Where Have All the Apsaras Gone?

Mid-Week Respite at Bukhansan National Park

2009-10-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

South Korea's most visited national park, Bukhansan in the north of Seoul, hosts far less hikers and picnickers in the middle of the week. Since it's prime hiking season (on account of autumn leaf viewing mania), I took an opportunity to do an afternoon hike on Wednesday, October 21.

No other national or provinical park in the country has so many trails, temples, and hermitages. There are also a considerable number of "workout stations", badminton courts, and vegetable plots sited at the beginning of the trails.

Starting from Dobongsan Station, I stopped to take a look at Dobong Temple. The 1,000-year-old iron Buddha, dating from the Goryeo Period, was not in evidence, though there were some intriguing temple details such as this white elephant.

Before I took a lesser-travelled route down to the Banghak-dong neighborhood I rested at the top of Ui Peak, from which I contemplated the city's smog level. Visibility was decent.

An Outing at Bugak-san

2009-09-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

After Nam-san, Bugak-san is arguably the most conspicuous mountain in or around the downtown Seoul area. Every pedestrian heading north on Sejeong Road, toward Gyeongbok Palace and the presidential Blue House, is facing the bald, streaked crown of Bugak-san.

I tried to hike Bugak-san during the last period when I was living in Seoul. Not knowing that the mountain was closed off to the public and patrolled vigrously by heavily armed soldiers, I had to beat a hasty retreat.

In 2006, however, the mountain was opened up to hikers, who may now follow a strict course along a rebuilt fortified wall. The gates close at 3 pm and all visitors must bring an identification card (or passport) for signing in.

Here is Sukjeongmun (Sukjeong Gate), the most northerly of the gates of Seoul's old wall.

There are ten semi-wild deer living on Bugaksan. After years of hiking remoter Korean peaks without spotting a deer, I never would have expected to see three at the same time within the Seoul city limits.

This is the statue marking the reason why Bugaksan was closed off to the public. Police Chief Choi Gyu-sik was the one who led an attack on a band of North Korean guerillas who had made it into the south. They were well on their way to the Blue House to assisinate President Park Chun-hee.

The spot where the gunfight showdown took place. Now the Chung-un Silver Center (read: an old folks center).

One of the many fine views of Sam-cheong-gak, a former kisaeng (courtesan) mansion for top-level government business. These days it functions as a restaurant-teahouse.

First Statue of the First Korean Astronaut

2009-08-01T02:01:00.000-07:00

Returning briefly to my old stomping ground, in front of Chungnam National University (at the Dae-hang-no and Han-bat-dae-no intersection of Daejeon, South Korea) I was surprised and delighted to see a new statue standing where some prodigiously kitsch seasonal monuments had once graced the dreary edge of cityscape.

This was a statue of first Korean astronaut, Yi Soo-yeon, who rode with the Russians into space last year (2008) to conduct various tests. There was controversy at the time over whether Soo-yeon really was an 'astronaut,' or simple a 'space tourist,' as the Republic of Korea paid handsomely for the spot on the flight mission. (The history of space tourism began in 2001, with multimillionaire Dennis Tito's jaunt in space -- see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Tito). There was also controversy upon her selection for the job. A male candidate named Ko San was actually granted the job, over Soo-yeon, until his disqualification by the Russians for some rather murky business.

The weather was drear on the day of the statue sighting. Soo-yeon's likeness was still wrapped in bubble wrap.

I will have to ask my rocket scientist buddy who works at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) in Daejeon just what the hell Soo-yeon is carrying there - a vacuum transformer box? A further question - what is the significance of the missile behind and to her side?

The Berlin Wall - In Seoul

2009-07-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

I came across this section ofthe Berlin Wall during my recent ramblings around Seoul. The wall segment was presented as a gift from the mayor of Berlin. The Cold War separation of the Korean peninsual into a North and a South is often compared to the division of Eastern and Western Germany. Though there are a great number of differences between the two cases, guidence for Korea's future is sometimes sought through analysis of the successful reunification of Germany.

Now that you have passed a solemn moment of reflection, I urge you to indulge in some '80s nostaliga by watching this video of David Hasselhoff singing on the Berlin Wall. Check out his lit-up jacket.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zXiClnK8oE

Bo-shing-tang --- Korean Dog Soup

2009-07-28T19:24:00.001-07:00

Not far from Seoul Station is an interesting looking dog meat soup (보신탕) restaurant. The middle character, 신, has been substituted for by a pair of old-time rubber shoes (고무신), making a witty play on words.

The restaurant also serves hearty chicken soup, 삼계탕.

Seoraksan National Park, Day 3

2009-07-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

On the morning of my third day in Seoraksan National Park I was awoken at the ungodly hour of 4 AM by a Gangneung University student who had befriended me. He was keen to view the sunrise from Dae-cheong-bong - the highest peak of Seoraksan. The sunrise could be expected at 5:20AM; we were at the peak at around 5.

The lowlands were thoroughly veiled by a sea of clouds. The East Sea/Sea of Japan, the city of Sokcho, the North Korean territory nearby - all were there somewhere below the clouds.

We had brought a portable boombox with a tape of Strauss's 'Also Spake Zarathustra' and, as the crimson sun pierced the cloud bed, we blasted the opening piece into the heavens, the timpanis blaring. The spirit of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey lives on in South Korea.

On the way to Ma-deung-ryeong (마등령) Pass. This was a tough slog. Not recommeded for the faint of heart, as the course involves at least 6 extreme descents and ascents. 'Ma-deung-ryeong' means 'Dinosaur's Back' - so I was told.

Back in Sokcho. The Sam-ho Park Hotel owner had allowed me to store my baggage in the hotel stairwell. Here is a small glimpse of his rock collection. The lobby is full of interesting finds from the seashore and the slopes.

Seoraksan National Park, Day 2.2

2009-07-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

The Sari Pagoda, on a rock ledge above Bong-jeong-am. Sari is a Korean Buddhist term for the white rocks that are found in the cremated ashes of enlightened monks. The sari are said to form in the brain, and are considered holy relics, to be enshrined within pagodas or stupas.

This primal rock is typical of the Seorak mountains.

A typical vista of the park.

One of the mountain god (san-shin) shrines. The mountain god can be recognized by the tiger that is always by his side. The worship of mountain gods dates back to the days of Korean shamanism. Tigers are now extinct in South Korea, though rumor has it that a few are still alive in the North!

Seoraksan National Park, Day 2.1

2009-07-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

This pinkish-orange fungus seemed to be in season.

A view of the eastern approach to Bong-jeong-am (Bong-jeong Hermitage), in the central heights of the park. The jutting rise behind the hermitage is Seok-ga-bong - Sakyamuni Peak -, so named because of what looks like a human face in profile on the side of the cliff. The face looked more Apache than Indic, but who knows? Perhaps it really is the Buddha's likeness?

On the way to Baekdam Temple.

Wall of a Korean seon [zen] hermitage.

Encounter with a serpent.

Seoraksan National Park, Day 1.5

2009-07-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

Korean hospitality always seems to be at its best on the mountains. The man in the left of the picture - a veteran public school teacher - invited me to join for dinner. Considering that we were near the highest peak of the national park, they did a pretty good job of brewing up some kimchi-ji-gae (kimchi soup), with plenty of side dishes. As always in such situations, flavor was the best sauce.

The twilight view of the geoids on the hill.

In the fading light of the ridge, I took a few experimental shots of the grasses blowing in the fierce wind. The inspiration came from a particular scene in Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man.

Seoraksan National Park, Day I

2009-07-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

Seoraksan National Park is undoubtedly the most spectacular national park in South Korea, and is only rivaled by the Geumgang Mountains in North Korea, which are part of the same range and are very close to Seoraksan. The two mountain clusters are rather unnaturally separated by the demilitarized zone (DMZ), separating the north and south Koreas, and splitting Gangwon province into a north and south section.

Seoraksan National Park is accessible from the East Sea city of Sokcho. Most people enter Inner Seorak from the west, and pass by a cluster of grave monuments for ancient Buddhist monks. Here is a detail from one of these.

Some classical graffiti.

A protypical Seorak view.

WARNING: DROP/FALL!

