Under the stars

by Edith Tiitsaar (Estonia)

A leap into the unknown Mongolia

After sharp left turn just in front of the oncoming car I notice I have stopped even silent squealing. The only sign for life are the cold chills on my neck now. I am sitting on a backseat with broken safety belt and I don’t know who’s the driver. „...and what did I tell you about getting into car with strangers?” my dear friend is asking on her bantering way on messenger. Few minutes earlier I had texted her about the maniacal driving manner of a man who knows no restrictions when it comes to traffic rules. He picked me up by the Turtle Rock in Mongolia when I tried to hitchhike myself back to Ulaanbator. “Are you telling me you would do it again?” my friend asks. Her words make me look back onto my last week, I had decided to do something I haven’t done before, to take a solo hike in Mongolia. My plan was to get away from the usual tourist paths with usual ger camps and discover off the beaten tracks alone. Get away from city life, to give myself time to relax and at the same time to test myself, can I really survive in wilderness in foreigner country without mobile connection and GPS. It was second half of July, weather was hot in day time but unexpectedly cold in the nights. I barely could have proper sleep throughout the hike. But it didn’t really matter, as my days were full of excitement under the burning sun. There are many things that can go in an unplanned way, and it happened to me too. For example I remembered how I searched for the possibility to cross a wide and wild river. And though the crossing point was marked on the map, I couldn’t find it in reality. Searching for a narrower spot to ford I found one with lots of drift wood gathered. But having climbed onto halfway, I had to drop my plan as I fell through the drift. I hoped to find easier possibilities down west but I never crossed that river. Being without GPS I was less than competent to position myself and as my return day was fixed, I had to rearrange my plans to make my route simple forth and back instead of circular one. Another memory how I almost got lost on my way back, as I was so sure in myself that I am taking easy way with the shortcut passing the mountain from the other side. Instead of reaching camp spot an hour earlier, I got lost in the thick maze of trees, where even taking one step was difficult because of the impassable nature of the forest. I fell down several times, scratching and bruising my myself but the landscape didn’t get any easier in spite of that. Finally, after long and difficult climb to a mountain top, I managed to position myself and find a way out. But at the same time there are experiences arising that I could never dreamed of. On one night I was awaken by sounds of galloping horses, barking dogs and loud shouts. I couldn’t understand what was happening as I supposed to be in solitude. It seemed to be some kind of chasing game with men cheering “Hurraah-Hurraah-Hurraah”. Finally the sounds faded into darkness for good, but the flashing thunder lights were keeping me up still for some time longer. I will never forget the million-dollar view down onto Terelj valley from the mountain top where I had my first night camp. Thousands bright stars in night sky. Or the lazy day in complete wilderness and solitude, where I wanted to do nothing else than just enjoy the sun and drop myself into ice-cold river from time to time. Or the heavy dark clouds threatening with thunder storm just as I had arrived to Aryabal temple. And friendly, smiling and helpful people that I met when I returned to civilization. “Would I do it again? Definitely. To step out of my usual environment. To overcome my fears and insecurities and to open myself up to countless possibilities. These experiences are priceless, they make the life alive”.