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YMKE (Amsterdam / Zadar / Mongolia)

Who said is just a joke for travelers to meet up again on the other side of the world!

Zadar, Croatia | May 2015

Mongolia | July 2016

'Let's go yum cha next time!' A typical goodbye phase among the Hongkongers when they bump into someone whom they haven't met for a while. But to be honest, very few of us will take the action to arrange a Yum Cha. Whenever you left a place behind and farewell to the friends you just made, we tend to hope that we will see each other again in our respective home country, but when? 

 

Real nomads never know where's there next destination is, or even, where's home-home. 

 

Overstressed by my work in London, Ymke's message definitely bring me back to life. When she mentioned about the Nadaam Festival in Mongolia early in February, without a second thought, I am in!

 

From Europe to Asia, Zadar to Mongolia, a Dutch and a Hongkongese, we no longer share a dorm, but a tent. I still recall the dare that I made to myself when I first met Ymke in the hostel: to jump off from the Sea Organ!  Obviously, I didn't get any wiser after a year. Having the plan to meet Ymke in Mongolia in July, I dare myself to take on an overland trip from London to Mongolia, and somehow heading south to Hong Kong. Yes, I even insisted taking a 30 hrs train back Hong Kong to cross a particular border.

(coming soon)
Chapter 1: Zadar
Chapter 1: Zadar

Before I met her, the hostel owner told me that I would love this girl whom I am sharing the room with. She’s damn right. We didn’t go to bed until 3am on the first night. She’s way more ambitious and adventurous than just coming to Zadar for the Sea Organ and the sea. She departed from Amsterdam to save the brown bears in Croatia and to sail the Dalmatian sea. Wow! She nearly got me pursued to hop on the sailing boat with her, and Yanjaa - another key person of the Mongolia trip and whom they met on the boat afterwards. Apparently the three of us were all in Zadar at the same time, but Yanjaa and I didn’t cross in each other path until July 2016.

Back in Zadar, we were already investing a business of importing selling selfie sticks from China to Europe. Don’t judge! It was not solely because its useful for solo traveller, but a life-saving stick. On the same day that I jumped off from the Sea Organ, we met a poor little seagull swimming with a plastic bag around his neck. Everyone of of us, locals, tourists and kids was watching him and wanting to help him. A long stick would be really helpful in this situation, yes, a adjustable selfie stick indeed.

Chapter 2: Nadaam
Chapter 2: Nadaam

6 months later, ‘Do you want to go to Nadaam with me?’, asked Ymke on Facebook message. Of course, I need to cross out the 500 festivals off my list! Who could reject a lifetime opportunity to witness a national celebration with locals? Mongolia is such a meaty county and non-travel friendly for vegetarian, not even for flexitarian like me. Meat-craving is a must in all nomads gathering and big celebrations. Their steaming, sauna-like kitchen don’t have many spices like the Chinese ones. Is either boiled lamb, barbecued or make it into those greasy dumpling - Khushur.

 

Arriving from the Russian border, I dragged my backpack to Zaya hostel to meet up with the group. It was beyond 1am at night, and they were still in the Gobi desert making their way back to attend the Nadaam Opening on the next day.  They must be knackered from the Gobi trip. On my first sight, I had to admit that I didn't expect to be a group of seniors, which somehow feels like my parents too. I wonder what will happen if I go backpacking with my parents, probably not a good move. 

Before Ymke’s triumph return from the Gobi, I went to the black market in Ulan Bator and got us some festive tattoo and headband for the ceremony. Waking up in my festive outfit, sun’s out gun’s out, we were so ready to go to the National Stadium for the NADAAM!!! It will be 9 down and 401 to go after this. 

 

 

 

Nadaam Festival, aka National Independence Day, is literally a month of nationwide celebration. It is all about the warrior spirit in the 4 national sports: Wrestling, Horse Racing, Archery and Knuckle-bone shooting. [photo gallery and blog coming soon]. The festival opening began with a ceremony of dance, music and martial arts, with performers aged from 7 to 60. 

Here’s a classic Nadaam routine for most visitors: Ceremony in the morning, lunch, then head out to the countryside for horse racing. Why horse racing at Nadaam is so special and fascinating? That’s easy, because all jockeys are aged from 7 to 10 and in each race, there are up to 200+ horses running across the plateau. All with just a blink, the first horse was gone. Thinking that there were still 199 horses coming, I quickly spin to the finishing line to get my spectator spot and a closer look to the jockeys. It was indeed very impressive, but heart-breaking when I saw the disappointment from their eyes, mud on their face, you can’t tell if those are the tears or the sweat. 

 

The spectator stands turned into a war battlefield once the race had finished, all the locals were riding in different directions, knocking small kids out of the way, horse pooping everywhere, I was terrified. A Mongolian told me that is their honour to have their kids to participate in the race, and despite all the toughness, even his little boy wanted to race when he turned 7.

Chapter 3: Road to Oz
Chapter 3: Road to Oz

Leaving Ulan Bator is like saying bye to the reality and heading to the Emerald City.

(Coming Soon)

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