The summit of Dae-cheong-bong, at around 1700 meters. Dae-cheong-bong translates as 'Wide Blue Peak.' The hiker who reaches this marker stone has braved a brutally steep climb. With luck, there will be a sea-of-clouds view, or (rarely) a view of the East Sea/Sea of Japan; or, perhaps a view of North Korea.

The Great Korean Loach

2009-07-22T17:33:00.000-07:00

My travels having come to an end, and my career pursuits having resumed their course in Seoul, South Korea, I have decided to transform this travel blog somewhat. For the time being, new postings will focus on Korean foods, traditional restaurants, and travel in Korea.

As the first of the Korean features, I would like to focus on a subject of great mystification to foreign visitors and residents: THE KOREAN LOACH. Most important in this matter is not to confuse 'loach' with 'roach.' A loach is a small fish-like creature that lives in the muddy waters of rice paddies. It is not a slug. Nor is it an eel, really. I suppose that only a biologist could settle the question of exactly what type of creature a loach is.

But the most important consideration in the subject of loaches is that they taste delicious. Loaches are commonly served as chu-ah-tang in Korea. Another - more colloquial - name for this soup is mi-kuh-ruh-ji-tang ('mi-kuh-ruh-ji' means 'slippery'!).

This is one of the excellent chu-ah-tang restaurants in the heart of Seoul: Nam-won Chu-ah-Tang. (Nam-won is a small provincial city.) A bowl of loach soup goes for 7,000 won here, which is typical. (Conversion Rate: around $6 US).

In the olden days, the loaches were dished up whole, but the present-day Korean has become a bit more squeemish, and the loaches are now blended and pureed. Loaches are also served deep-fried, or in dumplings.

The ingredient presentation outside of Namwon Chu-ah-tang.

Loaches in an aquarium.

Portrait of a loach.

Incidentally, I have heard that a village cure for the hiccups used to be to force the hiccuping child to swallow a live loach. YIKES!

The Last of Nepal

2009-07-16T02:40:00.000-07:00

My brief stay in Nepal came to an end over a week ago now, but the images remain. (The final five images, that is).

The Tibetan community in exile rallies around the Boudhanath stupa. Not far from this site is the Hyatt Hotel.

Viewing the world through prayer-flag tinted glasses.

Three details of Boudhanath:

Caterpillar Fungus and Mt. Everest

2009-07-15T06:19:00.000-07:00

The Mountain Museum in Pokhara, Nepal, is a bit over-hyped, in my humble opinion, though there were plenty of huge mountain posters on the wall, including this Everest shot.

For those who have kept up with the caterpillar fungus craze in China, or seen the related pictures in the Golmud posts of this blog, the Pokhara Mountain Museum may be able to shed more light on the mysterious phenomenon.

Here we find out that caterpillar fungus's scientific name is Cordyceps sinensis.

The CF is gathered in 4,500 - 5,200 meter alpine meadows in the Himalayas, and in Tibet.

Diagnostic Characteristics: "Club shaped parasitic fungus, later becomes saprophytic on insect larva after its death. It comes out of the anterior end of the larva of the caterpillar (swiftmoth) during the monsoon."

Use: Tonic and aphrodisiac

Pokhara, Nepal

2009-07-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

A wild half-day bus trip bound west of Kathmandu, Nepal, brings tourists from India and beyond to the lakeside city of Pokhara. This is one of the legendary hiking, trekking, and mountaineering desitinations in Nepal, with the more-than-8,000-meter-tall Annapurna lurking in the town skyline.

Here is the only glimpse I got, toward the end of my last day there. The peak is emerging here from the clouds.

Being a predominantly Hindu country, cows are sacred in Nepal. Buffalos, like these, can be eaten.

Tourism is in a lull these days. This sign could serve as a the new, desperate slogan of Nepal: Don't Pass Me By!

Just a fragment of the great lake.

Place of worship.

Prayer Flags Every Which Way

2009-07-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

Thousands of multi-colored scriptures flap in the breeze below Swayambhunath temple, in Kathmandu. This tangle of Tibetan prayer flags has been draped from the branches of a tree.

View from the hill.

Like telephone wires, but different.

Swayambhunath (Popularly Known as Monkey Temple)

2009-07-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

One of the great landmarks of Kathmandu is the Monkey Temple (Swayambhunath) in the northwest of the city. The hill is crowned with Buddhist pagodas and a hall of Tibetan monks. There is plenty of Tibetan Buddhist iconography, and plenty of prayer wheels.

Note the huge golden vajra (Tibetan: dorje) to the right of this scene.

Secular concerns.

Buddha and Monkey.

I asked whether they serve monkey burgers here at the McMonkey Cafe, but in fact they do not.

At One of the Durbar Squares

2009-07-08T01:43:00.000-07:00

There are a few Durbar Squares in and around Kathmandu, Nepal, but here is the one close to the tourist/traveler district of Thamel, and the city's old town section.
I should mention that the self-taught guides here are ferocious and wildly persistent.

The Bhairava statue - looks like a Hindu version of the Tibetan Buddhist fierce protector deity.

Some amazing carvings here. Your guide will joyously point out the carven depictions of tantric sex scenes. My lens just didn't have enough zoom, so you'll have to either look for the pornographic details with a magnifying glass, or else do a little exploring.

The courtyard of the Kumari, a pre-pubescent girl who has been selected as a living godess. She lives in the second story with a number of maids/attendents, who see to it that her feet never touch the ground. There is more on the Kumari at Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumari

A gurkha guard.

The siva-linga (read: phallus) within the Siva Temple.

EVEREST!

2009-07-08T01:32:00.000-07:00

Any traveler worth his/her salt these days takes the bus from Lhasa to Kathmandu (or versa-vice), an intrepid, wild journey that takes a few days. Due to my 'budget deal' with the China International Travel Services office in Golmud, I received the ridiculously bare-boned Tibet travel itinerary of 'GOLMUD - LHASA - BEIJING.' My guide found this itinerary quite laughable.

Because of the minimalism of my itinerary, it would have been risky or impossible to go overland to Nepal, but totally kosher to fly out. Taking the flight was hardly an intrepid travel maneuver, and yet it offered a view of the world's tallest piece of rock: Mt. Everest (seen here peeking out of the clouds).

Incidentally, Nepal has two small tourist airlines, Buddha Air and Yeti Air, which run mountain flights to Everest and back. It sounds dangerous to me, but the price is reasonable (around $150 US).

The Last Dance

2009-07-08T01:23:00.000-07:00

I will conclude my photo-documentation of a trip to Lhasa with this evening view of the Potala Palace.

Sera Monastery

2009-07-08T01:14:00.000-07:00

The Sera Monastery is one of the big three monasteries in the history of Tibet. Just outside Lhasa, snuggled up against the hill slopes, Sera has only one tenth the number of monks it once had. (This proportion, one tenth, seems to be consistent for all the monasteries around Lhasa).

The wheel of life. Try not to be reborn as a hungry ghost, an animal, or a denizen of the Buddhist hell!

The Tibetan snow lion!

The young monks of Sera engage in debate sessions in the afternoon.

The tourists engage in monk-watching sessions in the afternoon.

The Norbulinka

2009-07-08T01:01:00.000-07:00

On a set tour schedule in Lhasa, your guide will most likely take you to 1.) Potala Palace, 2.) Jokhang Temple, and 3.) Norbulinka - the former summer palace and park grounds of the Dalai Lama. In fact, it was from the Norbulinka that the Dalai Lama and his family fled, after dark, one summer evening in 1959. They left in secrecy, all wearing disguises, so that when the People's Liberation Army began shelling Lhasa a few days later, they still assumed that the 14th Dalai Lama was in residence at the Norbulinka. A shot even landed on his personal quarters - was it a carefully aimed shot or a stray shot? one might ask.

Here is the former summer residence of the 14th Dalai Lama.

The elephant, the monkey, the rabbit, and the bird: an allegory of friendship.

A hot water apparatus. I saw these all around the city of Golmud, in Qinghai province, and was delighted to see one on in the Norbulinka as well.

Some Interesting Specimens of Tibetan Cuisine

2009-07-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

One of the more singular items was raw, spicy yak meat. The raw meat has been pureed: it has a very pink color.

I also dined on yak tongue, but unfortunately didn't take a picture...

