Trip to Mongolia, the land of the infinite spaces...

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Mongolia, wedged between two great nations, China and the former Soviet Union, is one of the most fascinating and mysterious world. On its territory, almost six times more extended Italy, made up of highlands between 1000 and 3000 meters in altitude (the summit Tabin Bogdo Ola, the highest - 4356 meters - is located in the chain of Altai in the north), the temperature cycle from +40 ° to -50 ° in summer and winter. 90% of Mongolia is in fact a large plateau in two distinct areas: the steppes green Khangai north and the Gobi desert to the south. It 'a territory intended mainly to pasture, landlocked, with 7670 kilometers of border and with only 2.5 million inhabitants, architects of a story full of twists. The great warrior Genghis Khan started from here to conquer an empire that will be the largest in history, from the gates of Europe to the Yellow Sea, including cities such as Moscow, Beijing, Damascus and Baghdad. Then, around 1600, the conversion of the Mongolian people to Tibetan Lamaism transformed the character into a ferocious and indomitable opposite docility, which changed the Mongols as conquerors to the conquered, making them a de facto Chinese colony and later a buffer state between China the Soviet Union. Today the Republic of Mongolia is a country of great spirituality, where they meet in a harmonious whole, animism, shamanism and Buddhism lamaist. In the hills most impenetrable gaze alights on Ovoo, large mounds of rocks topped by the flag propitiatory controlled by the wind to send the spirits dreams, wishes and prayers of a simple and hospitable people which preserves an innate sense of love for their land , vast as the sea.
August 2, Sunday, Day 1 - ITALY / Beijing
Meeting of sigg.ri participants in Bologna and transfer to Rome Fiumicino airport by plane or bus, according to convenience and timetables.
Departure to Beijing with Air China airliner CA 940L at 20.10. Dinner and night flight.
August 3, Monday, Day 2 - Beijing
Arrival in Beijing 12:00 pm, completing procedures for entry to the country and transfer to hotel. Visit the "Forbidden City or Imperial Palace, passing through Tiananmen Square. In this palace which covers five square kilometers, twenty-four Chinese emperors of Ming and Qing dynasty spent their lives in wars and intrigues, the dignitaries of the audience listening to distant provinces, dividing the privacy between empresses and concubines (an emperor could officially have three wives, six and seventy-two favored concubines). Meals in the hotel. Overnight.
August 4, Tuesday Day 3 - Beijing / Ulan Baatar
Breakfast, airport transfer and departure to Ulan Baatar, the capital of Mongolia. Air China flight CA 901L hours 8.10 / 10.35. Arrival, transfer to hotel and accommodation in the reserved rooms. Second Western-style breakfast in a restaurant. In the afternoon visit east of the city built along the banks of the River Tuul and surrounded by impressive mountains. The city is characterized by Soviet-style buildings in the suburbs but are still the traditional ger, the circular felt tents. Visit the great Sukhbaatar Square, surrounded by the Palace of Parliament and the government, the Mongolian Stock Exchange and the Opera and Ballet. In the center stands the statue of Sukhbaatar national to whom we owe the city's name changed to Ulaan Baatar (Red Hero) after the revolution of 1924. He also visited the Zaisan Memorial: the monument to fallen soldiers in World War II, and the National Museum of History. Dinner at a traditional restaurant. Overnight.
August 5, Wednesday, Day 4 - Ulan Baatar
Breakfast and visit of Gandantegchenling (Gandan - 1838), the largest Buddhist monastery in Mongolia to the entire interior is the magnificent white temple Migjid Janraisig. The walls of this building are covered with numerous images of the Buddha of Longevity (Amitayus). Continues with a visit to the Winter Palace of the last king of Mongolia Bogd Khan, saved from destruction by the Russians in the late 30s. Second breakfast at the restaurant and the afternoon continues with a visit of the monastery-museum of Choijin Lama (museum of religion). This monastery escaped the destruction because it turned into a museum. Dinner at a traditional restaurant. Overnight.
August 6, Thursday, Day 5 - Ulan Baatar / Terelj / Ulan Bataar (200 km AR)
Breakfast and departure for the visit of the Terelj National Park which is located northeast of the capital city and 1600 meters of altitude. In this area, which offers beautiful mountain scenery, there are also some ger camps. Stop for a second breakfast and tour of an interesting rock formation that is shaped like a turtle in a secondary valley of the park. So time for a stroll in the park on the banks of the Tuul River, the river that is born here and scroll to Ulaan Baatar. Dinner at the incredible Hotel Mongolia. After dinner back in Ulan Baatar for overnight.
August 7, Friday, Day 6 - Ulan Baatar / MONTI Khustai (150 km)
Breakfast and completion of visits to the capital with the Museum of Fine Arts and the Natural History. After the second Western-style breakfast departure for Khustai Mountains National Park, which is reached after two hours of travel by taking a south-west. The park, with its wooded steppe environment, is the habitat of the wild horse of Mongolia unfortunately endangered (Takhi Prewalsky the mythical winged horse with two more chromosomes) and other animals such as deer, wild cat manul and gazelles of the steppe. After accommodation to the field in the traditional ger, visit the archaeological complex and magnificent stone statues of Ongot who are in the valley of the river at the edge of the park. It is thought that here there was an ancient burial place of a people of Turkish origin (Ongot). Visit the museum of the horses. Dinner and overnight at the camp.
August 8, Saturday, Day 7 - MONTI Khustai / Karakorum (300 km)
Breakfast and departure to the ancient capital of Karakorum the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan in the thirteenth century. Before giungerv, the visit of the Monastery of Khamba Erten and, in the beautiful valley at the foot of Khognokhaan, Ovgon Khiid monastery, destroyed in 1640. Second breakfast in transit in tented camp. Arrive at Karakorum and continued with the visit of the monastery of Erdene Zuu, the first monastery in the country, whose construction began in 1586. Accommodation in tented camp. Dinner and overnight.
August 9, Sunday, Day 8 - Karakorum (160 km)
Breakfast and full day dedicated to visiting Karkorum and surrounding areas accessible only by trails. The ancient Karakorum was a step on the long trade route that connected the West and East, situated on the valley of the Orkhon River and was the capital of the world, described with awe even by Marco Polo. It is said that in the garden of the imperial palace there was a tree, all of silver sized from which protruding arak, wine, beer and other drinks, which were offered to guests. From 1220 until the fourteenth century, Genghis Khan and his ancestors Ogoodoi Khan, Khan Guyug and Monkh Khan lived here until Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan) does not move the capital of Beijing. After this change the city fell into disrepair and was completely destroyed by the Ming dynasty in the fourteenth century. What remains today are some monumental turtles