Countryside highlights

The itinerary of my 11-day trip to the countryside:
Mongol Els (sand dunes) - Kharkhorin and Erdene Zuu Monastery - Tsenher hot springs - Tsagaan Nuur (White Lake) - Zuun Nuur - Khovsgol Lake - Erdenet - Amarbayasgalant Monastery. I went alone with a guide and a driver in a very comfortable jeep.

Mongol Els. Just like a miniature Gobi.

Sunset and full moon. I did not enhance the colors or anything like that.

Detail from Erdene Zuu Monastery in Kharkhorin.

This is in the Arkhangai province. The scenery was stunningly beautiful the whole day, I didn't know when to take pictures.

Tsagaan Nuur.

Why ride only on land?

We were going to have marmot for dinner, prepared in the traditional way by a local herder: hot stones are put into the marmot skin. However, before the cooking was finished a policeman arrived and confiscated the marmot - apparently marmot hunting is prohibited in that area ...
The guide, whose tasks included preparing our meals, immediately starting peeling carrots instead. From marmot to carrot.

 A very Mongolian view.

Tsagaan Nuur.

Definitely the scariest bridge I ever crossed.

Lamb skins being dried.

Meat storage on a ger wall. My bed was adjacent to this storage place.

Khovsgol Lake. It's one of the biggest fresh water reserves in the world. It's also one of the coldest places in Mongolia - in the winter temperatures around -50 degrees C are not unusual.

An accomplished rider, as you can see.

This very friendly lady owned the ger we stayed in.

One morning a yak was slaughtered.

Morning sun after a rainy night.

The Selenge river.

The meat market in Erdenet, Mongolia's 3rd largest city (70 000 inhabitants).

Amarbayasgalant Monastery, in the middle of nowhere. This place should be on the list of '100 things to see before you die'. So peaceful, so beautiful.

Sunset at Amarbayasgalant. Natural colors, I promise.