Goat maternity ward

 Here's a video of the goat maternity ward in the Mongolian countryside :)

Hodge podge Mongolian thoughts

I still can't get over how amazing Mongolia is. As we bounce along the nonexistent dirt roads, we pass by herds of yaks, sheep, goats and horses, stopping frequently for animal crossings.

Wild horses roam freely across the flowing mountain land, kicking up their heels gleefully, their manes dancing in the wind.
Many locals get around by moped. I couldn't help but think of "Dumb and Dumber" when I saw a couple of Mongolian men cruising along the dirt roads on a moped, shivering.

Gambaht, our driver, has a tape of traditional Mongolian music that has begun to wear out it's welcome. He hums along happily.

Lunch at a local diner. Fried egg, rice, potatoes and bread. Mongolia would be impossible on the Atkin's diet. Cost: $2. (2600 Togrog).
Some gers have satellite tv, but no internet. Most Mongolian nomads own a cell phone.
Mongolians are remarkably hospitable people. They stuffed us full of tea and other food each time we entered their gers. They gave Tim endless amounts of yak meat and other mystery meats. As vegetarians, Johannes and I were usually stuffed with puffy square mini-donut-tasting treats. 2 different families gave up their gers for us to sleep in, as they slept on the floor. I felt bad, but they didn't seem to mind. It seems like they would do anything to make us happy. We were only charged $3.80 for each night in the ger. Though I think the amount of wood we used to heat the ger and the abundant food they provided were worth much more than that.
Arriving at their ger, they greeted us with a "Sain uu!" (hello) and a friendly handshake.

Although we drove up to 6 hours a day, we still found plenty of time to get out and explore. Throughout the week, we hiked to a volcano, a waterfall, a hot spring, a monastery and a lake. It feels so peaceful to be surrounded by nature. At the waterfall, Tim and Johannes acted like typical boys and were throwing progressively larger rocks into the icy lake below. I was amused as I watched them. Boys will be boys.

There's not a whole lot to do around here, but we were never bored. I imagine the local teenagers find creative ways to entertain themselves. At one ger, we watched as 2 teenager boys putzed around the family farm on a moped within a half mile radius and blared Mongolian rap from a radio. It seemed like this would get old fast, but they seemed highly content. They have to be creative out here in the middle of nowhere. Most nights, Tim, Johannes and I were usually so tuckered out, we would all fall exhaustively into our pillow and be sleeping within seconds. Other nights, we would eat supper and play "Would you rather?" For example, "would you rather be eaten by a shark or a bear?" It was great fun.

We were with each other for practically every minute of the entire week. (Excluding bathroom breaks, ha!). We really got to know each other well. They had me rolling in laughter and I was really glad they were experiencing Mongolia with me.

We had a lot of fun with Gambaht, our driver. He was always laughing and smiling. His English wasn't very good and he would say funny things like "baby village" which would mean "small village." We helped improve his English as he taught us Mongol.
All in all, I absolutely love Mongolia. It's very simple and relaxing here. The countryside was so peaceful. Such a special place. I feel so happy here, like I've swallowed an entire bottle of Prozac. Yes, it's a little chilly here, but I'm able to handle it. Besides, it was a nice break from the stifling heat of Southeast Asia.

Mongolians are amazing. So real. Good people. Even the animals are nice. The dogs here look quite healthy and robust. I suppose a skinny Indian dog wouldn't survive long here.

I loved how the stars shone bright in the unpolluted air. I will always think fondly of my Mongolian adventure. Tourism in Mongolia is only about 10 years old. Most of the country remains untouched, which seems so rare in the world these days. I feel so blessed to have seen this stunning country. 
It's like the old wild West here. I was waiting for the tumble weeds to bounce by. It's untamed and I hope it remains that way for years to come. I would highly recommend visiting Mongolia. It will warm your heart and open your eyes to a truly beautiful world.

Back at the (Mongolian) ranch...

