June 3, 3pm: Depart UB for the adventure of a lifetime. June 17, 7am: Arrive UB, forever changed.
Reindeer Camp, as it's lovingly called, is a physically trying, expensive, and programmatically burgeoning camp. In only its third year, lessons are still being learned, logistics being coordinated, and community needs being assessed. Despite all the hardship, this will go down as one of the highlights of my service. You may recall me talking about going on this trip last summer, but having to pass at the last minute due to being offered, and accepting, the DTM position. I knew I was going to go this summer and pretty much endlessly harassed the organizers when the time to sign up came around. I started saving months in advance, squirreling away a small amount of my monthly living allowance so I wouldn't take a huge chunk out of my June allowance (didn't need any actually, woot!). And being in UB, I was able to help facilitate some aspects of the project the volunteers in Murun couldn't, like the clothing drive and gathering PC-required supplies (medical kits and helmets). But most rewarding was getting the chance to meet, integrate with, and come to deeply care for, the Tsaatan people of the West Taiga. Especially our host family, grandmother, father and mother, and their four kids. I couldn't even imagine living in the conditions and working as hard as they do; I could barely cut it for a week. But what a life! I was equally in awe and inspired by them. They most definitely don't need "saving" from us or any aid/mission group (and yes, a few other groups do go up there but with no consistency or often with intentions of Christian conversion). The assistance we provided the people themselves asked for, either last year or when Murun volunteers went up earlier in the spring. We tried to be responsible with our waste (bury the poo and tp, carry out any trash we couldn't burn) and our behavior (no drinking, no smoking, etc.) and respectful of their schedules (short lessons between chores), integrating as unobtrusively as possible. But like I said, this a burgeoning project, and there will certainly be changes for next year, learning from the mistakes we made, building on the successes we had.
Reindeer Camp, as it's lovingly called, is a physically trying, expensive, and programmatically burgeoning camp. In only its third year, lessons are still being learned, logistics being coordinated, and community needs being assessed. Despite all the hardship, this will go down as one of the highlights of my service. You may recall me talking about going on this trip last summer, but having to pass at the last minute due to being offered, and accepting, the DTM position. I knew I was going to go this summer and pretty much endlessly harassed the organizers when the time to sign up came around. I started saving months in advance, squirreling away a small amount of my monthly living allowance so I wouldn't take a huge chunk out of my June allowance (didn't need any actually, woot!). And being in UB, I was able to help facilitate some aspects of the project the volunteers in Murun couldn't, like the clothing drive and gathering PC-required supplies (medical kits and helmets). But most rewarding was getting the chance to meet, integrate with, and come to deeply care for, the Tsaatan people of the West Taiga. Especially our host family, grandmother, father and mother, and their four kids. I couldn't even imagine living in the conditions and working as hard as they do; I could barely cut it for a week. But what a life! I was equally in awe and inspired by them. They most definitely don't need "saving" from us or any aid/mission group (and yes, a few other groups do go up there but with no consistency or often with intentions of Christian conversion). The assistance we provided the people themselves asked for, either last year or when Murun volunteers went up earlier in the spring. We tried to be responsible with our waste (bury the poo and tp, carry out any trash we couldn't burn) and our behavior (no drinking, no smoking, etc.) and respectful of their schedules (short lessons between chores), integrating as unobtrusively as possible. But like I said, this a burgeoning project, and there will certainly be changes for next year, learning from the mistakes we made, building on the successes we had.
Green = 17 hours by bus, UB to Murun (provincial capital of Khovsgol)
Orange = 10/12 horurs by mikr, Murun to Tsagaan Nuur (small village)
Red = 4/5 hours by horse, Tsagaan Nuur to West Taiga (camp)
I was in the West Taiga; another group went to the East.
The bus (finally) left UB on Tuesday at around 5pm. The bus to Murun is an overnight bus because it takes just so darn long to get there.
The scenery on the way up to Murun.
First the people cross the bridge...
Then the bus!
We arrived in Murun around 10am Wednesday, sleep deprived and sore but running on excitement. We spent the day finalizing work plans between the East and West Taigas then shopping for all our food supplies. Then on Thursday morning we all met to head up to Tsagaan Nuur.
In Murun. All our gear, waiting to be loaded into the mikrs.
Our Country Director and Safety & Security Manager gave us a surprise send-off in Murun.
Beautiful scenes between Murun and Tsagaan Nuur.
Lunch stop.
Pick a side!
Entering the Taiga protected area.
Still lots of snow and ice!
First border patrol stop.
Next border patrol stop.
Herding yak.
The backwaters of Tsagaan Nuur (White Lake).
The next morning (Friday) we drove about an hour outside Tsagaan Nuur to the "drop spot" to meet the horses, reindeer and guides that would take us to the West Taiga.
Here come the reindeer!
Making a friend.
On the hillside there were about a half-dozen graves of individuals under 30.
Rhubarb! We enjoyed a bit before departing.
