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MongoliaThe Inside StoryFor those seeking a bit of adventure and who crave theoutdoor life, Mongolia is a dream. Head out into the unspoiltwilderness with just your fellow travellers and a few nomadsfor company.Whether you arrive by train or by air, Ulaanbaatar willbe your starting point. Amongst the mishmash of Sovietarchitecture and Buddhist monasteries, glass tower blocks,international restaurants and shopping malls are beginningto develop.Travel by jeep to reach national parks where you can trekor ride a horse through the unspoilt natural beauty. Crossthe lunar landscape of the Gobi Desert and check out thecliffs where dinosaur fossils were discovered. The memoryof Genghis Khan is alive and well in Mongolia so ensureyou visit the monks in the walled compound of ErdeneZuu monastery, close to his ancient capital of Karakorum.Staying in a ger, the traditional Mongolian dwelling, is allpart of the experience.Storyto tell -CarlMeadowsWhy I loveMongoliaIt’s difficult not to fall inlove with the peaceful,nomadic culture ofthe Mongolian people.Living in areas ofcomplete wildernessand wandering beautifullandscapes is anexistence I could easilyget used to!200 BCThe Xiongnu – a tribe settled inMongolia – conquer northernand western Chinac. 1000Kitan Lio Dynasty rule overeastern Mongolia, Manchuriaand northern China1206Genghis Khan unifies allMongol and Tatar tribes1368Newly foundedMing Dynasty drivesMongols from Beijing17th CQing Dynasty dividesthe country into Innerand Outer Mongolia350Chinese drive Xiongnuwestwards toward Europe1190Genghis Khan becomesKing of the Mongols1206-63Khan and his descendantsbuild biggest land empirein the world1380Golden Horde defeated by theRussians; Ming troops destroy theMongol capital, Karakorum