Some cool stuff I did in Mongolia

[evcelt]

Some cool stuff I did on our Mongolia trip (in no particular order):

- slept in a ger (actually, 5 different ones, 5 nights in a row)
- herded sheep
- helped milk a cow
- rode a horse for 23 km
- shot a Mongol-style bow (note my new icon!)
- tried airag and arkhi
- ate khuushuur, bansh, buuz, tsuivan, and many other delicious local dishes
- drank

Comments

[sharrainchains]

Oh, my: coolest of all time, hands down! Can't wait to see the pictures.

[evcelt]

Going to work on the pics this weekend!

[sharrainchains]

OK ... I feel like an idiot, because this just bubbled into my conscious mind, but... what does it mean that you translocated by Coke can?

[evcelt]

Don't feel like an idiot. I was hoping someone would ask...

The main thoroughfare in Ulaanbaatar is Peace Avenue. Crossing it is anything but peaceful- there is tons of traffic, drivers regard traffic regs as vague guidelines and ignore the crosswalk signs; so you kind of feel like you're caught in a game of Frogger or something.

Fortunately, there are at least two pedestrian underpasses on Peace Avenue- one near our hotel, one near the State Department Store. The surface part of the one nearest our hotel looks like a giant Coke can. Don't think I got a pic of it; maybe monsteralice did...

[keshwyn]

I am SOOOOOOOO envious. Perhaps someday, when the boys are older, we can take a trip to Mongolia. But for now I will have to content myself with getting my hands on a Mongol bow and learning how to shoot it well.

[evcelt]

I want to get a Mongol bow, too...

[the_smith_e]

How was the pull on the bow?

How does their style of riding differ?

How did your travel drama work out?

[evcelt]

Bow: I *estimate* that the pull was 35-45 pounds; the guide didn't know... I had no difficulty pulling it to full draw. The grip for the pulling hand is different- you grasp the end of the arrow with thumb and forefinger (and use other fingers on the string if needed; I definitely did)... I'm not sure if this was a sanctioned variation on Mongolian draw, or a style the guide had worked out himself. Western draw *didn't* work for me on this style of bow. We weren't using thumb rings. Release was on the right side of the bow, and there is no arrow rest on the grip. The arrow had a big blunt target head (the same kind Mongols use in competition) and no fletching (I guess so us ignorant tourists wouldn't ruin it; they use fletched arrows in competition).

Riding- I am going to quote extensively from monsteralice here:
What type of saddles can we expect