getting used to the unusual love triangle. They often hang out together, dine in restaurants, and attend receptions. Of course, such public ease only provoked reporters, who did not lose sight of the top three. Every interview from that period was not complete without questions about personal life artist, to which he responded with his usual playfulness. However, one of the maestro's antics seriously angered Amanda. In an interview with the newspaper "Minut" Dali said that his girlfriend is a former boy Alain Tap and thereby strengthened the already existing rumors about the transsexuality of the model, which arose due to the low timbre of the model's voice.
Jacket is an aphrodisiac
The jacket, also known as the Aphrodisiac Dinner Jacket, was invented by Salvador Dali in 1936. To the tuxedo on thin straws were hung 83 glasses with mint liquor and dead flies, and instead of a shirt front, the artist used a bra. The original "jacket is an aphrodisiac" has survived only in photographs, from which it is periodically recreated for special exhibitions. Later, at one of the receptions, Dali appeared in a jacket resembling a 1936 sample. This time, however, the liquor glasses were replaced by numbered crystal glasses. The photograph in which the maestro was captured in this strange outfit was named by the BBC channel as one of the symbols of the 20th century.
We offer Top 10 impressions of Mongolia... We drove many roads in this country, from Ulan-Ude to Ulan-Baator, to Erdenet, Moron and to Lake Khubsugul. And here's what we learned from this ...
1. Attractions
- this is not something worth going to Mongolia for. There are museums, archaeological sites of ancient people, the Gobi Desert - but all this and other places are very far from the average idea of \ u200b \ u200bthe attractions. In addition, such places are usually located on the outskirts, it is almost impossible to get there by public transport, and given the huge size of Mongolia, chasing sights that are scattered in different parts the country is completely stupid. 
It is worth going to Mongolia for the sensations, for the pleasure of today. Enjoy the sun, steppe landscapes, Mongolian cuisine and local interactions. By the way, most of these "delights" are available on the road. All kinds of views of the steppe open from the car and the bus, drivers and passengers relax, play their favorite Mongolian music, sway to the beat and sing along. 
2. Intercity transport
Mongolia is a poorly developed bus network and a more accessible network of ... cars. Yes, it is passenger cars for which you buy tickets at the bus station, and as soon as they are full, you can go. Just do not relax: after leaving the bus station, the driver begins to collect more passengers outside the city (bypassing the bus station) to the state of herrings in a barrel. In the end, we tried to take a promise from the drivers: surely five people will go? But even here there are no guarantees, because children are not considered people: the driver nods and pushes three more children into the car. The only salvation we found was to shake the camera, say "tourist photo" and point to the front seat. There is a chance that you will be allowed to sit there, and you will not have to squeeze in with five passengers in the back. 
3. Drivers
intercity transport is also an interesting sight. At the very first bus station in Darkhan, we saw how they huddle in groups, bare their tummies and warm them in the sun. Apparently, the larger the tummy, the more respected the person. And so at every station. It's a pity it's inconvenient to take pictures. 
4. It is clear that nothing is clear- this has become our motto in Mongolia. Whatever situation we tried to interpret, it turned out that we were wrong. For example, we cram into the car with the next passengers in order to go from point A to point B. Behind us are a young girl and a grandmother, a driver and a woman are of the same age in the front seats. Everyone is chatting merrily, the girl takes a bottle from the driver and drinks from it, gnaws two ice creams in a glass in the car at once, then lies down on her grandmother's shoulder and falls asleep. From this we conclude that we are driving in the car with our family: mom, dad, grandmother and granddaughter who drinks from dad’s bottle, whom he allows to eat ice cream in the car, and who sleeps on her grandmother’s shoulder. Apparently they took us for a ride to justify the gasoline. However, upon arrival at point B, everyone disperses in different directions and the "dad" turns out to be an ordinary bomb. It's just normal in Mongolia to drink from someone else's bottle and sleep on someone else's shoulder.
And so every time - not knowing the language and traditions - epic fail. 
5. Food
in Mongolia, it is special, just such a set of products cannot be found anywhere else. First of all, this is meat, a lot of meat, heaps of meat in a portion - a vegetarian simply cannot survive here. More rice, some potatoes, a lot of airag (mare's milk), tea (salted, with butter), almost no fruit. We have heard a lot from foreigners that Mongolian food is, they say, too simple and even primitive. At such moments they were very angry and could hardly resist not to offer to sit at home and eat their own "difficult" food. In fact, even though nothing grows here, the variety of cooking methods and products themselves is amazing. The following photo is illustrative: this is food on the counter - to attract customers. 
6. Main historical myth, on which the Mongolian statehood is built - this is the former power of the Mongol empire and the associated figure of Genghis Khan. Calling the state idea a myth, we in no way claim that it is false - on the contrary, it is interesting which story becomes central to self-consciousness. different countries... In Mongolian houses there are maps of the former Mongol possessions, you can buy them in any bookstore. 
