Planned as a round trip, the start and finish of the eighth stage of the XWORLD Tour 2008/2009 is Ulan-Bator, the capital of Mongolia.

“There is a rumour that there are not enough candles and toilet paper in Ulan-Bator. Two of our participants found this out in the course of their personal preparations for the journey, and arrive in Ulan-Bator loaded down with two enormous plastic bags full of these items. With hearty hellos and laughter our guides are able to explain the state of supplies in Mongolia. Although there are often shortages in rural areas, in the larger towns there are various, if limited, opportunities for shopping.

The next morning, our introduction to the vehicles begins directly in front of the hotel. As well as the usual technical instructions, we are also given a short lesson in the customs of Mongolian traffic. Although there is relatively little density of traffic in comparison with other countries, there are quite a few things to be noted. For example, there is a highway code, which is very similar to the German one, and in which motorways are even mentioned. However, this is not strictly adhered to. The condition of the roads or the course of the route is explained to us, as well as several useful hints on a suitable manner of driving.

We leave Ulan-Bator, which is also known as the “Red Warrior” and drive through several small suburbs towards Bulgan-Aimak. Along gravel tracks – the “better roads” – we recognise at first hand that Mongolia is one of the most thinly populated countries in the world. For many kilometres we don’t see a soul. Villages, road signs or other evidence of civilization are in short supply here. At first this complete emptiness takes a great deal of getting used to and is disconcerting if one thinks how interlinked Western culture is. However, after our initial reluctance we quickly realize what potential this country has to offer. Unspoiled landscape as far as the eye can see, which we can explore on tracks which seem to have no rules. We are simply utterly alone, and enjoy this breathtaking scenery.

It also soon becomes obvious that this endless and unrestricted driving fun also has its pitfalls. The countless furrows and depressions are directly transferred to us and really shake us up. In addition, because of this we can only drive at about 50 km/h and arrive at our first camp near Bulgan only just in time as darkness falls.

After the first night in a yurt and an opulent breakfast we continue our journey towards Lake Khuvsgul. We leave the wide plains of Mongolia and now approach the mountain region in the east. Even at a great distance, we can recognise the rugged alpine forms of the rocky peaks of the high plateau. As the mountains are inaccessible, we prefer to explore the valleys of this region. We decide to drive directly to the national park and spend a few quiet days beside the lake. At the entrance to the park we are greeted by a ranger, who demands the parking fee for the national park from each vehicle. It seems that a little Western capitalist thinking has also reached Mongolia.

When we arrive at the lake, we put up our tents next to the deepest lake in Central Asia. “The Blue Pearl” as it is lovingly called by the Mongolians, is sacred to all Mongolians. As the weather has become almost tropical, at over 30°C, a few of the group decide to go for a swim in the crystal-clear lake. Others use the time for a little sporting activity and explore the lake by canoe (the rangers supplement their wages with the canoe station). The region around this lake is said to be the epitome of the original nature of Mongolia. In addition to the beautiful landscape, characterised by forests, mountains and steppes, with the lake at its centre, the animal life is truly wild. It is said that there are still large numbers of bears and wolves here.

Here we can particularly feel the independent lifestyle of the Mongolians, which has been preserved to this day. As well as the opportunity of supplying ourselves with fish such as trout and sturgeon and drinking glass-clear water from the lake, we discover that there are probably as many fungi around the lake as there is sand in the Gobi Desert. We would love to spend another few days here, well supplied, and enjoying the magnificent panorama of the surrounding mountains.

Day 5 of our tour takes us through the Khan Khokii National Park. As on all of our daily routes, today we only see very few people. As already mentioned, it is a great coincidence to find three people in an area of a square kilometre. In the evening we arrive in Ulangoom, one of the larger towns in Mongolia, with approximately 26,000 inhabitants – and one of the coldest places in Mongolia. Here the average temperature is -3,5°C. However, the drive to the hotel proves to be anything but simple. The darkness of early evening had not been a reason for many Mongolians to switch on the lights of their vehicles. We arewere lucky not to have an accident this evening, and we now understand why our guide explained the driving customs in Mongolia in such great detail.

The next three days will take us into the high mountains of Central Asia - the Altai Mountains. Here we can hardly confirm the usual cliché that Mongolia is a relatively barren country. We drive through heavily forested areas, which are interrupted by large areas of endless steppes and accompanied by the peaks of mountain chains, which form a magnificent contrast. The colourfulness of the rich and varied vegetation never ceases to astound us. Our Mongolian guide has prepared a special highlight for us on this stretch. He originally came from this region, and has arranged for us to take part in a traditional Mongolian wedding.

During this evening we get to know the great hospitality of these people. Accompanied by old folk traditions, we take part in a very special ceremony. For this exceptional occasion, animals are slaughtered – in our case a sheep. We are astonished at the strange way of preparing it. After it has been carved up, alternately, hot stones and the meat are put into an enormous milk churn and cooked for several hours. Although the nomads in the Altair region have the lowest income in the entire country (due to the long distance from Ulan-Bator and the resulting difficulties in selling produce), we are shown opulent hospitality.

Accompanied by the strange smell and taste of the sheep (a smell which we noticed throughout the entire tour - in buildings, on bank notes and even later in our clothing), we enjoy a very widespread drink: salted milk tea. After this impressive day, we say our thanks in the traditional way with a bottle of good vodka for the adults and a large quantity of sweets for the children, and then continue our tour.

Our next main destination is the Gobi Desert. The excitement and expectation of this special experience can be felt throughout the entire group. Although – or because – the Gobi Desert is so pure and has such a simple beauty, we found many little things to be so elementary and impressive that one can hardly describe how wonderful the sum total of this simplicity is. No-one who has not been there can understand that we stopped and watched with open mouths as a herd of camels passed us by in the midst of nothingness. Over a hundred kilometres, we hardly noticed any difference in the landscape, and although the demands in terms of driving are not as extreme as in the mountainous regions of the country, this experience was unique for all of us.

After a final overnight stay in a traditional yurt camp we set off towards the final destination of our journey. Past the Orchon waterfall and Karakorum, where we pay a short visit. We arrive in Ulan-Bator at noon.

Exhausted from our exertion and many days without running water (not to mention warm water) or other comforts, we are glad to feel civilization once again and are astonished at how this charmless town appears.

After a final evening meal together we take our leave from the many new impressions we have experienced and set out on our journey home. We now realise that less is sometimes more.