Eaglehunters of Bayan Ulgii (Day 15 )

The famed Kazakh Eaglehunters of Bayan Ulgii, proudly bought to you by Back-To-Bek-Travel - for all your Bayan Ulgii Adventure Travel needs.
All photos are Copyright of Jan Schultz 2010, and appear courtesy of Backtobektravel.com with permission from Aynabek Khavduali.

Photo: Herder on the steppe with Altai Mountains in the distance.

Photo: Hooded hunter.

Photo: Hunter & hunter.

Photo: They start 'em young.

Photo: Not-as-young Eaglehunter.

Photo: Hunting grounds.

Photo: In action.

Photo: The hunt.

Photo: The drop.

Photo: Closing in..

Photo: Got 'em.

Photo: Golden eagle and ovod.

Photo: All in a day's work.

Deerstones of Baya Ulgii (Day 15)

Photo: Deerstone on the riverflats of Sagsay.

The Smithsonian Institute has only just begun studying these ancient sculptures, which dot the landscape across Bayan Ulgii province. 

Nobody knows for sure exactly how old these are, or who put them there, although it seems that many are burial markers of some sort as there are often remnants of a burial mound nearby.  These preliminary studies suggest that the stone people seem to face the rising sun of the winter solstice, and a project to map the exact locations of each sculpture and site was entering its 8th in 2008;I have no idea if the study continues today.

Photo: 'Hawk chalk', almost looks like dreads.

I had read a little about these mysteries prior toarriving in Bayan Ulgii, and was nervous to meet the ancient Mongolian ancestors to our Hawaiian pohaku.  We drove 20km past the settlement of Sagsay soum, almost clear across the vast riverflats which hold the Hovdsgol, Sagsay, and Turgin rivers. 

If we hadn't known where to look, it would have been easy to miss the stone sentinel standing guard over who-knows-what watching quietly from his plain-sight-hiding-site on the rocky flats.  The constant and freezing wind (which locals hardly seem to notice) almost froze my hands stiff (in ten minutes flat) as I worked quickly to photograph the site.

Photo: Bek chills out with his ancestor.

Bek casually (I though callously) rested his hands upon his ancestor's head to my shock and horror as I moved reverently around the Deerstone.  "He is ancestor, he is Friend," he explained simply, and I had to laugh in spite of myself.  The people of Bayan Ulgii live so closely to their lands, because their climate is so harsh, and the margin of error so slim, that they have a living relationship with the environment that most of us in the developed world have lost.

It was a simple, profound lesson that is still lingering.

Photo:Introductions are made...

The road to Sagsay soum (Day 15)

Photo: Braided tracks form the roads here.

Photo: Cashmere goats graze an erosion gully.  Note extreme cold-hardy shurb (identified by ADRA staff as nitorgen-fixing species) growing throughout the hillsides.

Photo:Herder on the riverflats.

Photo:Frozen landscape.

Photo: Gateway to Sagsay soum, which can barely be seen in the riverflats below.

Photo: Iron horse.

Photo: Iron horse riders.  Passenger carries a sack of flour, and a thermos of hot milk tea in his other hand (hidden from camera).

Photo: Another herder on the riverflats.

Photo: Lone figure walks, and watches.

Photo: At one time, these riverflats would likely have been covered with these trees.

Photo: Lone tree watches.

Photo: Frozen riverbanks and trees.

Photo: The road back home.

Photo: Cold ride.

Ulgii City (Day 08)

Photo: Morning sun through the coal smoke.

Photo: Ulgii City Square.  Note the unmelting blocks of ice strewn about.

Photo: Government buildings and Sports Center (the pink UFO).

Photo: Schoolyard with Monument to Kazakh Warrior Hero Ikay.

Photo: A wolf skin dries in an apartment window.

Photo: The Mongol-Kazakhs are skilled masons.

Photo: Russian 4WD 'Jips' being unloaded as a family prepares for wedding celebrations that evening.

Entering Bayan Ulgii Province (Day 04)

Photo: Mountain pass roadside ger stop, entry to Bayan Ulgii province.

 

Photo: Kazakh encampment atop hillside.

 

Photo: The rocky foothills of the Altai Mountains.

 

Photo: Made by travelers, for good luck.

 

Photo: You have to step back from the camera's viewfinder to get a feeling for just how vast this landscape is.

 

Photo: This ain't Kansas no more, Toto..

 

Photo: Kazakh encampment, mudbrick & stone construction.

 

Photo: Extreme cold tolerant grass (minus 50C).

 

Photo: This Island Boy looks a little lost... which way to Hawaii from here?!

 

Photo: Descending into Ulgii City in the shadow of the mountains.

 

Photo: Coal-fired powerplant provides Ulgii City with electricity and central heating, and a thick coat of sooty coal dust to boot.

 

Photo: ADRA Mongolia's Ulgii City offices.

Special thanks to Canadian Foodgrains Bank, major funding sponsor for Bayan Ulgii SEAL Project 2011.