Reindeer Village Mongolia

JANUARY 2018: REINDEER VILLAGE, MONGOLIA

From Ulaanbaatar (the capital of Mongolia), it took us 3 days and 2 nights to reach the Tsaatan Village (aka the Reindeer Village). A total of 28 hours on the road. After one night in Ulaanbaatar, it was 14 hours by public bus to Mörön where we stayed at a hotel. It was also the last day we enjoyed running hot water to bath in. Day 2 was 8 hours off-road by van to Ulaan-Uul where we stayed in a guesthouse. We used a Russian van that was suitable to withstand the terrain and the low temperatures. In order to warm up the van, the driver literally used a gas burner to heat up the engine 15min before moving out. Day 3 was 6 hours to the Tsaatan Village. Originally from across the border in what is now Tuva Republic of Russia, the Dukha are one of the last groups of nomadic reindeer herders in the world. Mongolians call them the Tsaatan meaning “those who have reindeer”. These reindeer herders have inhabited the remotest subarctic taiga for thousands of years. The Tsaatan have been divided into 2 groups: the East Taiga and the West Taiga. In 2018, there were around 20 families remaining in each of the Taiga. Due to some disease a number of years before, the dwindling number of reindeer threatens their existence. I had the opportunity to visit the East Taiga and to meet the tribal leader, Ganbaa, and his wife, Purvee. We ate meals with them and their family. After dinner, we talked (throught a translator) about their life on the taiga while we shared vodka together. It was one shot glass that we poured and passed to the next person who drinks and poured and passed ... until we finished 3 bottles. We slept in a “urts” (teepee in Mongolian) for 3 nights and enjoyed the stars every night.

#Mongolia

#Mongolian

#Tsaatan

#TsaatanVillage

#Reindeer

#ReindeerVillage

#Dukha

#Nomadic

#Taiga

#Ganbaa