I made a friend on a bus in the Mongolian countryside.

… he may think it’s a napkin!

“It usually goes the other way.”

… he may invent a game I would call “camera wars.”

“Got ya!”

… he may inadvertently take a picture of the camera itself.

Artsy for a novice!

…he may take over 100 photos in twenty minutes!

My face got sore from all the posing…

“There’s other things to take pictures of besides me!”

… he may teach you that to a ten-year-old local the most interesting things about Mongolia are:

– men peeing.

This was one of several…

(At the rest stop I found a monument to all his pee-shots)

Only in Mongolia…

– plains and hills.

Looks like Mongolia to me!

– cows!

Not exactly National Geographic worthy, but maybe someday!

– trains (some things appear to be almost universal!)

Not a bad shot!

– juice

(apple)

– and little brothers!

This guy was pleased to be on camera!

I salute you my friend! Thanks for making the ride entertaining.

What is Tsagaan Sar?

Tsagaan Sar is the Mongolian Lunar New Year festival that has been celebrated for thousands of years by ethnic Mongols.

Tsagaan Sar literally mean “White Moon” but it might as well be “mountains of mutton  and rivers of vodka…” The pile of dumplings I put a dent in sits in front of the “uuts” or cured mutton back and tail.

When is Tsagaan Sar?

The first day of Tsagaan Sar, and of the Mongolian lunar calendar, differs every year. The start of Tsagaan Sar falls on the new moon two lunar months after the winter solstice. While it generally coincides with the Chinese New Year, a Mongolian friend told me that it usually starts a day before or after the Chinese holiday.

While Tsagaan Sar is officially only three days (up from two days last year) the first day back to work generally consists of Tsagaan Sar festivities. Here school officials await the Tsagaan Sar Greeting Ceremony with a tower of biscuits and “airal,” dried cheese curd, in front of them.

How is Tsagaan Sar usually celebrated?

During Tsagaan Sar, Mongolians are required to, if possible, visit with all of their living relatives and family friends. The aim is to catch up on important news from the last year and wish each other well for the coming New Year. The celebration is officially celebrated for three days, but in reality the visits go on for days afterwards, even weeks in the countryside where herders have fewer formal obligations.

There is an elaborate and lengthy protocol to be observed by hosts and guests involving ceremonial greetings, the consumption of delicious foods and beverages, toasting, and gift-giving!

My visit to my friends Shine and Oko was a wonderful time! Like many visits, I was shown their family photo album and caught up on news from their last year!

What customs are associated with Tsagaan Sar?

As an outsider, it seems that there are an incredible number of customs that accompany Tsagaan Sar, although many Mongolians insist it’s a very straightforward holiday to observe. Traditionally, it’s vital for the good fortune of both guests and hosts in the coming year that protocol is properly observed.

The most important custom during the holiday is the special New Year’s greeting that’s required for family members (excluding spouses), friends, and coworkers. Importantly, this greeting is done only once between two people during their first meeting of the New Year. The verbal greeting “Amar bain uu?” means “Are you living peacefully?” The simplest appropriate response is also “Amar bain uu?”

My coworkers greet one another in the traditional manner, lining up to greet the oldest administrators and faculty first. Most dressed in traditional “deels.”

However, the words are only a small part of the customary greeting. Generally, blue prayer scarves called “khadags” are offered by guests to their hosts with open outstretched arms, palms facing up. These are often filled with freshly pressed tugrik bills which are given to the hosts, but this depends on the family and its tradition. A common amount given to one’s host is a 5000 tugrik bill – around three dollars. In preparation for the giving of the scarf, it must be folded into thirds length-wise with the open side facing the host.

Hosts often also greet guests with a “khadag” in their outstretched arms but do not offer it to visitors, partially because as hosts they are required to provide many other things.

At the head of the long table sat the school director. For logistical reasons blue “khadags” were not part of this ceremony. (Imagine dozens of scarves piling up in the director’s arms!)

Whether or not there is a transfer of scarves, specific arm gesturing known as a “zolgokh” is required during the Tsagaan Sar greeting. Younger people of lesser rank place their hands underneath the elder person’s arms, gently grasping their elbows with palms as a show of support for their older relatives. The person initiating the greeting, generally the guest, often bows slightly and places his or her head on the left side, then the right of his hosts’ cheeks. This allows the guest and host to sniff one another politely in the process. I’m still not sure what the sniffing is all about but I’m glad I brushed my teeth before most of these greetings!

Are there gender-specific greetings?

While I’m not aware of any additional female to female greetings performed during Tsagaan Sar, for males of age there is an important custom involving the exchange of snuff bottles. This practice is not reserved specifically for Tsagaan Sar, especially in the countryside where it is customary, but it’s extremely common during the holiday. The polished and engraved snuff bottles, full of pulverized scented tobacco, are kept in brightly colored silk pouches that are stored in the inner breast pockets of one’s deel.

