Surviving RURAL Mongolia for 72 Hours 🇲🇳 Ultimate Local Experience

[00:00:00]Living in a traditional [music] Mongolian Gur.

[00:00:06]>> Mind your head. Come on in.

[00:00:08]>> It's a bit like a Hagrid house, isn't it?

[00:00:20]>> That is so cold when you come out.

[00:00:23]>> Vodka.

[00:00:23]>> Mongolian vodka.

[00:00:28]>> You're very red.

[00:00:31]Good morning and welcome to the vast wilderness of northern Mongolia.

[00:00:37]Yesterday we took around an 8 to 10hour Soviet train right to the very north of the country close to the Russian border to stay here in the Yeru Valley. We're actually going to be spending the next four nights here living in a traditional Mongolian gur, meeting the nomads and learning more about the traditional Mongolian way of life. And this is what we get to call home.

[00:01:11]>> Welcome to the Yeru Lodge. This place is absolutely incredible and there are so many thoughtful details that have been put into it that I'm going to have to show you. And I think it's a very cool experience to be able to come and stay in a traditional Gur with a hint of luxury. So we have our very own walkway to Gur number 18. So these structures are super incredible because they are built with wooden slats that are collapsible. This means the nomads can collapse their gur and carry it with them on the camels that you saw in one of our other videos, by the way. And they are covered with canvas and felt.

[00:01:48]All of this is easily rolled up so they can go to their next destination. I actually think they're ingenious. It's an absolutely incredible creation that they're able to take their home with them wherever they go.

[00:02:01]>> And I think if you're coming to Mongolia, you've at least got to experience spending one night in a >> G 100%. First things first, you will have to duck. Definitely weren't made for nearly 6t westerners. But anyway, mind your head and come on in.

[00:02:14]>> It's a bit like a Hagrid house, isn't it?

[00:02:16]>> It is. I absolutely love it. I was a bit concerned that we were going to be chilly because it is blaming cold.

[00:02:24]However, we have heating everywhere. We have a wood pellet heater that comes through a chimney. I love that. We've got a gas heater which is actually on right now. It was so cozy last night.

[00:02:38]You also have to mind your head because of the way that the roof is structured.

[00:02:42]But look at this beautiful colorings.

[00:02:44]Reminds me of Bhutan quite a lot. these handdrawn intricate paintings which I believe are part of like the Buddhist religion. The circle window that lets in the natural light waking you up at 6:30 in the morning which is actually lovely.

[00:02:58]>> It's really nice. I can't believe each of these panels. Look at that.

[00:03:00]>> Hand painted.

[00:03:01]>> Hand painted.

[00:03:02]>> I told you attention to detail is wild.

[00:03:04]Okay, there are etiquette when it comes to G, but we don't know what the etiquette is yet.

[00:03:10]>> The nomads are going to have to teach us.

[00:03:11]>> The nomads are going to have to teach us. So, right now I'm just wandering at each place. But we have our lovely bed.

[00:03:16]This is actually a Scandinavian meets Mongolian girth because you have the separate beds.

[00:03:21]>> I love that.

[00:03:22]>> Love that so much. I love having my own duvet, my own piece of space. It was super comfortable. Look at the detailing in the woodwork as well. They work with local artisans here to make sure that the community benefit from having a lodge in their area. Look at it.

[00:03:36]Absolutely stunning. Another little door. So, mind your head as you come on through. We do have another heater in here. We have a blooming bathtub. I told you traditional Mongolian girl meets a hint of luxury. Absolutely unbelievable.

[00:03:51]Some uh girls don't actually have hot water or running water at all. So, this is pure luxury. Haird dryer. Love it.

[00:03:58]Sink. You can come all the way around cuz look, the circle shape makes it so easy. It's actually two girls together.

[00:04:04]Shower.

[00:04:06]Japanese toilet. We got a mix of cultures here. I absolutely love it.

[00:04:10]Honestly, I didn't really know what to expect, but it's so so stunning, so cozy, and it really is like a once in a-lifetime experience to be able to to spend your few nights in a g in the wilderness of Mongolia.

[00:04:27]You know, most people that come to Mongolia, they're going to head south to the Gobi or they'll stay in a G that's only an hour from Alamatar. We wanted to come up here to the very north because it's not on the tourist path. And what this property does so well is it gives the locals an opportunity to showcase their culture. It's just it's just so stunning. We got 4 days here. The river running alongside us is just starting to melt.

[00:04:59]It's out of this world. Look at it. It's like another planet. I think there must be 20 or 30 different girls, but they're spaced out really nicely. These ones there right next to the river are stunning.

[00:05:13]>> So, so stunning. And there's all different categories as well. So, ours is a premium girl. So, we have our own bathroom because if Matt knows there's a bathroom outside, he'll be up all night in the room.

