Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lic. These personality traits must certainly be rooted in the quiet, motionless steppes that
remain unchanged through the aeons of time.
Seasons also shape Mongolian life. Spring in particular is a crucial time for Mongoli-
ans. Spring is usually dry, dusty, windy and unforgiving. This is the time when the weak-
er animals die and, it is said, when people die. Despite the severe temperatures, it is dur-
ing winter that Mongolians feel most comfortable. After a difficult summer filled with
chores and tending to livestock, winter is generally a time of relaxation.
MONGOL GAMES
Day-to-day life may be a struggle on the steppes but families will still find time for
games and leisure activities. In the evenings, children (and sometimes adults) play
with shagai(ankle bones), which have four distinct sides representing horse,
sheep, goat and camel. There are numerous shagaigames but the most common
is moir uraldulakh(horse race), which entails rolling four shagai(like dice) and then
moving your 'horse shagai'a certain number of moves depending on the roll (roll
four camels, move four spaces). The first person to reach the end of their ger wins
the race. Other indoor games include ankle-bone shooting (like darts but with sha-
gai), shatar(chess), hözör(cards) and duu dulakh(singing songs).
Steppe Rules
Mongolia's vast, open steppes and great distances have made hospitality a matter of
sheer necessity rather than a social obligation. It would be difficult for anyone to travel
across the country without this hospitality, as each ger is able to serve as a guesthouse,
restaurant, pub and repair shop. As a result, Mongolians are able to travel rapidly over
long distances without the weight of provisions. This hospitality is readily extended to
strangers and usually given without fanfare or expectation of payment.
Nomads tend to move two to four times a year, although in areas where grass is thin
they move more often. One nuclear family may live alone or with an extended-family
camp of three or four gers (known as an
ail
); any more than that would be a burden on
the grassland. A livestock herd should contain around 300 animals per family to be self-
sustaining, although some wealthy herders may have 1000 head of livestock.
Mongolia's nomads are surprisingly well informed. Nearly all families have a short-
wave radio to get national and world news. Many can receive satellite TV and certainly
everyone reads newspapers when they are available (literacy is 98%). In winter, children
go to school in the nearest town (where they live in dorms), visiting their parents during