What do you think of when you think of Mongolia? I think of brown skinned, wind shaped faces of Mongolian men, sitting proudly on top of a galloping horse, riding through beautiful mountain landscapes dotted with yurts.
Mongolians are expert horsemen. Don't ever challenge a Mongolian to a horse riding contest. Because you'll lose. They begin riding at the age of 4. I'm told sometimes even at the tender age of 2. Their riding skill are phenomenal. They hop off and on their horses and trot along like they've been doing it their entire life. Errr, never mind, I guess they have. Once, I watched open-mouthed as a horse attempted to buck off his rider, arching his back and jumping wildly in the air, just like the picture on the Wyoming license plate. I've never seen this before. The rider held on tightly until this horse was over her PMS and then trotted off nonchalantly. I was impressed. If that was me, I would have undoubtedly ended up with a broken arm.They passionately care for their horses, as they would care for their children. The amount of time they spend on a horse is apparent in the bowed cowboy legs of some locals.

me and Johannes

They are also expert shepherds. Likewise, they can also frequently be seen herding a large group of goats, yaks, camels and horses with ease. They are like smooth cowboys. Mongolia reminds me a lot of Wyoming. Of the wild, wild west. Wild and free. But the Mongolians don't look like the skinny cowboys from Wyoming. To me, they look like a mix between the Chinese and the Eskimos of Alaska with their full cheeks. I saw many extremely beautiful Mongolian women and handsome men. 

Some of the villages looked very similar to the small villages of Alaska. The locals here are very poor. I would rather be a nomad if I lived in Mongolia. But even the nomads have hard times. In the winter, temperatures can drop as low as -40 F, causing their livestock to freeze or starve to death. In turn, these extreme temperatures force the nomadic Mongolians out of their peaceful country life. They must move to the capital of Ulan Bator. Here, unemployment rates are high, which causes UB to be a little dangerous. Pick pocketing is ever present. It's a sad situation. From the locals, I'm told the ghettos of Ulan Bator are very dangerous.
The country side is relatively safe. The greatest threat is probably the drunks. In some small villages, I saw the occasional drunk staggering man. At one village, I was entertained by a drunk man as he fell on his face every 2 feet, tripping over his robe and drooling down his chin. A 2 liter bottle of beer costs $1. Vodka is also readily available and cheap due to the close proximity to Russia.

one of the villages

I can't imagine the heartache of losing all my farm animals. At one of the gers we stayed in, the man told me he owned 10 horses, 30 yaks, 50 goats and 60 sheep. Plus dogs and cows. What a huge responsibility. He needs the help of his wife, children and a few other men to keep up with the demands of caring for his animals. I watched in amazement as they tended to them. It warmed my heart to see how passionate they were about their work. They treated all the animals with kindness. I saw several baby goats newly born at a few of the gers we stayed in. One man handed me a goat that was born just minutes prior, still wet from birth. His mom was licking the fur and still had the afterbirth hanging from her. I put the baby goat down and watched as he wobbled on his skinny legs to his mother's milk, nudging his head forcefully into her belly. It was like a goat maternity ward. The proud new moms strutted around with their babies close by. 

A women came out of the yurt with a plastic container and squeezed methodically on the goat's teats. White liquid squirted out, dripping messily over her dirty hands into the plastic container. She would use this unpasteurized milk to make many different things, including the salty tea she offered us. Personally, I'm not a fan of this tea. It's milky and it's salty. Ewww. Each time we entered a family's ger, we were handed a small bowl filled with this tea. I would smile pleasantly and pretend to take a sip, then when they weren't looking, I'd make Johannes drink it. He couldn't get enough of the stuff.
Some nights were downright freezing cold. I felt sorry for the animals as they tried to huddle together for warmth. From the look on their faces, they weren't having much fun. Actually, they looked miserable. I wanted to give them all a big bear hug to keep them warm. I knew the temp in April was much more comfortable than the temps in January, although it already felt unlivable. The cold didn't seem to bother the Mongolians, they continued to work like bees around the ranch.

working hard in frigid temps

giving shots to baby goats

As we sat in the comfort of the warm ger, we heard the wind whip fiercely outside. My mind was blown when I saw that the entire family was working without gloves. My hands were frozen within minutes, and I was wearing gloves! These people are hardcore, I'm telling you.

hardcore dude

The farm seemed to be continuously active. At night, we heard the barking from the many watch dogs reverberating off the mountains that surrounded the ranch, warding off the wolves that trolled the area. There was also the continuous crying from the baby goats, bah-ing from sheep and neighing of horses filling the nighttime air, making ear plugs a necessity.