[00:05:25]>> 100%. So there's the single gers that they you then have the bathroom that is outside and if I have a couple of beers of an evening I'm going to be in and out in the freezing cold running into the shared bathroom. So I'm very happy that we've got the premium. If you don't have a bathroom in your gur, this is where you come in the night to the shower house. Oh, it's really nice.

[00:05:53]Look at that.

[00:05:55]Super clean, super modern. And then your toilets. Well, if you don't wee in the shower, [laughter] it should be in here.

[00:06:10]I mean, you could sleep in there.

[00:06:18]One of the main reasons that you want to come to a place like this so remote is to disconnect. You know, learn more about the nomadic way of life. In the GR, you don't actually have Wi-Fi, but in the main restaurant, they do, which is good for us because we have to do some sort of work. But right in front of the Gers and accommodation is this the Yeru River.

[00:06:42]>> Absolutely incredible. Now, in the summertime, you can actually jump on a kayak and kayak down the river. I think you can also do some fishing as well.

[00:06:52]There's a little beach area here where there's a bonfire. It's just starting to melt as we're coming into the spring season. And it's just quite magical, you know, to see the seasons changing. We have geese that fly over us.

[00:07:05]>> Can you hear that?

[00:07:08]>> You can hear the ice melting.

[00:07:10]>> It was like bubbling. I thought you were going to say you can hear the geese, but it's it's just absolutely incredible. I feel like I don't know. I feel like pictures would not do it justice. That's what we said when we arrived, didn't we?

[00:07:20]We were like, "This looks even better than what it looks like online." And you just cannot imagine how peaceful it is right now.

[00:07:32]I feel like I'm on an episode of David Atenburgh. the wilderness so fast that when you're just walking around you find I think this could well be a horse >> could be a camel >> skull could be camel I feel like it is horse though super long nose all the teeth are pretty much intact but that just shows you how uh >> well the nomads just let their horses out >> and then they'll go and find them in like a year's time so anything could happen >> anything could happen to them yeah and it's not like they have vets it's not like they get looked after in the sense that we might look after the horses is at home. They're not getting checked over or anything.

[00:08:07]>> Realistically, they're wild. Deep in winter, temperatures here can [snorts] drop as low as -40, maybe even -50°. So, this probably isn't the brightest of ideas that we've ever had, but we're walking out on part of the frozen river.

[00:08:25]It's I mean, I'm testing it. It seems okay. Look.

[00:08:31]>> Yeah, that's fine. That's deep. It's It's really interesting cuz all you can hear is and you think something's there, but it's just the ice breaking away as the river. This is a very fast flowing river as well, which is why it would be so good on a kayak cuz look, it's just flowing all the way down. This actually flows from the mountain range over there. Um, and it's super super fresh.

[00:08:52]They said you can jump in the river and then jump in a sauna because we actually have a gur that's made into a sauna. Oh, >> I might be I might [laughter] be trying that this afternoon. I don't I'm not sure I'm going in this river.

[00:09:08]I really don't. I think I prefer it in the summer. Maybe in like a little tube slowly flowing along.

[00:09:14]>> Look at the chunks of ice.

[00:09:15]>> Beer in hand.

[00:09:16]>> Wow.

[00:09:17]>> Huge bits of ice.

[00:09:22]Really can see why they call Mongolia the world's emptiest country. We're just walking through the valley, the vast wilderness. You've got herds of horses in the distance and the odd gurr that the nomads will use depending on the season. We do have an end goal from our hike today. At the top of the valley, there's a rock, a shaman rock. So, shamanism before Buddhism was sort of like the unofficial religion of Mongolia. And it's all about the land, the sky, >> sky, stars. It's all about nature.

[00:10:07]There's still a few people that believe in it today. You can actually go and visit these people, but I think they're a bit of tourist trap. So, instead, what we're doing, we're going to check out a rock that they believe is sacred. To be honest, because we've got no signal, I haven't been able to check up anything else on it. All we know is that it's a sacred shaman rock >> in the middle of bloody nowhere.

[00:10:29]>> It doesn't look like much, but this is the shaman rock.

[00:10:35]>> It is indeed. It's said that if you have pain in your body and you touch it and then touch the rock and then walk around in circles, specifically on after a thunderstorm or something, it will heal you. I don't know what that says.

[00:10:50]>> I think it's different body parts.

[00:10:52]>> I think it's the names of different body parts.

[00:10:54]>> Is that >> But I don't know what's what.

[00:11:05]>> Cheers.

[00:11:06]>> Cheers.

[00:11:07]>> We earned this this morning.