The exchange is executed by placing one’s carved and polished stone bottle in the palm of his hand and shaking hands with his comrade who also holds a snuff bottle if he has one. It is considered polite to pull up the wooden or plastic stopper before exchanging the bottles as a sign of respect. Generally, the snuff is not actually consumed which is probably a good thing as it’s clearly unhealthy and addictive. Instead, Mongolian men usually just pull up the stopper up and sniff the top of the bottle on both sides.

I exchange my small snuff bottle with my administrator’s husband using the traditional handshake custom. It was fun to visit the homes of several administrators with my coworkers!

The proper way to hand off a snuff bottle, with the silk pouch in the background.

Occasionally, women also may take part in the snuff bottle practice, particularly if they are older or are from the countryside. Like most Mongolian traditions, it has its origin among nomadic herders.

How do people dress on Tsagaan Sar?

People generally dress in traditional deels, boots, and decorative fur hats. However, many in the younger generations, especially in the cities, are now choosing to wear western clothing during these visits. Generally, the traditional garments are very warm so people often remove them after the greetings and wear everyday western clothes underneath. If outside or in public the deels usually stay on though.

My coworkers are all dressed up for the holiday!

What food is traditionally prepared and eaten during Tsagaan Sar?

According to etiquette, first, a bowl of salty, buttery milk tea is offered to guests known as “suutei tsai.” Then a bowl of” airak,” or fermented mare’s milk, is passed around the table until it’s nearly empty and refilled several times. Next, slices of cured mutton are cut off the “uuts” (pronounced “oats”) — a sheep back and tail that serves as the main centerpiece in every household.

Katie and I stand in front of the table at our friend, Urnaa’s grandmother’s home. I’m proudly holding the bowl of fermented mare’s milk, “airak,” and trying to battle the array of vodkas placed in front of me in various glasses.

After that, a small mountain of “buuz,” or meat dumplings is presented to each guest. It’s required to eat at least three of them though eating more is generally a sign of respect for your hosts. Next, chocolates and juice are proffered and, if the guests are of age, vodka is poured and several rounds of ceremonial toasts are given by the oldest members of the hosts’ family. The speeches always include well wishes for health, wealth, and happiness for the New Year and continued good relations between the guests and hosts.

My supervisor and I with the traditional feast set before us! In front you can see also see the sweet curd dish with raisins along with an array of fruits, small vegetable salads, and juice. The levels of biscuits in the towers displayed at one’s household indicate the eldest host’s social status. (The highest number 9 is reserved for the President, 7 for eldest grandparents, 5 for younger grandparents, etc.)

How did you celebrate Tsagaan Sar?

I visited six different households over four days and was served almost the exact same foods and beverages at each home – which were delicious! I visited my supervisor’s apartment, my Mongolian teacher’s home, a school administrator’s apartment, and a coworker’s suite in the city. I also visited a Mongolian friend’s mother and grandmother, who live in a small village an hour outside of Ulaanbaatar. Between the visits I had enough buuz and vodka for the entire Year of the Horse!

Urnaa’s mother’s ger, with a small visitor and his trusty companion bidding us farewell.

Urnaa’s uncle was a champion vodka-pourer…

Me with school faculty. For some reason most of them took off their “deels” after the official ceremony.

How was your commute to the countryside during the busy travel weekend?

We took a minibus to the village which only runs a couple times a day. Unlike most forms of public transportation, we had to wait until the bus was entirely full before it left! (I suppose if I were working on a holiday driving in the snow through the Mongolian countryside I would want every seat full too.) Katie, Urnaa, and I were the first ones to jump in the back and we waited for about an hour until the bus was full and then another half an hour for the drivers to smoke enough cigarettes to go!

During out trip back to Ulaanbaatar, after celebrating with Urnaa’s family, our drivers somehow crammed 29 people in a 14 passenger van! It was the last bus running to the city that day so everyone wanted to get on it to visit relatives for the last day of the official celebration. The driver, who made about twice as much money as usual with the extra passengers, had no complaints either!

There were ten people in our row that only had seatbelts for three! Elderly men and young children sat on tiny wooden stools where our leg room would normally be. Everyone had someone else’s arm or leg jammed into their side! As you can imagine, the bumpy roads were not fun. Also, as you can probably guess, there is not much enforcement of seat belt laws here… Not good!

The village’s views of the nearby mountains were wonderful!

Traffic jam? Since when do cows graze on tires?

Our good friend, Urnaa, was a wonderful host and translator for our visits in the village!

Urnaa’s mother and grandson were kind enough to bid us farewell before we hopped on the crowded minibus!

What games did you play for the New Year?