There are usually various Buddhist items and photographs of relatives next to the maps. All this usually forms small altars - a set of main objects in the house. 
7. Another reason for pride is that found in Mongolia a large number of dinosaur skeletons... True, most of them are in museums abroad (for example, in the New York Museum of Natural History). In Mongolia and the Gobi, most of the skeletons of Tarbosaurus, the Eurasian relative of the American Tyrannosaurus, have been found. Museum in Ulan Baator tells more stories about Mongolian dinosaurs. 
8. Perhaps the negative point: the Mongols have a difficult relationship with alcohol. Many do not know how to drink, they become very aggressive, clingy and unpleasant. As we have already said about, many do not know how to drink, from different ethnic groups, but we do not recommend approaching a cheerful foreign Mongolian company. But you will have to drink with new friends!
9. Khubsugul.
If you are still looking for attractions in Mongolia, we advise you to visit Lake Khubsugul: it is easy to get to, around the lake there is where to walk and what to do. And stunning views are guaranteed. Here you can stay in a yurt or a hotel, but much more interesting and romantic - in a tent on the shore of the lake. 
10. Weather.
It may seem that Mongolia is Central Asia, a piece of which is a desert, and there is a drought here all summer. However, unlike, for example, from or, in Mongolia they often go summer rains, sometimes torrential and for days. So it is worth taking waterproof shoes and a raincoat with you. 
Also, the temperature drops significantly at night, so if you are going to sleep in a tent, it is better to take a sleeping bag warmer. Well, in general, it is worth taking a sleeping bag to Mongolia, unless you are staying in five-star hotels: in average hotels (as well as in backpacker hostels), linen is not changed much.
In general, 10 more impressions can be easily added to these 10 impressions! About stoic Mongolian children who never seem to cry and how much time Mongolian fathers spend with them. About yurts, yaks, gophers, mare and camel milk. About folk costumes and eagles constantly soaring across the steppe. About a copper mine and a Catholic mission in Erdenet, led by a priest from Congo. All stories are yet to come!
Good afternoon. I live in Khakassia, 600 km to the Mongolian border, 720 to the nearest city. Therefore, we are on the May holidays rushed literally for a week. We got there without any problems. The Khandagaity checkpoint is a mega-aspect, everything is cultural and polite. They gathered to go to the city of Ulangom - 28 thousand people.
Hotel 1500 days - room for three! The food is inexpensive, there are many unfamiliar dishes. A lot of sea buckthorn juice, also a novelty, we do not have. The meat is all tough, but cheap, it is better to buy Buuza in Tsain, by the way you quickly get used to Tsai, especially in cafes where it is made normal. Were on Lake Khyargys Nuur, and on Ubr-Nuur, huge lakes, on the safari shores - a lot of unafraid game, many yaks, geese, herons, etc. There was a Russian-speaking guide, but it's better to know the basics in English and have a Russian Mongolian phrasebook. We walked around the city at night, it's very safe, everyone greets, they invite us to visit, a lot of smiles. In general, they skated very positively, if I have any questions I will answer with pleasure.
Once in Ulangom there was a small military unit of the Soviet group of forces. The unit was small, since the direction was not "tank-hazardous". I will say that in that area the officers' service was like at a resort: hunting, fishing. The command of the army is far away - while they reach it, order can be restored several times. And it is really a pleasure to rest there. Of course, in more than 20 years, when Soviet specialists left the Mongolian People's Republic, many have forgotten the language. But at one time, even in such small settlements, up to 50% of the population spoke Russian. Even if there is no guide, you can always find a local resident who will gladly tell and show you the protected places. Well, a representative office of the Republic of Tuva was opened in Ulangom. Therefore, even if problems arise, it is possible to solve all this through them. For lovers of outdoor recreation - a wonderful place. : hlopaet:
In 2007, we also traveled from Khakassia to Mongolia. Although there were no relationships (at the state level), the Mongols perfectly remember the kindness and help of the USSR for the formation of their state. We drove through Ulangom, we were also on the lakes. They ate geese, herons, yak meat and horse meat. By the way, the majority of residents (middle-aged) speak Russian tolerably well, but understand 100% in general. I remember their attitude to the USSR, and to us (the former sovietico) - warm, welcoming, almost dear. Then they did not talk about Russia at all, but called our country in the old way - the Soviet Union.
We have not seen any poverty, let alone poverty. This is the normal way of life for the Mongolian people. If the family is settled, then they live in a house or apartment like ordinary rural people in any country. If the family wanders, has its own livestock, pasture allotments, then the way of life is accordingly nomadic. Hence, national housing, clothing, food ... Therefore, do not be afraid to go to Mongolia on a safari. You just need to decide for what purpose, and where you can go in Mongolia, to the steppe, or to the city-village?