[00:11:08]>> We have God knows how far we actually walked, [music] but this is well deserved. We're actually in the restaurant now, which is beautiful. A stunning little building. And they have quite a small menu because what they use is farmtotable ingredients. So they make sure that you're getting quality over quantity. So we have ordered mini kure for our lunch made with fresh beef probably from the cows that we see in the distance [music] which is >> they really have done this place so well. Hold on.

[00:11:40]>> We're having the feast of champions, aren't we?

[00:11:42]>> Mongolian champions.

[00:11:43]>> Mongolian champions. Look at them. The eight mini kushure. There's always too many.

[00:11:48]>> Always.

[00:11:49]>> It is just so meaty. Full of pastry.

[00:11:55]>> And [snorts] the soup that's inside.

[00:12:07]>> I feel like I could enter a cashure eating competition. I reckon I could do 10, 12, 15, maybe even 20. But you can definitely tell that the owner of this place is Norwegian. Look at it.

[00:12:21]So Scandinavian, especially from outside. Imagine being here in the summer. You get the biffolding doors open with the view of the river behind.

[00:12:31]I like the fact that the menu is small with only five or six items. It's like the Jeremy Clarkson of Mongolia. They use what they can get. It is very much farmtotable.

[00:12:44]And I'm now stuffed.

[00:12:47]You can see why in Mongolia they eat the kure because in these harsh winters it keeps you warm and it um it puts you to sleep for the afternoon. Just look how cozy our little room is. But I have put my swimming shorts on and we're going to venture outside because they have transformed one of these gers. Have we got everything? We have >> into a sauna. [laughter] I'm >> so excited.

[00:13:16]>> This is freezing.

[00:13:18]>> Oh my gosh.

[00:13:19]>> Shorts in this weather is not a bright idea.

[00:13:26]>> Oh my god, it's so cute. We weren't sure which one was the sauna girl, but when they said it was the tiny one, they weren't wrong. You can see the smoke bellowing out of it. I believe that they actually use wood that they get from the land to burn. Um, what are we going to do with our clothes? Just throw them on the floor.

[00:13:43]>> Throw them on the floor.

[00:13:44]>> Let me just quick make no one's in.

[00:13:50]>> Oh, it's safe and it looks so cozy.

[00:13:52]>> Stripping off in likeus 3°.

[00:13:54]>> Oh my god, it's absolutely freezing.

[00:13:56]Didn't bring a towel. I don't think we're prepared. I'm having to make sure that I'm all covered up.

[00:14:02]Is this totally crazy? I'm not bringing the crocs cuz they might shrink. Right.

[00:14:07]>> They could do.

[00:14:08]>> Right.

[00:14:08]>> Go, go, go, go, go, go.

[00:14:13]>> So, what the Mongolians will do in rural areas is they will get in a sauna like this and then they will run into the river. I'm not doing that. I have a cold. So, being in here is just lovely.

[00:14:25]We're topping it up with all the fresh wood from the forest.

[00:14:30]>> I don't really know what I'm doing to be honest. I think I'm just acting like I'm in the woods, aren't I? Look.

[00:14:36]>> Going with the flow.

[00:14:37]>> I'm going with the flow. I can see it sort of.

[00:14:39]>> And then I think add a bit more water on the rocks. I presume these rocks are from the river.

[00:14:44]>> Yeah, I think so. I can see it's all nice and firing under there. Thing is, you know what it's like? We like our sauners to be super super hot. Um, so, >> wa, let's >> just keep doing that until we're absolutely sweating.

[00:15:03]>> We are cooking >> just a bit. I've used up so much wood to get it to get going. The fire is like I feel like a cave woman actually. Um, but it's really funny. We did Latvia and Estonia where like sauners are such a huge thing and it feels weird to be doing one out in the open now, doesn't it?

[00:15:31]That is so cold when you come out. But I think we're going to sleep well tonight.

[00:15:36]Eight cushure and a bloody girth sauna.

[00:15:44]>> [music] >> Good morning from the roof of Mongolia.

[00:15:57]I slept like a baby last night after eating all them kure at lunch and then jumping in the g sauna. We even had a little bonfire down by the river with [music] some traditional Mongolian songs. But we've got up bright and early this morning. Had our breakfast. The breakfast here outrageous. The breakfast sandwich with bacon, egg. The quality of the food is just so so good. As we are heading on a bit of an adventure this morning, we've got about an hour and a half drive to one of the local towns to meet one of the nomadic Kazak eagle hunters. I don't really know what to expect from Eagle Hunter, but I'm [music] excited.

[00:16:58]We have made it to [music] the outskirts of Daran in a tiny little village to meet a man called a man, an incredible eagle hunter who's going to share his tradition and culture with us. So the history dates back thousands of years and essentially these eagle hunters are ethnically Kazak. Before Mongolia had their independence, they were roaming the land.

