At the camp

I will be staying there 'till the middle of august, sometimes teacher sometimes apprentice masson or carpenter.

I won't be the only westerner the whole time. I will share my room with Lauren (North Carolina) for a couple of weeks and the last three with Ross (Vermont), Katarina and Jorgen (Sweden).

The first week is the toughest, I am trying to understand the rhythm of the orphanage. English lessons are supposed to be in the morning, and the afternoon filled up with activities. I am going to the river in the morning to wash and eventually do my laundry. 

That wild part was really nice as there was always a great feeling of quietness and freedom when enjoying the spring in the middle of nowhere.

The kids are taking me to the meals and staff members needing a hand. It seems then that no one really knows what to do with me. I am always asking around for work and eventually there is something to be done. But I really have to go and ask for something to do otherwise I could have just sit there and wait for the next day.

You know, I was thinking that beeing a volunteer, there would have  been someone, a supervisor or something, that would have told me : " Ok, so here is what we're doing with the 12 years old ... and about the 15 years old, you should focus on this and that. " 

But it never happened and after a day or two, I realize that if I wanted to make my time worth anything I had to make things happen. So I went to talk to the teachers in charge and they were more about : "You know this is summer camp so please go easy on the kids, we are already making them work in the morning so you'd rather do some activities in English with them in the afternoon."

For the record at this time I was always walking around with a bunch of kids who were pretty good in English and translating the basic stuff for me.

Right so basically I am asked to organize activities in English for about 200 kids of different age... on my own for the first two weeks...

I don't know how that sounds for you but i felt like it was going to be tough.

The kids are amazing. They are helping me in many ways and they are learning at an amazing speed.  I started being a teacher when I realized that there was no way I could organize a class with so many kids with so many different levels. After lunch all they wanted was to go and meet me, play with me, communicate with me. Most of them were orphans, and I realized that I was sometimes considered as a father for the very young ones and a brother for the oldest ones. So I decided that I would be speaking in English all the time, that I would turn into the most talkative person ever. And I think that really paid off as most of them were able to communicate with me much better.

At some point a woman from the summer camp next to ours, came to Ross and I to ask us if we could give some extra lessons to the students there. We had a talk with Ganaa (headmaster), who explained us that he wanted us to get paid as we were his volunteer not having us at the camp was kind of a loss for him and he would appreciate something in return. The woman agreed and paid for having us. Then we realized how valuable we were to the Mongol's eyes. Having an English teacher is a luxury.

There, the lessons where more westernized. Classrooms, blackboard, advanced and intermediate learners, grammar, vocab and conversation. 

Sometimes I would not spend the afternoon with the kids, I would be asked to help Baksh (The teacher) for fixing walls rooftops and even pulling up a post to connect another building with electricity. We would work for a couple of hours and then have a bottle of Vodka as a break and then maybe start working again. The national drink must be taken "bottoms up" all the time and once a bottle is open it must be emptied. The workers are cautious and are always doing their best to hide from the kids. But they can't be fooled as one of them told me once : "In Mongolia too much Vodka."

With more Volunteers at the camp I realize how much can be accomplished and Ganna must have realized that when we helped building a Ger while there was English lessons and activities done at the same time. Sometimes there would be a huge group of Chinese or Corean volunteers that would come for a day or two giving out some food (chocolates, flour, rice...) and organizing many activities.

But you know as I stayed with those kids  for 6 weeks I realized that at some point I was not just helping because I came from Europe and could  provide a lot here, but I was helping because I was a part of this community, those kids were kind of my kids you know... 

I had them shouting before each meal tand ikh bayarlalaa ! (thank you very much). Singing in a big circle a good night song, hugging me for good night, crying when they were sad, when I left... asking always for more games.

The last couple of weeks I was getting along very well with the Swedish couple and with Gamba (one of the workers). So well That he invited us to see his mom for a week in Tsetserleg 

The Naadam Festival

For my birthday on the 10^th of July, I decide to leave the orphanage camp for a few days to reach Ulaan Bataar in order to enjoy the Naadam and Flag day . 

The whole city is covered with Mongolian flags, cars, shops even people have one drawn of their face.  

Jagaa, the new choice leader is taking me to Ganaa's guesthouse. Many tourist there, but the cool thing about it is that you are actually sleeping in a Ger. Once there, he gives me my tickets to enter the stadium and the phone number of other volunteers so i won't be always on my own.

From the 11^th to the 13^th of July UB is hosting one of the biggest event in Mongolia, The Naadam festival.

It mainly consists with 3 games : horse riding, archery, and wrestling.

