Its winters are among Earth’s coldest, and
the massive summer dust storms offer scant
respite. Nothing much grows on these barren
plains – but, like other desert communities,
the nomads that regularly migrate through
this area and across the steppe of the north
have discovered the best way to cope with the
lack of food and constantly shifting sands: the
two-humped Bactrian camel, a hallmark of
Mongolian life.
With their naturally wide soles and
legendary endurance for low water, food and
temperature levels, every camel is as precious
as family to nomads. Apart from transport,
they provide milk rich in protein and calcium,
which features in steaming cups of suutei tsai,
a salty local milk tea. Milk can also be made
into butter and cheese – whose long shelf
life is invaluable on arduous migrations far
from towns and cities. In fact, Mongols need
their camels so much they rarely slaughter
them, preferring to dine on the meat of goats,
sheep, and horses. And to add to their list of
charming qualities, the fluffy ungulates are also
said by herders to have the softest hearts.
Howling winds
constantly tear
across the Gobi.
Text Lim Jun Xi
right Sunset in
Mongolia. Pictured is
a yurt, the traditional
home for nomads