[00:17:22]>> These nomads didn't see borders. They just walked across the fields with their animals. Imagine one day you get told, "No, you're not allowed on this side of the grass." Crazy. So, his family actually ended up staying in Mongolia.

[00:17:35]And you'll find there's actually lots of them, especially in the western part of Mongolia. But they have these eagles for many things, for fur, for food, so they can go and catch their um >> apparently they can catch foxes.

[00:17:47]>> Yeah. Which is absolutely insane. We've only seen I've actually only seen one eagle, and that was here the other day.

[00:17:52]And >> I can hear it. I can hear the eagle is singing. [laughter] >> They They can get up to 20 kilos. So, I'm expecting this one to be pretty bloody big if it can catch foxes.

[00:18:02]>> Oh my gosh.

[00:18:03]>> Look at this. This is his uh front garden. I'm on the lookout for a big scary dog. But look at that.

[00:18:10]>> Beautiful noise. Hia.

[00:18:12]>> Wow. Hello.

[00:18:13]>> What an amazing noise.

[00:18:15]>> Modern times have even caught up with the eagle hunters. A man has actually had to pop to the shop. So, we've actually been invited in. to their GR while we wait for him to arrive.

[00:18:27]>> They're pretty incredible. So, this is their home. You go inside. Okay. I think there's special etiquette when you enter a GR. So, there's a women's side and a man's side.

[00:18:36]>> And this is a Kazak G. So, it differs slightly from the Mongolian.

[00:18:40]>> So, this is the kitchen.

[00:18:41]>> No, it is just firing and grained wood and then water.

[00:18:46]>> Okay. So, this is how they keep it warm in here.

[00:18:49]>> Oh, hello. There's a little baby in here.

[00:18:52]Wow.

[00:18:53]>> Okay. Welcome. Welcome.

[00:18:55]>> Thank you.

[00:18:56]>> Wow.

[00:18:56]>> Which side is ladies? Which side is man?

[00:18:58]>> Mong traditional is just sit in the left side in the ladies.

[00:19:02]>> Yep.

[00:19:02]>> So me over here.

[00:19:03]>> Yeah. This is uh right side is men's in the >> Okie dokie. Oh, in their other one they have a wolf skin.

[00:19:10]>> Yeah.

[00:19:11]>> But this fox here, the eagle caught that.

[00:19:13]>> Yeah. Is hunter.

[00:19:16]>> Whoa. I mean it's quite a small fox, right?

[00:19:23]little bit small.

[00:19:24]>> Yeah, some foxes.

[00:19:27]>> Some foxes are really big. So basically car right now is a little bit fat.

[00:19:32]That's what you were saying, right Telga?

[00:19:33]>> The eagles put on weight. It's living the good life.

[00:19:35]>> Weight, right? So she can't go hunting right now, but she goes hunting in the summer when she's lost weight. When she's lost a bit of weight, it's easier for her to fly, right? [laughter] >> Thank you [music] so much. Thank you.

[00:19:46]And this is Milk Dick.

[00:19:48]>> Thank you so much. This is good for digestion.

[00:19:51]>> Thank you.

[00:19:52]>> Because you drink so much meat.

[00:19:54]>> Cheers. Do we cheers with milk tea?

[00:19:56]>> Yeah. No, no, no. [laughter] >> Today we do.

[00:20:02]>> M delicious. It's perfect for this weather. Honestly, the heavy meat and the milk tea is amazing to keep warm.

[00:20:08]We've actually got traditional homemade Kazak bread. So, I'm going to I'm going to take it and dip it. Okay. Just because.

[00:20:17]>> Is this right? Everyone's laughing at you. [laughter] >> Delicious. How do you say delicious?

[00:20:24]>> Attit.

[00:20:27][laughter] >> And what is this here? This one.

[00:20:31]>> Uh [groaning and screaming] yeah, this one is uh arro.

[00:20:34]>> A >> ar and then making the person milk boiling after yogurt.

[00:20:41]>> After yogurt boiling and then >> juice and after Is it like a sweet sweet?

[00:20:51]>> Do I dip that in the tea as well?

[00:20:58]>> Are you trying to break my tea?

[00:21:02]>> Hello.

[00:21:03]>> Nice to meet you.

[00:21:04]>> Hi.

[00:21:04]>> Hi. How are you? Nice to meet you. Thank you so much.

[00:21:07]>> A man has arrived from the shops.

[00:21:09]>> That is a man. The the A man. I love him so much. Such a cool character, right?

[00:21:13]>> I love his hat. It's his traditional Kazak hat.

[00:21:17]I like your hat.

[00:21:19]>> It's good. [laughter] >> Oh, this is his winter hat.