It is important to bear in mind that the Naadam happening in Ulaan Bataar is the official one. So there will be many people and the competitors are the best of the country. But if you want to discover the Naadam in a more intimate way, I would advise to go away from the city. Indeed each province is going to organize a Naadam of their own like some kind of second division competition. There, You would have a better way to understand the games and to actually have a better explanation from the locals and participate to the celebration.

Mongols are wearing the Dell (traditional outfit) It's amazing to be there surrounded by so much cultural differences, It's actually quite hard to realize. The opening ceremony is amazing. Each province of the country participates to the parade inside the stadium along with their best horses and athletes. A famous rock singer run the show with a song dedicated to Genghis Khan. At the center of the stadium professional dancers are performing and so is the Army at each corner. At some point we realize that Parachutists are falling from the sky aiming in circles for the stadium. The show still goes on even when a group of dancers ends up being covered by them making the whole stadium laughing at the poor performers trying to keep the rhythm under the bag.

Then comes the silence, performers are leaving the place for a group of about fifty horsemen. Around me men are rising as the first notes of the national mongol anthem is heard. They are carrying the white peace flags of Mongolia. They would have been black if the country was at war.

Then comes the president's speech, making obviously no sense to me, but the games can start now.

- To be honest, I must say that wrestling was a bit boring after a few hours, despite the funny looking outfit of the wrestlers. Before each fight the restler are getting ready by doing the eagle dance in front of the peace flags and after a victory as well. It quite a ritual, and I am not sure if I understood everything.

The fight indeed last for the whole three days of the celebration, and as you can imagine, three days of wrestling when it doesn't belong to your culture can turn into a real torture. But I had some time to actually realize that this sport is really a big deal for the Mongolian people. It's like Superbowl or some national soccer competition, I mean people were taking bets and all.

In fact, the wrestling winner is the only competitor that gets the chance to shake hands with the members of the government. When I was asking around me, I would be told that the winner of the Naadam would be considered a Demigod in ancient times.

- Archery has nothing to do with what you would expect. There is not the usual circular target, but lying straight on the ground, a row of cubes made out of hay. Two of those cubes have been painted red, and that's your target. Men, women and children can participate. It's quite amazing to watch five years old hitting their targets every single time.

- About the Horse race I hardly saw anything but a cloud of dust at the start and an arrival under the rain. For that event, I would recommend to get into a four wheel drive so you could actually follow the race live. The horses are ridden by 5 to 8 years old kids in order to increase the speed...

During those few days I also had the time to discover the city. I am planning on spending the month of august there and hopefully find a different activity.

A first day in Mongolia

As the train stops in UB (Ulaan-Bataar, the city of the red hero) I finish to pack my heavy backpack as I glance through the window at that grey and dusty capital surrounded by a strange Ger suburb.

I really have no time to realize that I have finally reached my destination. People are greeting each other and a man with a "NewChoice" sign greets me. 

Sete has a very good English. As he walks me to his car he explains that i am to be sent to an orphanage camp this very day. He needs to drive me to the N.G.O. center in order to get more details and information from the manager, Jagaa.

I hardly have enough time to look at the city, Sete is asking me many questions and telling me many things about the camp and Mongolia.

Once in the office, Jagaa tells me that I will be teaching English in that orphanage camp, and that i'll probably be the only one there to speak english... so if i need anything i'll just have to give them a call. They give me a phone and a sim card with about 10 $ worth of credit. Just before leaving he advices me to get some drinkable water and some sweets as there will be just a small shop where i am heading.

To be honest I was still bewildered from my arrival and the whole Trans-Siberian trip, to realise all the things Jagaa told me.

Sete drives me then to the camp.

I now have a little bit more time to ask him about the camp :

• How many kids are there ? Between 150 and 200, I don't know really.
• So will I be in charge of some classes , or ..? Hum... I don't know you'll find out when you are there. Don't worry everything is going to be fine.

Right, so I don't know where i'm going and what its going to be like... All i know is that we are heading north-east and that its about an hour drive.

We are leaving the city center and its buildings, some are modern, and others an heritage from the communist influence. As we drive through the subburbs the buildings are getting smaller, Gers and wooden house are more and more numerous and the roads are slowly turning into tracks.

The swallow camp is in a hill side, the road separating the place from a stream. So Sete is leading me up to the head master, Ganaa.

I am the new attraction of the camp the kids are looking at me with curious eyes while Sete and Ganaa are talking about me in Mongol. When the conversation is over Sete explains me that I won't be teaching just now, and if there is no problem i could help some of the workers to fix some things around the camp.

"Well, hum... sure. That's not a problem. Whatever, I'm here to help."

He turns back to Ganaa to translate what I just said (I'm guessing here), then turns to me and says : "well Goodbye Tom, that was nice meeting you, call me if you need anything. Bye."

So before I can really think about more to say or ask he leaves me with the headmaster who winks at me smiling and says " You ok keep cool."

