Visitors from Outer Mongolia

Our last camp spot in Mongolia was 10km from the Russian border. We chose a hidden spot behind a small hill off the main road. It was beautiful!

Within half an hour, from yonder, came three figures and a horse. As they neared you could tell that they were all children. They were dressed for winter, complete with woolly hats, even though it was a hot sunny day. Their clothes were old and torn but someone had wrapped them up in multiple layers to keep them warm. The youngest one wore a cool fake fur coat not dissimilar to my Micky Mouse fake fur 😉

We said hello and established where they had come from. I got the Polaroid out to take a photo after miming if that was ok. They quickly assembled into a group pose by the horse and smiled at the camera. Click. Their eyes widened as the print emerged from the camera. We waited a few seconds for the picture to begin to develop and then I took two more, in quick succession, so they all could have a photo each. With each photograph their smiles grew.

They then sat down on the grass beside us perusing us and the car; talking among themselves. I gave them some chocolate which they hesitantly ate; though the horse point blank refused the carrot I offered him. We exchanged more smiles, names and fingers told us how old they were: 12, 11 and 8. They ended up staying for about two hours; periodically gazing out across the steppe and pulling out from their pockets the Polaroid with which they all stared at with grins pasted across their faces.

We were beginning to wonder why they were staying for so long and where they might go next. And then, from across the steppe, came a large flock of goats and sheep. They immediately stood up, indicated that they were looking after the sheep and demanded another Polaroid of the flock. I took one and also one of the horse. They were eagerly pulling these out as they were emerging from the camera; desperate to get a look at the image as it slowly revealed itself.

Soon after a motorbike came by with a man and a small girl sat behind him. It turned out that he was their father and, I presume, the girl their younger sister. I was made to take several more pictures of them all, mostly sat posing on or beside the horse. The girl, who was about 6, then went off herding the flock while riding bare back – expertly directing both the horse and sheep. After a “bye bye” the father mounted the motorbike and all three boys, from smallest to the largest, climbed on too. And they were off with a wave and a smile.

Some time later a herd of yaks came bounding over at full speed followed by two small figures, running. As they came into view we could tell it was two of the brothers and, as they came closer, they motioned with their hands to take a picture of their yaks. I duly did. Then the motorbike appeared with the father, oldest brother and now the youngest: a small girl of about 4. They came bearing gifts. The father gestured to the boys to give us our present: two bags of what I think is yak’s milk hard cheese. We, in turn, gave them some sesame snaps and some Japanese paper gifts.

And then off they went again: all 5 on the motorbike – herding the yaks, sheep and goats – cradling their gifts as we did ours.