Dispatches From Mongolia: A week away at Lake Khovsgol (part 3)

I went away for a week to visit Lake Khovsgol, located in the north western part of Mongolia. I've decided to break this week into three parts so as not to bore my readers with too many pictures

Of course I saved the best for last. In part three our amazing group of travelers stay at a ger camp next to three friendly UB police officers. They help me fulflil my Mongolian dream of killing a sheep the traditional Mongolian way (cutting it's belly and reaching in to snip the aorta) and then cooking it the traditional way of Khorkhog. Khorkhog is when you cook the meat with hot stones. Originally this was done inside of the animal but this is tough to do, especially with the time and utensils we had. Instead the cops helped us cook it over fire with stones inside. It was amazingly tasty. Also, this was my first animal kill. I was very worried about what would happen to me mentally and emotionally. Would I cry like a baby? Would I never want to eat meat again? Would I enjoy it? Would I paint my face with the sheep's blood?

Well, it turns out the latter two are what happened. It was surprisingly easy to do and didn't make me feel to morose or sad. In fact, I could see doing it again. Now maybe I should explain a thing or two here. The reason I wanted to kill an animal and eat it is that I feel we're too disconnected from our food these days. We go to a butcher or supermarket and buy pre selected meats, most of the time frozen or preprocessed. We no longer kill animals (which isn't a bad thing) or pick/grow our own veggies. So we're now 1 or 2 or even more steps removed from where our food comes from. I wanted to say "yes I eat meat because I know what it's like to have taken an animals life, and I'm ok with it." or possibly say "I no longer eat meat because I took an animals life and it was horrible for me." But I wouldn't know until I actually did it. As a food lover and somewhat aspiring chef, I really felt that this was a step that I needed to achieve.

You may not agree with this is. You make think I'm sick and/or twisted. But if these thoughts are what you think, I'd like you to ask yourself the next time you eat meat, "could i kill this animal I'm about to feast on." If the answer is no, then why are you eating it?

But this is me lecturing or being philosophical or just a nut, so enough... and on to the pictures.

I'm standing in front of the den where the sheep I'm about to kill and then eat is staying. She is all alone and looks very very sad :(

Andy: first blood, part I.This is after the kill. I feel strangely ok with it.

taking the organs out.

I love the coloring on this one. And is that a kidney there? Also, notice the bucket of blood.

Taking the head off by cutting the neck.

bahhhhhh!!!

I'm working on a new anti-PETA dress idea. This was after we skinned the sheep and I was showing off the hide. If I had known we would have warm showers soon after I would have put the skin on me.

Telmen lighting his cigarette like a real man, from a coal taken from the fire.

Shish for appetizers. I think this was going to be the cops dinner but since we were sharing the khorhok they shared their meat. They were absolutely delicious.

cutting the meat

laying some of the meat out for the khorkhog

Sheep's tail is considered a delicacy. Here we are burning the hair off the rump.

drinking vodka and waiting for some of the meat to grill.

beautiful skies as the sun is setting.

sunsets over ger camp and lake Hovsgol.

khorkhog!

looks so good, doesn't it. AHHHH, I want more right now. :(

the crew, chowing down.

We gave some meat to some of the neighbor gers. this group invited us in. Here, as was par for the trip (my life) I am shirtless, though in fairness he was first. In his hand is traditional mongolian vodka which is made from milk.

I can't help it that ladies like to pose with me. though in fairness, she may have thought that i was a gorilla.

Turns out the group worked for Xaan Bank and gave us a hat and shirt from the company. They also shared some Mongolian wine (tasted like Manishevitz) and fresh made tsuvain (mongolian and mutton noodle dish). They were a good group and what made it more fun was only one of them spoke a little basic english.

The next day on the way from Hatgal to Moron, Beka and I took an 11 seater van. Of course we ended up with about 20 inside. They just placed this boy on my lap. He seemed pretty comfortable with me from the get go, but just to make sure, I also gave him some choco-pies. wait, this sounds somewhat like how I was told as a child that strangers would try kidnap me. uh oh...

I also wrapped his head with his moms scarf. he looked like a little gypsy but really liked the attention and seemed ok with it.

Mongolia is not known for pigs, so when I saw 3 pigs in a small town I got very excited.