The wildflowers were just starting; on the way back they had all popped and colored the countryside.
All our horses, for us and our stuff.
Our guides, chillin'.
Loadin' up the pack horses.
And we're off!
I'm on a horse!
Lunch/snack stop.
As you can see, it was pretty muddy/boggy/wet riding.
Laura rode the reindeer.
Our first sighting of baby reindeer!
We stopped at this teepee for cheese and milk tea.
So cute! And soft.
I found the puppy!
Baby horses...
...And baby goats!
The overcast turned to rain...which turned to sleet...which turned to snow just as we got to our camp.
Soooo happy to see our family's teepees!
We quickly dismounted, unloaded, hung up our wet things to dry and changed into dry clothes. Then we enjoyed our surroundings.
Our horses.
Our teepees.
Makin' friends again.
The sound baby reindeer make.
The view the next morning.
Looking from the creek to our teepees.
Horses.
Our family's reindeer.
Tour time!
4kg of dried meat in a bag. Yum!
Loved waking up to this every morning.
Snow was nearly all melted by Saturday afternoon...
I found another puppy!
Our "sisters" playing frisbee.
Made a better volleyball than a soccerball in all those rocks and puddles.
This guy was such a snorer!
Chopping wood for the stoves in the teepees.
The lake is apparently on the other side of those mountains which is why they stayed snow-covered.
Snow all gone!
English lesson on Sunday.
Went for a hike Sunday afternoon to two lakes.
Kept waiting for the rocks to turn into trolls like in Frozen!
Wherever we walked, reindeer.
Volcano?
I had to make an inuksuk!
I was sad to be put in the pen.
But then the sun came out and I was happy.
So Peace Corps.
My health lesson, handwashing.
Asking when the five (minimum) times are one should wash their hands.
Demonstrating technique.
Then having the kids do it.
This reindeer was my helper.
Then they drew the steps for proper handwashing and presented.
Human knot to stretch it out and break it up.
Volleyball over the pen fence. Awesome.
Toothbrushing lesson.
Goin' for a hike. It was warm but so soggy we still needed our boots.
Looking back at our camp.
Reindeer leg, carried off by a dog?
Horses hangin' by our teepee.
Makin' more friends.
Awesome watching the clouds roll in on rainy evenings.
Friendship bracelets to teach what friendship and healthy relationships mean.
Rainy afternoon lesson on nutrition and second-hand smoke.
Zumba for fun excercise.
Sometimes I take good photos.
Our "mother" milking the reindeer in the evening. They do this three times a day.
Our "father" working on a carving.
Our "sister" snuggling a baby reindeer.
Our "brother" just gettin' all up in my camera.
The volcano (?) lit perfectly by the sun as the rain moved in in the distance.
On our last night (Friday), "Dad" brought out a reindeer for all of us to take a "pony ride" on. And I loved every minute of it.
Then our 18 (?) month old "brother" put us all to shame masterfully riding the reindeer.
The crew on the West Taiga.
West Side!
The girls in our teepee.
Gorgeous sunset.
Full moon on our last night too.
Then on Saturday morning we departed, our family already taking down our teepee (they were going to move the next day to their summer camp), and saying not goodbye but see you later to our new friends.
On the horse again, this time unguided.
Blue skies and green grass...But still wet, boggy and muddy.
Coming out of the trees, into a field.
Approaching the drop spot, which we didn't need as we rode the horses all the way back to Tsagaan Nuur.
I let my horse run for a bit in the wide open after the drop spot but it was just a bit to hard on my body so I reigned him in and trotted him into the group of pack horses and other PCVs who wanted to walk where he kept pace fairly easily.
At one point, somewhere along here, I turned to my friend Angela, welling up with tears, thanked her for including me in this amazing adventure (she was one of the organizers), and we both just reflected on how amazing it was to be there, in that time, in that place, and what life decisions brought us to to be there. It was overwhelming to say the least.
Yaks in the river.
My awesome burn from falling into the teepee stove two nights prior. The initial burn hurt, but then it didn't hurt until the blister (unintentionally) popped the next day. Lesson learned: don't try to snap branches in flip-flops on an uneven surface next to the fire because when you lose your balance and start to fall face-first into the fire you'll have to push yourself away in order to avoid a far worse fate.
The whole gang, East and West Taiga, at Ulzii's Ger Camp in Tsagaan Nuur. Ulzii is an awesome woman and took great care of us!
Mikring back to Murun on Sunday.
Potty stop.
Helping the stuck truck.
It hailed as we were driving, pea- to dime-sized. Looked pretty amongst the wildflowers.
Same lunch stop.
Got the front seat on the bus from Murun to UB so I could actually see some stuff...Before the dramamine kicked in and I slept.
The awesome handicrafts I got up on the Taiga. The ring was a gift, once for each of us girls, from "mom" and the antler & soapstone have an awesome scene carved (by our "father") into it. The reindeer keychain is carved (also by our "father") from antler and tied with reindeer leather.
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