I hardly prepared for the trip to Mongolia. Two weeks before crossing the border, I did not know that I would go there. Therefore, many things that should have been learned in advance and studied in more detail on the spot passed me by. I may have missed some of the sights that came my way. But in any case, I think my little experience will be useful for the next generations of travelers. I will not touch on general issues described in various kinds of guidebooks (how to travel by plane, train, car, horse, etc.), see the links in the "information" section for this. I will only tell you what I saw and heard with my own eyes.
Technical information
I was in Mongolia from June 19 to July 8, 2009. Together with a Polish woman, Agnieszka, who now works in Ulan-Ude, we entered the country through the border checkpoint in Kyakhta (Republic of Buryatia), spent two days in Ulan Bator, drove along the Ulan route -Bator - Arvaikheer - Bayankhongor - Altai - Khovd - Ulaangom - Kharkhorin - Ulan Bator. Then I alone drove along the route Ulan Bator - Uyondu © rkhaan - Bayan-Uul and left for Russia through the Upper Ulkhun border crossing ( Transbaikal region). Most of the way we hitchhiked, part of them by minibuses and buses.
Hereinafter in the text I use the original Mongolian names geographic sites, with the exception of Ulan Bator, which I will write in traditional Russian transliteration (in Mongolian, the name of the city is written as "Ulaanbaatar").
Travel map
Pros and cons
Mongolia is known for two things. The first is a nomadic population that has retained a traditional way of life. They say that for the Mongols, life has not changed much since the time of Genghis Khan, and this seems to be true: a significant part of the country still lives in yurts, breeds cattle, wanders from place to place in search of new pastures, eats meat and milk. Except that now many people roam in UAZs and Japanese trucks, while the wealthiest have satellite dishes and solar panels next to their yurts. And the rest is the same - right down to the national costumes that the Mongols wear not on major holidays, but in everyday life.
The second plus is the beautiful and untouched nature. This is not that dull steppe of the south of Russia or Ukraine that brings boredom and melancholy. Mongolian steppe landscapes are always beautiful and varied and very rarely disfigured by human structures. The stretching plain on the horizon is always framed by beautiful hills, somewhere picturesque rocks or stones come across, somewhere the steppe turns into rocky or sandy desert, somewhere gives way to mountains covered with forest. And here and there yurts stand in these Mongolian expanses and fat herds of large and small livestock wander about: cows, goats, sheep, horses, camels, yaks.
Cons of Mongolia logically follow from the pros. Beautiful nature and the traditional way of life has been preserved due to the fact that civilization has not yet reached here. Only Ulaanbaatar, whose photographs I have already shown, can be called a civilized city, where there is everything you need for life. Most of the rest of the cities are rather urban-type settlements. The regional center of Mongolia resembles the very last Russian regional center, the Mongolian regional centers altogether resemble villages. And between these cities there are huge spaces, where the human presence is noticeable only on the lonely yurts and the rut in the steppe (see the section "Roads").
In general, after a trip to Mongolia, Russia begins to seem like a completely civilized country, in which there are many automobile and railways, roadside cafes, toilets, shops and supermarkets. When I left Mongolia for Russia, there was a clear feeling that I was returning from Asia to Europe - for the last 50 km before the border there was a dead dirt road with pits and puddles, along which 1-2 cars drove a day, and after the border smooth asphalt began with good traffic. In a word, it's nice that we are at least one hundred years ahead of any country. The only thing in which Mongolia is noticeably ahead of us is the development of animal husbandry. After you see herds of several hundred animals that, like locusts, have occupied the verdant Mongolian pasture, it is not very joyful to look at three or four thin starving cows wandering near some Trans-Baikal village.
But, otherwise, as I said, our country is much more civilized. For all my passion for travel, I still love comfort, smooth roads, fast cars, a hot lunch at least once a day and a hot shower at least once every two days, and after Mongolia I returned to Russia with some relief. So read the descriptions of Mongolia and think carefully - are you ready for such difficulties or is it better to go on a hitchhiking trip through the Benelux countries.
Information
Lonely Planet Mongolia Travel Guide
Travelers report on the bpclub.ru forum
To get acquainted with the cultural and historical context, I recommend reading Isai Kalashnikov's wonderful book "The Cruel Age" (Part 1 and Part 2) - the story of Genghis Khan's life from birth to death, as well as watch Nikita Mikhalkov's excellent film "Urga - Territory of Love" about the relationship between Russians and Mongols in China.
Visas
In Russia there is a Mongolian embassy in Moscow, as well as consulates in Ulan-Ude, Irkutsk, Kyzyl. It is usually impossible to make a visa on your own without an invitation, at the consulate they immediately send them to the travel agency. In Ulan-Ude, visa processing at a travel agency costs 2300 rubles, including consular fees, and takes 10-12 days. In the comments they say that things are better in Moscow - I don't know, check with the commentator. Previously, the Kyzyl consulate made visas without an invitation, but now, I think, this is no longer there.
