On-route to our nomad family ger and Khongor Sand Dune, we stopped by a small town to refuel.
Mongolian dumplings with lamb
Thoroughly enjoyed my order of the Mongolian Milk Tea Soup w/ Lamb Dumplings! Also known as Banshtai Tsai or Suutei Tsai, this salty milk tea soup also includes dried meat (like jerky), as well as rice and millet. This dish was also part of the UNESCO list of sustainable food recipes in 2019.
Met a little friend
Arrived at our second family nomad ger. The below is an image of one of our drivers being greeted with the Mongolian snuff bottle. You have to receive it with your right hand, smudge it on your hand, and give it a deep whiff into both nostrils. The content of the snuff bottle is powdered tobacco – a tradition introduced by the Portuguese in the late 16th century, and then the Qing dynasty later. It’s a refreshing smell, albeit sharp to cause your waters to water/cause one to sneeze.
Our host also played us the traditional Mongolian fiddle, Morin khuur, and even taught us how to play it.
Lunch view
We also spent the afternoon riding camels, learning traditional Mongolian games, and making Mongolian fried dumplings.
With my camel
Learned some Mongolian games. One was similar to five stones, just with different rules. These “stones” are actually the ankle bones of sheeps or goats.
As we were beginners, the host had prepared two types of fillings – one with lamb and the other with mashed potato and goat cheese.
Multi-talented driver, Enke, frying our dumplings
Pre-dinner activity: Khongor Sand Dune
The Khongor Sand Dunes are one of the largest and most spectacular sights. Also known as the “singing dunes”, they are up to 300m high, 20km wide, and about 180km long. These spectacular dunes are bordered by lush green vegetation supported by a small river Khongor, which is fed by underground sources of surrounding mountains.
This is the only thing I could do with my sprained ankle
The rest went on their way to scale to the summit of the Dune.
The crew experienced a sand storm at the top:
Meanwhile, Enke was showing me his daughter and I said hi to his wife, using broken Mongolian phrases:
Celebrating the 33rd year on Earth with a lovely bunch. Thankful for the celebration and lovely gift from our hosts!
And wrapping this post with our beautiful host. 🙂
If this is the first time you’re reading about my Mongolia trip, check these other posts out:
Conquering the world one step at a time. 
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