A Journey to Mongolia with Marc Alaux
The "Land of the Blue Sky" is renowned for its steppes and vast landscapes, but also for the kindness of the Mongolian people. Yet its customs and living conditions remain little known to the rest of the world
The "Land of the Blue Sky" is renowned for its steppes and vast landscapes, but also for the kindness of the Mongolian people. Yet its customs and traditions, as well as its living conditions, remain little known to the rest of the world! Want to learn more about this indigenous population? Discover A Yurt or Nothing – and follow us on a journey to Mongolia with Marc Alaux…
A Journey to Mongolia with Marc Alaux: A Yurt or Nothing
Just one year after the publication of his essay Mongolia, Between the Bear and the Dragon, released in 2021, Marc Alaux returns to bookstores with A Yurt or Nothing – Tales from Mongolia, published by Transboréal. This speaks volumes about how passionate this author-traveler is about this vast mountainous region nicknamed the "Land of the Blue Sky"!
In this latest work, the writer shares stories rooted in Mongolian realities, both past and present. The Wait, Milky Way, Capsule, and Going Elsewhere are among some twenty tales dedicated to this country he holds so dear.
His characters? Lovers, artists, vagrants, monks, soldiers, and thieves with romantic destinies… Or so many opportunities to discover the Gobi Desert, the capital Ulaanbaatar, and the splendid Altai Mountains at their side.
"These humble people are both the damned and the sacred people of the steppes. For them, destiny obeys laws beyond their understanding, but they cling with all their might to existence, until victory or failure. And these texts remind us, often with humor, that living means acting to seek life-saving energy." 1
Marc Alaux: A Dreamer and Devoted Writer
The Biography of a Dreamer
Marc Alaux was born in 1976 and grew up far removed from East Asia, in the working-class neighborhoods of northeastern Paris. His passion for Mongolia? It began in his teenage years. While boys his age were chasing girls, he was wandering across France on foot. During his journey, the young man – captivated by the stark landscapes of the Causse Méjean in Lozère – made himself a promise: as soon as he could, he would fly to the steppes of Mongolia in search of an even vaster horizon…
A few years later, he discovered Mongolian territory "bigger, more beautiful, more powerful. I needed to expand my life, to give it another scale." he shared with us in 2021, during an interview upon the release of Between the Bear and the Dragon.
Over twenty years, Marc Alaux has walked 7,000 kilometers across Mongolia. During his travels, he does more than simply explore the lands of this beloved territory—he immerses himself in local life. Through his experiences with the native people, the author becomes physically connected to the country: "it's in my blood," he says!
His passion also enables him to grasp the complexity of this Asian region. To understand its challenges (such as mineral resources) as well as its borders and cultural transformation (the changes occurring within a cultural group through contact with another culture).
"In my eyes, going to Mongolia is not merely a journey—it is a commitment of the entire body and a stimulating intellectual exercise."
The Commitments of a Passionate Author
Between trips, this keen expert on the Mongolian world lends his pen to numerous publications and shares his passion by organizing cultural events dedicated to the country.
In 2020, the emergence of Covid-19 dealt a blow to the tourism sector. By the end of that year, a solidarity fundraiser was launched by Horseback Mongoli. The goal? To raise funds to save the jobs of our local agency's employees (administrative staff, local guides, drivers, cooks, etc.): Marc Alaux and the publishing house Transboréal supported the initiative.
A Journey to Mongolia: Two Books to Discover the "Land of the Blue Sky"
Marc Alaux has written several works about Mongolia. For him, writing is "the extension of travel," an act that allows him to develop his thoughts and question himself (his questions often become the inspiration for his next journey!). Essays, travel narratives, collections of short stories—the author varies his approaches to better understand this country that fascinates him.
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Mongolia, Between the Bear and the Dragon
The title of this work is a poetic reference to the country's geographical situation, landlocked between Russia to the north and China to the south. In it, Marc Alaux offers his reflections on contemporary Mongolia. His aim? To help future travelers understand the daily life of Mongols through his experience (and interviews conducted with other enthusiasts).
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Under the Yurts of Mongolia
With Under the Yurts of Mongolia, Marc Alaux shares four travel narratives, undertaken between 2001 and 2006. The structure of the work is divided into four sections: 
- Ulaanbaatar – Without Hammer or Sickle;
- Gobi and Eastern Steppes – The Land of Grasses;
- Khangai and Khan Khöökhi – The Land of a Hundred Rivers;
- Altai and Sayan – The Mountainous Frontiers.
An opportunity to discover the daily life of the Mongolian people, their customs, and legendary hospitality… A text that will inspire you to fly off to East Asia!
(1) Publication of A Yurt or Nothing, Tales from Mongolia, by Transboréal editions, November 10, 2022.
