Central to nomadic life is the Gir (or Yurt), a circular tent which they can easily erect and dismantle for life on the road (or desert). Apparently, once your skills are honed you can put one up in just three hours. Luckily, our Gir was already built which is just as well as I struggle with a tent.
I did not know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised how homely and spacious they were. The one we stayed in was also quite decorative, I’m not sure whether this was because we were in a tourist camp or whether it’s their take on interior design; the latter I hope.
Oko had arranged for us to visit a 70 year old local lady who lived, with one of her sons, not too far from our camp. We arrived there to see her return with her cows, ready to be milked.
There are some courtesies of Mongolian life that visitors should adhere to. The first is, on entering someone’s home you walk and sit in the left hand side of the house. If you are a family friend you can sit on the right. Secondly, it is extremely rude to decline anything that is offered. I’m glad we were told this as the lady had prepared a veritable banquet for us all.
Life as a nomad is all about routine; tending to their cattle, milking their cattle, making food from the milk and so the circle continues. The making of food is a daily task and most of the delicacies derive from milk. The feast prepared was accompanied by salty, milky tea and we spent an hour chewing the fat (or rather cheese!) with our host.
Back to camp, and hooray, another happy birthday. We celebrated Fred’s special day with fizz and chocolate cake. Divine.
House of Wendy travels... 