Andras’ personal page

February 2023

My travel diary – Part 3

1. On food and being vegan

I spoke about food in the previous chapter, but I would be remiss not to spend a few words on being vegan in Mongolia and specifically on this trip. 

From the initial trip briefing onwards I have had a number of conversations with Scott about how best to manage my diet on the expedition. He told me that there are several vegetarian folks in the group, including himself, and as such there will be enough vegetarian food choices available. This was a relief, as from here I knew the primary concern I would need to address would be how to have enough protein in my food. I expected the vegetarian folks to be able to eat dairy products and eggs for protein, but for me as a vegan those options are not available. I decided that the best I can do is to bring some protein bars and protein powder with me from Singapore and augment these through buying canned beans and nuts in a grocery store in Mongolia. Without knowing the country and available food choices, I thought beans and nuts are common enough around the world that I should be able to find them. Secretly I hoped I could also find tofu in some of the larger stores. Scott believed this should be possible and this made me feel like I have a good plan to cover my nutrition needs. My fallback plan was that if, for whatever reason, I cannot obtain enough options in Mongolia, I would revert to a vegetarian diet for the duration of the trip only, allowing me to consume eggs. Yes, I know this is a big reversal for a vegan. But I am vegan by choice and if my health is at risk, in this case from lack of nutrition, I would not hesitate to make a temporary change to my diet to ensure I am safe and I also have enough energy to perform well in an arduous challenge like our trek. 

Upon settling down in UB, I quickly started surveying convenience stores for options available there. Nuts were readily available everywhere and I made sure that I had a bag with me pretty much anywhere I went. Beans and tofu remained elusive up to this point, but Scott assured me that we will be passing be a large supermarket on our drive to the lake where I should find what I am looking for. Sure enough, about an hour outside of UB we stopped at a large store and I went to work among the aisles of diverse products one would likely be able to find in any grocery store anywhere in the world. 

Beans were easy to find and I loaded my basket with a selection of cans of black beans, baked beans and white beans. Than came the most nervous part of my shopping experience, searching for the cooled section of shelves where, if it all possible, I may find the ever elusive tofu supplies I have been counting on. After scanning through rows and rows of dairy products, some looking very exotic and being made from sheep, goat, horse dairy, I spotted a section that looked like the so-called “alternative dairy section”. And, lo and behold, I saw the all-so-familiar rectangular shaped packs of what I thought may be tofu products. Yes! In clean letters printed on pretty link labels I saw the word “tofu”. To be precise the labels read “Mongolian tofu”, which in the moment of my joy did not phase me and I proceeded to load my basket with as many packs as I could. I knew that storage or spoilage will not be an issue, given the cold outside conditions we faced. I also knew my appetite and need for tofu in my diet is insatiable. So, I thought, what could go wrong if I just buy a bunch? The vans can carry it all. This was the first and last time I saw tofu in a grocery store in Mongolia and these packs lasted the entire trip. In hindsight I feel I made the right decision to buy all those packs, essentially emptying the shelves of that particular store. The looks people gave me as I made my way to the checkout counter with a basket full of canned beans and another full of tofu will definitely stay with me as a fun memory of the many experiences I made on my vegan journey. I was a happy man now, having just completed my hunt for vegan protein for the duration of the trip.

To complete the account of my shopping experience in that store, I would also like to mention that I picked up a few cans of pineapples, which happened to be next to the beans’ section in the store. These goodies proved to be treasures later in the trip, which I will describe a bit later.

From this point in the journey, my food was made up of a combination of the meals prepared by our cooks and some of these proteins.

The vegetarian meals consisted mostly of noodles, rice, stir fried veggies either prepared as plated dishes or soups. All meals were calorie dense and nutritious, exactly what we needed to have enough energy to battle the cold and to have strength to complete the daily segments of our trek. I would augment these meals by asking the cooks to either cut some tofu in cubes for me or to heat up a can of beans I could eat out of the can itself. I would say this type of meal prep is somewhat similar to how I eat at home, so I was a happy man throughout the trip.

My most memorable meals were one two occasions when we were served vegetarian dumplings. These reminded me of Chinese style dumplings I enjoy eating in Singapore too, so when the staff brought out an entire plate full of these yummies, my eyes lit up with joy.

