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A cultural treat-Evening of day 4 at the youth club
Almost every day during my stay in Bel/Borbash village there was something to do after teaching at the school. As I mentioned earlier, Tamara and Sharif’s home was kind of a central meeting point for the local kids. They would…
“Water” Games-Day 3 at the youth club.
The third day in Borbash/Bel village started off normally. Bolot ( host family’s son and youngest child) was finishing up his final year of high school and had exams on this day. He did not wake up for the morning…
Nookat town, Kyrgyzstan-How I traveled 6900 miles to get my pants hemmed
I had brought 2 pairs of jeans with me on this trip which I did not really need. They added unwanted weight to my pack. I am by western standards a short person, so I can never find my size…
Day 4 in Kyrgyzstan- Trip into Nookat town
Myself and Gary, with Miraj’s help were to go into Nookat to look for and purchase board games, and other things for children’s activities. In this region, Osh (the 2nd largest city in Kyrgyzstan) provides most of the infrastructure to…
Day 4 in Kyrgyzstan-First day in the youth club
I woke up again around 700 AM and Balot, I and Gary headed out for the morning jog. Gary was in good shape and kept pace with Balot the whole time. I believe they ran 8 km (~5 miles). I…
Day 3 in Kyrgyzstan-Afternoon-Settling in to Borbash Village
Hello readers! Since we got into the village so late the night before, Kunsulu recommended we just rest (on Sunday) and not attend a planning session with some other volunteers. As I mentioned in the previous post, the morning meal…
Day 3 in Kyrgyzstan- Morning-Settling into Borbash Village
I (my ego rather) had foolishly agreed to go jogging with Balot, the 17 year old son the next morning.
Day 2 in Kyrgzstan-Shared Taxi to Osh City
Myself and Gary were up well before 800 AM-anxious to get on the road the the long drive to Osh and eventually Borbash village (another 1 hour east of Osh). Adilet was 1.5 hours late in picking us up. We…
Day 1 in Kyrgyzstan
I arrived in Manas international airport sometime around 600 AM. the date was June 15th, 2019. I was able to find a volunteer opportunity through workaway.info just a few days before, and had pre-arranged an airport pickup. Getting someone to…
Quick update-More to come
Hi readers! For those of you who know and have been following me, I just wanted to post a quick note. I was overwhelmed with visitors and activities in my first week in Kyrgyzstan. The experience at the Borbash youth…
“On the road again” -to Bishkek
Friends and readers, I haven’t really had much to post about lately. Over the past 2 years this blog has been mostly about my 2017 trip to Central Asia, what I learned there, and my perspectives on what I learned…
The Aral Sea=Dakota Access Pipeline? Big Government vs Environment
What are the long term effects of big government decisions on the environment?
Inspiration
I started following Juvena (AKA The Wandering Wasp) about a year before I took the trip to Mongolia. Life is short and if I remember correctly, it was the death of a friend that helped inspire her to take her…
Debt, Poverty and Micro-finance
Predatory lending as explained in the 1970’s sitcom “Good Times”: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or [insert politically correct term of choice here]. I’m writing this in the days of the Christmas holiday when I and many around me are surrounded…
Reblog: Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek and alamedin gorge — Maggie and Shaun Eurasia travel blog
Kyrgistan is the poorest of the four central Asian republics that we are visiting. It’s on its third regime since independence (see Guardian correspondent, Philip Shishkin’s account in restless valley for a nail buying account). It is now building its…
The Story of Paris, Sichang and “Gym Families”
This is a story of recent events combined with memories from a trip I took some 17 years ago. Last week my dear friend Paris Alexander, of Bay Area boxing fame, was involved in a bicycle accident in San Francisco,…
A story about an aspiring young Pakistani Mixed Martial Artist.
I haven’t posted anything really about my time in Pakistan where I visited after Mongolia. It was a routine but educational experience, characterized by daily trips to the gym and absorbing the local culture of Lahore in Punjab state at…
The Mongolian Deel
What’s the deal with the Mongolian deel? 😀 Joseph’s host on the left is wearing a traditional deel which might be described as a warm heavy duty overcoat. This particular type of deel would fit into the category of “work…
Mongolia- A funny memory
I’m looping back to Mongolia because I had a funny memory while I was binge watching ” Cobra Kai” the Karate Kid saga remake on youtube… This is my (very patient) host Jvvureg. In the picture he’s demonstrating how to…
Mixed Martial Arts in Turkey-“The Last Round” Gym
Although I only visited Istanbul, I have always known the nation of Turkey to produce great athletes in the sports requiring great physical strength, particularly weightlifting and wrestling. Football (or as we call it ‘Soccer’) and Basketball are also extremely…
Hire a Local Guide in Istanbul
If you want to experience Istanbul stress free, and absorb all it’s historical significance, I recommend hiring a local tour guide. Our guide Hanifi (professional and licensed), offers very flexible tours and can custom design a program for you based…
The street animals of Istanbul
I took a short trip to Istanbul last week. It’s an amazing city with an amazing history. Many know the story of ancient Constantinople (Roman Empire) and it’s fall to the Ottomans (thus the formation of the city of Istanbul).…
Retracing the footsteps of Genghis Khan
Perhaps the title should have read “hoof prints” of Genghis Khan instead of “footsteps”. Anyway, this post is inspired by the Journey of Australian Tim Cope, who in 2006 made a SOLO journey lasting 2.5 years on horseback from Central…
Natural Light in the Mongolian Ger
Do you see that thing in the background under the horse’s legs (click on pic to enlarge)? Do you have any guess what it is? It looks like a wagon wheel, like in the old pioneer days of the USA,…
Happy New Year! A list of things I appreciate!
