We will meet in the morning at 8 AM at Chez Bernard Café. From here we will leave Ulaanbaatar for the countryside and start the trip with our longest driving day. Our first stop will be 5 hours westwards to Tsogtiin Tsagaan Baishinh, A large stone monument situated near those ruins bears on inscription in Mongolian and Tibetan characters, stating that at this place the construction of 6 temples began in 1601 and was completed in 1617. The great number of building foundations suggest that a large number of people lived here. After having visited this ruin, we will drive further to Khar Bushiin Balgas, other ruins of a city dated of the 14th - 15th century.
After our breakfast we will set off Southeast wards for Khulitegenii Dorsal. The principal monument is a flat stone of more than 3 meters high. It is now in a small museum close the the place it originally stood. The stone has 68 lines of Turkic runes, two dragons and the mountain goat, device of the Ashina clan. The stone honors Kul-Tegin (684-731), a military leader of the Turkic empire. The stone is part of a larger memorial complex, created the year of the death of Kul-Tegin. It includes statues and a temple of worship. Our last ruin to be visited during this trip will be Khar Balgas Citadel. This citadel was founded in 751 as the capital of the Uiighur khanate. It was destroyed by fire, approximately 100 years later during the invasion Kirghiz invaders. Today only fragments of the outer walls and the Buddhist stupa remain.
In the evening we will reach Karakorum
Kharkhorin (also called Karakorin, 3 hours driving), site of the 13th century capital of the Mongolian Empire created by Chinggis Khan. Very little is left from this legendary city. In the 16th century, Mongolia's biggest Monastery was build from the ruins of Kharkhorin. Now Erdene Zuu Monastery is all that remains of what once was a huge monastery of 100 temples and about 1.000 lamas residencing there.
We will explore the grounds of Erdene Zuu Monastery surrounded by its massive 400 m X 400 m walls. We will be guided around the 3 remaining temples: Dalai Lama, Zuu of Buddha and Lavrin Temple. We will also see the Turtle Rock and the Phallic Rock.
We will also visit Sanhiid Monastery and stop in a Mongolian family before starting to drive into the direction of Khogno Khan Mountains
Today we will reach to the foothills of the Khogno Khan Mountains. It is an impressive massif in the open steppes. Not far from here runs the Tasarkhai Els, a 100 km long sand dune.
We will visit the nice little Uvgun Monastery. Those who want, will have the opportunity to climb the sand dunes or to walk up the mountain and enjoy the incredible view over the plains, the sand dune and grasslands.
End of the afternoon we will drive back to Ulaanbaatar.
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