The “Central Asian” knot
I remember sometimes my hands would be numb from the cold in the morning- so numb that I had some difficulty tying the knot to tether the horses after tracking them down. Durukh showed me a “Mongolian” knot that he…
The Rover
Seeing ourselves in animals
In the same way that humans may abandon, give up their children for adoption for otherwise just refuse to acknowledge them, so do these animals. We (humans) can see our own behavior in animals. Biology and psychology transcend the line…
“See you at the local watering hole”
“See you at the local watering hole” is an expression used in the USA to mean, “I’ll meet you at the nearby bar after work.” Where did the saying come from?
Goats play dead :-)
Just a short post and video about a small interesting thing I learned during my stay: It wasn’t until I returned to the USA that I learned certain types of goats (pygmy goats in this case) have a nervous reaction…
The Nomad Economy
I had often wondered about how the Nomads earn a living. My impression was that they just “lived off the land” meaning they get whatever they need to live/survive from their animals and land itself. “Barter” and purchase of goods…
Arts and Crafts of the Nomads….
As I’m sure I mentioned earlier, the Mongolian nomads are very resourceful, meaning they can find uses for all things around them. After the butcher of a goat, sheep or cow, the skin (leather) is treated and stored a well.…
Leaving Mongolia
I woke up at 630 AM to pack up my electronics and laundry. Surprisingly, Altai’s mother and stepfather were already awake! I started to gather my laundry which had been drying for about 7-8 hours. I noticed that my jeans…
Back to Ulan Bator
About 15-20 minutes after driving off we arrived at another nomad camp (with no roads and few landmarks I’m still wondering how the driver and others navigate). This is where we are to pick up a fellow volunteer from Australia…
Leaving the Nomad Camp
It’s my last few hours in the nomad camp, Altanbulag District, Tov province, Mongolia. I woke up about 615 am today, 20 minutes earlier than usual. The driver (Amma) is supposed to be here at 1200pm, so there’s still time…
Day 11- Last Full Workday
Today’s the last full day of work in the camp. I’ll have a partial day of work before the driver arrives from Ulan Bator tomorrow afternoon. I’m hoping to get into Ulan Bator a bit early so I can do…