2. Travel

Mongolia 2015

Read More
Here's Nyamdorj, the grandfather of the house, taking a break for lunch. He had been busy preparing his grandson's horse for the practice run for the upcoming Naadam festival.
230 / 283

Here's Nyamdorj, the grandfather of the house, taking a break for lunch. He had been busy preparing his grandson's horse for the practice run for the upcoming Naadam festival.

  • Untitled photo
  • Untitled photo
  • Untitled photo
  • On my final day in Mongolia, Tunga (from the education university) invited me to join her on a road trip to visit her aunt and uncle. Her aunt, Shoovdor, is a retired pharmacist (and still runs a small pharmacy in their village of Arkhust). She kept providing us with food!
  • Here, Shoovdor is offering small breads, or boortsog (sprinkled with candy, just the way I like), and freshly made yogurt. It was delicious!
  • Here's a shot of the bread, yogurt, and noodle soup (with meat). These are very traditional Mongolian dishes, typical of how the herding families eat.
  • I like this shot of Shoovdor's grandson for many reasons. First, the elk tapestry is epic! Second, it shows how universal some things are (he was watching "Adventure Time" on TV, which is one of Sarah's favorite cartoons here in the U.S.). Even in the countryside, most homes and gers have solar power, and often, a satellite hookup. Go figure.
  • Here's Tunga's husband catching up on the news over a bowl of soup.
  • More of the intricate painting style of the Mongolian herding families. I love the vibrant colors (and the piggy bank on the top left).
  • Here's Nyamdorj, the grandfather of the house, taking a break for lunch. He had been busy preparing his grandson's horse for the practice run for the upcoming Naadam festival.
  • The pot where Shoovdor prepared our soup and steamed our dumplings (buutz). Who says you need a fancy kitchen to create excellent meals?
  • When I think about traditional Mongolian food, I think of buutz, these little steamed meat-filled dumplings. Perfect anytime.
  • This fancy saddle was sitting inside the front door. I love how the most mundane of items can be so intricately detailed.
  • Perhaps my favorite photo of the trip. Nyamdorj pausing for lunch.
  • Snuff bottles are common amongst the herders. Nyamdorj let me take a hit. It burned.
  • Another photo that could've been taken 100 years ago.
  • Nyamdorj prepares the horse to practice racing portion of the Naadam festival in their village.
  • I wonder if the horse enjoyed having his nose cleaned. He didn't seem to mind...
  • The grandson helps to prepare his horse for the practice race.
  • My other horse is a motorcycle. I think this what it means to truly be a "Modern Mongol."
  • No Comments
  • Photo Sharing
  • About SmugMug
  • Browse Photos
  • Prints & Gifts
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Owner Log In
© 2022 SmugMug, Inc.