Felt Making

Today we got to see the amazing process of felt making. Felt is essential for the winterizing of gers as it serves as insulation from the harsh cold. It takes wool from about 80 sheep to create enough felt to insulate a typical ger (good thing there as so many sheep in Mongolia). After the wool has been sheered, it is prepped by a fast, repeated whipping with what looks like a switch. The wool is then collected onto a canvas sheet and sprinkled with water after which it is tightly rolled. Once the wool is rolled, the roll is attached by rope to a horse who then drags the felt roll around. The roll acts as a sort of wheel and rolls as the horse drags it. The pressure applied by the rolling is the "magic" ingredient in the felt making process, compressing the fluffy wool into a much denser (and super warm) felt.

Weather

Got cold? Mongolia sure does. The average daily temperature in Mongolia is 0 celsius. While in the Gobi it was hot during the day and I am afraid I was lulled into believing it would be warm for the rest of our travels. August is one of the warmest months in Mongolia but even so, when we headed to central Mongolia the temperatures dropped and I started piling on the layers. While it didn't get to freezing, it was cold enough to put the wood stoves in our gers to good use. Central Mongolia also proved to be much wetter than the Gobi. With the afternoon rains came this stunning rainbow. I wish my camera could have captured the full arch, but this will have to do. 

Boze

Boze is the national dish of Mongolia. These steamed dumplings are typically filled with mutton, but my host family showed me how to prepare them vegetarian style. The boze were delicious and I look forward to trying them out in the US.

Horse Racing Mongolian Style

Horses are an important part of Mongolian life. Horses are native to Mongolia. In fact, the only species of wild horse still in existence is being reintroduced to the country from populations found in zoos after going extinct in the wild in the early part of the 20th century. Horses are work animals in Mongolia. They are used to aid in herding other animals like goats and cows. Horse milk is prized and used to make a frothy fermented drink called airag. Since people in the countryside grow up riding horses, it is not surprising that horse racing is a popular pastime; what is surprising is the age of the riders. Because children are so much lighter than adults, it is children who serve as the jockeys. We watched a a 12km race of 3 year old horses and while the horses were amazing, what truly struck me was the skill and grace of the young riders. Over 50 horses and riders entered the event and the oldest rider was probably 10 or 11. For the most part the riders rode bare back and sometimes even barefoot. At the end, the prize is awarded to the horse but bragging rights certainly go to the riders.

Herding Family

 

Herding animals is a way of life in rural Mongolia. Because of the dry conditions and the long, bitter winters, grazing grounds may be far apart. As a result, herding families often have to move with their animals to better pasture lands. This movement usually takes place in the summer. A family may move several times in the summer season. When the family moves, they literally break down their house and rebuild it in the new location. Sometimes this movement is only a few miles, other times it is much further. In the winter, the family will settle in one spot. The winter home is usually a more permanent ger closer to a town. We visited the summer home of a family that herds over 400 heads of camel, sheep, and goat. They welcomed us into their ger where they shared a fermented camels milk and dry cheese curds with us. Whenever you visit someone’s home in Mongolia, it is standard to be offered a drink, usually Mongolian milk tea, and food. Even if you are not hungry or do not like what is offered, a visitor is expected to accept the hospitality by at least tasting what is offered. I will write more about the ger and how it is set up next week after we have a chance to help put up and break down a ger. After tasting the fermented camel's milk and cheese and the passing around of our host's snuff bottle (more on this in another posting), we headed outside to meet the herd. We had a chance to get up close and very personal with the camels.  Some of the camels were friendly, but others where obviously bothered by our presence. The young camels (are they called calves?) were particularly friendly and would even hold onto our arms with their mouths. Camels are used for transportation, but also for food. In summer, camels are milked and the milk is either consumed fresh or fermented into a traditional Mongolian drink. While the father of the herding family was responsible for the herding of the animals, the mother took charge of the milking. Even at a young age, the children begin to take on responsibilities with the herd. While the mother of the family we visited was milking one side of a line of goats, her son was milking the other side. I think this is how it works in farming families in America too; everyone in the family has to pitch in to make the farm a success. After we milked the camels and then the goats, it was time to head back to the school we were staying for the night. Before we left though, we all piled back into the ger for a last chance to enjoy the family’s hospitality. This time we enjoyed boiled camels’ milk from the camels we milked only an hour before. The milk was sweet and rich. The warm welcome we received and the opportunity to get a glimpse of the herding life was very special. 

Contortionists

 

Mongolia is well known for its tradition of contortionism. Have you ever seen a contortionist? The way they twist their bodies is truly amazing. In Mongolia, some girls train from a very early age to be contortionists. They must start early so that their bodies can remain flexible as they grow older. We visited an orphanage today and saw a group of 6 year old girls perform. Wow! If you visit 

Horsehead Fiddle

I am in love with the horsehead fiddle. This uniquely Mongolian instrument has a rich sound that reminds me of the cello. We were lucky enough to have students from a local highschool play for us yesterday. Why do you think the instrument has a horsehead?