[00:21:25]>> I love it so much. Don't you just love everything is has a meaning. Everything has a purpose. Like the food that they eat has a purpose to keep them warm in the winter. The clothes they wear have a purpose. The eagle has a very important purpose. Sorry, I'm just tucking into my bread and milk tea right now.

[00:21:46]Thank you very much. Thank you. Oh, they really do have Oh, a beautiful girl. But a man is now taking us out to meet >> Oh my god, >> his eagles.

[00:21:59]>> How many years has a man been eagle hunting?

[00:22:02]>> Uh 70 or 78 years.

[00:22:05]>> And was this tradition passed down from his father?

[00:22:08]>> Grandfather.

[00:22:10]father and uh father's brother uncle >> Kazak traditional always teaching the son in eagle hunting >> so his son also has an eagle >> one eagle is in his son >> amazing so they're keeping the tradition alive and at what age do they release the eagle cuz they take the eagle when it is young they'll train it and then once it is trained and they use it for a few years they will release it back into the wild >> take from the mountain feeding the 5 years >> 5 previous feeding.

[00:22:41]>> Yeah. After in the free.

[00:22:43]>> Ah. So they will take it when it is an egg it will hatch and then they will train it 5 years it to hunt like foxes.

[00:22:50]>> Yeah.

[00:22:50]>> Wolves, >> rabbit and fox.

[00:22:53]>> Fox.

[00:22:54]>> Is this all for food? Just for food?

[00:23:08]Yeah.

[00:23:10]He's using the skin, the fox and the wolf skin.

[00:23:13]>> Meeting the eagle eating the eagle in the meat.

[00:23:17]>> The eagle eats the meat and then he ah this side.

[00:23:28]>> This this side is a fox legs legs.

[00:23:32]>> Oh wow, look at that. Oh, >> so does he take the fox and he cuts the fox open and takes the skin himself?

[00:23:43]>> Look at that.

[00:23:44]>> Okay.

[00:23:45]>> Yeah. It is uh focus leg skin making the head.

[00:23:51]>> Ah, I understand.

[00:23:52]>> But body skin.

[00:23:53]>> Yeah. And clothes.

[00:23:54]>> Yeah. Clothes.

[00:23:55]>> Wow.

[00:23:56]>> Yeah. And it's really warm.

[00:24:00]And what is the name of this that he wears?

[00:24:09]>> Oh, he looks so cool.

[00:24:10]>> Japan.

[00:24:11]>> Japan.

[00:24:12]>> Japan. A >> Japan. Japan.

[00:24:14]>> Kazak. Japan.

[00:24:16]>> So same similar, right?

[00:24:18]>> In Mongolian, Japan in Kazak.

[00:24:21]>> Japan in Kazak. And the hat is >> Tamak. Tamak.

[00:24:25]>> I want a Tamak. [laughter] That's so cool.

[00:24:33]>> And that's in Kazakhst of the animal.

[00:24:39]>> That makes sense. And then the eagle gets all of the meat to eat.

[00:24:42]>> They don't eat the fox.

[00:24:43]>> No, >> the eagle does.

[00:24:44]>> The eagle does like in the little heart.

[00:24:55]>> Oh yeah.

[00:24:56]like a helmet.

[00:24:57]>> Ah, like a helmet as protection.

[00:25:01]Maybe horse riding.

[00:25:04]>> Ah, now he keeps winter fight.

[00:25:07][laughter] >> Winter mode.

[00:25:11]>> And when he goes to get the eagle from the nest, how like how high do they have to climb or how far do they have to walk to find the nest?

[00:25:19]>> 28 km.

[00:25:21]>> Wow. Up the mountain.

[00:25:23]>> The mountain >> on horse.

[00:25:28]At first they just the horse and car after in the mountain hide >> they have to hike >> one mountain.

[00:25:37]>> Yeah. There's one particular one >> two two different what is this >> nests >> nests?

[00:25:42]>> Yeah.

[00:25:42]>> Uh and he is bringing the maybe left side this year >> after in the free >> after in the taking the right side.

[00:25:51]>> Ah different. So he takes from different sides to make sure [clears throat] >> in the uh e ache or in the baby eagle the tech >> after a mother uh eagle moves in the that side. So it almost tricks the eagle to move around, doesn't it? To make sure that it has a baby the other side.

[00:26:11][laughter] >> Ra, same as Pakistan. Rakat, >> thank you so much. Rh with very few eagle hunters left in the world. It was a privilege to come here and meet a man.

[00:26:29]He actually had to move closer to the city because his wife had unfortunately fallen ill last year. And because of that, the noisy eagles, apparently all the neighbors get really annoyed with him because the eagle just doesn't shut up.

[00:26:48][music] [music] I could get used to this. The slow days here in rural northern Mongolia. Early nights. I'm falling asleep.

