Out of the dusty city, we ventured into the open spaces of Mongolia to experience nomadic life and discovered why the country is called “land of the blue sky.” With nearly 300 days a year of clear blue skies and the vast, open prairie of the Mongolian Steppe, Mongolia’s natural beauty is truly surreal. In addition, half of the country’s population is nomadic or semi-nomadic: moving periodically with all their possessions, most often seeking out greener pastures for their animals to graze. Needless to say, the gorgeous setting as well as nomadic life, cuisine and culture has made Mongolia one of the most positively unique experiences of our trip thus far!

A nomadic family collects a fresh batch of mare’s milk to make cheeses and dried curds

Goat’s milk is a staple food and beverage item

Airag, or fermented mare’s milk, is a slightly alcoholic dairy product that remains important to the Mongolian diet

Dried animal dung is often used as a fuel source, both for heating and cooking

A dried horse hide sack (sometimes made of leather) is used to store and churn mare’s milk until it ferments in 4-6 days, whereby it is consumed as airag

Horses and horseback riding are considered quintessential parts of nomadic Mongolian life, children often learning how to ride at very young ages

Not wanting to disappoint our hosts–and since we love to ride horses–we took every opportunity to go exploring by horseback!

Kevin walking his horses along a nearby lake