



The life of a nomadic, Mongolian family is completely centered around the tending of their herd of animals. On my travels, I met families with flocks ranging from sizes of 20 animals to 5,000. Of course, the family with 5,000 animals is able to pay other people to look after their herds for them. The type of animals varies by region, with more reindeer in the north, and more camels in the south, but predominantly there are horses, sheep, goats, cows, and yaks. The herding is done by car, motorbike, or on horseback, all with the assistance of dogs.You can always tell when a herder family is relocating, because you will see their ger (yurt), and all of their belongings packed up in a horse drawn cart, or loaded up on a flatbed truck. They are following their herd to greener pastures. None of the animals in Mongolia are fenced in, this is the epitome of free range organic.These families are fiercely independent, but there is also a strong sense of community, as they are very welcoming. We visited many nomadic families, and it's the norm to be welcomed into the ger/home to trade things, drink traditional Mongolian milk tea, do some snuff, and discuss the main three topics of conversation: family, animals, and the weather. This strong sense of community also carries over into the fact, that if there is too much of a particular food item to be eaten or preserved, that it is to be shared or traded with the neighbors. 'Never let anything go to waste,' is an unwritten rule here. You can especially see the embodiment of this concept in the slaughter practices. Nothing goes to waste, not even the blood, the bones, or the head.When an animal is slaughtered in Mongolia, it is turned on its back to look at the sky. While its legs are being held down, the shepherd cuts an incision down its belly with a knife, and then he reaches in and severs the aorta of the heart. The animal dies very quickly, and does not seem to experience an inhumane amount of pain, as all of the blood drains into the open cavity. With such an extreme and quick drop in blood pressure, the animal is unconscious in seconds, and is unaware of most of the spasms and convulsions of the final moments.A herder family whom I visited in Gurvanbulag, traded me a sheep, and I was able to observe the slaughter and participate in the preparation, and cooking of the organs. This is also a very communal practice. All of the males (family and visitors) are expected to participate in the butchering of the animal, and all of the women are expected to participate in the cleaning and cooking of the organs. Flour and onions are added to the blood, and this is also used to fill some of the intestines to make blood sausage. Everything is boiled (except for the liver, which is seared), and then eaten off of a communal plate, or out of the pot. Just grab a knife and start slicing off what you want. The sheep's head is also boiled, as the tongue and eyes are considered delicacies. Being offered a boiled sheep's head signifies that you are the guest of honor, so if a Mongolian ever offers you one, don't say no! The meat is hung to dry for 10 days, the bones are saved to make traditional Mongolian milk tea with bone marrow, and the fur is saved to make wool clothing. Even the four ankle bones are saved, because they can be used in fortune telling, or in one of many Mongolian ankle bone games. They are actually thought to be one of the first forms of dice.One of my favorite aspects of daily, nomadic living in the Mongolian countryside, is that nobody really pays much attention to time. There are no set schedules or deadlines, and there is no rushing from place to place. Time is spoken of in a very ambiguous and abstract way. 'Soon,' can mean in a few minutes or a few days. It sounds like it would be annoying, but it is actually very peaceful. In the Mongolian countryside, time just stands still. Herders have lived this way here for thousands of years, and it seems that they will continue to do so. Nomadic herding culture is an incredible thing to witness, experience, and fully immerse yourself into.