Hit
There are as many as 10 border crossings between Russia and Mongolia. They usually work from 9.00 to 17.00. I wrote in more detail about crossing the border in Kyakhta, in Upper Ulkhun -. It is interesting that only three crossings are international, that is, residents of third countries can cross the border there. So if you are not a citizen of Mongolia or Russia, you can cross the border only in Kyakhta (Buryatia) or Tashanta (Altai Republic), or move it by train in Naushki (Buryatia). Please note that the crossing in Kyakhta is a car crossing, you cannot cross it on foot, so if you are going on foot, you will have to fit into a car at the border. The passage in Verkhniy Ulkhun (Trans-Baikal Territory) is a pedestrian one, no one forces you to get into a car or a bus.
Buses run from Ulan-Ude to Ulan Bator every day, in addition, the Moscow - Ulan Bator train passes through the capital of Buryatia. I don’t know how things are in other regions.
Roads
Before traveling to Mongolia, I thought that there were no roads in Russia. Now I realized that there are roads in our country, and even good ones. Because Mongolian dear - this is such a tin that you, most likely, will not see anywhere. Only from north to south, a decent asphalt road leads from Russia to China through Ulan Bator, plus there are sections from Ulaanbaatar to the west to Arvaikheer (569 km, of which, however, 50-60 km have not yet been built) with a branch to Kharkhorin and from Ulan Bator to the east to Uyondu © rhaan (331 km). Perhaps there are other sections, but I have not traveled on them.
The rest are expensive, including the most important highways connecting the west and east of the country - these are usually three or four rolled tracks in the steppe, which converge and diverge and lead from one town to another. Between the settlements there are no gas stations, no cafes, no kilometer poles, no road signs, no traffic cops, no cellular coverage - just a bare plain, on which everyone drives as he pleases. However, the quality of the roads is such that it will not be possible to break the speed limit with all the desire, and the abundance of ruts reduces collisions to a minimum. The relief is usually such that you can even leave the track and drive along the steppe in any direction.
Some people manage to drive on such roads even in simple cars, but it is still better to use SUVs - Japanese jeeps or Russian UAZs. The latter, by the way, are preferable, because they are very common among the Mongols and, if something happens, you will quickly find spare parts. The Mongols also ride motorcycles, Korean minibuses, Japanese trucks, Russian Kamaz trucks. Foreign tourists usually travel by jeeps and motorcycles. So, on the highway, we met colleagues four times: Poles on motorcycles, a group of Frenchmen in jeeps, one Australian motorcyclist and a group of Koreans traveling in a minibus (most likely, also Korean).
If you are driving your own transport, be sure to stock up on a GPS-navigator - instead of roads there are directions, so it is quite possible to get lost, having accidentally left along the track leading to some remote village. It is better to buy a map in Mongolian - then it will be easier to find out from the nomads where you are and where you should go. If you hitchhike, you can basically do without a navigator - drivers usually know the way and go from one city to another. The main thing is to find out exactly where the driver is going, and then entrust him with finding the right path.
Hitch-hiking
Mongolia is the most difficult country for hitchhiking I've ever been to. Nevertheless, hitchhiking here is fun and interesting, and if you have time to spare, you can do it this way. Just keep in mind some of the features of the Mongolian hitchhiking.
The first and main problem is low traffic. It is very good to drive only on asphalt roads (see the section "Roads"). The route from the border crossing in Tashant to Ulan Bator (via Ulaangom and Tsetserleg) is still quite busy, although here you can sometimes wait for a ride for several hours. On other roads, cars are extremely rare - up to three or four cars a day. So be patient, and also with books, magazines or crosswords - you can at least do something to keep yourself busy while you sit by the track for half a day. In short, “in my backpack there are lard and matches and Turgenev’s eight volumes” - this is just about Mongolia. Sometimes we got so tired of sitting by the road that we took our backpacks and walked, so many Mongols have drivers and local residents- there was a feeling that we were walking through their country. The essence of hitchhiking is difficult to explain to them, so it's even better this way. Also keep in mind that traffic between the regional centers (if this road does not lead to Ulan Bator) is very low traffic - for example, from Ulaangom to MU © rU © n it will hardly be possible to get directly, because the main flow of cars to Ulan Bator goes south , via Tsetserleg. And you shouldn't even try to hitchhike along local roads if you don't want to get stuck for about a week.
The second problem is choosing the right track for voting. The easiest way is at the exit from a large city: usually a few kilometers before and after a large settlement there is one asphalt road, so it is enough to leave the city and start voting on this road. The situation is different in the steppe or in small towns and villages. Here, the tracks can diverge to a distance of up to half a kilometer and it is rather difficult to choose the one you need. Sometimes you can navigate along power lines - usually the poles are along the main track, but this rule does not always work. It is best to find some kind of elevation, from where it opens a view of the surroundings, to keep track of which road the car will appear on, and if something happens, quickly move there. If you wave your hands and the driver sees you, he will most likely stop or even turn and reach you.
