Some photos from my Peace Corps Service in Mongolia.
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My home for two years.
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Huvsgul Aimag’s symbol. A friend of mine has it tattooed on his bicep.
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Welcome to Huvsgul! The Winter Ice Festival is a large tourist attraction. The lake freezes over with ice several meters thick. Attractions include ice sculptures, sleigh rides on ice, and the obligatory singing competitions.
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Mongolian ovoo or cairn. To pay your respects you must circle it three times and toss a rock onto the pile with each circuit. Many are ‘decorated’ with old crutches, animal skulls, and/or empty alcohol bottles.
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Lake Huvsgul in early fall. The blue scarves are a symbol for the eternal blue sky. They are tied around trees, lamp posts, and many other structures for good luck and fortune.
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Mongolian Wrestlers during Nadaam (The Festival of Three Manly Sports)
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Traditional clothing of Mongolia called a deel. Men wear dull colors with a brightly colored (neon orange, green, or yellow) belt/buus. Women’s are more colorful and patterned.
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Huvsgul Ice Festival. That’s me with Chingiss Khaan, a major symbol all across the nation.
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Summer English Camp. I taught local school children for several weeks during the summer at a local library.
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You lived in a what? A ger is a traditional dwelling in Outer Mongolia. It is only about 4.5 feet tall at it’s outer edge.
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Home sweet ger.
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A dry sink.
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Sleeping quarters.
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The ladies’ room.
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On Buddha’s birthday locals gather to float lanterns that contain handwritten wishes for the future.
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Sunsets are unrivaled.
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Northern Mongolia, close to the Russian border. It’s July and there is still snow on the ground.
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Bactrian camels have two humps. Arabian camels only have one.
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A Mongolian bride and groom, and their daughter.
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A good day for a wedding. The bride’s parents host the ceremony in their home and must provide lots of food, drink, and gifts of candy and money for all in attendance. Guests usually come in shifts over the course of a whole day.
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Men sit around a bowl of Airag (fermented mares’ milk) during Nadaam. The drink has a low alcohol content but lately has been replaced by vodka for use during important ceremonies.
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Afternoon commuter. A local man rides his horse to visit his parents in a neighboring village.
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A traditional dwelling, called an orts, favored by reindeer herders
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A reindeer herder’s son. Usually reindeer are pack animals, not riding animals. Their limit is about 90kg.
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Ankle bones from sheep and goats are traditional playing pieces for games. The games are similar to jacks or marbles, with each family having different styles of play and rules.
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Traditional Mongolian food. Boiled sheep meat, boiled fat, boiled potatoes, boiled noodles. All served in a communal bowl with a knife for people to carve their own meat.
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Innard soup: The internal organs of a recently slaughtered sheep boiled with blood sausage.
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Aaruul. Milk curds that are dried in the sun. Each housewife has her own recipe. Some are sweet, some are salty. There is always a dish of aaruul on the table for guests to snack on.
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Doing dishes. Scrubbed by hand, soap is not essential to the process.
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Tsagaan Sar
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Say aaruul! Peace Corps volunteers invited to a friends’ home pose for a photograph. Most clothing is a mix of traditional and western styles.
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9th Grade Graduates. Formal uniforms for girls resemble French Maid’s uniforms, while boys wear suits. On a regular school day in winter girls will wear several layers of pants under their dresses. Boys will likewise wear several layers of clothing under their uniforms.
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Artistry is in the most unexpected places. The poles of a ger are often hand painted or carved with intricate designs.
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The circle of life is represented in the very homes that Mongolians live in.