I played with “shegai,” or sheep ankle bones, at my friend Shine and Oko’s house during my Tsagaan Sar visit. There are many types of bone games played by locals, who also use the ankle bones to forecast the future – especially for the New Year. There are four distinct sides to the bones that are each named after a different type of livestock. The sides are named after sheep, camels, goats, and horses. Certain combinations of these are seen as auspicious, or likely to bring good fortune, while others are believed to bring bad luck with still more representing “average” outcomes. According to my friends the best possible roll is having four different sides facing up.

Many Mongolians take these fortune-telling methods very seriously. There are only three possible casts of the bones allowed for the fortune telling, after that it’s believed that the rolls do not accurately reflect one’s fate. I rolled two average combinations of several sheep and goats, and one favorable one with two horses, a goat, and a sheep. Horses are seen as very good luck!

Hats are very important on Tsagaan Sar!

Happy New Year!!!

Wishing you a happy, healthy, and wealthy Year of the Horse!

Q & A: Travels in Laos

How was the weather?

The weather during my travels was hot and muggy with temperatures hovering in the upper 80s! There was hardly a cloud in the sky the whole trip. It was a welcome but also difficult change from the cold, wintry weather in Ulaanbaatar. The temperature was -10 degrees F when I left the Mongolian capital! Even in shorts and a T-shirt, my body needed a lot more fluids and calories to help regulate its internal temperature and I never stopped sweating which was probably good. Imagine going from the dead of winter to the hottest day in summer in less than 24 hours!

The Mekong River as seen from the banks of Don Det, a small island in Si Phan Don, the 4,000 islands region in Southern Laos.

What was a memory that stands out from your trip?

I went on a kayaking trip with my friends while staying on the island of Don Det. Our guide brought us through narrow side channels, forcing us to weave between small islands and duck beneath overhanging trees and brush. After several hours, we reached the middle of the massive muddy river. There were roughly two football fields’ worth of space between us and the shore on either side.

The mighty muddy Mekong!

At first I was confused about why he told our group to stop paddling and stay quiet, but soon we spotted several Irrawaddy River Dolphins, a critically endangered species of freshwater dolphin! The lumpy, grey creatures came within fifty feet of our boats and breached the surface with their whole bodies, enabling us to get a pretty good look at them. The local guide told us that there were only six left in this entire stretch of river due to a variety of irresponsible fishing methods. Local fishermen still use arsenic, dynamite, and nets in which dolphins get caught to bring in their catch!

[Photo credit: gokunming.com]

What other animals did you see?

On my tour of the Laotian countryside the most common creatures I encountered were domesticated farm animals, but certainly not the kind we find in the US. On the small island where we stayed for several days I sighted water buffaloes, ducks, and chickens along the small dusty path that served as a main road. The water buffaloes were escaping the heat of the day by basking in the cool silted waters of the Mekong. One of them was submerged entirely except for this head, making him look almost like a hippo with horns due to his huge flared nostrils and wide cranium.

Baby water buffaloes!

Baby water buffaloes next to a parked bike. A view from the main road on Don Det.

The adults were across the road, cooling off in the river.

I think they have the right idea!

What else did you see on the Mekong River?

While kayaking I glanced up at the trees  towering twenty feet above us that were growing out of the river. Their tops were bent over as if they had been thrashed in a violent storm. Our Laotian guide, noticing me observing said “the water during the rainy season reaches the tops of those trees.” The water level of the river changes markedly depending on the season. During the summer months, from April or May to October or November, there are monsoons that cause major flooding, which many farmers depend on to irrigate their rice paddies which must have several inches of water to grow. Families build their houses on stilts five to ten feet high (some even higher) to prevent their homes from being flooded this time of year. Thankfully I was visiting during the dry season when temperatures soar but travel is easier because flooding of roads isn’t an issue.

Houses on stilts line the water. In some areas the water level can increase by 2-4 meters along the shore.

What currency do they use in Laos?

The Lao kip is the official and most common currency in circulation. One dollar equals roughly 8,000 kip. Thai baht and US dollars are also accepted in many restaurants and stores. The currency was introduced in 1979 by the government of the PDR to replace the obsolete and devalued previous currency called the Pathet Lao kip. Upon introduction 1 Lao kip was equal to 100 Pathet Lao kip.

[Photo credit: emergingfrontiers.com]

How much does a bottle of water cost?

One bottle of water costs roughly 4000 kip at most markets. However, renting a bike for a day cost only 8,000 kip and one night in our guest bungalow on the river, complete with hammock and mosquito netting, cost only 10,000 kip per night!

What language do they speak in Laos?

Lao or Laotian is the most commonly spoken language in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. It’s tonal which means that speakers raise and lower their voices in a much wider range than English. It sounds almost musical to my untrained ears. The locals’ warm demeanor makes it sound like they’re singing to each other in the dusty hot streets.