It doesn't take long before I realise that I am the only one in this camp able to speak some English.

I am showed my room so I can put my bag there and start a small walk around the camp to get familiar with the place.

I am staying in the staff building where the headmaster, the handyman, and I are sleeping. Just behind our rooms stands a huge kitchen. In which i am barely allowed to go. On the right hand side of that building are the showers for boys and girls. A tap and a small pipe no hot water of course.

On the left hand side are four buildings behind one another,  the infirmary with a common room, the boys' dormitory, the girls' and the building for babies aged between 12 months and 3 years old. Further up stands another building far from everything because of the smell, the latrines.

During my exploration some kids follow me around curious, they are asking all sorts of ready made questions : 

hello, what's your name, how old are you, where you from ?...

I try at first to answer and ask back at them but they would just run away, laughing.

It took me about 30 minutes to go around the camp and I am starving.

At some point a woman comes to me. She stands with a grin on her face so I smile back at her. She starts speaking to me in Mongol pointing at me then at her wide open mouth then the road. So I understand that it must be lunch time but there is nothing but some bushes and the river down the road.

She sure understood that I missed something in her explanation so she takes my hand and leads me down to the river.

Along with us come some adults I haven't met yet and Ganaa smiling at me repeating “keep cool ! keep cool ! ” one of his hand making circles on his belly and the other pointing to his mouth. So it's definitely lunch time and I must look very worried.

Every one is smiling at me and I must say that really helps as I feel a bit lost now. So I understand that we are going to have lunch by the river. A woman who calls herself “doctor” shows me a huge pot and another open her hand bag full of veggies.

The men have spotted a nice place on the river bank. I want to be helpful so I try to understand what's going on as everyone seem to be doing something.

I am given the honor to start the fire, and I notice that an old man (Baksh) is studying my moves. I am quite happy to start it pretty fast. Some dry goat-shit is brought as well. I look surprised and they explain we are going to put some in my fire and to lit some others around us to get rid of the mosquitoes. It doesn't smell bad and it really does the trick as I have realized that once you move away from the goat-shit smoke you are instantly bitten.

The meat for the lunch is taken out of a plastic bag and you can tell that the meat is not coming from a proper butcher as the organs are still there (and thrown away). The meat is still attached to the bones. I think that was a sheep that we ate that day. We will be having for veggies some carrots, potatoes and onions.

I am asked to take some stones from the river, they must be the size of a fist.

We are using the water from the river and the stones to fill the pot. Once some steam is coming out we ad the meat and the veggies inside.

A teenager with a Mongol/English dictionary explains me that we are having a traditional mongol meal.

To fit with the tradition two bottles of Vodka are emptied while we wait...

All the water has evaporated from the pot that was covered by a cloth. 

So everybody can help himself in the pot, but first we have to take in our hands the hot stones that were inside. One each. They are obviously very hot and in order to keep it you have to pass it from one hand to another. I am told than its good for your body that it helps your energy circulate.

All that we have to eat is our hands and a knife. I feel more and more comfortable as I can see some nods of satisfactions from the men and some jokes are made about my beard.

For desert we finish another bottle of Vodka as we lay on the grass communicating with signs and funny faces.

I had a hard time going back up to my room and i haven't emptied my bag yet. I am way to drunk to start doing anything this afternoon.

I went to bed early that night.

Trans-Siberian

As I step into the legendary train, I thank Sergey on last time, as I am welcomed by Tchen To, the man in charge of my wagon.

I discover the room that Natacha has booked for me, 1^st Class, two beds, a table, a personal light, carpet on the floor, and my own bathroom. All this just for me. Which is actually pretty good as I have to stay in that train for 99 hours.

I feel like I need to give you some precisions : 

The Trans-Siberian line is the longest railway in the world. There are different routes and the main one heading to Vladivostok was built between 1890 and 1916. I am heading to Mongolia so I will be on the Trans-Siberian line for 5,655 km until Ulan Ude, and then on the Trans-Mongolian Line for the next 650 km to Ulan Bator.

I am too excited to go straight to bed so I chat with Tchen To. He seems very happy, (ofering me a Chinese cigarette) apparently not so many tourist take the time to have a talk with him.

I meet many different people on board, and there is not so much to do after contemplating the view from the window. It's a nice view alright but after an hour you might want to do something else. So 2 Finnish guys counted 18 different nationalities.

There is a restaurant in the train, so I go there for my first meal to try some Russian food and a beer. (I'll have plenty of time in Mongolia to try the Vodka). The food is very bad, I should have listened to the tour guides.

Anyway as I gave most of my cash to Sergey for the crazy ride, i'll have to get my food from the small shops and people when the train stops. There is always someone who want to sell you something.

