| After a good night rest at the Gobi Mirage Camp, we | | | | continue. Upon reaching, Alimaa instructed the driver |
| were ready to set off for the Khongoryn Els, The | | | | to scout for a camel herder so that we can have our |
| Singing Sands. One of best thing about this trip was | | | | camel ride. Prior to that we visited the herder family |
| when I ask Alimaa about timing to wake up, | | | | and suppose to sample their national beverage Airag |
| breakfast, lunch, dinner etc. Her reply was "your | | | | and camel cheese. Airag is a slightly alcoholic drink, |
| wish". It's really one of the highlights of the whole | | | | with an acidic sour taste and even more pungent |
| trip. Everything was at our own pace, "your wish", I | | | | aroma made from a mare's milk. However we |
| just love that! Khongoryn Els covers 100km long and | | | | somehow miss out sampling the Airag and cheese |
| 20km wide and reaches a height of 200m. Does the | | | | had the suutei tsai instead. Suutei tsai is another |
| sand really sing? The answer is yes! The sands really | | | | traditional and favourite Mongolian milk tea concocted |
| do "sing", the roaring, whistling or some say haunting | | | | from a mixture of tea, milk, water and salt. It is |
| sound was created by the friction of tons of tiny | | | | Mongolian customary to offer drinks when you visit |
| sand grains movement against one another cause by | | | | them, and it is also rude to reject their offer. The |
| the wind. | | | | camels were ready shortly and its camel riding time! |
| En route to the sand dunes, we bypass a horse | | | | Beneath its docile appearance, the camels were quite |
| herder family whereby young children were helping to | | | | cantankerous initially. Nevertheless, with the |
| draw water from a waterhole to feed the horses. | | | | authoritative herder we were soon rocking on the |
| We decided to stop and have a look and I had the | | | | camels to the dunes. The smell is one of the most |
| opportunities to have a feel of what they were | | | | lasting impressions of these grimacing animals. |
| doing. I learned that those horses have a clan too, | | | | However trekking through the grandeur of the Gobi |
| when horses from foreign clan tried to get close for | | | | desert, with shadows from the clouds displaying |
| a sip, you see those horse kick from horses | | | | different shades on the dunes forming another |
| indigenous to the herders came flying around. I was | | | | awesome sight, we soon immerse in the charm of it. |
| wondering how they manage to find that waterhole | | | | Reaching the dunes, first things to do was to |
| in this vast desert plain. We brought many candy, | | | | conquer the top. In fact, the nothingness and |
| stationery, doll and some small toys along for this trip | | | | tranquillity of Gobi was more than enough to possess |
| and we distributed some to the kids. After bidding | | | | me. The herder's daughter lead the way and we |
| them goodbye, we continue our trip to the sand | | | | charge up the dunes, while I was busy snapping |
| dunes. | | | | away she was already few hundred metres apart. At |
| Approaching the sand dunes, we had this magnificent | | | | the top of the dunes, golden sand, green pasture |
| post card like setting showcasing in front of us. The | | | | and blue sky form artistry landscape which was |
| streaky cloud caught my eyes and I quickly stop the | | | | simply spectacular! |
| driver to allow me to snap a few shots before we | | | | |