This item is deep fried and filled with ground yak meat. It is remarkably similar to the Mongolian hushur (though this latter snack employees mutton).

Almost every foreign visitor seems to sample Tibetan barley beer. Reactions differ, though I liked it, especially the barley aftertaste.

Explorations of side streets will be rewarded with views of traditional food stalls. Here, yak butter is for sale.

Crystallized honeycomb laid out on the street.

Girl Running in the Water Show

2009-07-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

Opposite the Potala Palace in Lhasa has been constructed a huge, stately square. At night a massive water show begins (at around 8:30pm, if I remember correctly), with tremendous water jets squirting into the air in time with classical airs, or traditional Chinese and Tibetan tunes. I can't say that it harmonizes perfectly with the Potala and its other surroundings, but the show is certainly entertaining.

Here is an action sequence of one Tibetan girl making a mad dash through the water show.

A Pilgrimage Circuit

2009-07-05T04:57:00.000-07:00

Jokhang Temple in central Lhasa still draws pilgrims from the three original Tibetan provinces of Amdo, Kham, and U-Tsang.

I was cautioned by my guide not to take any pictures of the rooftop sentries in this main square.

Full-length prostrations.

The clockwise circuit around the Jokhang.

Chinese tourists, spinning prayer wheels for a joke photo.

Sore Memories

2009-07-05T04:45:00.000-07:00

While all travelers to Lhasa must be accompanied by a guide/minder, at least for a couple days, tourists are not completely bared from seeing some of the less positive marks of the Chinese legacy.

The 14th Dalai Lama, in a talk in Manhattan, on May 3, 2009, urged people to visit Tibet and see for themselves in order to form their own opinions. Some of his words were: 'The Chinese government never admit [sic], never acknowledged there is a problem. So now I think the world community has a responsibility to show the world there is a problem. If the majority of Tibetan people are happy, then our information becomes wrong, then ... we must apologize to the Chinese government.'

Here's one of the shop fronts along a street crammed with Chinese shops. Most of the signs of rioting and violence from last year have been repaired and covered up, though this building is still singed with smoke at its base, with some of its windows gutted.

One of smaller temple-monasteries that was looted during the Cultural Revolution. This one stands in the middle of a residential courtyard in Old Lhasa.

Opposite the Potala Palace has been erected a monument to honor Chinese soldiers.

Lhasa in June

2009-07-05T04:15:00.000-07:00

Last week I returned from the still-esoteric, long-sought-after travel destination of Lhasa, Tibet. One hundred years ago, Lhasa was near impossible to enter because it was a fiercely closed kingdom. Many of the great explorers never made it, with a good example being the Cossack Nikolai Przhevalsky, who tried and failed three times to penetrate as far as Lhasa.

These days, however, it is difficult for outsiders to reach Lhasa and even harder to travel in other regions of Tibet province due to the restrictions of the Chinese central government. Guides are required, a private vehicle must be paid for, and a detailed travel itinerary must be submitted, among other restrictions. The good news is that with a little time and patience (and money!) it is well within the realm of the possible to visit Lhasa.

Here are a few shots of Lhasa in the early morning.

A few dozen of the thousand rooms in the Potala Palace.

The wall paintings in the Potala may be the best preserved in Lhasa. This is one of the guardian kings, looking less fierce than usual.

The Potala Palace is an essential stop for Chinese tourists, and the smaller contingent of non-Chinese tourists. Scenes like this are the norm. There is also a one hour maximum tour time allowance for guides (though clever guides can maneuver around this problem!).

Train to Lhasa - Part II

2009-07-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

As the landscape unfurls...

Yaks.

Han Chinese soldiers: on to Lhasa we march.

Train to Lhasa - Part I

2009-07-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

China has earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records with the highest altitude train line in the world. With global warming taken into account, there may be some severe problems with the thawing of the permafrost, but not until more than twenty years from now.

Shortly after our departure from Golmud, Amdo province.

Some Amdo Province Tibetans. They disembarked at the town of Amdo, to be replaced by Han Chinese soldiers and tourists.

While I was expecting a series of snow capped spires and treacherous cliff-side traverses, most of the ride bore witness to the fact that this was a plateau ride. We were on the Tibetan Plateau, after all!

The Last of Golmud

2009-07-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

For those in search of Chinese idiosyncrasies, Golmud may satisfy.

During a five hour bank session I witnessed a young child urinate on the bank floor. This was small compensation for my day wasted at the bank, but here it is, nonetheless.

They don't call it a movie theatre, or a cinema in Golmud. No. They call it the "Cultural Propaganda Golmud Centre." To be fair, though, most of the movies are robot flicks. Only some are Chinese history propaganda features.

NO THROWING THE GROUND WITH SNIRE AND VARIA

Tibetan Caterpillar Fungus AND Yak Jerky

2009-07-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

One of the specialties of Qinghai Province, China, is its medicinal caterpillar fungus. This stuff is in high demand, so be prepared to pay for your caterpillar fungus. In Golmud, I bought one single caterpillar (plus fungus) for 20 RMB (about 3 US dollars).

The high spenders among us may way to buy a whole box.

Choices to chose from.

A single caterpillar. Note the fungus growing out (strangely) from the head.

Once you've purchased your caterpillar(s), kindly deposit in a bottle of Chinese vodka. Then allow to saturate for up to one year before drinking. When ready to drink, take a nip each day for best effect.

Qinghai province is not just famous for its caterpillar fungus - there is also some tasty yak jerky, available at any supermarket.

Salty Dogs

2009-07-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

The government of China is keen to develop the tourism potential of Goldmud city. There is a salt lake nearby, for instance, which will soon be pulling in droves of 'em. A minibus from the main square travels to the 'salt town' itself, where the intrepid adventurer can disembark to confront one of the worst 21st century lifestyle hells imaginable. Take a swim in this salt pond, if so inclined.

Or join in with patting down the salt mounds.

Golmud: Scenes

2009-07-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

Those who go to Golmud are probably there for a stopover, en route to Lhasa, Tibet, or else trying to finagle a legal Chinese permit to visit the Tibet Autonomous Zone. I was of the latter camp. It took about six days to secure permission to visit the ever-sensitive Chinese Tibet, though a well-timed visit to Golmud could result in permit acquisition within three business days. This is the facade to look out for, the China International Travel Service (CITS) building, a never-never land where all the magic of Tibet permits takes place. Head straight for the fourth floor. Don't wake the upper-echelon managers sleeping at their desks.

Near the central square of Golmud is ... green umbrella heaven.

Golmud: City of Immigrants

2009-07-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

China has been promoting a "Go West" campaign for a while now. The fierce competition of the wildly overpopulated east has been reason enough for families to make the drive westward to provinces like Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Tibet. Here are a few of the faces of Golmud, a dominantly Han Chinese city in the former Tibetan province of Amdo - now Qinghai.

These girls work at the Postal Savings Bank. They took me in a taxi to a larger branch office which dealt in Western Union money transfers.

Man of the bottle beverages.

Uighur boy roasting mutton.

Another hard luck story - one of the down and outs.

The Royal Road to Golmud

2009-07-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

The southern Silk Road route from Kashgar to Golmud, skirting the Tamaklan Desert, took me five days to complete. I dare say, with better planning it could possibly be done in four, though the total effect would be even rougher, substituting a day on bus for a day of recuperation.

This route is more of an experience than a series of gratuitous photo opportunities, so I have relatively little to show for myself.

This first picture is of a standard monument, which figures in at least two of the Southern Silk Road towns. It shows Chairman Mao shaking hands with a Uighur elder. Note the height difference between the two. Mao in real life was not a very tall fellow, yet here he is, looking down on his minority ward!

This may have been the third day. I don't remember. There was some engine trouble with the bus. This man was my well-natured seat-neighbor. The scenery here is dramatic compared to most of it!

I nominate this building as the worst piece of architecture in China, if not the world. It was in Huatugou, where I received a massive police shake down on the sidewalk for ... being foreign. I sincerely hope that I never see Huatugou again.

Old Town Youth

2009-07-01T23:19:00.000-07:00

A spontaneous Old Town photo shoot.

The Swedish around-the-world cyclist and the shy young Uighur girl.

The fellaheen.

Still life: Uighur alley boy with my Chinese tea decanter and recently purchased roll of toilet paper.