So one morning I was getting some stuffs, using my body language skills to understand what's in those boxes, soup ? Mash ? Noodles ?

And as I'm paying the lady, I realize that there is some kind of familiar sound coming from behind me, like... a train leaving !!

Tchen To is at the door : “Run Thomas ! Run ! ”

So here I am, racing (again) with that train.

I have to let go with a soup to catch the outside door handle and jump inside.

Tchen To closes the door laughing like a drain. He offers me some cigarettes again for the fun.

From Vladimir to Irkoutsk, birch and pine forests spread as far as you eye can see. From times to times we come across some isolated picturesque villages, it seem you could see Michel Strogoff riding his horse through the mighty Taiga. But at some point, admiring the scenery is a bit boring.

So I open my book to learn how to speak mongol. The grammar is actually quite tough. And I feel like I am really going to struggle to speak to the Mongols and understand them. But I know that once i'll be immersed in that culture I will have no choice but to improve.

On one end of every wagon stands a Samovar. It's the social corner of the train, where people meet and chat about their trip, where they come from and how confusing it is to travel through time zones. My neighbors inform me that early in the morning we'll be able to see the Baikal lake. They promised to wake me up so I could take some pictures

I knew that it was the biggest and deepest lake in the world, but it's when I actually sees it that I realize how huge it is. 

From the train I can only see a small part, it's like looking at the ocean, you can't see the opposite shore. The lake is so blue that it is hard to see the horizon (I must have had some good weather condition) and that makes it look even more impressive.

At that moment I regret not to have make any stop in Russia.

I am now very close to the Russian border. There, we wait for many hours on the platform so the Russians can check our luggage and our rooms while a different engine and a different restaurant (Chinese) is set to the train.

The sun is rising and we are ready to go again.

The scenery is changing. 

We enter in a different territory covered with small bald green hills, the train is going very slowly and there is only one railway. From shiny greens, the colors are changing into a dusty yellow. Here and there a stream ad some nuances to the steppes. Horses are running away from a 10 year old riding to get them closer to the Gers spread in the middle of nowhere.

That's Mongolia.

From Paris to Moscow

Hey Everyone !

So here we are, the big trip starts.

I have my plane tickets : Paris-Vienna & Vienna-Moscow.

Natacha from Nord Espaces gave me my Transiberian one-way ticket to Ulaan Bataar Mongolia.

My backpack is ready (full of shit I probably don't need). I watched all the seasons from Man VS Wild. Everyone knows I’m leaving, there is no turning back.

We use to say that the hardest part is not to be far away, the hardest part is to actually reach the destination.

And here is a good example :

My first flight to Vienna has a 30 minutes delay because of some on-board meals. As a consequence I only have 15 minutes left for my transfer to Moscow.

If you are used to take planes you know that your name must be Hussein Bolt to run through an airport from a terminal to another in such a short time.

So I try to stay calm, and ask for the next plane to Moscow.

Full. 

Wait at the gate, she says, there might be a no-show.

Nope...

Getting nervous here.

So I wait for the one after.

- We do have empty seats.

Good. I am going to make it to Moscow

Yes !

But... I need to arrive on time to get my train to Mongolia...

Calling Natacha... 

- Heeelp ! I think I'm not going to make it.

- Ok. Stay calm Tom. Give me all the information.

…

Right...

We're gonna make it work. Just take that plane.

Right, no time for trust issues here. 

I have to believe her. 

I am not going to get stuck in Moscow.

So a few hours later I am at Moscow airport and I need to get my bag and go through the customs.

I was said that it could be tough to go through that, but I did not expect that there would be just one person to check every single passport of the whole plane.

I mean a second dude would have make the whole process a little bit faster.

She was asking questions to every single passenger looking at them in a very suspicious way.

And my turn comes. I have a visa for about a week. 

- Why so short ? 

- Um I'm taking the Trans-Siberian to Mongolia. 

She raises an eyebrow. 
- Why are you going there ? 

( I don't know !!!) 
- For tourism.

(Hurry for god's sake I have 45 minutes to cross Moscow from one end to another !!)

When I'm getting my bag Natacha calls me :

- A man is waiting for you, he will drive you to the station.

-Thank y...

- RUN !!

That's how I meet Sergey. 

He's waiting for me, my name on a piece of paper, to drive me to the train station.

It's in his car that he explains me that it is actually too late to go to Moscow station, We are going to Vladimir's... Wanna Russian cigarettes ?

Ho God ! We actually are racing with the Trans-Siberian...

Sergey's a legend we arrive at the platform 10 minutes before the train arrives

Carried by the wind

Slight triggering shiver, soft breeze touch...

I am begging now please, keep chanting that beathtaking song, to make my self travel away through infinite dreams.