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SWIM IN A LAKE
Mongolians will tell you that when it comes to swimming,they make great divers,ie. they sink. That's hardly surprising once you learn that Mongolia ranks as the world's second largest landlocked country. Opportunities for swimming here are rare so when the chance arises,it's wise to grab it with both flippers. Durgun Lake forms part of the Great Lakes Basin in Western Mongolia. It is wedged between the Bumbaat Mountain and the Mongols Els sand dunes,inside the boundaries of the Khar Us Nuur National Park in Gobi-Altai Province. Assuming you've timed your visit outside the long Mongolian winters,a refreshing dip here may be your best chance to wet your toes.
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VISIT A NOMAD
About 10 per cent of Mongolia's three million people are nomadic,with the remainder retaining links to their itinerant,ancestral lifestyles in one way or another. Mongolian nomads typically herd a combination of goats,sheep,cattle,horses and camels. Mongolia is a sparsely populated country where it doesn't take long to feel like you're travelling through a remote backwater. But wherever you go,you'll always find nomadic herders whose cultural upbringing obliges them to welcome strangers who come knocking on their ger. Without question,you'll be invited inside to share salted goat's milk tea and dried curd,perhaps accompanied by mutton dumplings.
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LISTEN TO THROAT SINGERS
After decades of neglect during the Soviet Communist era,the Mongolian art of throat singing has undergone a renaissance in recent years. One man at least partly responsible for that resurgence is Dashdorj Tserendavaa – one of just three living throat singing"masters",who now conducts lessons in his hometown of Chandmani,where the practice is believed to have originated. If you're lucky to catch a performance,you'll be transfixed as these nomadic maestros bend their vocal cords to mimic the sounds of the mountains,rivers and streams around them. In Ulaanbataar,the Tumen Ekh National Song and Dance Ensemble cultural show includes throat singing and folk dancing.
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