Hello, I'm Director Sakita, who only talks about cats and Mongolia.
Last year, in my eighth year visiting Mongolia, I traveled as far as the taiga (a subarctic coniferous forest area) near the Russian border.
If you're wondering why I'm going to Mongolia, please read " Why I'm going to Mongolia: A travelogue of my Mongolian warrior training tour ."
By the way, this will be an advanced level that is only open to those with experience in warrior training.
If you don't feel like reading, just watch the video at the bottom.
Mongolian nomadism is not just about horses, sheep, goats and cows
Mongolia is a big country. It's not just grasslands, it's also got taiga and deserts.
Camels are also grazing in the Gobi Desert.
Flowers and camels. Gobi camels are Bactrian camels. The weak humps are very interesting.
This time, I traveled to the very northern tip of Hövsgöl Province, which is in the northernmost part of Mongolia.
※Images are reprinted from Wikipedia: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%83%96%E3%82%B9%E3%82%B0%E3%83%AB%E7%9C%8C
In this area that juts out into the Russian side, we visited the Tsaatan (Tuvanese people), a nomadic reindeer herders.
To the land of reindeer nomads
First, we went from the capital Ulaanbaatar to Murun, a city in Khuvsgul Province. We flew there by plane. It took about an hour and a half. Murun Airport was closed in winter, but recently planes have started flying in winter.
We had heard that it was about a 12-hour drive from here to Tsagannur, the nearest village in the reindeer herding area, but we left in the morning and arrived just before dawn.
Over 12 hours of being shaken off-road in a Russian van with no springs...
We went through mountain roads, swamps, crossed a river, got stuck in the river and had to be pulled out, found our stuck car and pulled it out...it was the hardest time of the trip.
We arrived at Tsagaannur (White Lake) before dawn, a village located on the shore of a lake, as its name suggests.
I had khoshor here, but this was not the meat khoshor I usually eat in Mongolia, but fish! It also had mushrooms in it. It was my first time eating it, and it was definitely the most delicious khoshor I've ever had. It's a taste you can only get by being near a lake.
Fish and mushroom filled khochur (delicious!) and urm (a creamy, butter-like food made from dairy products)
Tsagannoor. Apparently Ken Kaiko also came here to fish for huchen.
After a short sleep, we head further north to the reindeer herding area the next morning. Since we cannot enter this area without the permission of the border guards, we obtain permission in advance and then go to get a permit. We then drive to the entrance to the mountain where the horses are waiting. We change from the car to the horses and head into the taiga.
We change to horses and go through the taiga.
They don't grow very tall, but there are many thin coniferous trees growing here and there. If you gallop, you'll almost get skewered. Horses judge obstacles by the height of their heads, so you have to look ahead and control your horse early to avoid running into a tree. We crossed several small rivers. In the mountains, it's more about how well you can control your horse than how fast you can run.
We arrived at the reindeer nomads' autumn camp in about three hours. According to the horse guide, it would take longer for those who are not used to it, so it was a testament to the skills of a senior warrior. It was mid-August, but we had already moved to the autumn camp, and the summer camp was about two hours further inland.
Life of reindeer herders
A nomadic autumn camp dotted with dwellings called olts (tent-like structures).
In the middle of the wide open land there is a river with cold meltwater flowing through it. The triangular tent-like structures are dwellings called orts. They are much simpler than gers, consisting of a wooden frame covered with cloth. It is strange that gers are covered with thick felt, whereas in the bitterly cold taiga they are only covered with cloth. Apparently they dress warmly and keep firewood burning during the cold season.
We were taken care of by the village elders.
The home of the elder who cared for me
It looks small, but it's surprisingly spacious inside. There are solar panels outside and a wood stove inside, just like in a ger. The mutton we brought for food was quickly cut into pieces and hung in the ortz to make dried meat. We will leave this wooden frame behind when we move to other pastures and use it when we return.
Ta-da, here comes the reindeer.
Looks sleepy
A peeled horn. Red with blood stains...
They are gentle and don't run away even when people approach them.
Reindeer antlers are skinned and fall off before winter comes. It's pretty gruesome to see the skin and blood vessels dangling out as they are being peeled off... The antlers themselves fall off in early spring.
Milking in progress
Reindeer milk is very rich, with a fat content of 50%. It is very thick and creamy, but the aftertaste has a refreshing plant-like scent. It is the most delicious milk I have ever drunk! Of course, the Su Te Tsai (milk tea) made from the milk is also delicious. I drank it every time I returned to Oltz and sat down. By the way, reindeer's favorite moss is said to be a medicine for high blood pressure in humans. I tried eating it, and I felt that the aftertaste of reindeer milk was similar to the scent of this moss.
