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…
Tag Silk Road
Day 9- Rain!
I woke up to the sounds of rain ( <– Isn’t that a song lyric? ) early this morning! It’s the first substantial rain since I’ve been here. It is welcome as most of the land is barren and the…
Evenings in the Ger
The early evening work would usually end between 800-830pm. The very last task of the day was to “hobble” the riding horses (tying three of their legs together) so they could graze but not wander too far. This usually occurred…
A day in the life of a Mongolian Nomad
In the early spring, the day begins well after sunrise. At about 645 am, Biyambai, my host Durukh’s wife, would be the first out of bed (although sometimes I would lay awake under the warm covers, well before the others…
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…
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…