Mongolian Magic - Earthwatch style

The long train ride snakes away from the bustle of grey concrete Ulaanbaatar into the Mongolia of the imagination, dotted with the occasional ger that marks civilization--we call them yurts. Lazy hours on the train give way to a bucking ride in The Boneshaker, a weathered grey van that can travel over ANYTHING to camp, a collection of gers that will be our home, nestled amidst outcroppings of tall rocks with a stream rustling through, our only source of water.
Earthwatch is not for the slothful. There are armies of traps to be laid, and baited and checked twice daily. There are Argali sheep to be monitored, which means hiking kilometers up and down over rocky terrain, accompanied by a youthful Mongolian scout who is years younger and much fitter than I have ever been. Some teams actually snare these sheep to mark them, taking part in an old fashioned roundup with Mongolians on motorcycles as well as the traditional horses. Radio tracking hedgehogs sound cute and pastoral? Not when the little guy in question is a traveler, moving 10 km in one night. There are plants to be surveyed, mysterious clumps with Latin names, and counted in Mongolian! Sometimes there are young condors to be measured; some babies! The wingspan matches or exceeds the spread of my arms! After all this, there are sun showers to be had, and the absolute quiet of the Gobi desert. Occasionally we visit our neighbors, kilometers away, with their herd of horses and spotless ger, which can be dismantled quickly when they move on. In a nod to the 21st century, there are also motorcycles, the occasional pickup truck, one solar panel and a satellite dish. The scientists and staff are outstanding. Smiling pantomime is sometimes the only means of communication. Nonetheless, the meals are tasty, based on fresh goat prepared in every possible way, and the fellowship amazing. No phone, no TV, and no internet mean that we talk, we sing together, we play games, and we enjoy a true person to person experience, sharing our diverse cultures.