[00:27:30]at like 8:00 p.m. and then getting up before the sun even rises. It's actually our last full day in the region. And today we're actually going to meet a nomadic family. A family that live here during the summer months and in the winter they pack up, leave all their things behind and move to a brand new location. And we're just out for our morning hike along the river. It really is stunning. You can actually see here how one of our neighbors has packed up their home. They still have their little shed there, but in the summer they'll come back. They'll place their gurr in the land and they'll live here. It's crazy, isn't it? that they just pack up their house for 6 months and just leave.

[00:28:25]And all that remains is their fence [music] and their little shed.

[00:28:45]We are out nomad hunting in the vast wilderness of Mongolia. Not like you digital nomads from Bali. These are real nomads. We have about a 6 km drive through well I'd say road. But for this part of Mongolia, this probably is the road to meet what was the name of the family?

[00:29:05]>> By >> the nomad family before they leave in the next couple of months. This is their uh their winter home we're heading to.

[00:29:19]And we have arrived at the Bra family's land. And [laughter] they have more animals than a bloody zoo.

[00:29:32]>> Hello.

[00:29:33]>> How are you? Good.

[00:29:34]>> Hi.

[00:29:35]>> Hello. Nice to meet you, >> Molly. Nice to meet you.

[00:29:40]>> Beautiful house. Byra, you got animals?

[00:29:43]His horses are there.

[00:29:44]>> Yeah.

[00:29:45]>> Oh, wow. Does he have just horses?

[00:29:47]>> Uh, no. It's just feeding in the some horses.

[00:29:50]>> Oh, the horses are fed in there. His other animals are all wild.

[00:29:53]>> Yeah.

[00:29:53]>> Does he know how many animals he has?

[00:29:55]>> Too many to count.

[00:29:56]>> I think so.

[00:29:57]>> Horses here.

[00:29:58]>> Oh, he's got horses out here as well.

[00:30:00]>> Some in there.

[00:30:01]>> So, he doesn't know how many he has.

[00:30:02]>> So, does he have just horses or does he also have like uh goats or cows?

[00:30:08]>> Yeah. All >> he has all. How long have they lived here?

[00:30:15]last six years.

[00:30:16]>> Six years.

[00:30:17]>> And your summer houses were >> so some people move like 10 20 kilometers into the hills over the mountains, but Byzra actually decided to just move further up this way.

[00:30:32]>> He follows the good grass that his animals can graze on.

[00:30:34]>> He's got a lot of blooming animals, so he needs that good grass. So they say that nomads still make up around 20 to 30% of the Mongolian population, which is great, but too many are leaving these traditions behind for a Lambertar, which has led to the world's worst traffic. I was expecting just a G, but he's actually got a house that we would all recognize back in the West.

[00:31:01]>> Okay. Thank you.

[00:31:01]>> Thank you.

[00:31:02]>> Hello, S.

[00:31:04]>> Oh, there's a Oh my gosh. This is totally not what I was expecting. It's lovely. It's so cozy in here. So, we can sit here. Yeah.

[00:31:14]>> I think these are like the guest seats.

[00:31:16]Isn't it lovely? It's like a TARDIS when you come in. Very similar to how um our G is where we're staying. Very different to the Kazak G. The Kazak G was a lot wider, wasn't it? A lot more panled still with snacks, traditional snacks.

[00:31:29]>> And all of the the fur. They've got the raven as well.

[00:31:33]>> Is it a raven? Oh my god. But I can see a Is that a >> a wolf? A fox.

[00:31:42]>> Fox and wolf.

[00:31:44]>> A wolf.

[00:31:45]>> Wolf.

[00:31:45]>> How did he catch the wolf?

[00:31:47]>> Yeah, many years ago.

[00:31:56]>> His brother is hunting.

[00:31:59]>> His brother's a wolf hunter.

[00:32:00]>> Yeah.

[00:32:04]Ah, >> thank you so much.

[00:32:08]>> Mongolian milk tea.

[00:32:09]>> We're getting used to this now. We're always welcomed with Mongolian milk tea.

[00:32:13]Cheers.

[00:32:14]>> I don't think we're supposed to. Cheers, but we do. [laughter] [laughter] >> And what is this?

[00:32:25]>> He was in a child in >> Mongolian vodka.

[00:32:28]>> Mongolian vodka. [laughter] Oh my god, I love that so much. Do you mix it in the milk tea or do you reckon you eat it separately? Oh my god. Wow.

[00:32:37]It's a vodka cup.

[00:32:40]>> Uhhuh. It's cow milk.

[00:32:43]>> Cow milk.

[00:32:44]>> Yeah.

[00:32:44]>> And then boiled and distilled.

[00:32:47]>> Oh wow. Thank you very much.