The third problem is overcrowding in cars. During the trip, we only drove twice in a car, where there was one driver. Usually, in addition to him, there are passengers in the car, who, as a rule, occupy all the seats. It is interesting that cars stop, even if they are overcrowded - find out if something has happened to you, but it is not always possible to get into a stopped car. Sometimes you go in a car with four or five of you in the back seat, putting a Mongolian child on your lap, sometimes you lie on your luggage in the back of a truck, covered with dust and sand, sometimes you sit on a sleeping bag in the long-range cab, slightly squeezing a bunch of things and distant relatives of the driver, who he took with him. In short, don't expect comfort.
And the fourth problem is the availability of money among the local population. In principle, everyone expects money for the transportation, but the majority is persuaded for free. "No money" in Mongolian "mungo baikhgo" - and always say these words once or twice before getting in the car. Only four times did the drivers, hearing such a phrase, drive on in disappointment - and all these times it happened on a busy section of the highway, where we quickly caught the next car. In other places, the drivers understand that you will wait for the next car for another half a day, and after heavy thought they still nod - they say, get in. However, truckers and well-to-do Uhlan-Bator people in jeeps do it without much hesitation. But still, it's a little hard - especially after Russia, where almost none of the drivers asks about money, and I don't even warn you that I'm driving for free.
In short, I recommend, if funds permit, to travel around Mongolia in your own vehicle. If funds do not allow, but time allows, use a bike - it will be slightly slower, and if you are an experienced bike biker, it may even be faster than a hitchhiker. For example, we covered the 390 km long section from Bayankhongor to Altai in as many as three days. And the section from the city of Bayan-Uul to border crossing Upper Ulkhun, 49 km long, I drove all day - here I could walk on foot in the same time.
Nevertheless, hitchhiking helps to get to know the local life better, to communicate with Mongols, many of whom know Russian. So if the listed difficulties do not bother you, pack your backpack and go.
Regular transport
Only in Ulan Bator there is some kind of bus station, from which buses leave for different regional centers according to a specific schedule and tariffs. In other cities, buses either do not run at all, or go as God pleases. Travel guides recommend looking for minibuses in the city market. There you can also find drivers who go to other cities and are looking for fellow travelers to compensate for their expenses. For some reason, Lonely Planet calls this "hitchhiking" - that is, it recommends going to the market and finding such a car. I don’t know, in my opinion, the traditional hitchhiking is still more effective.
It is rather difficult to navigate the prices for buses. For example, from Ulan Bator to Lun (130 km) we traveled for 6 thousand tugriks, but from Ulan Bator to Darkhan (220 km) my fellow traveler traveled for the same money. Although, perhaps, the point is that to go to Darkhan on an asphalt road, and part of the way to Luna is the already described track in the steppe.
Overnight
Everyone who travels in Mongolia should definitely spend the night with the nomads at least once. To do this is quite simple - just go to the yurt in the steppe and politely ask for a visit. During our only appointment in the yurt, we acted in general very delicately: we asked if it was possible to put up a tent next to the yurt, but then, while we were sitting and resting after a hot day, we were invited to the yurt itself. In general, if you find yourself in the steppe and there is a yurt nearby, feel free to ask for a visit. It is better to take sweets and chocolates in advance - give them to the children, put something on the table for tea and everyone will be happy. If you're lucky, you will find yourself at a hearty supper, but we were simply given tea and goat's milk.
Another a good option overnight accommodation - roadside cafes. Almost each one has one or more large beds 4-5 meters wide, where anyone who orders dinner or breakfast at this eatery can spend the night for free. Usually a dinner for one person costs 2-3 thousand tugriks. True, several more people will sleep on the same bed, but I think this will not confuse free travelers if they have their own sleeping bag.
V large cities there are also hotels. We have stayed as such two times - in the city of Arvaikheer a double room cost 11 thousand tugriks, in Altai - 15 thousand tugriks. The first hotel had no shower, the second had no hot water. But if anything, in cities you can find public baths where you can take a shower for 1-2 thousand tugriks.
In especially popular places among tourists, there are guesthouses and hostels, including some kind of yurt campings (several yurts where you can spend the night). However, for those who spent the night in a real yurt, this will not be particularly interesting: inside there are no attributes of nomadic life, only a few beds and bedside tables. In Kharkhorin, such a guesthouse cost 5 thousand tugriks per person.
Well, there is a huge selection of accommodation in Ulaanbaatar. First, it is the only city where more or less active members of Hospitalityclub and Couchsurfing live, so you can easily find a free overnight stay. Secondly, there are hotels, hostels, guesthouses for every taste and pocket. By the way, there is a discount for Russians and Poles in the Golden Gobi guesthouse: the chief administrator told us so directly, so they paid not six, but five dollars per person for the night. Keep in mind.
