In 2014 Wanderlust travel magazine named Mongolia its number one emerging destination.
I was quite happy as a few months earlier I’d booked a trip to go stay with a local family of Eagle Hunters (they hunt with Eagles, not for them) and to attend a remote local Eagle Festival. It turned out to be an experience I won’t forget for a long time.
Pigeons cover the ground outside Gandan Monastery
A monk strikes a gong at Gandan Monastery
A huge buddhist statue several stories high towers over the visitors at Gandan Monastery
On eof the buildings, holding a huge statue, at the Gandan Monastery complex
A ger covered in flowers sits in the middle of Sukhbataar Square in Ulanbataar
A woman in the tradiational Del runs across Sukhbataar Square
Impressive statues of warriors on horseback stand outside the Parliament building at the end of Sukhbataar Square
A face molded onto the top part of a large bell
The main gate into the Winter Palace
Clay animals adorn the rooftop for good luck
A large mosaic on the side of a block of flats in Ulanbataar
The very small terminal at Ulgii Airport in the Altai
A traditional Ger where we stayed
Owl feathers are considered lucky and used to enhance the tradiationl Eagle Hunter costume. This owl had been recently caught and would be released again in a week or two.
In honour of the Matriarch of the family who passed away 3 years ago, the family held a memorial. The large wooden bowl at the back contains fermented mare's milk (not as bad as it sounds!)
The two young daughters of the local family
The Eagle tears at a dead Hare pulled along to train it to hunt
As the young Eagle Hunter gallops along he calls his Eagle which flies down to land on his arm