Reindeer milk is boiled, separated, strained through cloth to set, and then dried to make a preserved food, which is also delicious.
Boil the reindeer milk → separate the fat → drain the water in a cloth bag, flatten it and dry it → share the finished product with everyone as a souvenir!
The reindeer are taken to the pasture early in the morning. They are then left alone. They are tied by two ropes around their legs so that they cannot run away.
In the evening we will return on our own.
In the evening, I was looking out towards the grazing area wondering if the reindeer would return soon, when I saw them one by one. "Oh, maybe they've returned," I thought as I watched. Then, children started whistling and rushing towards the reindeer. Then, one by one, the adults started coming out. The reindeer started coming out one by one.
What is this? Have I wandered into a fantasy world?
The ground is marshy and bumpy with moss, making it quite difficult to walk.
Mother Reindeer is trying to lick my hand because she thinks I have rock salt.
Rock salt is used to guide the reindeer.
When reindeer walk, they make a clicking sound. I thought it was their hooves clicking, but it seems to be their joints clicking, and it is said that the sound is made so that reindeer can keep up with them.
The main event is of course the reindeer riding.
There are other areas besides the Mongolian taiga where reindeer are herded, but this is the only place where people ride reindeer on a daily basis. It's a rare experience.
Since it's my first time, I have someone help me pull the rope while I ride.
They are shorter than horses so they aren't scary, but at first I was a bit scared as their horns swing back and forth, worrying that they might hit me in the eyes.
We climbed up the moss-covered mountain and picked berries. The blueberry season was over, so there were only cranberries left, but what a fantasy world... (omitted)
(Left) Small, sweet and sour cranberries. (Right) The ground is covered in soft moss, which reindeer love.
I preserved cranberries in sugar in a large plastic bottle and tried eating them with yogurt. They were sour and delicious.
The elder who took care of me told me many things, including about medicinal plants.
Medicinal herbs for cancer, colds, nosebleeds, eczema, high blood pressure, and anti-aging
The leaves are used in incense at temples, and are said to be effective against liver cancer.
There are gods in the mountains, and when humans do bad things, they cause mysterious phenomena and give them advice.
The area where the Tsaatan (Tuvan people) live was divided into Mongolia and the Tuva People's Republic, which belongs to Russia, at the beginning of the 20th century, so they would sneak back and forth across the border at night.
There are also wolves. In the past, wolves were hunted, but now they are protected and cannot be hunted, so their numbers have increased and they are attacking reindeer. That's why many dogs protect the reindeer from the wolves. They are lazy during the day, but they must be active at night. They all bark at once if they sense the presence of a wolf. Come to think of it, they were making a lot of noise in the middle of the night...
Reindeer guarding dogs (great at night, but not during the day)
The elder's wife was asked to perform a stone divination, using 41 stones taken from each of the 41 rivers.
There is also a method of divination using the shoulder blades of sheep, reindeer, and bears.
The kids did a reindeer race.
I live in Tsagaannur during school hours and help out at home during summer holidays.
I also had the opportunity to visit a newlywed couple who had just been married a few days prior.
The branches on the roof are a symbol of the birth of a new family. The groom listens attentively to the celebratory song. Money bills are hung on the string as a gift.
Our guide was a former village chief and knew each household well.
The couple are childhood friends. The groom returned to the village after his military service and decided to take over reindeer herding. When the bride was about to go to the city to go to school, he proposed to her, telling her not to go. The groom looked embarrassed.
Our guide said that it was a pleasure to see young people staying and continuing the nomadic lifestyle. In Mongolia, many women go to college or study abroad after giving birth, so the bride may have the opportunity to go to the city again.
Each household set up a craft market with items made from reindeer antlers and other materials. The vendors were children.
It snowed in August...
To Mongolian resorts
After enjoying the nomadic lifestyle, we head to Lake Khuvsgul, a large lake between Tsagaannur and Murun. This large lake is an ancient lake with very clear water and is a popular resort area in Mongolia.
We took a boat to an island in the lake. You can drink the water as it is. It was so clear it had no taste, it was like drinking air.
Ride your horse to a scenic view point overlooking Lake Khuvsgul from the top of the mountain.
Riding on horseback
The southern end of Lake Khuvsgul seen from the top of the mountain. A large lake that borders Russia to the north.
Apparently there are reindeer here for tourists, but it's not good for them as it's too hot for them to live there.
Mongolia is large
Mongolia is a large country with many ethnic groups living various lifestyles.
There are many different types of housing alone, including gers and ortz.
Introduction to traditional houses at the Ulaanbaatar Museum
This year's training will take me to the west, to a region inhabited by the Kazakh people and their falconers.
I'll introduce it again sometime if I have the opportunity.
Bonus: Here's a video of the trip made by a friend who was with us.