Homely Planet

July 2009

  One of the most scenic places we saw in Mongolia. We stopped here before heading to one of the bigger lakes, and it was well worth the stop. The best part however, wasn't the volcano and the lake themselves, but what happened around the scenery. (Hilarity to come)

July 2009

We stopped by this lake, and the nearby Khorgo volcano on the second last day of our trek through the countryside. I was surprised at the amount and size of the lakes in Mongolia, and at the diversity in scenery in general. By the edge of the lake where we stopped to eat a marmot, there were a few hundred stacks of volcanic stones, shown in the pictures below. I have no idea what these are for, but I assume that it has to do with the Buddhist tradition of stacking stones for good luck, seen on ovoos (Mongolian land markers) and in other Asian countries.

Location: Many places, but you have to keep an eye out for them. Location on map is random.

  In the past, Mongolians would mark grave sites by placing several stones along a square perimeter. Many of these sites are not noticeable unless you are actively looking for them. The one here was pointed out by our guide.

Location: Harhorin City.

  This is the oldest monastery in Mongolia. It was partially destroyed in 1939, and the remaining portions converted to a museum. In 1990 it was turned into a place of worship again.