Bulgan Bonanza!

Before moving into our apartment the group split into two to go on an excursion into the country side. Emily, Michael, Melissa, and I sat on a bus for about 5 hours next to two boys, who took turns sleeping in the aisle and eating a huge club of sausage with a loaf of bread. Mongolians can really put away meat. 90% of the ride the bus was not on a road, due to a lack of infrastructure. At our bus stop we jumped into a jeep to take us to our 1st ger family in Bulgan, a neighboring aimag (province). The thermometer in the jeep read 6 degrees centigrade, and some of us realized we weren't prepared for the cold, but we put on everything we had and were fine, chilly at most. The first family was so charming, and took us to see some amazing landscapes with rolling hills, grazing herds, and a clear gorgeous blue sky. The food was delicious, authentic, and homemade. (I am getting better at the whole idea of continuing a meal after multiple hairs have been found in the food, whether they be human or animal.) The yogurt is probably my favorite country side food. It is certainly not 99% fat free Dannon. I will definitely miss the texture, taste, and freshness of Mongolian yogurt, talk about organic- haha.

The nomadic lifestyle is impressive to me. They use only what they need, and take care of their surroundings because they depend on them. A simple philosophy that all of us could take a lesson from. It says something when you have a house without a trash can!

That night the mother carefully swept an area on the floor and lied down some rugs for us to sleep on. We took off the next morning by horse and camel to the next family. The views we saw along the way were phenomenal. I will never forget the natural beauty we witnessed. It's 360 degrees of simply nature and yourself. After our day with the second family was over everybody was busy hunkering down the ger, because there was a blizzard that night!

The next day we took a jeep back to the bus station, and spent much time exchanging stories on the 5 hour ride home. It was necessary to make each other laugh with our stories so we would be more relaxed about the bumpy ride.

Overall, it was a stellar experience. It helped me begin to further understand more about Mongolian culture, history, and pride. Now it's city time! Much to discover in UB!