It’s New Year’s Day. It’s a time when people reflect on the year gone by and set goals for the upcoming year. I have never been one to make New Year’s resolutions- The idea of waiting for the end of…
Spirituality, Religion and Superstition in Mongolia
I would describe the Mongolian people that I met as quite spiritual, with a close connection to nature, animals and the land. In this way I believe they are similar to the Native American tribes of the USA. I started…
The Merit of Natural Ingredients- Mongolian Diet
I lost ~ 6 lbs (2.7 kg) in 2 weeks while in Mongolia. Much of this had to do with the physical activity (work) every day, but also because of the good diet. With the exception of store bought bread,…
Improvisation and re-purposing.
Just a short post. As I mentioned earlier, the nomads are quite resourceful. Here they’ve used what looks like an old truck tire as a feeding trough. Maybe it is not a truck tire because I can’t understand how they…
Plastics on the Mongolian steppe
“Every piece of plastic created is still on this planet in one form or another” When you think about it, that statement is rather profound. Before I left on my trip to Mongolia, I was very curious about what environmental…
First Words of Mongolian
Just a quick post/ video here. I hadn’t really properly prepared in terms of learning some of the language before I left. I doubt it would have helped much. I was able to get by using a phrasebook that I…
The “Central Asian” knot
I remember sometimes my hands would be numb from the cold in the morning- so numb that I had some difficulty tying the knot to tether the horses after tracking them down. Durukh showed me a “Mongolian” knot that he…
Seeing ourselves in animals
In the same way that humans may abandon, give up their children for adoption for otherwise just refuse to acknowledge them, so do these animals. We (humans) can see our own behavior in animals. Biology and psychology transcend the line…
“See you at the local watering hole”
“See you at the local watering hole” is an expression used in the USA to mean, “I’ll meet you at the nearby bar after work.” Where did the saying come from?
Goats play dead :-)
Just a short post and video about a small interesting thing I learned during my stay: It wasn’t until I returned to the USA that I learned certain types of goats (pygmy goats in this case) have a nervous reaction…
The Nomad Economy
I had often wondered about how the Nomads earn a living. My impression was that they just “lived off the land” meaning they get whatever they need to live/survive from their animals and land itself. “Barter” and purchase of goods…
Arts and Crafts of the Nomads….
As I’m sure I mentioned earlier, the Mongolian nomads are very resourceful, meaning they can find uses for all things around them. After the butcher of a goat, sheep or cow, the skin (leather) is treated and stored a well.…
Leaving Mongolia
I woke up at 630 AM to pack up my electronics and laundry. Surprisingly, Altai’s mother and stepfather were already awake! I started to gather my laundry which had been drying for about 7-8 hours. I noticed that my jeans…
Back to Ulan Bator
About 15-20 minutes after driving off we arrived at another nomad camp (with no roads and few landmarks I’m still wondering how the driver and others navigate). This is where we are to pick up a fellow volunteer from Australia…
Leaving the Nomad Camp
It’s my last few hours in the nomad camp, Altanbulag District, Tov province, Mongolia. I woke up about 615 am today, 20 minutes earlier than usual. The driver (Amma) is supposed to be here at 1200pm, so there’s still time…
Day 11- Last Full Workday
Today’s the last full day of work in the camp. I’ll have a partial day of work before the driver arrives from Ulan Bator tomorrow afternoon. I’m hoping to get into Ulan Bator a bit early so I can do…
Day 10- Trash Duty
It seems like I’m doing less and less every day as the end of my visit approaches. I thought it would be the opposite. I woke up feeling a bit regretful because the night before Annjah had invited me to…
Day 9- Rain!
