Here are some favorite photos from Jonna's time in Mongolia:
1) Out the window of our 4 berth train compartment.
Sleep on the top bunk.
Orange juice on the table.
Rolling and clacking.
2) Our host, country-boy Chinbat (classical violinist and National Treasure during the fall, winter and spring) meeting us at the train.
3) Many doors and fences are painted sky blue in Mongolia. According to shamanistic beliefs this color brings protection and blessings.
4) Family of our van driver in Khutag-Ondor. They were shy at first but then smiling and excited about our cameras.
5) Women on a stroll in Khutag-Ondor. This town had Russian style homes made of wood. It reminded me of some small towns in Alaska.
6) Herd of camels.
7) Typical roadside restroom. At least there are walls and a door.
8) An offering at an ovoo on a pass on the way to Old Bridge camp.
9) A rainbow provided some entertainment on an arduous 9 hour van ride.
10) White horse. Horses are like cars in the Mongolian countryside. I think they outnumber the human population. They are small and sturdy and mostly well trained. It is said that Mongolians invented horsemanship.
Horse equals transport.
Just like a car or a bike.
Sentient being.
11) The gers at Old Bridge Camp.
12) The lodge at Old Bridge Camp. Loren and I actually stayed in one of the upstairs rooms at the lodge instead of a ger at this camp. It felt quite luxurious in the given context.
13) Cow and cart fetching water for the bathhouse cistern.
14) Wildflowers blanketed the hills around Old Bridge Camp. Unfortunately, so did pesky stinging nettles.
Oh stinging nettles,
You reach up to my armpits
And burn through my pants.
15) Grasshoppers, mosquitos and flies were in abundance at Old Bridge Camp.
16) My first bike ride in Mongolia. I was bursting at the seams to finally get on a bike, even if it was just as a passenger.
17) Our source of power at Old Bridge.
18) View from hiking spot. We are looking down on the river that we will float down a few days later.
19) Local families arranged a yearling race for our group. Here a couple of strapping "Mongolian Warriors" are capturing the yearlings for the race back to the corral.
20) Mongolians ride on wooden saddles. I had bruises to show for it.
21) Wildflower collection.
22) For the 4th of July, our host Chinbat prepared a special roast goat for dinner. It roasted in hot rocks all day and we massaged our hands with the rocks at dinner as prescribed in Mongolian tradition.
It's 4th of July.
Rousing game of volleyball
And whole roast goat.
23) Every night we had a bonfire at Old Bridge.
24) At a Naadam Festival in Khutag-Ondor we passed around the traditional bowl of fermented mare's milk. These countryside festivals feel like a county fair.
Countryside Naadam.
Best outfits and happy kids
Like a county fair
25) Finish line of the horse race at the country Naadam. Children aged 5-12 ride horses for up to 25 miles.
26) Tent with bowls of cheese at the country Naadam. Mongolians love their dairy products.
27) Wrestlers getting ready for competition. These were some raucous young men who were not shy with American women who wanted to take their pictures.
28) Wrestling match about to begin.
Shirts with only sleeves.
Strategic design speedos.
Mongol wrestling.
29) Eagle dance that takes place before the wrestling match. Butt slapping, eating and throwing cheese into the crowd also precedes the actual match.
A slap on the butt
To a Mongol man or boy
Starts off the battle.
30) One of the other students took this picture of me giving a whistle to a little girl in her grandfather's ger. I passed out many plastic whistles to children all over Mongolia.
Parents will be mad.
Give the gift of a whistle
And it blows all day.
31) We visited a herding family in the hills near Old Bridge camp. They were quite generous to let us into their homes. This is a shrine set up in one of the gers.
32) The Patriarch of the family was sure to have us admire his horse medals.
33) Efficient storage in a ger.
34) Grandma cutting goat cheese on a cart in the sun.
35) We were considered special guests so they brought out the horse meat, fermented mare's milk and vodka. Horse meat is pretty mild. Here is Dana with the bowl of meat and cleaver cutting off her piece.
36) I was continually touched by the affection shown from father to child in Mongolia. Fathers are definitely active parents.
37) The Russian bike I got to ride across the fields of Northern Mongolia. The Patriarch was beyond generous to let me ride his motorcycle. It took me a while to get it kick-started and the shifting was a bit tricky but I did it.
38) Here is our Old Bridge van driver and our Mongolian guide Namuun as we get to the train station in Erdenet.
39) Train ride back to UB from Erdenet. Here is the corridor of our car. The 12 of us had 3 compartments with 4 berths in each compartment. I always sleep quite well on trains - the rocking sensation is relaxing.
The chocolate face girl
Up and down the corridor
Likes to hit and laugh.
40) Sunset as we leave Erdenet on the train.
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Trip Photo Page.
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Trip Photo Page.
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