Food
Vegetarians in Mongolia have nothing to do. All vegetables and fruits are imported from China, and the Mongols themselves make and eat almost everything from meat or milk. Only in Ulan Bator can you find vegetable salads, in other places such a luxury is a rarity. I've always been a meat-eater and anti-vegan, but then I even started to feel nostalgia for vinaigrette or tomato-cucumber salad. So be prepared, if you do not tolerate meat at all, to buy the necessary products in Ulaanbaatar and take them with you.
The most popular dish in Mongolia is buuz, known to those who have been to the Irkutsk region or Buryatia, under the name "poses". This is finely chopped meat wrapped in dough and steamed. A very tasty and nutritious thing - 4-5 pieces were enough for me to eat. They usually cost 300 tugriks apiece. Another popular food is khushuur, which resembles our native cheburek and costs 300-400 tugriks apiece. Plus, noodles with pieces of meat and potatoes are popular - either dry or as a soup. Unfortunately, I do not remember what it is called, it costs about 2-2.5 thousand tugriks. Actually, we mainly ate these three dishes on the trip.
There are a lot of interesting dairy dishes, but they, as a rule, are not sold in canteens - we were treated either in yurts or in cars. There is a cool cheese that tastes like cottage cheese, a very tasty creamy butter and a low-alcohol milk-based drink reminiscent of kumis.
The main soft drink is milk tea. In Ulan Bator, I did not like him, but then, for lack of choice, I had to love him. It is usually served without sugar, but slightly salted - however, I did not really feel this salt. In the capital, a little oil is also added there, but in the provinces there is no such. All in all, a very nutritious thing. It costs 100-200 tugriks per cup, and sometimes it is even served free of charge.
As with all other aspects, Ulaanbaatar and the rest of Mongolia are two big differences. In the capital, the choice of food is great and varied. There are both cheap canteens with the dishes and prices mentioned above, as well as pretentious restaurants with Italian, Japanese and other cuisines for every taste and pocket. Once we even wandered into a vegetarian cafe. A cheap dining room can usually be identified by the word "gazar" on the sign.
When it comes to food, there is also a big difference between the capital and the province. There are many shops and supermarkets in Ulaanbaatar with good choice products, in other cities there are mainly small shops, the choice of which is less than in any Russian rural store. The usual set is soda, vodka, chocolate chip cookies and, if you're lucky, a huge piece of meat in the fridge. Even bread is rare. The store can be identified by the word "delguur" on the sign.
Cafes and large shops are found only in cities, therefore, given the quality of roads and low traffic, it is better to always have a supply of water and food with you for at least one day.
Language
In Mongolia, a lot of people speak Russian. Once we were even given a lift by a graduate of the philological faculty of Moscow State University. Of the met drivers most of she knew at least a few words and phrases in Russian, and about one in three could even be reasonably explained.
But nevertheless, you should not specifically count on the fact that you will come across Russian-speaking Mongols. Try to learn a little Mongolian, it will greatly facilitate your travel life and help you to get to know the local life much better. Unfortunately, I knew only a few phrases that were important for the traveler, and I supplemented the rest with Russian words and gestures. But if with gestures I could still say “is it possible to put up a tent here” or “stop here, please”, then ask more complex and interesting questions (“how do the children of nomads go to school?”, “What do you use to heat the stove?” And etc.) did not work.
A short phrasebook of the Mongolian language
Missing phrases to it (double vowel reads as one, but elongated):
May I come with you? - Hamt yavzh bolh uu?
Where are you going? - That hasha yavzh ben wee?
We are traveling in Mongolia - Bid nar Mongoloor Ayalaz Baygaa
The people know English much worse than Russian - mainly educated youth, beggars from the capital and workers in the tourism sector.
Money
1 dollar = 1428 tugriks
1 ruble = 46 tugriks
It is better to change money at once in Ulan Bator for the whole trip. In the rest of Mongolia, banks are found in numbers that do not exceed the limits of statistical error.
Like Belarusian rubles, Mongolian tugriks exist exclusively in paper form, so during the trip you get the feeling that you have a lot of money.
Internet and communication
There are several mobile operators, of which Mobicom was recommended to us. On the road, cellular communication, of course, does not work, but in almost all large and small settlements coverage is.
1-2 Internet cafes are found in most regional centers and are abundant in Ulaanbaatar.
Dangers and troubles
Most of all, the nomads' dogs scared me - they say, if you fit in, then come to the yurt early, otherwise the dogs guarding it will attack. It was even recommended to learn the phrase "nohoi chorio", which means "hold the dogs." Therefore, I expected to see vicious wolfhounds at each nomad camp, which would just tear you to pieces. In fact, next to the yurts, we saw half-dead and skinned dogs, unable to scare even the steppe gopher. Mongols do not like dogs very much and often reward them with a kick as they pass by. Therefore, all these human friends bounced back in fear when we tried to stroke them.