I woke up to the sounds of rain ( <– Isn’t that a song lyric? ) early this morning! It’s the first substantial rain since I’ve been here. It is welcome as most of the land is barren and the…
Evenings in the Ger
The early evening work would usually end between 800-830pm. The very last task of the day was to “hobble” the riding horses (tying three of their legs together) so they could graze but not wander too far. This usually occurred…
A day in the life of a Mongolian Nomad
In the early spring, the day begins well after sunrise. At about 645 am, Biyambai, my host Durukh’s wife, would be the first out of bed (although sometimes I would lay awake under the warm covers, well before the others…
Day 8 -Back to normal
Thankfully I woke up with my strength back this morning. I was very relieved as the day before I had thoughts of having to go to Altanbulag (the closest town, 18 miles/30 km away) on the back of a motorcycle,…
Random Picture-Nearby River
The river nearest the nomad camp (about 2 hour horseback ride). Your can see the typical mountainous landscape of the Mongolian outback in the background. This is only about 300 km (180 miles) outside of the capital city of Ulan…
Day 7-Feeling Sick
I woke up at 630 am and realized that I had slept with my mouth open. I felt my through was a little raw. After getting out of bed though, I realized that I was feeling weak. I did the…
Day 6 afternoon and a “Boats” Dinner
After returning from the morning herding and having a quick lunch, I was again asked to pasture the goats. I think my usefulness is starting to come into play and Durukh and his wife Biyambai are starting to do things…
Day 6 morning- Nomads Lasso Horses
The previous day’s riding was tough on the body. There’s no warm shower here to heat up the muscles in the morning. Well, this is what I asked for…… The morning was normally cold, slightly above freezing again (~34 F…
Is agriculture the origin of these two sayings?
I was just reviewing some video the other day and noticed that I used some phrases/sayings that we may use in everyday language in the USA to mean something similar. Phrase #1: “The local watering hole” People use this (…
Day 5-The Well Mission and The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
The type of work I do at the camp generally depends on the particular need for that day. I made this video the following morning which sums up day 5: So as I said in the video, After the ritual…
Day 4 addendum- A late night party
I usually go to sleep at 930 pm in the nomad camp. Work finishes between 730-800pm followed by a couple of hours of Satellite TV. The most popular show among all the nomads (and I’m betting in all Mongolia) is…
Sharing observations for a newspaper article.
This is just a quick update. A reporter from Chabot College in Hayward, CA USA wants to write an article on my trip and asked a few background questions. I thought it would be informative to share my answers in…
Day4-Cold and Wind, a look inside the Ger, and some herding.
This morning was very cold (4/10). I would guess it was about 10 degrees colder than the previous day. If you add in the wind, it makes the working conditions rather tough. It started out as usual with the search…
Day 3-Rest and Goat Sorting
I forgot to mention the night before I had a real Mongolian treat of Khuushuur, which is similar to what we know as a Piroshki. Minced horse meat Khuushuur Yes, the caption says “horse meat”! If your response is…
Day 2-Searching for Horses and Shearing Goats
The night before (and every night afterward) we had to “hobble” the horses. This means binding three of the horses legs together so that they can roam around looking for vegetation to graze, yet not roam away too far. This…
Day 1 Ulan Bator and off to the Nomad Camp
I finally arrived in Ulan Bator on April 7 around 1:00AM. My host Altai and her brother were patiently waiting for me at the airport. We proceeded to her parents apartment where we spent what was left of the night.…
SFO-Beijing-Ulan Bator
I’m sitting in Ulan Bator AIrport right now to start the next leg of my adventure which will be to vist my friend Bashir’s gym in Lahore, Pakistan. Bashir Ahmed is considered the grandfather of MMA in Pakistan and is a…
Back Online!
Hey friends! Thanks for following and reading! I’m officially back online and just finished an incredible 2 weeks at the nomad camp about 3 hours outside of Ulan Bator. I’m back where I can get a decent signal now and…
Where, what and why in Mongolia
At the San Francisco International Airport now. I’m glad to make it through security with no secondary check or unpacking! My backpack is completely stuffed and I’m hoping they don’t make me check it in at boarding even though it…
Departure Day
Well all packed up and ready to go! Just a few hours away and I’m on my way to Beijing and finally Ulan Bator, Mongolia. It took a few times, but I was able to fit everything into the 40L…
Genghis Khan, The Mongol Empire and Meritocracy
I think that Genghis Khan ( 12th-13th century), who was of course Mongolian, was a very interestingly represented leader in western society. When we hear his name we think of a merciless tyrant, ruthless murdering and pillaging, a bunch of guys…
The name “The Rover”
When I was a kid, my dad had this book he kept around called “The Rover” by Joseph Conrad. Conrad also authored the book “Heart of Darkness” which isn’t really too well known unless you’re a literature buff. However, the…
What I learned in Cultural Anthropology 101
Short Answer: Not very much (even when I paid attention 😛 ) Actually it was Cultural Anthropology 2, many years ago.
Why Mongolia?
I’ve been interested in geography and the world since I got my first map at 9 years old. When I was bored I’d try to match the country’s flags to the country on the map. As a young adult…
Welcome and Thanks for Reading!
Hello friends and readers! Welcome to my blog! I’ve created this site to document and share my experiences on my upcoming trip through a few countries in Asia (as well as any future forays). My goal for this site…