Behind the veil.

The Kashgar Animal Market

2009-07-01T22:51:00.000-07:00

For connoisseurs of beasts, the Kashgar Sunday animal market cannot be beat in Central Asia. Personally, one beast looks the same as another to me, and I was hardly more enlightened after the experience.

Of particular [morbid] interest were these goat heads, of which a local favorite - goat head stew -is concocted.

For those who admire cows...

The Icemen.

A Taste of 'Exotic' Uighur Food

2009-07-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

I was never able to determine exactly what this stuff was. It seemed to be a bulwark of intestines stuffed with noodles, built upon a base of some lardish substance. All sorts of organs were soaking in juice within the intestinal wall.

After the stall operator has done his carving work, here is the final product. It was worth trying.

We encountered a pile of steaming guts on the sidewalk. It was reeking in the intense heat and swarming with flies. About two hours later the mound had disappeared, along with its owners.

Pigeon restaurants abound in Kashgar. The meat is rich and tender.

Unfortunately, I - somehow - didn't get a chance to try, or take any pictures of, Kashgar's goat head soup.

Kashgar Demolition

2009-07-01T22:15:00.001-07:00

A far view of the edge of the Old Town, rising up along a stream.

Demolition and construction - once again, Old Town in the background, with cranes.

South Korea's Doosan brand of construction machinery is popular in China.

Back in the Old Town. Taxi anyone?

Kashgar's Old Town - See it While You Still Can!

2009-07-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

One of the main reasons why travelers seek out Kashgar, despite its remote location (the train ride takes days from Beijing or Shanghai), is its charismatic old town section. Unfortunately, the Old Town will be demolished within two or three years and replaced by Chinese-built apartment buildings. The government line is that the Old Town would be highly vulnerable to earthquakes, and thus the safe and reasonable thing to do is to raze it in a controlled manner. Rebellious speculators contend that the Old Town poses problems of control for the Chinese authorities. It is a highly mysterious labyrinthine warren of lanes, after all!

Follow the arrows to find your way back to a main street.

High walls, with few views into the private courtyards beyond.

Is it earthquake-proof?

Some words from the government.

Graffiti - Old Town style.

Traditional Uighur Dentistry

2009-07-01T21:55:00.000-07:00

Despite political problems - discontent by the Uighur Muslims of Xinjiang province with Chinese rule - Kashgar remains a popular tourist destination. I have noticed that the Uighur section of the city abounds with dentist shops - perhaps the city could turn into a 'dentistry-destination', much as places like Thailand are famous for cheap cosmetic surgery and sex change operations.

At any rate, here are a few of the more graphic signboards. Open wide! Local anesthetic may be available, depending on supply.

Note that this is a 'dentest' shop, not a dentist.

Kashgar Landmarks

2009-07-01T21:48:00.000-07:00

The Kashgar Mosque - at the center of the Old Town.

The Mao Statue - reportedly the tallest in China.

Neighborhood kids.

Through the Torugart Pass

2009-07-01T21:36:00.000-07:00

A trip through the 3,752 meter Torugart Pass was arranged for us by Novinomad Tour Agency in Bishkek. We started off from Tash Rabat caravanserai, opting to spend the night closer to the border. (The other option was to stay in Naryn - a one-street town, though the one street is endless. The town had fallen into a state of disrepair and neglect: even the public bath house was out-of-service in Naryn.)

Here is a view from the back seat, soon after we started off in the morning. Note the Kyrgyz flag deodorizer handing from the rear view mirror.

The road to the Chinese border passes through the Tien Shan Range - it had snowed the night before.

This is a land of yaks and yak herders only.

One of the last few rises.

At the midpoint of the pass! Our semi-heroic driver did a fine job, and deserved to be 'immortalized' through this portrait. Here, at the pass itself, we had to wait for hours while our driver from China came to pick us up.

Unfortunately it was not possible to photograph the wild Kyrgyz border militia (they were all garbed in jungle fatigues; the boss reeked of vodka fumes), nor the ultra-uptight Chinese border contingent.

Last Stand in Kyrgyzstan

2009-07-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

Before traversing the Torugart Pass into western China I stayed a night at the old Silk Road caravanserai of Tash Rabat. Opinion is divided over just what the old building at the far end of this picture was used for (some say a mosque). It was reconstructed by the Russians.

To the left of the picture are some of the tourist yurts of the valley, including the one I slept in. It was a cold night, and the high altitude (3,500 meters) caused a sleeplessness, with shortness of breath and a racing heart rate!

A survey of the landscape.

A Victim of Blog Repression Speaks Out!

2009-07-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

NOTICE: All the following posts are weeks old, but have been delayed by my entry into the People's Republic of China, the world's largest and most populous police state. The PRC blocks all major blog sites, including www.blogger.com, so that it is only now, after entering the Republic of Nepal, that I will be able to upload relatively benign pictures of my time in western China, the old Tibetan province of Amdo (now Qinghai province), and the Tibet 'Autonomous' Zone.

At the Old Sanatorium

2009-06-08T00:09:00.000-07:00

Beyond the city of Karakol, at the eastern end of Kyrgyzstan's huge, scenic, saline lake of Issyk-Kul, and beyond the small town of Ak-Suu, rests this old Russian sanatorium, at the start of a great alpine valley, and beside the roaring Ak-Suu River. Incredibly, the sanatorium is still in use. I saw a few chamber maids strolling outside the building, though inside all the doors were locked. For some reason, my thoughts turned to Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain, and its central character Hans Castorp.

Instead of stairs, this section contains a series of ziz-zagging elevated slopes - perhaps for the benefit of wheelchair-ridden patients.

Beyond the sanatorium is the domain of herders and nomads. Also occational foreign trekkers.

Deep in the valley, these women are using a crank-contraption to separate cream from milk.

Conversation Pieces: Bishkek Series

2009-06-07T23:59:00.000-07:00

Only the most diehard of diehard fans of this blog would recall an image that appeared a few weeks ago of the Tashkent Circus. Even further back, there might have been a mention of the Ulaanbaatar Circus. Well, there is also a Bishkek Circus, and it may be the most ridiculous spectacle of the three. I am currently staying in a cheap hotel directly behind this circus, so it is the first object I see when I rise in the morning. I believe that the strangle geometric creasings are harboring thousands of birds, as the area becomes a frantic cacophany of birdtalk starting at five AM. To my knowledge, Russian-inspired circus acts no longer perform in the Bishkek Circus (nor in Tashkent or Ulaanbaatar), making the circus an irrelevent architectural curio.

Near the circus is another irrelevant landmark: the Savoy Nightclub (now known only as the Crooked 'S' N-H-UB). This must have been quite the nightclub before it fell on hardtimes.

For the third bizarre picture of this set, I am including a bazaar shot (though there's actually nothing bizarre about it).

Bishkek is Full of Stone Heads

2009-06-07T23:48:00.000-07:00

The parks, street medians, and squares of Bishkek are remarkably full of statues and sculpture - most of which are inexplicable/esoteric for a foreign visitor.

One such stone head, mounted on a pedestal:

A second stone head:

Lenin himself!

A reclining stone dryad:

An ancient Turkic balbal, on the grounds of the State Historical Museum:

A Bishkek Laundrette

2009-06-07T23:38:00.000-07:00

One of my more memorable forays in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, was to go have my laundry done at a local laundromat. Rather hard to find, the entrance was around the back of a decaying fifties-era Soviet wreak of a building. Here was the laundry collection room we were directed to, on the second floor. (Note the Dutch tourist in the background).

View of the rear of the building. At nightfall, gusts of steam shoot up like spectral geysers from vents in the asphalt.

Ceiling-Gazing in Bishkek

2009-06-07T23:27:00.000-07:00

A ceiling-theme is beginning to creep into the postings of this blog, starting with the tesselated fresco madness of Uzbekistan's holy Muslim architecture. This installment features just three of the many ceiling murals of Biskek's State Historical Museum. While the entire second floor treats the Great Communist Revolution, with a great musty assortment of anachronistic tripe, like mouldering manifestos, yellowing newspaper clippings, and an eerie, intimidating Lenin showcase, the third floor focuses on Kyrgyzstan.