Other dangerous animals already from the world wildlife... The guides list steppe wolves and bears, scorpions and snakes living in the desert, ticks living in the grass. None of this came across to us. The largest wild animals that we have seen are lizards smaller than a palm, constantly running underfoot in the Gobi Desert, and steppe rodents - either hamsters or marmots.
Personally, I did not come across crime, but my fellow traveler, who was walking alone on the last day in Ulan Bator, had a camera. However, this can happen in any city in the world. And since the Mongols are friendly and non-aggressive, gopniks are almost never met here. I felt completely safe throughout the trip anywhere in Mongolia - in contrast, by the way, from Russia, where it is not always pleasant to be in small regional centers.
Climate
The weather in Mongolia is changeable, with sharp fluctuations in temperature. It is very cold in winter (Ulaanbaatar is considered the coldest capital in the world), in summer it is usually hot. The summer heat is softened by the winds that walk on the Mongolian plain, but they sometimes create great difficulties. A couple of times it blew so hard that it was simply impossible to set up a tent - and on the plain it is often impossible to find any shelter from the wind. I can't imagine how creepy it must be here in winter with this wind.
Ulan Bator - Arvaikheer highway 
Arvaikheer 
Arvaikheer - Bayankhongor track 
Bayankhongor 
Bayankhongor - Altai route. Group of Poles traveling on motorcycles 
BU © mbU © gu © r 
Northern part of the Gobi Desert 
Either a holiday, or a physical education lesson at a local school 
Buutsagaan 
Altai 
Altai - Khovd highway 
Jeff is an Australian who has lived in Ulaanbaatar for three years. I went by bus to the parents of my fiancee in a Mongolian village 
Khovd 
National character
Mongols, as I already wrote, are very friendly and welcoming people. Foreigners will always be helped and advised where, how and what. They have not yet learned to inflate prices for them - at least, those who do not work in the tourism sector. Russians are almost native to the Mongols, many of the older generation recall their studies or work in the Soviet Union. True, do not expect such an open and warm welcome as in the Caucasus or the Middle East - any Russian-speaking Mongol will gladly talk to you, but hardly invite you. In general, a friendly, but fairly even attitude.
Like many other Asian peoples, the Mongols are quite careless, relaxed and unhurried. It is completely normal for a salesperson or administrator in a hotel to leave his workplace for an hour or two and need to wait or look for him somewhere nearby. They are not particularly in a hurry, especially since in Mongolia it will not work out quickly anyway. Agnieszka said that she has several Mongolian students in Ulan Bator who are constantly late for classes by half an hour or an hour and are sincerely surprised when they are reproached for this. Indeed, in Mongolia, in the steppe, a car can easily fail, you will have to wait half a day for a passing car, then repair it and eventually arrive at your destination a day later. What a half-hour late here. In a word, "the gods have nowhere to hurry, they have eternity ahead of them."
At the same time, the Mongols have a very developed mutual assistance. If your car breaks down, the first passing car stops and its driver offers help. Often he can stay with you for several hours, helping to start an old UAZ or replacing the springs of a truck. However, they say that in remote regions of Russia, such as Yakutia, Kamchatka or Chukotka, everything is exactly the same.
Of all the Mongolian people, Mongolian children make a particularly pleasant impression. They are very lively and spontaneous, and the most colorful subjects for photography - even more than old people or dashing horse riders. They are clearly not tortured with some kind of punishments and prohibitions, but they are not pampered with anything either - but there is nothing special to pamper them. Instead of plastic toys, they have a whole herd of goats or sheep, instead of bicycles or rollerblades, they have horses, which many have been riding, it seems, from the age of six or seven, and instead of dirty streets and back roads, green plains. There are no city temptations and entertainment here, so they are sincerely happy with any chocolate bar brought from the city by a visiting foreigner. My fellow traveler liked the Mongolian children so much that she even wanted to have one of her own. True, she is afraid that her boyfriend from Kiev will not understand this - after all, few men are as tolerant as the hero of the film "Hipsters".
Lifestyle
Ulaanbaatar is the only real city in Mongolia. In terms of the level of availability and development of infrastructure, it resembles a large Russian regional center. There are supermarkets, cinemas, restaurants, internet cafes, public transport- everything you need for life. The rest of the country is a large nomadic camp. Even in regional centers, a significant part of the population lives in a nomadic way - in the center there may be several Soviet buildings of two or three floors, and all this surrounds private sector with wooden houses and yurts. But, of course, real Mongolia starts outside the cities.