To keep my energy levels high, I would aim to keep my 6 meal a day nutrition approach. This meant I needed to have snacks with me for 3 occasions each day. I managed this with a combination of protein bars, my endless supply of nuts and another great find I made earlier in the trip: dried apricot. Somehow Ananthi and I had the same idea to buy these fruits, as such, pretty much at any point in time during the trip either she or I remained a reliable source of dried apricots not just for ourselves but for anyone who needed a quick refuel.  

Circling back on those pineapples I bought in the supermarket. I did not have any specific plan to eat these when I first bought them, they were just backups in a way. So I left them on the floor of our trusted UAZ “van 2”, at one point almost completely forgetting I had them there. What a surprise it was to see one roll out the door as I opened it for something at our first lunch on the ice . I quickly picked up the can, asked the cooks to open it for us and found that it was mostly frozen! Nevermind! Nothing better than frozen pineapples as dessert after a lovely lunch on the ice! I passed the can around and was happy to see that many of my travel mates agreed with this idea and were happy to take a piece and enjoy its slushy coolness before we set off on our trek again. 

2. On my most memorable moments of the trip

As I was writing my notes and observations in my phone during the trip, I aimed not to write in any structured format and I made sure I write everything that came to my mind at that moment, without judgement or boundaries of language. At the time, I thought I would organize everything into a neat diary upon my return to Singapore. After my return, I set out to do just this and you all may have read the results of this effort in the prior chapters. But, as I was creating this structured diary, I came to the realization that there are many notes that either don’t fit into a given chapter or that represent a special moment that would not be represented correctly if I were to write it into the chapter structures. As a result, I was left with a bunch of notes and memories they represent, which reminded me of a blooper reel or Instagram Stories reel one would post to share a fleeting moment, only to disappear for eternity 24 hours later. To give these unique moments the place and time they deserve, I thought I would dedicate a whole chapter to them, listing them in no particular order, using language that may not be perfect grammatically, but that would represent my feelings about these memories most accurately. What comes below is what I came up with and I hope you all have as much fun reading these as I had, thinking how to write them down and reliving those special moments again.

i. Sitting in a Russian made, UAZ brand van in Mongolia. Looking up through the sunroof, noticing that it was made in my country of birth: Hungary. A reminder of home, even in the most unexpected moment.

ii. Arriving at MS Guesthouse the day before our trip. Folks from the village packing out their handmade wares and souvenirs on blankets on the floor. The joy of shopping even in a most remote place like northern Mongolia. The excitement of buying a truly unique item, a keepsake, a memory that will last for a long time. Choosing a reindeer-head shaped necklace made from sheep bone. And postcards depicting nomads with reindeer in high winter. Considering buying a local dice game made from different vertebrae of horse. The memory of this moment every time I wear my necklace in Singapore.

iii. Having the first (than second, than third) hot americano after many days at Arya coffee shop in Khatgal village after our trek finished. The first taste of that steaming hot coffee after so many days. Shadow boxing with kids in the shop. Chatting with Scott and Paul about life of a man in Singapore. Taking selfies with the coffee shop owner (who knows where those pics ended up in Mongolian social media circles..)

iv. Singing in front of people for the first time in a long time. Everyone who sang picked a song based on their ancestry or cultural heritage (or just one they thought would be fun). We heard Mongolian songs, Singaporean Chinese songs, Taiwanese songs, Korean songs, Japanese songs and a Malay song. I chose Aranyeso and performed almost as bad as I did in music class back in elementary school. But it brought back many moments from my youth and also how Freddie Mercury sang this song live at Queen’s Budapest concert. Translating its meaning to others also felt to bring out a special connection for me to the words and the context when I sang it. The feeling of being alone from a different culture and background, having come this far in life and having made it to such a remote place as part of a challenging expedition with amazing people.

v. The extreme cold, rendering everything frozen quickly. Wet wipes only usable if we keep them on our bodies or sleeping bags. Water bottles freezing up if left on the floor for the night. Multiple occasions when pictures taken of me show my entire balaklava-clad face being frosted over.