The most interesting of the ceiling murals was this one, of a clearly anti-nuclear-proliferation theme. Dean Starnes, writing in the Lonely Planet guidebook, identifies the skull-masked cowboy riding the bomb Dr. Strangelove style as Ronald Regan!

Another anti-A Bomb mural, but this one distinctly Kyrgyz in treatment. Note the strangely doll-like boy, riding naked (but emasculated) on a horse. Perhaps this has to do with radiation poisoning?

A reindeer woman with her reindeer.

Portait of a Uighur

2009-06-07T23:20:00.000-07:00

On my first day in Bishkek, capital of the small, mountainous country of Kyrgyzstan, I met this Uighur man while taking pictures of the Philharmonia (see behind statue). Most of the Uighur people live in China's western frontier province of Xinjiang, though they are also represented in Kyrgyzstan and other neighboring countries. Unfortunately, I was unable to have a chat with this gentleman, due to severe language difficulties!

Yet Another Alpine Plateau

2009-06-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

Above the village of Arslanbab, Kyrgyzstan, one finds views and scenes such as this peak.

Horses led up here to graze.

Burnt, spindly stalks.

Speculative cows.

The Punching Machine

2009-06-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

In the small, isolated, heavily conservative Kyrgyz mountain village of Arslanbob, predominantly comprised of strict Muslim Uzbeks, there is only ONE source of entertainment. THE PUNCHING MACHINE. Having spend some years in South Korea, I am well familiar with this great invention. In cities such as Seoul, gangs of frustrated office workers regularly hit the bottle after slaving through hours of stultifying overtime work, and then ... head for the nearest PUNCHING MACHINE. Taking turns punching or kicking the machine, while obviously visualizing their boss, they then compare scores, and perhaps head to the batting cages next. Some of the Korean punching machines have a human form - specifically, they resemble American soldiers.

Being a great fan of the punching machine, it was a delight to find one (a model i had never seen before) in such a far flung place as Arslanbob.

An Intrepid Visit to an Uzbek Silk Factory

2009-06-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

Usually I don't do this sort of thing - visit silk factories -, but in this case I did. Like the market featured in the previous post, the factory is located in the small city of Margilon, in the Uzbek portion of the Fergana Valley. Impressively, the factory continues to use ancient methods of production.

At the beginning of the process we have silk worm pupae. Note the cocoons and the pupae themselves. In Korea, these silk worm pupae are known as bundegi, and served in streetside stalls as a pungent yet tasty snack!

Extracting the silk from the cocoons. (This woman's job title is 'the extractor of the essence').

Another stage in the process: making the dyes from natural sources.

At the loom. Many of the weaving women stick pictures of their favorite heartthrobs onto the frames of their loom apparatuses, thus increasing the speed of production and the quality of their work (presumably).

A coy carpeteer.

Margilon Market - Virgin Ground for Tourists

2009-06-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

While staying in Fergana City, Uzbekistan, I was able to make a side trip to the small town of Margilon. A few days before, there had been a suicide bombing 'incident' in the city of Andijon, nearby, but it was business as usual in the market and town, with the people seeming, for the most part, friendly and unfazed. The Margilon bazaar was one of the least touristed, and hence most 'authentic' that I have ever visited. Within a minute curious marketeers were asking where we were from. Though the people were shy about their appearances, and usually declined photo requests, photographic opportunities abounded. Here are some of the people of the market - a representative portrait of the people of the Fergana Valley, who continue to live in close communities and to practice strong traditions, centered upon their unique brand of Islam.

A photo taken upon the request of the shopkeepers.

Fresh greens.

Peppers and powders redder than red.

This venerable old fellow has two wives and six children.

Spicy sauces.

Korean Food - Uzbek Style

2009-06-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

As a great fan of Korean food, one my main goals in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, was to go to a Korean restaurant or two. Among the many forced migrations and relocations orchestrated by Stalin, hundreds of thousands of Russian-Koreans, living in the far southeast corner of the empire, were moved to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. These communities are now into their third and fourth generations, and have lost their mother tongues, along with much of their original culture.

Here is one of the more conspicuous Korean restaurants, in the south of town (just off Shota Rustaveli Street). Dishes are grossly overpriced compared to restaurants in Korea proper!

In a more humble restaurant, on Ivleva Street, I ordered a very affordable serving of 'bo-shin-tang' - the famous, invigorating Korean dog-stew. While the meat seemed closer in texture and taste to beef, raising my suspicions, it was still a tasty meal.

Here is the Uzbek version of a classic Korean soup - twen-jang-ji-gae. Again, it was a bit of a hybrid version, unlike any that could be found in Korea itself.

Ceiling Gazing (pt. 2)

2009-05-28T04:35:00.000-07:00

Here, as a brief follow up to a previous post, are two more details of intricate ceiling work, both in the city of Bukhara. No 3D glasses required.

All Things Timur

2009-05-28T04:28:00.000-07:00

In its search for a modern identity, the Uzbek government and the peope themselves have looked to Amir Temur, known in the west as Tamerlane, and have put him at the center of Uzbekistan's post-Soviet iconography. Like Mao in China, and Genghis Khan in Mongolia, the image of Timur has appears on all the banknotes. The capital of Tashkent sports a Timur museum, near the statue of Timur on horseback at the center of the central park. Here, at the outskirts of Samarkand, Timur's hometown, is a Timur billboard, rather attractive if I must say so myself.

For the Love of Vendors

2009-05-28T04:20:00.000-07:00

Being the kind of place that it is, it seems that a great many Bukharans make a living through vending.

These are the customers of the vendors.

These rotund clay figurines seem to be a popular ware of the vendors.

All sorts of finely-crafted cutting objects are up for sale.

Some Glimpses of Bukhara

2009-05-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

The ancient city of Bukhara is in Uzbekistan's top three sites for history inspired tourist invasions (along with Samarkand and Khiva). Its popularity with European tour groups seems to have warped the locals to the point where a two-tiered payment system, with different prices for guests and locals, has reached an incredibly advanced state.

An outside view of one of the old markets, before the afternoon heat came on.

Spectacular fascades (this one of a medressa) become routine sitings in Bukhara.

Restoration efforts continue.

Patterns

2009-05-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

Fans of Timurid art and/or psychadelia may enjoy these fine examples from Samarkand:

Uzbek Friends

2009-05-22T06:11:00.000-07:00

I made some Uzbek friends at a cafe last night. The gentleman on the left is a local musician; the others work in the cafe.

The Ancient City of Samarkand - It's All Just a Big Fascade

2009-05-22T05:57:00.000-07:00

A more serious, cultured posting here (though perhaps Club Arni is also a cultured, serious place). The first two pictures are of the intricate, towering fascades of some of the monuments of Samarkand. These have been restored, keep in mind, since days of Amir Timur (Tamerlane).

This does not quite qualify as a fascade.

Another picture unrelated to the theme.

Tashkent Oddities - Two in One

2009-05-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

Near the place I was staying I saw ... THIS. The current governer of California ('The Governator') would perhaps be a bit surprised to learn that there is an obscure nightclub in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, named after him. No, I did not check out Club Arni. Maybe next time.

Not every merry-go-round has a set of saddled roosters to ride. Or maybe they do - i'm not too familiar on the subject. At any rate, it was quite intriguing to see how all the Uzbek children shunned the roosters without exception, in favor of the horses/ponies. I suspect that any child who rode a rooster would be severely ostracized by his/her peers.

Assorted Glimpses of Tashkent

2009-05-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

One of the city symbols is this set of three silver birds flying above a globe.

A landmark.

Sirk = Circus. One of the stranger structures of Tashkent. It bears a slight resemblance to the circus building in Ulaanbaatar.

A skygazer's view of the entrance to the Islamic University.

From the metro entrance/exit of the Chorsu Bazaar can be glimpsed this unusual structure, which looks like it could be a truncated version of the Tower of Babel.

A Clockwork Orange

2009-05-21T07:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry to those who follow this blog for the long gap since the last post - I have been encountering various challenges, such as procuring a Kyrgyz visa. It has been a challenge finding a decent Uzbek internet cafe, as well.

The following pictures are from my first night in Tashkent. To my great delight and astonishment, when i turned on the TV, A Clockwork Orange was showing ... overdubbed in Uzbek! These are shots of the last part of the movie, after Alex's 'reformation.'

