We left the Secrets of Ongii camp early in the morning and drove further up north for the part of the journey we especially looked forward to – the home stay.

After a long drive through a landscape where one can almost look beyond the horizon, we arrived in a valley with lush green grass and countless lifestock, ranging from goats, sheep and cows to horses. We decided to spend the two nights here in our little private tent, instead of the shared gers and very much enjoyed "camping" probably for the first time.

The first day was spent discovering our surroundings, getting comfortable with not having a shower, or running water at all. We were introduced to the family and they explained to us how their typical days in the summer look like.
In the afternoon, we watched how yoghurt, cheese and milk vodka were made and in the late afternoon, the sheep for next day’s lunch was selected and slaughtered.

In the evening the cows were milked, which is much harder to do than it looks. Later the drivers prepared a delicious dinner and afterwards we sat around a bonfire enjoying the quietness of the place. In the night a light rain briefly woke us, but in the morning, just in time for breakfast, everything was dry and the sun was shining again.

The outdoor breakfast was again masterfully prepared by the drivers and our tour lead. For lunch, we had the sheep meat, which was prepared as a Mongolian BBQ, which means that the slices were put in a pot with onions and spices and then hot stones were put in to fry the meat, before it is put on the stove to cook for a few hours. The lunch was delicious.

In the afternoon, we went to a horse breading family, drank airag and learned more about their life. In the afternoon we had a go at archery, with limited success and later we enjoyed dinner followed by a bonfire and a beautiful night sky with an incredible amount of stars visible above us.

How we pictured Mongolia before we saw it in real life

Making urum (clotted cream) yoghurt, cheese and milk vodka

Airag (fermented mares milk in a leather bag)

Inspired by the endless lush green landscape and the fresh mares milk

Day 9 & 10 – Into the wild