The baby goats were kept in cardboard boxes inside the gers. They were so cute! The families were always eager to push a baby goat into my arms. I oohed and awed over them as they sucked on my fingers. Their umbilical cords were still attached and wet on their bellies. Some were wearing little jackets. They cuddled up closely to each other and each one had it's own distinct cry. It was so sweet to see the Mongolians caring so passionately for their animals. They've had years of experience in this ranching business, and it definitely shows.

Alice the 2 humped camel

♫Alice the camel had.... 2 humps!
Alice the camel had.... 2 humps!
Alice the camel had.... 2 humps, so ride Alice, ride!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!♫

Ok, I've had this silly song in my head ever since I rode the Cadillac of all camels: the 2 humped Mongolian camel! I've rode quite a few camels in my lifetime, but I have to say, these superlative 2 humped camels are the most comfortable of all camels worldwide. Hands down. You'll have to believe me on this one. This was my first time on a 2 humped camel and I was beaming with excitement!

I had the opportunity to ride one of these massive beasts while staying with a Mongolian family who lived happily in the desert. I'll call her Alice the camel.
Approaching the large, tan camel, she turns her head to me curiously, checking me out with her big brown eyes and long lush lashes. The old Mongolian man owner pulls on the rope attached to Alice's nostrils and the camel thumps to the ground on her knees while letting out a low groan. Standing by her side, a Mongolian was available on each side to assist me with the stirrups. I was hesitant, as usual. I held my arms up tightly to my chest, creating tight fists and shaking dramatically. "I'm sceerd" I whispered to the man. He laughed playfully at me. But the truth is, I really am frightened. I've had one too many bad experiences on camels. I suck up my annoying irrational fear and swing my leg over the fuzzy animal. 

I'm pleasantly surprised by how plush she feels. Alice makes a few jerky movements and comes to a proud stand, leaving me sitting high with the chilly Mongolian air blowing on my face. My guide, Santee, guided the camel next to me on his horse. We trotted through the desert like a Mongolian prince and princess. 

The views of the mountains and plains were rugged and calming. Santee kept looking back at me and smiling the biggest, warmest smile I'd seen in Mongolia. He had the most genuine smile. Not knowing each others mother tongue, this was our communication. I gripped the solid hump of the camel, using it as my saddle handle. It felt hard as a rock with a thick layer of camel fur covering it, which was shedding off onto my gloves.

Alice the camel ripped a big bushel of sticks out of every shrub we passed and gnawed at them noisily while toting me around on her back. I was rocked gently back and forth with each dignified step. The camel song played through my head as the cold wind blew by my ears. 2 of the Mongolian's guard dogs tagged along gingerly for the entire ride. I had finally rode a 2 humped camel......

♫Alice the camel had.... 2 humps! So ride, Rachel, ride!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!♫

me and Santee

No electricity. No running water. No problem.

What's the longest you've gone without taking a shower? I've just went 7 days without a drop of water touching my body. Uffda. No, it's not pleasant to not be able to shower for a week straight, but if that's what I have to do in order to see Mongolia, so be it! 


Throughout our Mongolian adventure, we stayed in a large tent, known as a ger. A ger is essentially the Mongolian name for a yurt. This is what the nomads of Mongolia live in. It's the hallmark of Mongolia. The ger is always constructed with the door facing south, to allow them to tell time with the use of the sun. The walls are made up of criss-crossed wooden pieces and the outside is covered with a waterproof white material. It's heated by burning wood or dung in a stove placed in the middle, the chimney sticking out of the roof. The bottom is sealed by the dried poop from the animals. The beds are placed around the perimeter of the ger and there is usually a table situated in the middle. The wooden sticks leading up to the roof are painted in bright colors, along with the wooden dressers and beds inside the ger. Each ger had it's own feel.  It's nice to see the Mongolians still living in these traditional dwellings. 

