Mongolian Skies

I had heard a lot about the amazing Mongolian sunrises, sunsets and clear night skies, which is why I didn’t want to stay in a hotel in a city. Check out these pics of sunrises at the Great White Lake and the Khogno Khan ger camp. I’m not sure why it happens, but the breathtaking glow just before the sun rises and sets isn’t something I’ve seen anywhere else before. These photos were taken using my iPhone and really don’t do justice to the actual experience. It feels as if a huge fire is heading your way and you just stand there speechless waiting for it to greet you.

The night sky was something totally out of this world, in the most literal sense of the term. The magic starts after they switch off the generator at around midnight and there is pitch darkness everywhere accompanied by total pin drop silence. You need to brave the cold and step out of your warm ger to look up and see the sky completely filled with stars. Not a single patch of darkness. You can actually see clouds of stars, not solitary one of groups like you normally do.
Out in the grasslands far away from the cities there is zero pollution and no man made light emanating from the surface of the earth. The air is as pure as it can ever be and every breath you take infuses new life into you. Which is why you can see the stars so clearly. I’m not a star gazer. But even I was spell bound by what I saw. A truly surreal experience.

There is a huge difference between visiting a country and experiencing it. One lifetime isn’t enough to experience this beautiful planet in its entirety. But I’m trying to squeeze in as much as I can.