vi. An iced americano and me sticking to my regular morning coffee and homework routine in an international coffee chain in UB on our first morning. Nothing changes when one has a routine and is determined the stick with it. The only difference in this case was the amount of warm clothing I had to don just to cross the street from the hotel to the coffee shop. And braving the cold, dark and murky Avenue of Peace in UB.

vii. Sleeping with a roommate for the first time in a long time. In fact, sleeping with 9 other roommates in a tent soon after. 

viii. Paul falling asleep quickly after our celebration night to end the trek. He and Ryan working tirelessly, including late nights to take the best photos and videos of the trip and the group.

ix. My first experience sleeping in sleeping bag in a long time. I recall how I hated sleeping like this. But on this trip, the sleeping bags became our good friends and refuge from the extreme cold each night brought forward. The process of packing them up. Never been a good packer of foldable stuff..

x. Getting lessons from Allegra on dancing to a Michael Jackson song as a group. Is there ever hope out there for someone with two left legs to learn to dance to a rhythm and in sync with others? Haha

xi. Learning that keeping the fire going each night is our best chance to stay warm. Thinking ahead on getting enough firewood. Arranging hourly “fire feeding” shifts with tent-mates. We got pretty good at this by the time the last night in the tent came around.

xii. Sleeping in a tent pitched on the ice surface of a frozen lake. Did not think this was possible. Was cold!

xiii. Enduring a -35 Celsius night in a tent in sleeping bags. The smallest surface of skin exposed to outside air making me shiver. 

xiv. Having to do toilet business in the forest and appreciating a real toilet in MS Guesthouse. (eventhought it was just a seat over a hole)

xv. Bonfires we collected wood for and kept going on some nights during the trek. The warmth and light they emitted. The sense of camaraderie they fostered. The funny, the deep, the engaging conversations that felt like they will continue forever. Playing games, teasing each other. Finding ways to share the warmth, share the best seats, make others feel comfortable.

xvi. Speaking of bonfires. The unexpected explosion of an empty spray can accidentally left near a firepit. Never heard such a loud sound before.

xvii. Braving the cold to do some handstands. On the main road in front of Hotel 365 and on the packed snow on the lake itself. Fun but it was too cold. And trying this on snow turned out to be a but dangerous. Luckily I escaped any major injuries. And I still love handstands.

xviii. The packing list provided by Scott being very comprehensive. Felt like I had just enough stuff but not many things of no use.

xix. Apropos packing list: the amazing warmth wool layers provided. Grateful.

xx. Feeling of dehydration and getting scars on my finger and a runny nose. This is no joke, even in really cold weather lack of water intake catches up with us. Tea was not a good enough replacement. 

xxi. The utility of the warm skull cap I bought with my sister in Budapest. It was warm, small enough to fit under a bigger beanie. I had it on pretty much for the entire duration of the trek. Almost felt like a replacement of the full head of hair I lost many years ago. 

xxii. Learning the value of a of sleeping bag liner and inflatable mattress. I wish I had a second liner with me. 

xxiii. The utility of a manual winding mechanical watch. Simple, no charge needed and requires a simple routine of constant interaction with the device.

xxiv. Our UAZ vans were much more comfortable than I thought. We spent long hours in them, bouncing around some bad roads and ice. The felt reasonably comfortable and safe. Of course in no small part due to the skill and care of our drivers. These vans and riding in them also bring back memories of the same types of vehicles in Hungary when I was a child growing up there.  

xxv. The indescribable brightness of the stars and seeing stellar formations I never knew existed.

xxvi. Having to sleep with my phone and battery in sleeping bag. Otherwise they would not charge!

xxvii. My first time sleeping in sleeping bags made from sheep wool. Here I am talking about wool again. Magical material from Nature.

xxviii. A team member losing her phone on the ice and other team members finding it. We are very small creatures on a huge planet but it seems, when we put our minds to doing something and to helping others, we conquer even the largest distances or beat the least favorable odds (helped that it was a purple phone lost on white snow/ice

xxix. Shops and bars’ simple furniture and limited selection. Reminded me of shops and bars back home when I was a child.

xxx. Assuming simple responsibilities like cleanup after meals, nights or stops and firewood collecting duties. Simple things which we may not experience as part of our lives in cities but which make a big difference of breaking monotone days and also leaving the least amount of impact on nature behind. 