Ger ceiling

I've decided I would be too sleep deprived to care for any of my animals if I lived in a ger. In the winter, the stove needs to be fed about every 2 hours in order to maintain the warmth. However, we also stayed in a couple gers that could go 4 hours without adding any wood or dung. I guess it just depends on the quality of the insulation. Anyways, if I was a nomadic Mongolian, I would allocate my husband for the stove feeding job. I need my beauty rest :) I wasn't as lucky with my European  travel partner counterparts. I was usually stuck with the daunting task of feeding the ever-dying fire. Tim seemed to sleep more sound than a drunk homeless person in Times square. He was a city slicker and of no use. Johannes was more handy. Soooo, I took it upon myself to be the fire feeder. I am proud to tell you all that I am now an expert fire maker. All these handy skills I pick up around the world. I'm quickly becoming a jack of all trades. Ha!

Sometimes, I would arouse from my sleep in the middle of the night, shivering, to discover that the fire had went completely kaput and I would have to restart the finicky fire. The boys were snoring. I would proudly crawl back into my sleeping bag as the fire snapped, crackled and popped it's way to heating back up the ger. At first, this fire starting business wasn't easy, but I learned a lot after closely watching the way the Mongolians did it.


There was usually no electricity in the gers we stayed in. Sometimes there would be a car battery with a light bulb attached, or a couple of candles. 
As you would have guessed, there is also no running water. This is where creativity comes in. In the summer, the nomads will usually take a bath in the lakes. In the winter, a pour-over shower is usually erected in one of the gers. 

Nomadic Mongolians are quite impressive hard-working individuals. We stayed with a total of 5 different families and every one of them had strong work ethics. Their livelihood depends on it. They care for their animals scrupulously. This takes up most of their day. After inquisitively watching them, I realize what a hard job they have in front of them each and every day. The men are hardy and the women aren't afraid to get their hands dirty. They are earthy people, close to nature. This simple, down to earth lifestyle was charming to me. I really grew to admire the Mongolian nomads. I caught myself thinking "this would be a good life out here, I wouldn't mind living here". So simple, relaxing and serene. Perhaps I will retire in Mongolia one day....

The toilet was usually a small shed, sometimes uncovered, located a good distance from the ger. We stayed with one family for 2 nights. It was the most frigid location on our trip. I would cringe each time I had to use the bathroom, knowing the uncomfortable feeling of the icy wind on my butt. I squatted privately behind the short wooden wall, only to expose my bare bum when I stood to pull my pants up. Yep, you will quickly lose all modesty in the Mongolian country side. The toilets out here are simply 2 pieces of wood over an open pit. Put one foot on each board, squat and do your business. My visual imagination painted a picture of one of the boards breaking, sending me into the thick poop and pee mixture, Slumdog Millionaire style. I don't recommend visiting the Mongolia countryside if you're the least bit girly or squeamish. Here's a picture of one of the nasty toilets....sorry, I wanted you to see :)

Apart from the unsanitary bathroom conditions, the Mongolians live a pretty amazing life. They are lucky to live in such beautiful landscaped land and I can tell by their attitudes that they are happy people. I haven't met one impolite Mongolian.  

Mongolian road trip!