Perhaps there is some sort of metaphor connecting all this with my travel experiences. I'm not sure.

Shymkent Beer - The Best Reason to Visit Kazkahstan?

2009-05-16T01:33:00.000-07:00

The southern city of Shymkent, Kazakhstan, produces a very fine lager by the eponymous name of Shymkent Beer. Though it hasn't yet, this beer stand a excellent chance of winning an award in an international beer contest. That cafes and restaurants around the city and surrounding towns offer this beer on tap is a good reason to visit the region, if you happen to be traveling or working in Kazakhstan. (Some pubs in Almaty also offer draft Shymkent Beer, incidentally. I'm not sure about Astana though).

While wandering about lost in the adjoining city of Sayram I stumbled upon the brewery of Shymkent Beer (in Russian: Shimkentskoye). This is the label to look out for.

An unguarded beer truck.

An illustrious piece of Soviet-era metalwork on one of the factory walls. It features a man and a woman holding a sheaf of wheat, below which stands a glorious tankard of lager.

Upon the Request of Shannon Borntrager:

2009-05-16T01:17:00.000-07:00

Months ago, I received a request from an certain Shannon Borntrager, either to post an entry on a mud wrestling event staged with Chinese midgets, or else to write a compare and contrast essay on the drinking habits of Mr Borntrager himself versus the habits of an illustrious drinker of my choosing – any that I might meet during my travels.

I have found a worthy comparator. But I have neither the energy nor the inclination to write a full-fledged compare and contrast essay. Instead I will just mention in passing that the illustrious Mr Borntrager’s drinking habits tend towards drinking 1.56 liter bottles of the horrendously toxic Korean beer Cass Red (known in some circles as formaldehyde lager) on casual, stay-at-home nights, or else either (a.) taking a KTX to Seoul Station, then a subway to Itaewon Station and indulging in various draft beers (namely, Cass) at such stalwart pubs as Polly’s Kettle and Old Town, or else (b.) ducking into Santa Claus Pub in Daejeon for a few of the same.

Mr Shannon Borntrager’s drinking opponent shall remain unnamed. This is because he is a high-ranking Mongolian official. His drinking style differs significantly from Mr. Borntager’s. He is from a former Soviet state (Mongolia), and thus he has been trained to drink no other liquid than vodka.

Here is my account of this to-be-unnamed drinker of Mongolian origin, who compares very favorably with the aforementioned Borntrager:

While waiting in line to pass through the fiery trial of Mongolian immigration, I met a tubby man in a suit and tie, with a wristwatch studded in diamonds. He was gregarious in a cunning and persistent way. I soon discovered that he was a high-ranking official of the Mongolian Olympic Wrestling Association. Once in the boarding lounge he produced a bottle of Chinggis Vodka - the vodka of Genghis Khan. There was nothing to drink the vodka out of, so he was forced to take a long draught from the neck before passing me the bottle.

By the time the level of the Chinggis had sunk below its halfway mark our plane had arrived and offloaded its passengers. At this point it was already thirty minutes past the original boarding time. I clinched inwardly when I heard what sounded like a huge argument break out between the Official and the airport security. But this was only a maneuver to initiate boarding. The doors of the lounge swung open and we were soon comfortably seated on the small SCAT Airlines vessel.

Both the Official and myself were catching another flight from Ust-Kamenogorsk to the former Kazakh capital of Almaty. In common Mongolian fashion, the wrestling official had been given a parcel in the Ölgii airport to deliver to someone in Ust-Kamenogorsk, and this second party had rewarded him, when we landed, with another bottle of vodka. This he cracked open in the Ust-Kamenogorsk boarding lounge. The lounge’s florescent lighting was encased in square sections of tape ribbon grills, I remember. Somewhere far off beyond the tarmac a train passed. Slowly.

On this last flight, the wrestling official took the precaution of asking permission from the airline staff to drink the vodka. When he pressed the call button on the wall there was no response. He began to push his button repeatedly, then moved on to some other buttons. When this didn’t work, he coerced all his neighbors to push theirs. Finally a lithe, blasé stewardess appeared. Permission was granted. A few shots later the official passed back a plastic airline cup half full with vodka – perhaps the largest vodka shot I had ever seen. For the remainder of the flight I admired the stately carpeting on the floor and managed to read a page of two of Darwin: On the Breeds of the Domestic Pigeon.

Almaty Stencil Graffiti - Series #2

2009-05-12T01:27:00.000-07:00

The illustrious (late) Hunter S. Thompson has found his way onto a prominent old wall of Almaty.

No idea who this is.

Nietzsche!

Unknown.

This appears to be a side-profile of Kazakhstan's President-for-Life, Nursultan Nazarbaev.

The Stencil Graffiti of Almaty

2009-05-12T01:19:00.000-07:00

While Almaty, Kazakhstan, is an exceedingly clean city of upright post-Soviet citizens, there are some signs of counter-culture, namely, stencil graffiti art on many of the inner city heritage blocks.

This portrait appears to be of the ornery TV doctor House.

Keanu Reeves - the Matrix look.

Looks familiar but I can't place him. Let me know if you can identify the subject this graffiti.

A common face on the city walls and fences. Again, I'm not sure who this is supposed to be.

The Hulk?!?

Almaty Architecture (Part II)

2009-05-10T23:05:00.000-07:00

One of the most attractive sights of Almaty - Zenkov Cathedral, built at the turn of the 20th century.

The National Museum

A modern bank building - inspired by Star Wars?

One corner of the Independence Monument

Architectural Almaty

2009-05-09T23:09:00.000-07:00

For the past few days I have been staying in the former capital of Kazakhstan: Almaty. It is an impressive city, with plenty of park spaces, a stunning mountain backdrop to the south, and an orderly grid of Soviet and pre-Soviet era buildings.

Here is the Museum of Kazkah Traditional Instruments, next to Panfilov Park.

The stately, imposing Kazakh-British Technical University (formerly the Parliament Building).

The Camel Family

2009-05-07T02:11:00.000-07:00

Fermented camel milk is absolutely delicious. This Kazakh family, living in a remote homestead outside of the tiny village of Ulaankhus, make a living by selling camel milk. They are the only source in the area that supplies this particular item. Apparently, camel's milk is good for the lungs, or so my guide Japar tells me.

Family Portrait of the Camel Milk Family (some of them)

A mock-milking scene was choreographed for my benefit. (The camels had already been milked for the day.)

The patriarch of the family, with baby camel.

The young child was forced to hold the baby camel. It was terrifying experience for both of them.

Flight of the Eagle Hunter

2009-05-07T02:05:00.000-07:00

In the far west of Mongolia there still exist Kazakh eagle hunters. The eagle hunters don't actually hunt eagles, but hunt using eagles. The art of finding and capturing a young eagle, 'breaking' it, then training it to hunt is passed on from father to son. Hunting is done during the winter months.

I felt a bit like an exploitative tourist while taking these shots. The hunter has been trained to dress up in his hunting outfit and pose for photo shoots. Of course, a certain fee must be paid.

Family + Eagle

Communist Stars in Western Mongolia

2009-05-07T01:48:00.000-07:00

Communist iconography still abounds in the architecture and monuments of Mongolian provincial capitals like Olgii. The centerpiece of the town square is this silver star of Communism.

This was my favorite of all.

Most of the stars had been subtly incorporated into the designs of the buildings, as with this one [at the topmost part of the decorations].
A hillside visible from the town has had a white star painted or chiseled into the rock face. It may be a bit hard to make out on this smaller picture.

This tombstone was a bit of a mystery; no one seemed to know the story behind it. The script is all in Chinese, with the dates of 1963 - 1968 inscribed at the bottom. Of course, the ubiquitous Communist star crowns the cement inlay.

An Intrepid Visit to a Not-So-Spooky Kazakh Graveyard

2009-05-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I took a trek to the outskirts of the Mongolian city of Olgii, then headed northeast to a slope of shale on which is located the city graveyard. This is a not-so-typical graveyard. Without a speck of dirt anywhere in sight, the Kazakh inhabitants have had to make due with rocks for the walls of the plots and gravel for the grave mounds.

These telephone poles follow one of the main 'highways' linking Olgii to other cities and outposts in the wide (and wild) Mongolian west. The specks in the far distance are a pair of humans, out for a stroll.

