Staying with Nomads in Mongolia

by Regin Reyno

Staying with nomads in the steppes of Mongolia. 

My host family were singing traditional Mongolian songs after dinner on a cold autumn night over Arkhi. 

In this sparsely populated country, the steppe is likened unto a vast ocean. Your closest neighbor is approximately 60-100 km. away. Their herd freely roam the endless grassland. Boundaries and fences are non-existent. And, one of the few places in the word where a lot of wolves abound. Probably this night, they were looking at our ger from a distance while we enjoy our freshly butchered mutton-the best meat I've had, ever. 

By the way, vegetarianism is not possible here, because the land is not arable. But the meat they eat is fresh, clean, and organic; free from chemical preservatives and additives. Animals here are happy; freely roaming around, breathing the freshest air, feeding on the best grass free from presticides, and drinking from clean streams miles and miles away from industrialization. 

Their daily activities are rigorous. They do lots of physical activities. So despite their meat diet, heart attack, hypertension, and stroke are not common. 

There's no electricty in the steppe. Lights are car battery-powered, solarly-charged during the day. This unbroken nomadic tradition still thrives healthily in Mongolia even up to this present modern day.

This is a Mongolian horse. A very strong breed. An example of what Genghis Khan and his army used in counquering Asia and Europe in building the the Mongol Empire. 

This was in Khentii, Mongolia: the most preserved nature, most natural place, most wide landscape, the remotest place I've ever been and one of the most beautiful places I've experienced.

A thousand thanks to my Mongolian friend, Davaa, for facilitating this wonderful experience of mine.