Mongolia : What's there?

We visit 13 countries on the rally but 90% of the talk is about Mongolia and the Gobi desert. All the advice is targeted to preparing the cars for the wildness and the challenges of the desert. So what else does Mongolia offer? We get a rest day in the capital, Ulaan Bataar, and we spend 7 days in the country so surely there will be opportunities to imbibe something of Mongolian life?

I pored through the Lonely Planet Guide for highlights and here is the result of my search.

From the top 14 entries: 

3 are about local life - staying in a Ger (or Yurt); experiencing Mongolian hospitality  in a traditional setting - ie a Ger (or Yurt; and eating Mongolian food in its best setting - yes, a Ger (or Yurt) with a family.

2 are about Mongolian spiritual life: the monasteries and the "deeply spiritual" Khovsgol Nuur lake at the border with Siberia.

2 are about activities that suit the Mongolian emptiness - horse riding in the Steppes and hiking in remote areas "begging to be explored".

1 reference to history - Chinggis Khaan - the places where legend has it that he found his 'golden whip' and held his coronation; and the very real - but very modern - giant statue.

1 praises the local festivals - Nadaams - where horse races are exhausting and dangerous for the 10 year old jockeys. There's also wrestling, archery and ankle bone shooting (darts to you or me). But don't bother with the Ulaan Bataar Nadaam - it's too touristy. Go local for a true flavour.

1 is about Ulaan Bataar "an enormous city of pulsating commerce, wild traffic, sinful nightlife and bohemian counter-culture". the top attraction is Beatles Square named in the 1970s when groups of teenagers gathered to sing Beatles songs. No evidence that the Fab Four ever came but it's clearly a must for me as a visting Scouser. Sadly the food entries are unpromising: the local speciality is fried mutton dumplings and the best restaurants are in the (relatively) small number of international hotels.

4 are about the Gobi Desert whether as the Desert itself, the fossils, the eagle training and the wildlife watching (argali sheep ibex, majestic reindeer). The camels are a feature as are the dinosaur boneyards and the colossal sand dunes. it is praised for its "profound emptiness and terrible isolation" - though I'm not sure I personally seek very much of it.

So we shall be experiencing quite a lot of Mongolia 's top attractions in a week in the Gobi including two nights in Ulaan Bataar.