TRAVERSE 79
TRAVEL - MONGOLIA
MEGAN GOVERNI
A HOME ON THE STEPPE
Seeking refuge from a sudden downpour it seemed like the natural thing to do , to open a small wooden door and step inside the comfort and warmth of a round house of sorts , for the Mongolian steppe can be brutal when the weather changes .
We were somewhere on the shores of Lake Khövsköl , Mongolia ’ s largest waterway and one that sits on the border with Russia . Technically we were no longer on the steppe , those large unforested areas of grassland that seem so synonymous with Mongolia , indeed all of Central Asia , Lake Khövsköl is a 136 kilometre stretch of freshwater that supports an ecosystem of forested Siberian taiga woodlands and numerous mountain ranges . The landscape was simply stunning , as were most things in this landlocked country .
Escaping the weather , we ’ d found our home for a few nights , one of the many traditional dwellings we ’ d had the pleasure of frequenting during this ride through these magical lands . The traditional ger , as it is known in Mongolia , dates back at least two and half thousand years , truth be known these temporary constructions most likely go back further , we only have the accounts of Greeks of antiquity to confirm the acknowledged dates .
Of course , it was the Mongols of the great empire that took the round tentlike constructions further introducing them into Europe and the Middle East . A forerunner to the overlanding motorcyclist , Marco Polo even described these constructions in the court of Kublai Khan . I cared little for the history as I sought shelter from the heavy rain and biting cold .
As usual , a small iron stove warmed the interior , a fire stoked by a wizened gentlemen who spoke no words , yet his glance was knowing and welcoming . This had been
TRAVERSE 79