[00:32:51]>> Oh my gosh.

[00:32:52]>> Here it goes.

[00:32:54]>> I do a little [laughter] >> Oh, it's good. It's not too strong.

[00:33:01]>> Maybe like 20%. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Try something. It's actually really nice.

[00:33:05]>> Is it a very >> It's a little cheesy, but >> very like it. Yeah.

[00:33:10]>> It's a little bit like rakia.

[00:33:12]>> Ah, it smells a bit like cheese.

[00:33:14]>> And he makes this himself.

[00:33:16]>> Yes.

[00:33:20][screaming] >> Will I lose an eye? Can you ask him if I will be have both eyes? I'll be good.

[00:33:25]Yeah.

[00:33:25]>> Yeah.

[00:33:26]>> Sure.

[00:33:26]>> Yeah, >> it's good.

[00:33:27]>> After you sleep in the lodge. Yeah.

[00:33:29]You'll sleep well today.

[00:33:31]>> Oh, >> see.

[00:33:32]>> Wow. Fantastic.

[00:33:35]>> So nice. Yeah.

[00:33:37]>> It doesn't burn, doesn't it?

[00:33:38]>> No, no, no. It's light.

[00:33:39]>> It's really light. It doesn't have to have another bit.

[00:33:43]>> Does he drink this every day?

[00:33:47]>> Yeah. Not sometimes.

[00:33:49]>> Only sometimes when he wants to party.

[00:33:54]>> Yeah. Summertime they make make Oh, you make a big bottle.

[00:34:01]>> Big bottle.

[00:34:02]>> It's delicious. Very amp. My new favorite word. [laughter] Traditional Mongolian boruk.

[00:34:09]>> Buk.

[00:34:10]>> Yeah. Homemade by our lovely lady. Um, flour, yeast, eggs.

[00:34:16]>> Yeah. Sometimes.

[00:34:17]>> Sometimes. Depends. And then they cook it in here. And you have to soften it in here.

[00:34:21]>> Yeah, it is good.

[00:34:23]>> So, just leave it for a bit. It's a bit like sponge pudding, isn't it? Is it sweet or no?

[00:34:30]>> Some people making little sugar and some people's not sugar.

[00:34:35]>> You need to have it in here, right?

[00:34:36]>> Mhm.

[00:34:37]>> It's nice. It's a bit like a donut.

[00:34:39]>> Oh, I need to have some.

[00:34:40]>> It's like a donut.

[00:34:41]>> And what is this? Like uh sweets.

[00:34:44]>> Ar.

[00:34:45]>> Ar.

[00:34:45]>> Ar.

[00:34:46]>> Ar.

[00:34:46]>> Ar.

[00:34:47]>> Ar. And what is it? Sweets.

[00:34:50]>> Yeah. You're trying >> I try this one.

[00:34:52]>> Is that a lucky day? Um >> I just >> He's saying you drink the vodka and then you eat that. [laughter] >> It's um making the process.

[00:35:04]>> Ah with milk.

[00:35:04]>> Oh, it's made from yogurt. Is it?

[00:35:07]>> Try this.

[00:35:07]>> It's good.

[00:35:08]>> Hang on. I'm trying everything now. This is made from yogurt.

[00:35:11]>> It's like a milky yogurt. Sweet. Bit bitter.

[00:35:16]>> Dipped in there would be unreal. The bread is so good though.

[00:35:19]>> It's so interesting trying to understand more about the G etiquette. So, it is said normally the men will sit on one side because they'll be dealing with things like the animals and then on the other side the ladies will sit because they are preparing your homemade vodka or your food, >> the milk tea. Um, and it kind of makes sense. They can actually fit like 20 to 30 people in here which you just would not believe >> when they have parties >> and they have parties. Yeah. Normally, um, Toga, when a family is in a G, does everybody sleep in the same G?

[00:35:49]>> Everybody will sleep in here in one family.

[00:35:51]>> One family.

[00:35:52]>> Doesn't matter. So parents, children, grandparents, >> grandparents, >> everyone in here.

[00:35:56]>> Yeah. Now it's little different in the making extra gear.

[00:36:00]>> They have different girls for different family members. Some people [snorts] >> Thank you.

[00:36:08]>> I'm being forced to drink more [laughter] of the Mongolian vodka.

[00:36:16]>> It's good. It's >> strong.

[00:36:19]>> I'm like Mongolian man. He says to just down it. I feel like we should share.

[00:36:25]>> I don't think so. I feel like [laughter] >> I'm really hot.

[00:36:36]>> You're very red.

[00:36:38]>> Woo. [laughter] >> Yeah, I'm already really really hot.

[00:36:42]>> If I drink all >> Yeah.

