Mongolia Part 3 (final): The Nadaam Festival

We originally chose to go to Mongolia because their biggest festival of the year happened to coincide with the timeframe my tourist visa required me to get out of China, before I could come back in. So, off we went in search of another country to see, and it just so happened it was perfect timing to see their Nadaam Festival.

The Nadaam Festival is awesome - it celebrates Mongolia's Independence from China - and does so through the festival of the three manly sports. So, just what ARE the three manly sports, you might be wondering?

The three manly sports are.... drumroll please..... WRESTLING! ......ARCHERY!! .....and HORSE RACING!!!

Because we were staying in the capital city of Ulaabaatar, we were able to see the biggest festival in the country. Smaller villages hold their own smaller versions of the festival throughout the country - we stopped at one on our way out to the countryside one day. If you go to Mongolia for the Nadaam Festival, I actually highly recommend getting to a smaller village to watch theirs... MUCH less crowded and you get a much better view! It also gives you more of that small, traditional feel I expected, as opposed to the huge event that the festival was in the capital.




See the guy in the all tan outfit, with the hat on towards the middle? He is the President of Mongolia! We got a LOT closer to him than this - we actually walked (accidentally) next to him and his entire entourage as we made our way to the archery show.


My AMAZING view for much of the ceremony, compliments of the jerks in front of me who obviously didn't care that I had spent $600 on a plane ticket to come and see THISFREAKINGFESTIVAL! PFT. People and their umbrellas.







ARCHERY!

WRESTLING!


HORSE RACING!

AND..... last but not least... this is the face of a criminal!!! HAHA! She tried to pickpocket my husband not ONCE, but TWICE! He flung her arm away, then she ran and he followed her to get this awesome picture.... haha.

Thats it for our Mongolian adventure! We are going to Inner Mongolia soon, which is part of China, and it will be interesting to compare the differences and similarities between the two places. My husband is sweet and gives me an entire week off before we have to travel again... lol. Once we get back from Inner Mongolia I get another week off before going on a longer 2 week trip!

**If you are interested in the beauty aspect of this blog, be sure to check out the previous post which is a product review!**

Steph