How To Kiss In Mongolia

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We’d been driving around in our converted Soviet van for a few hours now. I’m tired, hot, and a bit cranky when we pull over at a ger (traditional Mongolian dwelling) in the middle of nowhere. I don’t even have the chance to pull off my super-sexy motion sickness bands before I spot it. A baby horse. Knobby knees, matted fur, and all. (Side note: I am quite allergic to horses but love them with all of my heart.) Even better, an adorable Mongolian boy is leading it around on a rope.

And, if there’s anything that I have a weakness for, it is children with animals on ropes.

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Love at first sight. Note my awes bright orange motion-sickness bands.

The boy was wearing pants that matched the color of the expansive Mongolian sky and had a round and happy face, like all of the Mongolian children we met.

After an intense convo with him in my advanced Mongolian, I determine that the horse is two. Two what? you might ask. And to you I say, quit being such a stickler for details and look at how cute the thing is! (And it’s either days or weeks, obvi. Not sure which, but the number two was conveyed and noted.)

Almost half of all Mongolians remain nomadic. There aren’t a whole lot of Motel 8s or drive-thrus in the Gobi (or in any part of the country, for that matter), so an awesome and unique part of Mongolian culture is that they will almost always invite you in for food and drink if you stop at one of their gers.

To be the guest of such legendary hospitality is an amazing part of any trip to Mongolia.

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I am taller than both things in this picture. This never happens. Go, me!

Mongolians are horse people, and this boy was no different. It seems like a lot of Mongolians learn to ride before they walk, and the bowlegs of some of the older generation would put any cowboy to shame (see: gramps below).

The rest of my group went inside the ger to sample some airag, which is fermented mare’s milk and not nearly as disgusting as it sounds.

The boy tugged my free hand (the other firmly gripping the baby horse’s rope) and led me towards the other horses. I guess I’m sitting at the kids’ table – again.

I soon found myself being introduced to each of the horses, as well as his infectious giggle.

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Introducing me to his family.

He wanted to be sure I petted every horse, and after finishing my rounds, we started a game of tag with the baby horse, which was, yes, as fun as it sounds. I offered the boy some hard candy, which he quickly ate before motioning for more.

Instead of eating it himself, he fed the treat to his two-daysweekswhatevs-old best friend. The silly crunching, delight, and confusion of the baby horse enthralled both the boy and me, and we burst into another fit of giggles.

The fact that we couldn’t speak to each other didn’t matter at all.

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THIS is how to kiss in Mongolia.

His love for the animals was so genuine, and absolutely beautiful. As we started to head back to the ger, he began to kiss all of the horses. When he leaned in to kiss the baby, he saw me turn on my camera, and a huge smile broke out across his face.

The photo above is one of my favorite photos that I’ve ever taken. It captures a moment and a feeling that is so special.

As we drove away, the boy, his older brother, and his grandfather stood outside their ger and waved to us. My grin matched that of the boy’s.

This is why I travel. (And why I love kids, baby animals, and candy.)

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Check out the bowlegs on that guy! And the satellite dish, motorcycle, and horse feeding by the solar panel. What a world we live in!

This is the first of Travel Junkette’s Postcard series, a regular feature through which I will share stories and photos from past travels.

10 Comments

Stephen says:
December 10, 2011 at 5:05 pm

Thats an unusual weakness to have?

I also seem to remember a pretty sweet shot of you sharing an intimate moment with one of your equine friends.

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- admin says:
  December 11, 2011 at 11:10 am
  
  Haha. I think you’re remembering my camel friend. I do have quite a nice image of us nuzzling!
  
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Rick Pollack says:
December 10, 2011 at 5:24 pm

Great story Susan and love your writing style. Can’t wait for your next post.

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- admin says:
  December 11, 2011 at 11:10 am
  
  Thanks, Rick! Please say hi to the gang at JOURNEYS for me!
  
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Wilkine says:
December 12, 2011 at 9:09 am

What an amazing experience. I can’t wait to go there. Thanks for sharing this story, Susan.

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- admin says:
  December 14, 2011 at 3:42 am
  
  You’re welcome, Wilkine. You are going to love it. More stories to come, so keep checking back!
  
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Linda says:
December 13, 2011 at 4:31 am

So Cute!

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- admin says:
  December 14, 2011 at 3:47 am
  
  I know. I declared Mongolian children the cutest in the entire world while I was there.
  
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Brooke vs. the World says:
January 24, 2012 at 2:28 am

Awwwww so coooooool! I can’t wait for Mongolia! I’ll be there in June. Perhaps I’ll run into a character as special as this one

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- Susan says:
  February 1, 2012 at 3:03 am
  
  I really hope so! I’m sure you will – the kids and animals are abundant, and cute as hell!
  
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