Woody Packard

Words + Pictures

Getting To Zavkhan


Except for on three occasions in the past seven months, I have only been as far from Khovd as I can walk in an afternoon. So I was excited about an invitation to go with a team of our teachers to Uuliastai in Zavkhan Aimag to give some workshops for secondary school teachers there. It was a chance to learn a little more about Mongolia. As always, I learned more than I expected.

We would travel in an olive green фургон (like poor-gone,) the Russian-made 4wd vans that can be found all over Mongolia. A фургон looks a lot like a VW bus from several decades ago, but that is where the resemblance ends. A Poor-gone is simple and rugged beyond belief, and after the brutal thirty six hours I spent riding in this one, it has my respect and admiration.

I learned that it is normal to put twenty or even twenty two people into a Poor-gone, that the fifteen people we would be stuffing into this one were no problem, though it's likely that twenty Mongolians the size of those in our van would be some problem. "We will be leaving from the first university at 8:00," Davaa told me. "Maybe 8:30." By now I am not new to Mongolia. "I will watch out my window," I told him. The first university is across the street from our apartment.

At 8:40 I saw some activity across the street. The Poor-gone arrived fifteen minutes later. At 9:30 there were twelve of us ready to go. We went to the gas station just east of town, and got out. At 10:15 we drove a quarter mile up the road and parked. Someone opened a bottle of vodka, poured a few rounds. At ten thirty the last passengers arrived, with luggage. Fifteen total, and from what I could tell we were packed as full as we could get. But I am not Mongolian. There are twelve seats in this фургон.
More...

Close Story—Back to Pictures

Getting To Zavkhan

Click below to page through enlarged images or read the story.

2130407-008
Waiting, Gas Station

2130407-011
Waiting, Vodka

2130407-044
Sheep, Har Us South

2130407-053
Govi-Altai Uruu

2130407-071
Ger, Horse, Rock Wall

2130407-083
Another Ger, Horse, Rock Wall

2130407-127
Spill Prevention

2130407-133
Zereg

2130407-148
Dust Devil

2130407-157
Davaa, Tsai

2130407-169
Darvi

2130407-173
Gas Station, Recent Snow

2130407-177
Checking the Brakes, Darvi

2130407-178
Darvi

2130407-182
Pumping Gas

2130407-192
Freight Traffic

2130407-195
Purgone, Tandem Trailer

2130407-196
Purgone, Tandem Trailer

2130407-204
Washboard

2130407-238
Long Shadows, Road Hazard

2130407-242
Dinner, Dorm Room

2130408-002
Getting Directions

2130408-028
Pit Stop Near Tsagaankhairkhan

2130408-032
Pit Stop Near Tsagaankhairkhan

2130408-042
Sheep Scatter

2130408-052
Power Lines, Pass

2130408-054
Road to Pass

2130408-075
Uuliastai Basin

2130408-083
Yaks