The Mongolian leg of my journey started slow, but today I picked up the pace as the first place I drove to with my guide, Ogi, was the Chinggis Khan Statue Complex. It is a forty-meter-tall stainless steel statue of the legendary king and the first ruler of Mongolia. The complex is situated 54 km away from the main capital city of Ulaanbaatar. The statue points eastwards towards the birthplace of the great king. One can also climb to the top of the statue and get a panoramic view of the Tuul River. There is also a museum which dates back to the Bronze Age of Mongolia. There are ancient belts, buckets, knives, and pictures of how the nomadic people used animals as beasts of burden. There is also a depiction of the history of the great Khan rulers of Mongolia dating back to the 13th century.
Here, I got the opportunity to do some archery and shoot a bow and arrow. I also immensely enjoyed flying the giant Mongolian eagle. The eagles here are very large and have huge claws, so one has to be careful with them at times. There was a busload of children who had come to see the large statue and no doubt get some history lessons. I did some souvenir shopping and even bought a large painting of the great Khan ruler.
Ariyabal Meditation Centre and the Significance of Number 108
Our next stop was the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. It is connected by a paved road and is 37 km from the national capital. The park has springs and great rock formations. One such rock is the Turtle Rock, which is shaped like a giant turtle. One can do some rock climbing or sit beside the Tuul River that flows through the national park. One can also spot eagles perched on top of trees. It is a quiet and serene place for tourists to enjoy and relax. I also managed to have some lunch of noodles and potatoes. I must say that so far, I have not developed a taste for Mongolian food and find it very bland.
It was here in the park that I managed to do some horse riding. The Mongolian horses are short but very strong, and I took a horse ride right up to the mountains and back for just a few dollars. I found it relaxing being with nature and in tune with my inner bio clock.
Our last stop for the day was the Ariyabal Meditation Centre. This is a meditation centre near Turtle Rock. Ariyabal was a Buddhist god who eradicated human suffering. There are 108 steps that go right up to the temple where monks come to meditate. The temple is shaped like the head of an elephant, and the 108 steps go up and look like the winding and elongated tusk of an elephant. The temple belongs to the Kalachakra sect of Buddhism and was built in 1810 by Buddhist and Tibetan artisans. Each step going up to the temple has 144 sayings and Buddhist philosophical teachings written on wooden signboards, so as one climbs the steps, one can also read these philosophical teachings. There are 108 steps because the number 108 is very auspicious for Buddhist people. The Buddhists believe that the road to Nirvana is laden with 108 temptations, and one has to eradicate these to reach Nirvana. Also, the Zen monks have 108 beads in their meditation mala, thus the number 108 is very auspicious for them, and during meditation, they chant 108 times as well.
It was almost evening as it took us some time to climb up to the temple. We drove back to Ulaanbaatar, and it took us almost one hour to reach base, but I was satisfied with my learnings and explorations for the day.
