The Merit of Natural Ingredients- Mongolian Diet
I lost ~ 6 lbs (2.7 kg) in 2 weeks while in Mongolia. Much of this had to do with the physical activity (work) every day, but also because of the good diet. With the exception of store bought bread,…
Tag Adventure
Improvisation and re-purposing.
Just a short post. As I mentioned earlier, the nomads are quite resourceful. Here they’ve used what looks like an old truck tire as a feeding trough. Maybe it is not a truck tire because I can’t understand how they…
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…
Day 10- Trash Duty
It seems like I’m doing less and less every day as the end of my visit approaches. I thought it would be the opposite. I woke up feeling a bit regretful because the night before Annjah had invited me to…
Day 8 -Back to normal
Thankfully I woke up with my strength back this morning. I was very relieved as the day before I had thoughts of having to go to Altanbulag (the closest town, 18 miles/30 km away) on the back of a motorcycle,…
Day 7-Feeling Sick
I woke up at 630 am and realized that I had slept with my mouth open. I felt my through was a little raw. After getting out of bed though, I realized that I was feeling weak. I did the…
Day 6 afternoon and a “Boats” Dinner
After returning from the morning herding and having a quick lunch, I was again asked to pasture the goats. I think my usefulness is starting to come into play and Durukh and his wife Biyambai are starting to do things…
Day 5-The Well Mission and The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
The type of work I do at the camp generally depends on the particular need for that day. I made this video the following morning which sums up day 5: So as I said in the video, After the ritual…
Day 4 addendum- A late night party
I usually go to sleep at 930 pm in the nomad camp. Work finishes between 730-800pm followed by a couple of hours of Satellite TV. The most popular show among all the nomads (and I’m betting in all Mongolia) is…
Day4-Cold and Wind, a look inside the Ger, and some herding.
This morning was very cold (4/10). I would guess it was about 10 degrees colder than the previous day. If you add in the wind, it makes the working conditions rather tough. It started out as usual with the search…
Day 1 Ulan Bator and off to the Nomad Camp
I finally arrived in Ulan Bator on April 7 around 1:00AM. My host Altai and her brother were patiently waiting for me at the airport. We proceeded to her parents apartment where we spent what was left of the night.…
The name “The Rover”
When I was a kid, my dad had this book he kept around called “The Rover” by Joseph Conrad. Conrad also authored the book “Heart of Darkness” which isn’t really too well known unless you’re a literature buff. However, the…
What I learned in Cultural Anthropology 101
Short Answer: Not very much (even when I paid attention 😛 ) Actually it was Cultural Anthropology 2, many years ago.
Why Mongolia?
I’ve been interested in geography and the world since I got my first map at 9 years old. When I was bored I’d try to match the country’s flags to the country on the map. As a young adult…
Welcome and Thanks for Reading!
Hello friends and readers! Welcome to my blog! I’ve created this site to document and share my experiences on my upcoming trip through a few countries in Asia, as well as any future forays. My goal for this site is…