Summer: Mongolia at its greatest
The winter we just experienced was one of the coldest yet. The 2010 – 2011 winter was so severe it was recorded a ‘zud’, where the cold and snow is so extreme it killed nearly one third of Mongolian livestock, leaving some families devastated having lost nearly all the animals they had raised through generations.
Now the freezing cold winter months are over, the windy and dusty spring is here. You may have noticed there are occasionally dust storms in the streets of UB that makes you close your eyes and cover your head.
It is worse in the countryside as the storms can turn into cyclones that move across all the flat lands. Aside from strong winds, spring in Mongolia is extraordinary compared to the other three seasons in that its temperature is moderate, allowing people to wear nearly any outerwear they want.
But spring is nearly over now, and Mongolian summer is much more comfortable and interesting. The summer season dishes out the best of the nature of Mongolia. It is no wonder the season is called the season for tourists. By June, all of the lakes and rivers melt and the real fun begins.
The summer in Mongolia has a moderate temperature compared to its winter, ranging from 80 - 90 degrees Fahrenheit (25-30 degrees Celsius), making it a considerably more comfortable temperature for people to enjoy the summer.
The mountainous Altai, Khangai and Khentii regions have well preserved natural scenery, due to the extreme cold temperature there throughout the year. They are home to some rare and exotic, endangered species: the snow leopard, argali (a type of mountain sheep), ibex, rock ptarmigan, and altai snowcock.
Mongolia is also the home to many different exotic bird species, due to direct migratory routes from the pacific and Indian oceans. A total of 426 species of birds were observed in Mongolia, with 78% of them constantly migrating. 30 of these birds are included in the Red Book of Mongolia, meaning they are in danger of extinction. Throughout the territories, these birds gather around larger lakes such as Ugiin Nuur, Khuvsgul Nuur and Khar Us. In major locations where exotic birds gather in high numbers, a security or a watch town is been built nearby to protect the birds from hunters or otherwise people seeking to hurt them in any way.
The posts are almost always run by natives of the land.
For example, in Ugiin Nuur, a post was located there complete with an in-depth exhibition and museum of reptiles, fish and birds of Mongolia. The natives - two neighboring families living in gers in this case - would take tourists or visitors around the museum and on top of the post, which has long range binoculars to view the Ugiin Nuur for exotic birds. As explained by the guide, the migrating birds are also a part of another nation as they visit many different places during their migration. This is the reason that foreign countries that are also in the migration path of these birds are willing to fund posts like this to help protect the migrating birds in Mongolia.
In addition to the flourishing nature in Mongolia, the society in UB and all around the country is hailing the celebration of Mongolian Naadam. As the weather is hot and pleasant, the wrestling tournament is held right outside in the grasslands in provinces and sums.
Similarly to wrestling, archery and horse racing is also carried out under the eternal blue skies of summer.
Just like any summer in any nation, people may lie under the sun on beaches or play volleyball tournaments, but here in Mongolia, the second largest landlocked country, the summer season is closely related with its culture and the pristine nature.
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