The graveyard ...

An overhead view of the layout of the Kazakh graveyard.

The northern sweep of Olgii - a residential spraw. The houses and walls are made of something like white adobe.

The City of Olgii - 'Stranger than Paradise'

2009-05-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

I have been in the far-western Mongolian city of Olgii for a few days now, and will remain for a few days more, until my flight out on Wednesday. It is rather a singular place - a city of Kazakhs in one of the farthest-removed sections of the country.

The concrete clock on this building, near the severely run-down hotel where I am staying, permanently reads 10:10:30. The languages spoken here are Kazakh, Mongolian, and Russian - none of which I can handle - so the chances are slim that I'll find out what exactly the significance of 10:10 and 30 seconds is.

For its size, Olgii has quite a few banks. This one, Golomt Bank, is on the main square. Cows, goats, and sheep all make themselves at home on the dusty city streets.

I have tried to avoid cheap puns on this blog, but I don't have the willpower to resist the temptation here ... to ... avoid calling this... a ... [arrrghhhh - don't give in!] ... a ... a... CASH COW!

A Kazakh bard.

The Kazakh people are Muslims. This is an important point that doesn't come across in Sasha Baron Cohen's faux-Kazakh character of Borat.

Construction of the second (or is it the third?) mosque of the city is now underway.

BEWARE OF OPEN MANHOLES. As in Ulaanbaatar, and all the rest of Mongolia, manhole covers were looted in the period after the collapse of the Soviet Union. These guarantors against a hapless ten foot drop into the bowels of the underground were then sold to Chinese dealers in scrap metal. ...I would hate to be a blind man in a Mongolian city.

Portraits of Western Mongolians

2009-05-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

It is often a challenge in Mongolia to take pictures of the people. Mongolians are a bit shy when it comes to pictures, and are protective of their privacy. Like in many places, no one likes to have a random camera shoved in their face! Doors for portrait photography only open after you've built up a bit of a relationship with someone.

Here is an 'official'-style portrait of the lama of Khovd Sum.

The lama and his niece have a special relationship. She hasn't learned to talk yet, but follows him around and asks for sugar cube handouts when he's drinking tea. Here's a picture of her in the small Tibetan Buddhist temple.

The following two pictures were taken by Mongolians who wanted to have a hand at using my camera. This is the interior of a ger in Khovd Sum.

This is the portrait taken by a young boy of his two friends.

The town of Ulaangom has only one pub - Gold Pub. The bartender is a charismatic girl named Soyoloo, who speaks a bit of English.

Lama Taxi

2009-05-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

It was rather difficult finding a ride from the provincial capital of Ulaangom to the provincial capital of Olgii. On the third day I managed to get a ride with the lama of Khovd Sum (a small desert outpost). Here is a portrait of the lama's Russian jeep, while we were patching the second flat tire.

The City of Ulaangom

2009-04-27T04:16:00.000-07:00

Ulaangom must be one of tne of the least photogenic cities in the world. To make matters worse, it could be dangerous to take pictures of locals without their permission. On the other hand, Ulaangom has some interesting train car diners.

This one is out of service.

Diners or cheap local restaurants like this one are known as 'guanz.'

An apartment block.

The grafitti here, whether intentional or not, is sheer genius. The Mongol hordes led by Chinggis Khaan were known in the west as the 'Tatars' or 'Tartars,' though the 'Tatars' were in fact a completely separate clan.

Kharkiraa Valley

2009-04-27T04:03:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures of the mountain valley of Kharkiraa, about 30 km south of Ulaangom, Mongolia.

The remains of a sheep on the still-frozen stream into the valley.

The Largest Lake in Mongolia - Uvs Nuur

2009-04-27T03:37:00.000-07:00

From the city of Ulaangom, I was able to make a day trip to Uvs Nuur, a very salty inland sea in western Mongolia. My guide/driver was a local police officer. Little did I know that he would bring his family along as well as an old Russian rifle. I should mention that as one of the great bird sanctuaries of Central Asia, Uvs Nuur has been listed as a UN World Heritage Site. I would like to stress that I did not take any shots at the wild fowl, though I did manage to shoot a picture or two of the poachers.

This is the lake itself.

My guide's son. Note: the rifle was not loaded at this time.

Salty patches.

This gentleman was a great hunter - he felled two big geese (this is the first one). The other hunters were unsuccessful.

The most impressive of the Russian rifles.

1,300 kms and 40 hours in a Cramped Russian Van

2009-04-27T03:07:00.000-07:00

To get from Ulaanbaatar to Ulaangom on the other side of the country, near the Tuva region of the Russian Federation, and not far from the border of Kazakhstan, I opted on taking a Russian van from the Naran Tuul market. Passenger count: 15.
I'll post a link of the full grisly story when/if it gets published. For now, here are a few pics.

The driver - who I believe to be an offroad genius.

A holy tree.

A mural of a Mongolian wrestler on the wall of a small town diner.

View of Khyrgas Lake on the last morning of the trip.

More Random Sights of Ulaanbaatar

2009-04-21T02:58:00.000-07:00

Here is the final installment of pictures on the wonderfully strange city of Ulaanbaatar.

Yesterday, April 20, would have been S. Zorig's birthday if he were still alive today. Zorig was one of the great democracy leaders during Mongolia's post-Soviet era. He was stabbed to death in his apartment in 1998 and the crime remains unsolved to this day.

The State Department Store! 1921-2009.

Why is there a Beatles monument in the heart of Ulaanbaatar? This question has been eating away at me for more than a year now. When I asked a local resident her answer was, 'Because everyone loves the Beatles.' There also seems to be an esoteric link between the Beatles and Mongolia's democratic movement. Why, I wonder, is Paul standing alone, with George, John, and Ringo sidestepping away?

Mongolian Shamanism Alive and Well

2009-04-21T02:48:00.000-07:00

It seems like almost every high point in Mongolia has an ovoo on it. What is an ovoo? It is basically a pile of rocks - like a cairn. Hundreds of years ago (and maybe still today?) animals were sacrificed at the ovoos. It seems like all Mongolians still 'worship' these rock piles.

This particular ovoo is known as 'Scary Rock' (I have no idea why). People walk around it three times and throw a rock onto the pile with each circumambulation. Sometimes Mongolians come with a bottle of vodka, dedicating the first glass to the ovoo and then enjoying the rest of the bottle themselves.

Anyone who's hiked in South Korea will have noticed similar rock piles all over the place (only minus the prayer flags).

Manzushir Monastery Ruins

2009-04-21T02:35:00.000-07:00

Not far south from Ulaanbaatar are the ruins of Manzushir Khiid, which makes for a great day trip. I was reminded a bit of the demolished neighborhoods of urban China (see photos from a few weeks back). In the case of Manzushir Khiid, though, the temples and monastery buildings were destroyed by Soviet soldiers in the time of Stalin. Most of the monks were killed. This 'cultural revolution' of Mongolia came decades earlier than its sequel in the China of Mao.

This slope was covered with buildings to house 2,000 monks.

One of the main temples.

Airag and Cow Tongue

2009-04-21T02:25:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I tried fermented mare's milk for the first time. Called airag, this drink is the traditional alcohol of Mongolians. It smells a bit like sour grapes, but the taste is more like gastric juices. Incidentally, Mongolian beers and vodkas are superb!

Cow tongue is not an exclusively Mongolian dish, but most Mongolians like it and it can be easily found in the markets. This one wasn't boiled quite long enough so it was hard to de-skin, and turned out a bit tough.

Foreskin Cauldron

2009-04-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

My disreputable sources in Mongolia have informed me that this is an ancient Buddhist cauldron named the 'Foreskin Cauldron.' It was cast in the 18th century, at the base of the ruined monastery of Manzushir - not too far from Ulaanbaatar.

According to my guide, 'Dirty Mike,' an ancient esoteric riddle is inscribed on the side in old Mongolian script.

'Given the variable X = skins, solve the following equation: What is the square root of 16X?'

