Today we spent time with three different families to understand a bit about their day to day lives, in early summer, as well as the rest of the year.
We started off with a spectacular drive through a long river valley to meet a family that raises yaks. We passed lots and lots of yaks and horses, a stream that still had winter ice in it, lots of widely spaced summer camps, beautiful meadows and rolling hills. This was a remote area, with no paved roads and the dirt roads were often muddy and rutted, so much so that often there were two or three alternative options, including the grass.
We arrived at the yak camp and immediately started trying to milk yaks. We did not excel at this task but we learned a lot and had some fun. For each yak, the woman would let the calf nurse for a little bit to get the milk flowing, then she would take the calf away and milk the yak halfway, then let the calf have the rest.
We made our way to the family ger, where we had yak milk tea and yak milk yogurt - both delicious. Then Ruth played a starring role in making yak butter. We also had yak cheese. We made fried bread and ate that with cheese and delicious butter. It was fun tasting all the different yak products, and also appreciating how hard the couple worked to transform the milk into products that would last. In the summer when there is a lot more grass and therefore more milk, they also sell the milk, but for now, it was all for their own consumption.
We headed into the town of Khatgul, to visit another older couple who, after retiring, decided that they wanted to start a new yak product. They sold yak milk ice cream. We learned how to make soft serve - a useful skill for the future - and then sat down for a delicious lunch. The man (Twogee) had worked for many years as an engineer under both Soviet and Mongolian control, so it was interesting to hear his comparisons. He also talked about his efforts to track genealogy, specifically to reduce birth defects in his family. And also the ice cream was delicious (we had it twice)!
After a brief rest, we launched ourselves on a boat ride across Lake Khovsgal. The lodge staff brought us big fluffy blankets to keep ourselves warm out on the lake. It was a little rainy, but totally worth the discomfort of being pelted with icy rain (the blankets helped too).
After 30 minutes or so, we landed the boat at the edge of the lake, and made our way up the steep bluff, and along a lovely but muddy path, to visit a family of reindeer herders. We got to hang out with the momma and baby reindeer, and hear about the life of a reindeer herder. This young man and his family spent a month camped at the lake in their teepees with their reindeer herd. He carves designs on the antlers that the reindeer shed in the spring and sells them to tourists for some cash income.
The sun came out, and the lake and surroundings were gorgeous! We also stopped at the famous “wishing rock” on the way back, which, with the sun shining, was far more delightful than the trip out.
It was a long and lovely day - we were so lucky to meet so many interesting people and learn about their daily lives.
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