Saturday, July 12 - A day with the herders and a fantastic feast

We woke up to a beautiful morning. Everything was fresh from the rains. Daryl had gotten pretty wet the evening before, and the clothing we had hung up to dry was as wet as when he took it off. He had to put wet jeans back on, but they would dry as the day went on.
Bataa, Davaa, and another herder were herding the horses near our ger when we went outside.

Our bathroom - the toilet and sink!

They were singling out specific horses, and Daryl went out closer and actually helped a little. When he came back, he commented that he thought they might be sorting out horses for us to ride later. Everyone knows how much I love to ride horses, so this could be an interesting development! Delgermaa, Nergui and Nandintsetseg brought breakfast to us, consisting of hot water for coffee, bread and jam, cheese slices and some fried breads. Bataa came in and joined us for a little bit towards the end of our meal. It was all very good.

Puba and his father, Bataa, join us for breakfast

We had just finished breakfast when Bataa indicated that he wanted Daryl to ride a horse. He helped him on, and then led him for a pretty lengthy ride up the mountain. Davaa, Nandintseteg , Delgermaa, Puba and I followed them on foot.

Bataa leading Daryl for his ride up the mountainside.

The grass was very tall and still wet, and walking was a little difficult for me at times, but it didn’t slow the other three down at all! Davaa hung back with me, and we enjoyed a very companionable walk. When I tried to climb up the mountain, my slick sandals made it very difficult. They were so wet my feet kept slipping all over, so I took them off and tried to climb barefooted. There were enough rocks that this didn’t go so well either, so I finally gave up about halfway up. We turned around, and I indicated to Davaa that he didn’t have to stay with me, but could join the others. He just gave me a big grin and shook his head no, pointing back down.

Top Picture - Dawaa and Puba on our walk

Bottom Picture - Dawaa and Nandintsetseg on our hike up the mountain

We took our time walking back to the camp area, and I took him to our ger to show him the pictures on our laptap. He was very delighted at all the pictures, especially the ones that showed him in the race from the days before. When the others joined us, we all crowded around and watched the pictures again. This scene would be repeated many times throughout the day, as others joined our party and wanted to see the pictures.

Daryl and Bataa returned from their ride, and Bataa helped me get up on the horse. Poor horse and poor Bataa! This old lady didn’t handle that very gracefully, and we all had a great laugh when I got off. Before I dismounted, Puba crawled up behind me, and that three year old boy was clearly much better at all of this then I was.

Bataa holds the horse for Annette and Puba

After that, Daryl and I went for a walk across the countryside. This is such a beautiful land, reminding us a lot of the sandhills of Nebraska. Everything is so green, and the rolling hills are mesmerizing. As we returned to the camp area, they were signaling us that lunch was ready.
We went to Bataa and Nergui’s ger and went inside for lunch. The ribs we were served were very fatty, but Daryl enjoyed those and I ate mostly bread and jam.

We went back to our ger for a nap, but not long after we heard vehicles approaching. Erdene’s brother Bolorchulun along with many people from the Dornod Guril flour company, probably 10 or 12 people in all, were arriving. Bolorchulun had brought a freshly slaughtered sheep in the back of his Land Cruiser, which they unloaded and began the process of butchering.

The butchering process is shown in the pictures below.

It was pretty amazing to watch how all of these women who hold professional positions in the flour company just dug in and cleaned out stomach contents, intestines, and separated out and prepared every part of that sheep. There was nothing wasted, and it was quite a process to observe. The only thing that Daryl and I found disturbing was the number of flies that covered everything!

The men doing the butchering were also professionals from the company, and they clearly knew exactly what to do with that sheep, as well. This is a country that expects everyone to know how to survive its remoteness and to use its resources.

While the butchering was going on, Bolorchulun indicated he wanted to visit our ger. Just the three of us went there, and his lack of English and our lack of Mongolian made visiting very difficult. We shared a glass of vodka, and then we pulled out the computer again and looked at pictures. You don’t need words to look at pictures, and he seemed to especially enjoy ones of the horse racing.

Shortly thereafter Erdene arrived with his mother, and Bolorchulun’s three children. Erdene’s wife Bolor, and their son Khuslee had stayed in Choibolson to visit her family. The festive atmosphere of the afternoon was wonderful, and people passed in and out of both gers visiting, eating, and enjoying the beautiful afternoon.

The men were preparing a traditional Mongolian barbecue with the sheep. The meat was placed in a large milk can, along with vegetables, water and seasoning. Hot stones were then added, and the can was placed over a fire and occasionally pulled off and rolled around on the ground.

The organ meats had been prepared separately, and were offered as an appetizer several hours before dinner. Daryl enjoyed the heart, but not the other treats offered. I played chicken, and wandered away to watch Puba and Tushig play on Bataa's motorcycle.

Tushig, who always knows what to do with a set of keys, would turn the motorcycle to on (it didn’t start), and he would lean forward over the bike making motor sounds and playing with the throttle. Puba, meanwhile, was on the back behind him with his crop beating the motorcycle to make it run faster. Those little boys played together all day, and had a wonderful time doing all the things little boys do. They were so fun to watch!

Finally the barbecue was ready, and the table and carpets were moved outside our ger for the feast. Everyone gathered around, 20 in all, and we began the meal of lamb, potatoes, carrots, pickled mushrooms, pickles, and bread. Toasts were offered by both Bolorchulun and Daryl.

Bolorchulun offering a toast
Erdene, Annette, Daryl, Bolorchulun, and Erdene and Bolorchulun's mother

Some workers from the flour company who were there were also very accomplished musicians, and they changed into traditional Mongolian costume to entertain us with instrumental and vocal music. I sang “God Bless America” and the national anthem, with Kherlen explaining the meaning of these two songs. She had told me earlier that the national anthem was her favorite thing when she was in America, so it was why I chose to sing that.

Several of the numbers that were played were known by everyone, and they all joined in and sang.

The clouds were moving in again, and everyone joked about Daryl, “the rainmaker,” being so good for their pastures. It had rained every night since he’d been here!

A picture of some of our friends at the picnic
Sisters Khaliun and Kherlen
A worker from the wheat farm, Erdenelkham, and Bataa enjoy one of Daryl's cigars.
Tushig and Puba continue to play through the picnic
Khaliun and Davaa were among many who took the chance to ride horses during the picnic

Throughout the feast, I noticed that we had our pictures taken probably hundreds of times. Everyone had out cameras and cell phones, and we were the object of much attention.
As I mention cell phones, I should say that we all laughed throughout the day about the phone booth. In order to get cell phone service, you had to ride a horse or motorcycle to the top of the mountain to get reception. Many people did this, and we joked quite a bit about someone using the phone booth.

Erdene returning from the phone booth.

As the evening drew to a close, we regretfully said goodbye to everyone. We knew this might be the last time we ever saw many of these people, and they had treated us so warmly that we felt like we were leaving friends.

We traveled back into Choibolson with Erdene and his mother. Daryl drove most of the way this time. The trip was much shorter than the trip out, since Erdene now knew where he was going! We laughed most of the trip, with the language barrier with Erdene’s mother having no impact on our ability to enjoy each other’s company. As they dropped us off at the hotel, I exchanged kisses and hugs with her, and again said a sad goodbye.

Erdene and his mother

We returned to our hotel room, and Daryl enjoyed hot water again, taking a shower before bedtime. Plans for tomorrow are uncertain. We were originally scheduled to start the trip back to UlanBator tomorrow, but that may change. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.