Lao is spoken not only in Laos but also in nearby Thailand and Cambodia. In fact, out of the roughly twenty-five million speakers of Laotian only three million reside in Laos. Further, while Lao is the default language, it is common in the hospitality industry, for example hotels, restaurants, etc., for locals to know enough English to communicate with customers. Still, the average English level is very low in Laos.

What was your best meal in Laos?

Perhaps sadly, the best meal of the week for me was a meatball, sausage, and vegetable pizza! It’s easy to find pizza in Ulaanbaatar but it’s hard to find a great pizza place. My friend Jeremy, who had been living in Japan, hadn’t eaten pizza in 8 months! Upon his request we ventured to a local restaurant in Pakse, Laos that advertised New York style pizza. It even had a picture of the statue of liberty on its sign! While there was nothing deep-dish about it, it was delicious. Between the five of us we finished 4 large pizzas!

As far as local food, earlier that day we had some succulent marinated grilled fish balls and green tea flavored iced tea on a street overlooking the river. Vietnamese pho, beef noodle soup, and ban mi, baguette sandwiches, were also major culinary highlights.

What was your favorite thing to do on the trip?

My favorite activity besides kayaking was renting motorbikes. My friend, Jake, was the only one who had ridden one before so we nominated him as our guide. Following his lead, we zipped around on our glorified scooters, quickly leaving the small urban area to explore the dry rice paddies and wats, or Buddhist temples, in the adjacent rural area. We were welcomed by shaved-headed monks adorned in orange and yellow robes. Following the local custom, we took our shoes off and examined the elaborate murals and Buddha and dragon statues inside the open-air prayer rooms. Another highlight of our motorbike adventure was finding a deserted spot on the river to skip rocks and watch the fishermen motor by.

One of the countless wats we passed!

The entrance to a Laotian temple. As you can see, virtually all temples are open air, with no walls necessary. Some also had rows of fans on the ceilings to ventilate.

After a long afternoon of motorbiking, we watched the sunset from the rooftop bar of a local hotel.

Nothing like a sunset with a cold Beer Lao in hand…

As you can barely see (expand the photo), there is a small golden fleck on the mountain in the background. That became our next mission for the evening…

During our motorbike adventures, just before sunset, we spotted a massive golden Buddha statue perched on a hilltop overlooking the town. Although it was nighttime by the time we reached the trail head leading to the effigy, the moon was bright and guided us while we bush whacked through the jungle in search of the shoddy unlit boardwalk. The view from the summit was totally worth it!

The Buddha statue!

My friend, Andrew.

My friend, Jake, climbing the quasi-constructed staircase. A lot of sights seem “under construction” but still open here…

We motored across the busy bridge, tested out several wrong paths in the dense forest at night, braved a crumbling boardwalk by moonlight, but finally we made it to the top!

What was your favorite game you played?

My favorite game of the trip was juggling a woven soccer ball made of stiff wicker-like reeds that my friend bought at a local market. This is one of the most popular pastimes among Laotian children, who set up volleyball nets in the dry rice fields and kick the softball-sized ball back and forth over the net.

What was your most interesting method of travel?

On our trip from the riverside town of Pakse to the small island of Don Det my friends and me experienced a very local means of transportation. The “song-tu” is a large flat-bed truck modified to hold three parallel benches underneath a tin roof loaded down with luggage. Typically, these barrel down the road with people packed in like sardines, hanging their arms and heads out due to the crammed seating.

This was after several stops were made and we dropped off passengers…

Originally, my friends and I planned to take a normal passenger (Greyhound-style) bus to the ferry landing. However, our taxi driver  brought us not to the main bus terminal but to a smaller station with not much time to spare before the last buses left for the ferry landing. With few good options, we bought our tickets for 40,000 kip and jumped in the back of the “song-tu” for three hours of personal time with the locals.

Thankfully I got in last and, from the back of the flatbed, was able to snap some photos of the scenery as we sped along the dry dusty roads.

This is what comes to mind when I think of Southern Laos during January. Bone dry rice paddies!

A main street in a small Laotian village.

A woman unloads her rice at the local market from her Chinese tractor.

Vendors sell snacks for travelers. After arriving at one small village, sticky rice, roasted chickens, and small beef sticks were thrust into the “song-tu” from all sides by local hawkers! I had no choice but to try the coconut rice (it was practically in my mouth already after being shoved into my face). Roasted in a hollow bamboo stalk it was delicious but too messy to even get a photo!

Last, I have to thank my intrepid, flexible, and spontaneous fellow travelers who accompanied me on my journey:

Thanks to everyone for a great time!

Thanks for reading about my time in Laos! I hope you stay tuned for more updates on Mongolia!