[도리아의 배낭여행 일기] ‘고비사막’을 가다

*아시아엔(The AsiaN) 인턴 도리아가 몽골 고원 ‘고비사막’ 을 다녀온 일지를 소개합니다. 도리아는 2008년 7월18일부터 23일까지 몽골의 수도 울란바토르를 통해 고비 사막을 다녀왔습니다. 영어 원문을 그대로 살려보았으니 사막에서의 여정을 사진과 함께 생생하게 나눠보시기 바랍니다. 아 참, 도리아는 미국인이지만 방글라데시, 필리핀, 말라위, 스리랑카, 그루지아 등에서 살았고 현재는 한국에서 6년째 살고 있는 범아시아인이기도 합니다.

Day 1?울란바토르에서 고비사막으로(Ulaanbaatar to the Gobi)

July 18, 2008

11:00??

Joined a tour with recently made friends with a lady from Hong Kong, a lady and young man from Japan, and a gentleman from China.? We all pile into a mini van.? The roads which are called “highways” are not really roads at all.? The roads are just dirty and very rocky.? What happens if we get a flat tire?

11:26

So far the only other mammals out here are the goats running loose and they decide to block our road.? We all get out and take pictures until they pass.

12:30

Came across a large object in the road that had lots of stones stacked onto it.? If you walk around it a few times while throwing rocks at it, your wish will come true.

13:20

Decided to have lunch in a moving vehicle so tried to open up a can of sardines with my Swiss army knife.?? Was only able to crack it open and the juice from the fish splattered on the side of the van we were in.? Now the van we are in smells like fish.

16:20

A sandstorm hits and we are stranded for an hour.

18:00

We finally stop at a Ger for the night.? Very rough first night with my tent constantly coming down on me with the wind blowing so hard.

Day 2 고비사막(Gobi Desert)

July 19, 2008

5:30

Woke up to my tent being filled with moths.? Quickly packed up the tent and started hiking.

10:30

Saw a 17th century monastery.? A monk took us inside.

12:00

Saw a 16th century monastery sounded by camels.

15:10

Late lunch of lamb dumplings that were very good.? The toilets here were very primitive.?? Nothing but a hole in the ground surrounded by a wooden fence for privacy.

?15:30

Our mini van is now driving over very rocky sandy hills.? The road no longer looks like a road at all but a mountain bike trail.

17:15

Time to put gas in the mini van.? Here, we have to go find the gas station attendant to pay for the gas and then drive them back to the gas station and wind up the gas so the gas comes out and goes into the gas tank.

18:30

Camels block the road.? Another unexpected break and time to take more pictures.

19:30

Our mini van got stuck in sand that sunk the vehicle almost to the top of the tired.? The driver got out a shovel and started digging.? Soon all of us started digging as well.? In about an hour, we were able to push the vehicle out.

22:15

At another Ger to rest for the night.??? This one is not managed.? There are loud people everywhere.? Might be another rough night.

Day 3 월터 케니언(Walter Canyon)

July 20, 2008

7:30

Already very hot and I have decided to get up.? Sand is all over the inside of my tent.

12:45

Rode some friendly camels through the desert.? Maybe the camels would be a better means of transportation instead of a mini van?

13:10

This time some wild horses were riding in the middle of the road at their own free will.

15:00

We arrive at Walter Canyon where you can see ice in the Gobi Desert year round.? The temperature has dropped from 39C to 32C.

15:25

We are now officially? in the Gobi Protected Area.? The temperature has dropped to 30C? We are at an elevation of 2,800 meters.

18:00

Back in the mini van.? So far this has been the longest I have been without? contact with the outside world.

18:25

31C as soon as we leave the Gobi Protected area.

22:00

Arrive at a new Ger camp for the night and have dinner.? Had a run-in with a goat trying to set up my tent again.

Day 4

July 21, 2008

4:30

The sun is already rising.? I am freezing even with a jacket on.? It’s 19C.

8:00

Temperature finally rose to 30C.? The rest of the people in my group are still asleep.? I have already finished my morning hike and ready to start the day again.

11:00

Late Mongolian breakfast of rice with goat milk.? Finally back in Ulaanbaatar in 2 days!? Civilization again is not far away now.

13:40

Ramein for lunch.? Makes me miss Korea again.? Slid down some sand dunes.? I am the only one wearing gore tex hiking boots.? They did not fill up with sand like the other people in the group.

14:00

Off the main road (in the Gobi nothing looks like a real road anyway) again in the mini van.? Some of the downhill dips are a little crazy.? I worried we are going to get stuck again.

16:40

After 4 days, finally a nice cold shower.

19:30

Exactly 2 days later at almost the exact same time, we get stuck in the sand again.? This trip is becoming very exhausting.

21:00

We are all camping out tonight.? (I am camping out this entire trip but everyone else in the tour group is supposed to stay in Ger’s).? Not sure what happened.? Either we spent too much time in the shower or the driver got lost and was tired.? The rest of the group is not very happy at all.? The tour guide is making kimbab.? Ah…..? another taste of home.? She feels real bad for us.

22:00

Off to bed.? The tour guide asked to sleep in my tent but there is really only room for 1 person.? I hope she was joking.? The sky in this evening is truly amazing.? Mongolia is really the “land of blue sky”.

Day 5 다시 울란바토르로(Back towards Ulaanbaatar)

July 22, 2008

8:30

Breakfast of biscuits and tea.? More wild camels in the distance.? It is a nice and cool 31C.

12:15

An axle blew out on our mini van.? When traveling in Mongolia, always bring an extra axle and not 1 spare tire, but 2, and always allow extra time.? On these roads you never know what is going to happen.? I started collecting stones to prop our vehicle up.? The axle was held in place with rubber and wire.? Back on the road again.

12:30

Spoke too fast.? Another flat tire causing us more delays.

14:30

Mongolian lunch of goat meat and flour.? People don’t eat much vegetables in this country.

17:45

Came across some people? from the same tour company we were on.? They were broken down because of an oil leak.? All the oil leaked out of their mini van.? Our driver decided to stop and help them.? Turned out the passengers were Korean. A grandmother who was 50 years old was with them and decided to do push ups while we waited.? One of the older grandsons and I talked while the drivers fixed the oil leak which took about 2 hours.? The Korean family complained about the heat, dust, and asked when they could take a shower.? This was their 3rd day on an 8 day tour and they already had 5 flat tires and had been stuck in the sand twice.

22:45

Lamb hot pot for dinner.? I think I am going to be tired of lamb by the time this trip is over.? This time we are staying with a family in a town just outside of Ulaanbaatar.? None of us were expecting this.? I set up my tent in the front yard while everyone else crams into a small room and camps on the floor.? Two family members sleep in cots outside in the wide open.? The two children sleep in the back of a pickup truck outside.? Very nosy here with so many people and barking dogs.? Our driver had to change yet another tire.? Off to bed.

Day?6 울란바토르(Ulaanbaatar)

July 23, 2008

8:30

Started to pack up the tent for the last time and it started to suddenly rain hard.? Took shelter inside the tent till the rain passed which proved to be waterproof.

9:15

Back in Ulaanbaatar.? Just finished the most amazing adventure I have ever had in my life.