Tag: blog

And what a welcome it was.

I happened to arrive on the first day of the Lunar New Year,

Tsagaan SAR (white moon) :

a celebration of the transition between Winter and Summer.

The celebration dates back to the 13 Century in a country that is largely Buddhist and Shamansim

It is a Huge, National celebration with shops closed for three days,

Families travelling to see their elders;

Everyone dressed in national dress.

AND TRAFFIC

The downside to this amazing day, was a normal 40 minute trip from the airport to our lodgings took FOUR HOURS.

I kid you not.

I was so taken aback that I didn’t take photos!!!!!!!!!

I did take a walk – I got out of our stationery vehicle,

walked two kilometres up the road and back again

I swear our car had barely moved.

The kids slept, even Malan (Husband and driver) had a doze at the wheel.

They were watching their phones and I could hear Trump in his now infamous debate/discussion/whatever over and over again as they watched it.

Mothers were taking their children for walks and ‘the other’

as we all waited for – well, for four hours.

When you are a guest and new traveller,

or perhaps it is just that when you are Me,

you have no idea where you are going or how much longer this whole thing would take.

So it makes it difficult to pace yourself.

And just like that we turned left and we were home.

Great relief for everyone, in every sense of that word 😂

And then the fun began.

A flurry of cooking, whipping, beating, folding, chopping, laying.

A Feast to celebrate the first day of the New year.

An entire rump of a cow is presented, sliced and thankfully not all eaten at once.

In fact it is kept and shared over months with families.

Dumplings or Uuts – the Mongolian National Dish

There was the traditional cheese (which I equate more to a Christmas tree)

It is home made and stored every year in muslin

‘pulled out’ for this celebration

and It would appear, put away again.

No one eats it but it is very impressive.

There was eating,

talking,

and drinking.

Fun all of it.

And Finally, bed….

Tomorrow (well today that was) we explore Ulaanbaatar.

When I get time…. I promise.