Part 5 of 8 – (September, 2018)

When I woke up, Steph and Jessie had already walked up the hill and back. I was glad they shared their facial and body wipes with us the night before; it’s been a hundred hours since I last showered. Kenric said Nergui’s husband had quietly added wood into our ger’s stove at around 5 AM.

Outside, the family had been busy for hours. Father, younger son and a couple of helpers were saddling horses. Little Boy and his cousin brother were playing nearby. Steph and Jessie were on a mission to pet every horse. Nergui’s oldest son was on a motorbike shooing the goats and sheep out of the corral to go grazing. The European hikers had left. There was actually a “toilet” nearby.

Nergui was frying bread using the stove in their ger instead of the one in the kitchen. She looked so different wearing a T-shirt and athletic pants. Urnaa and Yuka were helping her. Their ger was public space again. Oh, to have to make the beds every morning. I said Hi to Buddha and the Dalai Lama, and hoped they liked the candy bars and had blessed them for whomever will be eating them, probably the grandchildren.

The Silk Road left its mark

In the sun, Little Boy’s hair was even lighter. I thought about all the different ethnic groups that had passed through Central Asia along The Silk Road and left their prints. He was playful, happy and totally in his element; rocking on a saddle laying on the ground until the adults needed it. “Choo! Choo!” I rewatch that video of him often. His father just tamed an unruly horse, so I am certain of his horsemanship. Watching him try to lasso the dog that was as big as he, everyone was smitten.

Rice with milk and sugar, delicious fry bread with ger-made butter, and it’s time to pack up. I was not ready to say “Goodbye.” Her husband’s team and the horses had left sometime before breakfast. We were to meet up with them and ride the horses to Tuvkhun Monastery and back, have a picnic lunch and leave from there. Then, Urnaa said Nergui had such a great time with us that she had decided to put off her farm work and go to the monastery with us! She put on her beautiful blue deel, and brought extra airag and arkhi for us to take.

Nergui enjoyed our company

Nergui sat next to me in the van. She wanted to make sure we knew that she had a great evening and wanted to spend even more time with us. The ride was of course bumpy. I found out that their family has never lost an animal in their herds, unless the animal perished while out grazing. Even then, neighboring herders would inform the rightful owner of the carcass (based on the branding on the animal), just as they would straying live ones. Now, this is the code that should be in everyone’s DNA. She spit onto her scarf to wash off a stain on her deel.

It was a relatively smooth ride. We all got out to walk up the last hill because Uncle couldn’t risk the engine overheating again. Her husband’s team was already there waiting for us. What a sight it must have been to see the men and their umpteen horses racing over here. “Ah! The helmets are in the van!” Kenric and Yuka walked down and met Uncle who had walked the helmets halfway.

These horses roam free most of the year

The horses were beautiful and intimidating. These are semi-wild horses that roam free most of the year. Nergui told her son which one I should get; I felt a little better. Jessie’s horse decided to take a bathroom break before the shift started. Steph bonded with hers instantly. Yuka’s acted up within a few minutes, but she got him under control. Urnaa’s and Kenric’s were well-behaved.

It was early September, and the horses’ favorite bushes were abundant along the very rugged trail and all over the forest. They would love to stay and eat all day, but everyone was rushing them. “Choo! Choo!” Nergui’s son stayed with me in the back because mine wanted to stop and eat every few steps. “Choo! Choo!” never worked. My reins were not as long as others’, so every time he would bend down to eat, I had to lean forward. Sure enough, he yanked it out of my hand and sprinted away. Tree branches and bushes flashed before my eyes. Free rein was not given, it was won.

The end of Horsie’s free rein

Just as suddenly, Horsie stopped next to a tree and waited. When Nergui’s son found us, he looked really worried. Based on my screams, he was probably expecting some tears or angry words. It was dangerous but I didn’t die, and it was exciting. I was really glad he was there, so I smiled at him. He looked confused. Free rein was also short-lived because Nergui’s son tied Horsie to his horse and led him the rest of the way. I felt like I had just witnessed a failed revolution. My heart wept for Horsie.

The horse ride took a little over an hour. I told everyone (who spoke English) about my crazy horse. No one heard me scream back in the forest. Did I make a sound?

Tuvkhun Monastery

Like the monasteries we visited two days before, Tuvkhun Monastery was also built by the 17th-century spiritual and political leader Saint Zanabazar. Like many of those he built, this was also destroyed by the Oirats. Restored, it was destroyed again during the communist revolution in the 1930s thanks to neighbor Comrade Stalin. It’s been nicely restored since the early 90s when Mongolia transitioned to a democratic country.

There were other tourists there. I think their horses were also rented from Nergui’s family. Hiking up the steep but well-defined rocky trail to the monastery wasn’t too bad. The exterior of the monastery was beautiful; it was locked. The view from up there was breathtaking. Tranquil and inspiring, no wonder many of Zanabazar’s masterpieces were produced here. From the monastery, we hiked to a cave. This part was more challenging. Inside the cave, Nergui left her offerings. May all her prayers be answered. Outside, Nergui showed us Zanabazar’s big foot imprint on the rock. We backtracked to the monastery and headed in the opposite direction.

Trails made for a mountain goat

Miraculously, there are two wells high up on the mountain. Nergui drank from one. Her husband approached us. He was enjoying his hike. We started towards our next spot. This trail was much more challenging unless you’re a mountain goat, or Mongolian, but even Nergui stopped to rest. The view at this spot was out-of-this-world. Coupled with the strings and strings of colorful prayer flags, one might just achieve a momentary nirvana.

We insisted that everyone eat together

We sanitized our hands and started passing drinks and bowls of rice to Nergui’s husband and son who were sitting on the ground near the horses. They wanted us to eat first, but we insisted that everyone eat together. The rice wasn’t hot anymore, but Good Lard, the flavor was amazing. Again, the pickled vegetables perfectly balanced the meat and grease. I had two bowls. When Yuka was ready to pour the remainder out for the eagles that had been circling waiting for scraps, I took another spoonful.

Eagles gracefully swooping; horses neighing at one another; mountains, grass and pine trees as far as the eyes could see; taking in the scene, I couldn’t help but fancy myself a kin of this warm and hardworking family. I did not want to leave.

Read Part 6

A Cold and Wet Visit to Erdene Zuu Monastery

Map of Places Visited