In the steppe, yurts come across every few kilometers, in the desert - every 10-20 kilometers. Sometimes the yurt stands separately, sometimes several such dwellings form a kind of mini-settlement. I expected that the interior of the yurt would be quite ascetic, almost like in a camping tent, but in reality they are usually always well furnished and resemble the insides of a Russian hut or even a modest city apartment. There are several beds, a wardrobe, a table, a chest of drawers with photographs of distant relatives, a TV (sometimes even with a DVD player). In the center there is a potbelly stove, a long pipe of which is directed into a round hole in the middle of the roof.
The only occupation of the people living here is animal husbandry. Near the yurt, a hitching post is driven into the ground, to which several horses are tied, goats or sheep crowd in the corral (and more often without it), yaks and cows peacefully eat grass nearby, and camels roam and chew tough bushes in the desert. These animals are all at the same time Agriculture, food and textile industries, and often transport.
The Mongols are practically not engaged in agriculture. You can drive all over the country and not see a single field. Only in the vicinity of the city of Ulangom did we see some kind of vegetable gardens, and at the Russian border a driver gave us a lift, who said that he was going to some kind of farm. In other places, the Mongols do not grow anything and use all their vast plains exclusively for pastures. They say that they still consider it sinful to dig and generally do something with the earth.
National costumes are large robes made of dense fabric, usually gray. I have never worn it, but judging by its appearance, such a robe protects well from the piercing Mongolian wind. And yet, I apologize for the intimate detail, such a robe helps the Mongols to relieve themselves in the steppe: it is usually impossible to find any shelter here, so you can move a little away from other people, get up or sit with your back to them, covering yourself with a robe, and do your business, no one is with this is not shocking.
Religion
Like any other communist country, a religious revival began in Mongolia in the 1990s. They began to restore old and build new monasteries, to create religious educational institutions. Buddhist monastery or the temple has become the same indispensable attribute of a Mongolian city, as an Orthodox church has become a Russian one. In monasteries you can see young monks, and if you're lucky, get to a religious service when they sit at the table and recite mantras either in Tibetan or Sanskrit - a mesmerizing sight.
Nevertheless, the lay Mongols are not particularly religious. Only in one yurt did I see something like a small altar, and in cars I never saw any religious paraphernalia. So, if you do not go to cities and do not look there Buddhist temples, in general, you cannot determine what religion the Mongols adhere to. True, as in neighboring Buryatia, relics of shamanism have been preserved here: along the roads there are "oo" - heaps of stones and pillars with blue rags tied to them. But unlike the same Buryatia, the drivers do not stop next to them and do not show any respect to them.
Entertainment
Of all Mongolian culture, music is the best experience for a traveler. Mongols are very fond of singing, and on the road you can often observe such a picture - the driver begins to sing a melodic and sad song, and his partner sings along with him as much as possible. Or the old woman drags on the song, and the whole bus picks it up in unison. If no one is singing, then the driver puts in a cassette (by the way, he almost never saw CD-recorders in cars - only cassette recorders) with Mongolian folk or modern popular songs and listens to it, looking at the road going down to the horizon. Quite often, Mongols, including those who do not know a word of Russian, listen to Russian music. Several times we heard Valeria, Dima Bilan, the song "A Million Scarlet Roses" performed by a Mongolian singer singing in Russian with a funny accent.
Besides singing, people also love to drink. Moreover, at first glance it seems that it is even more than in Russia. During a month of traveling in Eastern Siberia, I was offered to drink vodka once, and in two weeks in Mongolia - five times. However, this is explained by the fact that in Mongolia, in addition to the driver, there are always a lot of passengers in the car, and they just drink half a glass to drive more fun, and the driver is limited to tea with milk. In Russia, drivers mostly drive alone - you can't really drink here.
Lyrical conclusion
What I still did not understand after the trip - why eight hundred years ago the Mongols needed to leave their cozy nomad camps and native steppes and go to conquer half the world. After all, they were not going to raise cattle and set up yurts on the conquered lands, so unlike Mongolia - all these Chinese rice fields, ancient cities Central Asia, peaks of the Caucasus, Iranian deserts and Russian forests. And it’s impossible to recognize in these peaceful and friendly people those evil and cruel conquerors who passed with fire and sword right up to adriatic coast... Maybe it's all about a strong personality who can gather and lead people along - I don't know.
But Mongolia allows us to understand another thing: that our entire civilization, everything that mankind has invented over the past several thousand years is, in essence, pleasant, but not so necessary excesses. In this country, people almost never use them, and those who do, it seems, they do not really need. Tens of thousands of Mongols do without sewers, gas and microwave ovens, a washing machine, a computer, a telephone, a car and are not at all worried about this. And the omnipotent power of electricity is used, it seems, only for watching TV. If it were not for him, they would simply ask travelers what is new in the world. And having learned about all our progress, about the Internet, space flights, nuclear energy, nanotechnology and laser surgery, they would nod their heads disapprovingly - why invent something if only a yurt, fifty goats, a dozen horses and an endless green plain are needed for a good life ...
Khovd - Ulaangom highway 
Group of French and Swiss in jeeps 
