‘I love you,’ he said staring intently at me, then proceeded to break into a love song.

The only trouble was he was a 60 year old Mongolian nomad who had travelled from the Gobi Desert to the ancient capital of Kharkorin (which incidentally is all buried under the ground), in search of fame.

And he was here, in my very own Ger (a round, felt tent), singing traditional mongolian songs like: Chinggis Khan (otherwise known as Genghis), Little Camel and Atai Mountains –

All classics that you can find on his latest album.

It was all very entertaining until he began to hit himself over the head with a spoon then other parts of his body, singing and still staring intently at me.

Playing the Morin Khuur instrument

But as I was in the company of a famous man, a man who had graced the cover of the Lonely Planet guide to Mongolia (the Japanese version),

All I could do was watch in awe…

The National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet

Mongolia Shoulder Shimmy

It seems Mongolia invented the shoulder shimmy.

As I sit watching a Mongolian culture show, I'm enthralled by the colourful outfits and the unique dancing – men running across the stage with moves like the dying swan then breaking into a river dance, dressed like something out of ‘The Sound of Music.'

Folk dancing that originated from balancing cups of fermented mares milk on their head and  renditions of the funky chicken from the waist up, before some Bollywood dancing to dramatic beats.

Then the traditional throat singing, unique to this land that sounds like someone gargling in four different tones.

This country is definitely unique.