Gobi Desert, Mongolia

This post will have nothing to do with the future of anything, but will depict a bit of the color and vibrance of traditional Mongol nomadic culture. (Again, there will be lots of brief videos in this post…. Please click on the heading to view them!)

The Gobi desert is not really desert, but grassland or steppe. And at this time, it is fresh and green from a recent rain. Gers – circular tents known elsewhere as yurts – are where people and visitors live.

The vistas are vast…. Truly “big sky” country.

Shepherds on motorcycles guide herds of goats toward a watering hole…

Horses…. A pivotal part of the Mongolian lifestyle….roam freely.

A cool way to experience this landscape is on the back of a motorized vehicle… here a nice, quiet electric scooter.

Then, too, there is the “ship of the desert”…..

Naadam is a traditional festival celebrated here….. featuring archery…..

Wrestling…..

Note that the winner collects a prize of these little sweetened bread cubes that he (or she!) shares with the spectators.

Horses and horsemanship are a key part of the nomadic culture…. Here is a race as part of the Naadam.

Festival participants, officials and visitors are encouraged to have a sip of fermented mare’s milk from a communal bowl as part of the proceedings….

Music and dancing are energetic and fun…. Listen carefully to the rhythm and you will hear the cadence of hoof beats!

Mongolia was a special treat – lively with an intriguing history and welcoming people. Wish we had come here on a road trip a decade or two ago. We even like the hats!

Next up on our schedule is a brief sojourn in Samarkand, Uzbekistan… a little further down the important trade route called the Silk Road.