Dusk in Ulaanbaatar

2009-04-19T05:58:00.000-07:00

Ulaanbaatar is a baffling city. Fermented mare's milk (an alcoholic drink known as airag) can be bought supermarkets. While the manhole covers have all been sold as scrap metal to China, and many of the sidewalks have crumbled to dust, at the same time the skyline is filled with new construction projects. With only 1,000,000 residents, it is the smallest of the East Asian capitals, and yet within a five minute are a Dutch cafe, a French bakery, and a Cuban restaurant.

The city is full of striking long-legged Mongolian beauties. This billboard hardly does it justice.

The headquarters of the communist party - torched by rioters after the election of June, 2008.

I have been staying with the legendary, long-time Ulaanbaaar resident 'Dirty Mike.' The back alleys behind Dirty Mike's apartment building, itself near the State Circus Stadium, exude with the gritty charisma of Ulaanbaatar.

Amarbayasgalant Khiid - Remote Buddhist Monastery

2009-04-18T01:19:00.000-07:00

To reach the ancient Buddhist monastery of Amarbayasgalant, one can use either the city of Darkhan or Erdenet as a jumping off point. There is no regular service to this site, so renting a private vehicle is necessary. Here is the turn off from the highway. The monastery is at the end of a 35 km-long dirt road. Somehow, my taxi driver made it without breaking an axle, careening into the fields, or flipping his Hyundai.

35 kilometers of white-knuckle driving later...

The monastery, built by the Manchus to honor (and entomb) the great Mongolian 'living Buddha' - and renaissance man - Zanabazar, seemed totally abandoned. There were plenty of pigeons, crows, and magpies, though. The temples have been partially restored.

Child monks were sweeping dead grasses when we arrived. Here they are before we left, walking toward the hills...

To Erdenet

2009-04-18T01:07:00.000-07:00

This week I made a side trip to Mongolia's second largest city, Erdenet (population: 75,000). The road between these two cities is paved, and there is a regular bus connection, while to reach any other city requires taking a private minivan. This is a picture of the comfortable Korean bus (a Daewoo) parked at a rest stop.

A herder and his flocks - opposite the rest stop.

The city of Erdenet grew up around a huge copper mine that was established by the Soviets. Today, the mine is the country's biggest cash cow. There are still a fair number of Russians in Erdenet, I noticed, not to mention this Marx mural (and a profile of Lenin on an adjacent building).

An early evening view from the Friendship Monument, with the copper mine in the distance.
The friendship monument.

Terelj

2009-04-13T00:57:00.000-07:00

Some 60 kms northwest of Ulaanbaatar, on one of the rare paved roads of the country, is Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. The Soviet-era concrete blocks and new construction projects of the city soon turn into shacks and fenced-in gers (yurts). Then, before long, the scenery becomes rolling steppe land.

Note the rock in the background - Turtle Rock. This is the most famous site of the national park.

At the end of the road the land of herder camps and settlements begins.

One of the ridges.

A spectral yak.

The mountains of the moon?

A Taste of Russia

2009-04-13T00:40:00.000-07:00

I have been in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar for almost a week now. Most of my time has been spent on bureaucratic wrangling. After all my papers were in order, I attempted to procure a double-entry Russian visa. This was a truly masochistic experience. Ultimately, I was denied for the reason that my passport does not have two completely blank pages side by side. Revising my travel plans and moving on to the next embassy, that of Kazakhstan, has not led to a change in fortunes. This embassy has moved to a dusty side street in the southern edge of the city. It was only through a heroic burst of energy that I managed to uncover its general whereabouts. I stood at the gate this morning until a woman came out to tell me that the consul was missing. 'Tomorrow, 10 am,' she said.

Mongolia was the second communist country in the world, after the USSR, and for the greater part of the 20th century it served as a Soviet satellite state. Here are some views of a Russian church, located in what I've been told is the Russian part of town:

The Trans-Mongolian Express

2009-04-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

From Hohhot to Ulaanbaatar, I took the Trans-Mongolian Express. Including the 12 hour border stop, the trip took a total of 36 hours. Sadly, I slept through the Gobi Desert (it was pitch-dark anyways), but woke in time to take a few pictures of the hinterlands beyond the capital. Among the sites from the window: a modern nomad encampment, sheep, dried grasses, and telephone poles.

Incidentally, the Trans-Mongolian, after Ulaanbaatar, links up with the famous Trans-Siberian Railway.

At the China-Mongolia Border: Erlian

2009-04-08T04:33:00.000-07:00

I am a great fan of Asian border towns, so I was glad to spend a long day in Erlian, China (aka. Erenhot). Why the 12 hour layover? There were no excuses for 10 of these hours, but the other 2 were justified by the changing of the bogies (wheel assemblies) from the Chinese standard gauge to the Russian and Mongolian broad gauge ones. I am a mechanical simpleton, so the most that I can say (with the help of Wikipedia) is that gauge is the width between the rails.

When I woke up, my compartment was parked in this brick warehouse. It was here that the bogie operation in question was performed.

Here are some specimens of bogies (wheel assemblies). I can not say whether these are for Chinese track or Mongolian track.

Ever heard of yellow dust? In Korea, the term for this is 'hwang-sa.' Yellow dust is a horrible plague of particulates that infects the air of cities including Beijing, Pyeongyang, Seoul, and even Pusan. Usually, yellow dust strikes in spring (now!), and it is said to come from the still-expanding Gobi Desert. Erlian is at the edge of the Gobi, and the town is engaging in an ongoing tree-planting campaign. These two fellows were digging holes. The days are already hot in Erlian, but they weren't complaining.

Some of the results of their labors...

This strange pipe (tapped into an old well?) caught my attention.

Xanadu Re-Revisited

2009-04-08T04:20:00.000-07:00

I'm plagiarizing Metallica here with the titles of the last two postings (remember 'Garage Days Re-Revisited'?!). That said, I am decidedly not plagiarizing the Canadian band Rush, who wrote a song called Xanadu.
In this post I've included some extra photos from a trip last week. For a bit of an explanation check out the travel article (below), which may disappear later, depending on my luck as an article-peddler.

One of the main streets of Duolun, the city that now stands about 25 km from the ruins of Shangdu (Xanadu).

There's a sizable Hui Muslim community in Duolun, including this woman selling fried bread.

Someone's backyard.

The guild hall.

Xanadu Revisited

2009-04-08T04:11:00.000-07:00

Once Xanadu, Now Duolun

The Urban Ghost Towns of Hohhot

2009-04-03T03:52:00.000-07:00

Urban development in China continues at a furious pace. Visitors and residents in Beijing and Shanghai are all too familiar with the razing of old neighborhoods, some with considerable heritage and historical value. What comes next is usually another set of high rise apartment buildings. This process of hyper-rapid development is taking place in just about every city in the country.

In my wanderings around Hohhot, provincial capital of Inner Mongolia (China), I've come across some half-demolished neighborhoods in and around the older section of the city. What makes the situation all the more surreal is that among the brick heaps and toppling walls are a smattering of hobbles that are still lived in.

Chinese Curios, Part III

2009-03-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

The riverside promenade in Harbin is named after the architect of the gulag, Joseph Stalin. Before the Japanese and then the Chinese Communist Party took the reins, Harbin was the gateway of the Russian railway in Manchuria.

The food of the Uighurs, the Muslims of China's far west Xinjiang Province, is incredibly popular (and tasty). A strange, almost organic growth has been formed from the remains of mutton on a stick.

There are a wide variety of vehicles on the streets of Harbin.

At the Lama Temple, in Beijing, one man has seen the light.

Huhhot, Inner Monglia. With a sizable Muslim community, one finds halal meat in and around restaurants near the Great Mosque.

Chinese Curios, Part II

2009-03-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Again in Yanji, capital of the Korean Autonomous Zone. This was a rabbit-meat-on-skewers restaurant. Tasty! But for the rabbits, that was all, folks.

A booming business in this area centers around ginseng, forest mushrooms, and deer antlers, all ancient staples of Chinese medicine. Here is a young stuffed deer propped in front of one such medicinal store. Its ears had worn away, and had been appropriated replaced by thick paper look-alikes.

Dog meat is considered to have an effect on male sexual stamina. Photo taken in a market hall in Yanji.

The famous Central Avenue of Harbin. What with the hordes of Chinese tourists, it is a melee on ice this time of year.

With the spring thaw in Harbin, the street sweepers and shovelers mobilize en masse. These welfare workers do an incredible job of minimizing the muckiness.