[00:36:44]>> I will not leave your G. I will >> sleeping. [laughter] I'm already just so hot. Honestly, it's so nice because it doesn't burn.

[00:36:56]>> A little bit.

[00:36:57]>> Yeah, don't worry. Only a little.

[00:36:59]>> No, he's saying little alcohol. He's like He's saying man up. Drink it all.

[00:37:02]Like a real Mongolian.

[00:37:04]>> I mean, it >> Chingis Khan would drink it all.

[00:37:06]>> Yeah, Chingis Khan. He would drink it.

[00:37:10]>> Delicious.

[00:37:12]>> I'm red. I'm hot. We did well, though.

[00:37:14]>> Who did well?

[00:37:15]>> Okay, you did better than me. [laughter] Molly's um addicted to milky cheesy Mongolian.

[00:37:22]>> No, I'm good. Thank you.

[00:37:23]>> Vodka. One is enough. [laughter] >> Oh my god. I'll be on the floor. I think you have to finish things otherwise it's like rude.

[00:37:29]>> Yeah, if you don't finish it.

[00:37:30]>> Oh, it's disrespectful. So, let me just finish my milk tea. [laughter] >> That's quite a combination. Milky [laughter] vodka and milk tea. Thank you so much.

[00:37:45]>> Wow. God, I don't need my coat now. I can see why they drink on it. I can see why they drink it. The problem is in the winter you'd be on the piss every day, wouldn't you? [laughter] >> I'm sweating, honestly. You know, um I did actually check in advance because there are certain things you're not allowed to do in a girl. And one of them is like when you offer something, you have to finish it all, which is why I just decided to finish it all. And he was very chuffed with it as well. But >> he thinks he's found a new Mongolian wife. [laughter] >> He was explaining that um in the winter it's so good for you cuz like it makes your whole body warm. He >> That's what I say at home, though. In the UK, you know, the weather's miserable. It's cold. Beer's good for you. That's why I drink beer.

[00:38:21]>> That's true.

[00:38:22]>> It's always an excuse. Any excuse.

[00:38:24]>> You're all right. Just give it a stroke.

[00:38:26]>> I get scared of horses. It's okay.

[00:38:29]>> A There we go.

[00:38:33]His name. What's his name?

[00:38:38]>> No name. No name.

[00:38:40]>> NO NAME. A What a pretty Oh, look. He's molting.

[00:38:44]>> Yeah, it's his winter. He's coming into his uh spring coat. What a beautiful little horse. Should we call it snowflake or something?

[00:38:51]>> And they actually use these horses for racing in the summer.

[00:38:55]>> So racing horses. So he has so many he has to actually separate them because the uh the dads of the horses or the main horses from each I don't know what you call a pack of horses, but um yeah, they fight. So they have to separate them. But little pretty ones. Okay. They really do live off the land, don't they?

[00:39:13]We're now going into the the animal pen.

[00:39:16]>> Oh my god. So, they've got a 20day old calf born from mommy cow over there.

[00:39:21]They're absolutely gorgeous. Um Oh, look. I feel like she might look after the cows. What do you think?

[00:39:27]>> Maybe. I think the the horses are for the men. The cows maybe >> for the women.

[00:39:33]>> Hello.

[00:39:35]>> Hi, baby.

[00:39:37]Hi, little baby cow.

[00:39:40]Hi. Oh no. Oh no. We scared it. It's okay, baby. It's lovely to see um like a small family farm where they use everything from their animals. Feel like that's really important. They also keep um their animals for a longer time here in Mongolia. So sometimes you might find the meat to be quite tough and it's cuz they keep the life of their animal from the most out of the animal. They do. And I think that's also really sustainable.

[00:40:07]Um how cute. [laughter] Oh, >> thank you so much. Bye.

[00:40:16][laughter] >> [clears throat] >> What a lovely family. It was really nice getting a glimpse into the nomadic way of life and being fed far too much milky cheesy [laughter] Mongolian vodka. On the way back, we were nearly attacked. Did you see the size of them Mongolian shepherd dogs?

[00:40:59]Each family has their own beast that protect that protects their livestock.

[00:41:05]But this really does bring an end to our 4day stay in rural northern Mongolia, close to the Russian border. And I've loved it. appreciating the nature, staying in my gur. The lodge here, Yeru lodge, I would highly, highly recommend it. It combines the culture, the luxuries, and the nature really blooming well. We now have this morning a 10hour [laughter] [gasps and sighs] Soviet train back to Alamatar and I'm not quite sure what's next with how the world is at the moment. It is very very uncertain. So I presume we're going to head home, visit family, and then when we know where we're going to be heading, I'm sure you'll know. We'll see you in the next one. Mongolia, it has been an absolute pleasure.

[00:42:09][music]