xxxi. 4.5 hours riding at fast speeds on dirt roads on the way to the lake from UB. It was fun for the first hour. Haha

xxxii. Noticing a possible bear track on the ice near our first evening camp (update: not sure what it was from, but likely not a bear)

xxxiii. Paul and I jokingly looking up on Youtubehow to shower (after just having 5 days without a shower). Paul saying there are 4.5 million videos about this on Youtube which I totally believed was true (he got me on that one. Haha)

xxxiv. Stepping out of the airport upon our arrival and that first taste of the extreme cold in UB (6 pm – about -20 celsius)

xxxv. My first experience in a long time in a coed sleeping arrangement (1 night only)

xxxvi. The same night, 4 of us sleeping on a large, wide bed.

xxxvii. Those morning warmups. Maybe their use was more to wake up our bodies after cold nights than to warm up for the day’s trek. But they felt good, no matter what. And it felt great to do these as a group, everyone together.

xxxviii. My decision to refrain from alcohol on the trip to allow me to focus on my purpose there and to complete the trip safely. 

xxxix. My grand plan of journaling and writing a travel diary whilst on the trip. Prepared pencils, expecting ink would freeze. Great. But realized after day one that it it too cold to not have gloves on at pretty much all times. Problem 1. Not having sufficient lighting on most days, relying on headlamps instead. Problem 2. Not having enough room in the tents to unpack suitcases. Having to unpack necessary items outside the tent. Journal material lowest priority. Problem 3. No space to write in the tents. Problem 4. Used my phone to take notes instead which serve as the basis for this diary. 

xl. Seeing everyone’s smiling faces and elation upon completing 20 km distance on day 2 of our trek

xli. Everyone sharing everything with everyone. Everyone keeping others’ comfort and safety on top of mind. 

xlii. -35 degree night. Next morning, everything frozen. Including our cars’ engines. Drivers having to put gas burners under car engines to start them up.

xliii. Drivers taking every opportunity on the journey to play games or pull pranks on each other. Erka “burning” Baskar’s face of gas burner (he was not harmed!). Baskar bypassing Erka on the dirt road next to a toll-gate whilst Erka was waiting to pay. 

xliv. Finding a random angel statue in the roadside guesthouse we spent our last travel night at. Wonder who put it there and why?

xlv. Oncoming cars signaling to us about police measuring speeds ahead. And sure enough. But there were no cars on the road. Never would have thought I would see this. 

xlvi. The excitement ahead of the trip, ensuring I have everything on the packing list, everything will fit, everything will be warm and I can stay within the checked luggage weight limit.

xlvii. Bringing disposable cameras with me. Can’t for the day I get the photos developed.

Author’s note on Part 3:

It is becoming harder and harder to stay on track with writing this diary. My resolve and passion for writing down my experiences remains steadfast. My notes from the entire trip and available and clear. It is more that as I write these words we are already 3 weeks past our trek. And life sort of gets back to its busy ways and routines, allowing less and less quality time for me to sit down and just write. But again, I am very excited to write and share my reflections on the trip. I truly believe this was a once in a lifetime experience that deserved to be written about and shared.

I wrote the chapter about being vegan in a Strabucks yet again, on a Wednesday afternoon after work. I was getting ready for a boxing class but had some free time prior. I was somewhat hesitant to write as I did not know how much quality time I can devote to this. But once I started, the place around me just melted into a warm soothing bath of waves on top of which I could carelessly and weightlessly float as I thought about the words and wrote them down as they came. Time seemed to lose its typical ability to always win, and I was able to type many pages without running late for my catch up with my friend Meaghan and our boxing session afterwards.

Afterwards came a number of days’ hiatus due to other priorities and fun activities in my life. Finally I was able to sit down on the floor of my living room this evening to finish my account of fun and memorable experiences.

Hope you all enjoy reading this part of my diary as much as I enjoyed thinking back on these memories and writing them down.

I still have more to share about the expedition. Stay tuned for future parts of my diary where I will describe my impressions of the team members and my interactions with them and where I will share my final reflections and learnings about the trip.