Mongolia: wild, free, rugged, unspoiled. I've fallen hopelessly in love. Here's the story of my Mongolian adventure: Entering Mongolia in the middle of the night from Beijing on the trans-Mongolian railway, the hallway of the train filled with a haze of dust, courtesy of the Gobi, the coldest desert in the world. Choo-choo! Trans-Mongolian railway After 30 hours, the locomotive journey wrapped up in the capital city of Ulan Bator. Population 1.2 million. The total population of outer Mongolia is 2.6 million. I was more interested in meeting the other half of the Mongolian residents who lived outside of Ulan Bator. The nomads. The enigmatic, horse-riding, ger-living country people.The mystery of their lifestyle allured me to explore  Mongolia, the most sparsely populated country in the world. I've just returned from a week long road trip through the steppes of Central  Mongolia. I'm still in awe over all that I've experienced. One thing is for sure,  Mongolia is one of my favorite countries. I'm ranking it as #2 right now. (India  still holds the #1 position) I absolutely love it here. The people, the landscape,  the culture, it's all so amazing. Here's a few random facts about Mongolia: ~The days of rule by Genghis Khan created a brutal past and gave it the   impressive title of the largest land empire in the world. ~Mongolians are predominantly Buddhist, giving the country a very Tibetan feel. ~Mongolia is made up of 95% ethnic Mongols. ~Almost all of the nomads I encountered spoke little to no English. But, if I acted  as a mime, I was easily understood. ~1/4 of the country lives on less than $1.25 a day. ~Ulan Bator is the coldest capital in the world. ~Mongolia was the world's fastest growing economy in 2011. ~ Ulan Bator is the most polluted city in the world. I stationed myself in UB (Ulan Bator). I was surprised by how contemporary  UB was. Modernly dressed Mongolian women ambled down the sidewalk in cute pea   coats, mini skirts, tights and high leather boots, alongside traditionally dressed  Mongolians with long robes and thick brightly colored cloth belts. I would soon  be entering a world that was anything but modern. In UB, I met Tim, from the Netherlands, and Johannes, from Germany. These  2 Europeans would be joining me on my cross-country road trip adventure across the untamed countryside of Mongolia. Tim was a quirky, quick-witted Dutch jock. Johannes was a deep thinking, religious, Physics-major German. They turned out to be a lot of fun. Goofy, yes. But fun. Johannes (left) Tim (right) Collectively, we decided to hire a driver and a Land Cruiser. Our Mongolian driver  was named Gambaht, a genuine middle-aged man who kept us laughing the entire trip with his sense of humor and limited English vocabulary. Gambaht Our Land Cruiser At our guesthouse, we huddled together with the owner of the tour company to  organize our custom-made trip. With his suggestions, we decided to explore  Central Mongolia. 7 days, 6 nights. Butterflies tickled my tummy as I thought  of the adventures we would experience! I was worse than a kid. I was even too excited to eat or sleep. Shhhh, don't tell  anyone :) The next morning, we departed for the countryside. The temperature outside  was a balmy 35 degrees. I was happy I had bought some winter wear while in  Vietnam. We packed the Jeep with cooking utensils, sleeping bags and a small  stove. We hit up a local supermarket before leaving the civilization of UB. At the grocery store, I noticed the fruit and vegetable section looking rather sickly. I  opted for dried fruits, bread, peanut butter, honey, cheese, nuts and beans. I was  relieved to discover that Johannes was also a vegetarian. Mongolia is NOT very  vegetarian friendly. The typical nomadic diet consists of mainly meat (yak, sheep,  goat, horse, cow), garnished with rice, potato, bread and pasta. Fruits and veggies are highly neglected due to their price and lack of availability. As you can imagine, the infrastructure in Mongolia is horrible. The roads just  outside of UB are paved but contain pot holes big enough to take a bath in.  Gambaht was constantly swerving to avoiding hitting these huge craters.  The roads only got worse the further we meandered away from UB. Eventually, the pavement ceased and all that remained were the dirt roads that had been  created by vehicles driving through the open land. Some days, we drove for 6 hours. We logged many kilometers of bone-rattling  jolting bumpiness. We held on for dear life as Gambaht negotiated the unruly  wilderness terrain. But I loved every minute of it! The views of the mountains  and unspoiled land were breath taking! Wild and free. After driving for only a couple of hours, we were engulfed by a snow storm.  Gambaht suddenly pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the Jeep.  He tried to restart it. The Jeep was kaput, he told us in his broken English.  We all laughed. We waited for an hour in the Jeep, surrounded by the harsh  winter environment, hearing the wind whip wildly outside. The weather can  change in the blink of an eye in Mongolia. After waiting for an hour, we laughed  about the situation and were finally rescued by another Jeep that aided us by  towing us to the next village. Here, we waited for a new Jeep, since ours was  "kaput". We ate lunch at the local diner. Traditionally dressed local Mongolians  tramped loudly across the wooden floors to their tables as they eyed us curiously.  Their faces were worn and wrinkly and their hands were stained with dirt. The  small children stared at our white skin relentlessly. I had to pinch myself, it  seemed like a dream, but I was REALLY in Mongolia! Holy cow! Stay tuned for the rest of my adventure!